5:00 AM - February 19, 2009

 National/US - Takeru V. Maeda

With the plan to allow immigrant residents without green cards to enlist for the army, the Pentagon hopes to see rejuvenation in shortages in language interpretation and medical care.

An intresting ascpect of the enrollment for immigrants in the army is the expectation for the recruits to be more qualified than entrants who are US citizens. Visas have and will be granted to immigrants on the basis of their education and/or skills, thus, the US department of defense see a great significance in their roles for the military , especially those who prove useful in combat zones in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"The American army finds itself in a lot of diffrent countries where cultural awarness is critica," said Lt.-Gen Bejamin C. Freakley, the top recruitment officer for the US Army.

"There will be some very talented folks in this group," he said to the New York Times. "This army will gain its strength in human capital, and the immigrants will gain their citizenship and get on a ramp to the the American dream."

According to sources at the New York Times, the plan could see an acceleration in the time to wait for a temporary resident to recevie a green card--which can be from up to 10 years, cut down to as little as six months.

Within its first year, the new program will only accept 1,000 applicants for enlistment. Although, if the new service for immigrants prove successful and widely popular, the army will work on expanding the program to other military services. The program could eventually offer the US army one in six of  its recurits.

For army recruiters, the job of finding possible applicants have increasingly become easier, most likley due to the rising unemployment rate in the US.

However, many recruiters have expressed their regret in having to turn away immigrants because they had only temporary residency.

Apart from the Support, the program has experienced some opposition from officers and veterans as well with concerns that some immigrants may enlist with divided loyalties or could possibly be terrorists infiltrating the US armed forces.

National/Local  - Takeru V. Maeda

Efforts to legalize millions of illegal residents, the crack down on the employers who hire them and win more family visas will most likely be brought back by next year, which could become successful in as early as 2010 as a result of record number of Latino voters who contributed to

the Democratic gains in the November election.

Frank Sharry of America's Voice, a Washington-based immigrant advocacy organization, stated that the Republicans who favored for only border control in battleground states as Colorado and New Mexico, were beaten by the number of Democrats who advocated a thorough reformation approach. The results were partly pushed by Latino voters.

"This is a defining issue among the fastest growing group of new voters in the country," said Sharry of Latino support for immigration reform. "This is a huge priority." During a national teleconference, Rep. Luis V Gutierrez said Obama had asked him to relay that he remains committed and in full support to see that a comprehensive resolution is made to repair the nation's immigration system.

Advocates believe that Obama's Cabinet appointments were a sign of promise, assembling a strong and worthy team that will seemingly put forth reform promises.

The Cabinet includes, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson as secretary of Commerce, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as secretary of Homeland Security and Rep. Hilda L. Solis as secretary of Labor.

All three members of the new Cabinet are determined supporters of comprehensive reform which includes the way to help the nation's estimated 12 million immigrants with citizenship.

"It's another indication that immigration reform is going to be a high priority for the incoming administration," said David Mermin, a pollster with Lake Research Partners.

Mermin also mentioned that a majority of Americans that he surveyed support a comprehensive solution that will put a stop on employers who hire illegal immigrants, secure borders, and present legalization to undocumented migrants who pay fines, learn English and meet other requirements.

However, Ira Melman, a member of the Washington-based Federation for American Immigration Reform, said that based on its own polling by Zogby International confirmed that the majority of Americans are worried about legalizing immigrants in fear that it will harm US workers during our economic downturn.

"It's going to be very, very difficult to sell this to the American people when the economy is generally in a state of collapse," Melman said.

According to Sharry, the recession could very well affect the essence of a reform package. "To protect the American workers," says Sharry, "the package might not include an increase in temporary visas for either skilled or unskilled foreign workers, for which business has long lobbied. An exception would be made for temporary farm workers."

In Los Angeles, more immigrant advocates have claimed to launch an appeal to Obama to halt immigration raids on homes and work sites. In and around Chicago, Gutierrez said, "Roman Catholic and evangelical churches have begun mobilizing thousands of citizens to support immigration reform by publicizing the hardship they face waiting for loved ones to receive entry visas."

Jorge-Mario Cabrera of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles is one of many who is just as excited for the possibilities of a reform. "We feel very confident that the strong showing of Latino voters from November will show [people] that we are serious about getting involved in the civic process," said Cabrera.

