1	In the News The headlines of Hispanidad. read more...
2	UPFRONT Dr. Eduardo Padrón What on Earth are we doing? read more...
3	UPFRONT Ruben Navarrette, Jr. Shades of gray in the immigration debate. read more...

education
Fitting In
A new study has found that children of immigrants who enter school with low math and reading skills have a better chance of catching up with their peers if they attend a school with high-performing students, well-supported teachers and services for families learning English as a second language. The study, conducted by Columbia University and published in a journal of the American Psychological Association, reinforces the importance of community resources in children’s academic performance. Many children from immigrant families attend public schools with a generally low-performing student body, inadequate teaching materials and crowded classrooms, says researcher Wen-Jui Han, PhD, who studied the performance of 14,000 children. The immigrant students and families studied were from Latin American countries, Spanish-speaking Caribbean countries and Asian countries. According to the study, children of immigrants who attended schools with good resources improved their reading and math scores faster than their non-Hispanic white peers, narrowing their initial score gap and sometimes surpassing them by third grade. These results demonstrate the importance of ESL programs, having translators available for parent-teacher conferences, providing translations of written communications and making home visits.

music
Silver Anniversary
Fonovisa Records, one of the top the regional Mexican labels in the United States, is celebrating its 25th year of discovering, nurturing and distributing Latin music by releasing a number of unprecedented collections. Since its inception in 1984, Fonovisa has been responsible for the success of such artists as Alacranes Musical, Bronco, Cristian Castro, Conjunto Primavera, Enrique Iglesias, Marco Antonio Solis, Los Bukis, Los Tigres del Norte and Timbiriche, among many others. As part of a year-long celebration, Fonovisa has launched a collection of the company’s greatest hits over the last quarter-century, entitled La Historia De Los Exitos. This month it releases a album of romantic hits in time for Valentine’s Day. Additional releases are also planned.

"She chose to wear a dress made by a Latina and made in the U.S. She chose to support the
industry here."
isabel toledo, the Cuban-American fashion designer whose wool lace shift and matching coat were worn by First Lady Michelle Obama during the presidential inauguration, a choice lauded in the media as “bold and modern.”
New York Daily News

politics
The New Administration
The issue of immigration appears to have receded in importance among one of the groups most affected by it—Latinos. Only three in 10 Latinos rate immigration as an extremely important issue facing the incoming Obama Administration, according to a survey by the Pew Hispanic Center. Not surprisingly, the issue most cited as tops was the economy, followed by education, health care, national security and the environment. Only then did immigration weigh in. In the same survey, 72 percent of Hispanics said they expect President Barack Obama to have a successful first term.

economy
Unemployment
Without a strong recovery package, one out of three U.S. workers could be unemployed or underemployed at some point in 2010, according to a new report by the Economic Policy Institute. The