Kwanzaa is an annual weeklong hervest-themed celebration of African-American heritage that begins on the 26th of December until the 1st of January. Along with being known as a holiday for African-Americans to celebrate their history and themselves by "not imitating the practices

of the dominant society," it is also known for being created during a time of political and social turbulence in the 1960's and the increase of social consciousness that occurred with the political struggle of that period.

However, with soon-to-be Barack Obama set to take office as the nation's first multiracial president, and with so much gloom over holiday celebrations because of the flailing economy, is Kwanzaa still relevant in our time like it once was?

One of the first to welcome Kwanzaa, Bill Perkins -- a state senator who represents Central Harlem and parts of the Upper West Side -- observed the holiday during his time as a student at Brown University.

"Especially as an activist at that time, in college and afterwards, it was very important to remember those traditions and values that were important to community-building and to identifying ourselves with our culture and out past," said Perkins, 59. He also stated: "It was considered a little radical at the time. Now, it's not something that necessarily divides us. I don't think people generally see it as a separatist action." Perkins, who is a Democrat, sponsered a Kwanzaa celebrations on Saturday at the Harlem branch of the New York Public Library, at 9 West 124th Street, between 5th and Lenox Avenues.

"it's not unusual for non-African-American people to be there," said Perkins. "Nobody feels threatened or left out. It's a family-oriented, spiritually oriented holiday. It's not a protect. It's more of an affirmation. I don't think it's an act of militancy, as one might have assumed it was." On the other hand, within the black community, Kwanzaa has often been under much debate. Author and lawyer, Debra J. Dickerson, who wrote an Op-Ed piece in the New York Times entitled "A Case of the Kwanzaa Blues" caused a spark in the community by questioning the meaning and purpose of Kwanzaa.

"With all due respect to those who celebrate it, Kwanzaa feels like a cop-out," she explains. "Just as drugs are for those who can't handle reality, isn't Kwanzaa for those who can't handle knowing that our ancestors fueled themselves with Western ideals, Christianity uppermost among them?"

In her personal essay Dickerson alluded to the Afrocentric intentions of Maulana Karenga, the founder of Kwanzaa, spoke about how "Kwanzaa feels as if it is more about thumbing black noses at white America than at embracing the lost cause of resuming our Africanness." As a response to her essay, in a letter to the New York Times, Regina Austin stated that there was "nothing anti-American about Kwanzaa" and then also added: ?African- Americans, whether born here in America, in Africa or elsewhere, have the right to claim Africa as our ancestral home."

Even though the debate goes on, Kwanzaa has clearly entered the mainstream of holiday celebration. Many African-Americans celebrate both Kwanzaa and Christmas. In 1997, the Postal Service introduced its first Kwanzaa stamp and reissued a much newer design in 2004. Around the early 90's, retailers and merchants begun focusing on marketing efforts focused on Kwanzaa, but provoked concerns whether a large commercialization might spoil the holiday.

Akilah Bolden-Monifa, who's a director of communications at KPIX, a CBS stations in San Francisco, mentioned she and her family celebrate the holiday as an African themed event that can be appreciated by an ethnically diverse community.

"I've been to many Kwanzaa celebrations where the majority of people were not of African descent, and that certainly has been a good thing," said Bolden-Monifa. In the previous year, she put together a Kwanzaa celebration. "I did have a couple of white people call me up and ask, ?Am I welcome to come?'" she recalled. Some had African-American spouses or children along with them, and they were encouraged to attend the celebration.

"I've been celebrating Kwanzaa for many, many years," said Bolden-Monifa. "It's nice to have that connection. You acknowledge that you are an American of African descent, with some connection tot he motherland, even if you don't know where that is."

Her wife, Ruthie Bolden-Monifa, is also both African-American and Jewish. Along with their seven year-old daughter, Ashley, and five year-old son, Benjamin, they celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa."In many ways, we're more into Hanukkah and Kwanzaa for the cultural richness than Christmas, which, despite its Christian roots, has become about getting presents," added Akilah Bolden-Monifa.

State senator Bill Perkins also mentioned that if there were any concerns that he had about Kwanzaa, it was that retailers would take full commercial advantage over the holiday.

"We always have to watch out for the commercialization of our faith, our holidays, our worship and our reflection," he said. "There's no question that in a society like this, a market can be created that diminishes the value of the holiday. Once it becomes acceptable, then it becomes commercial."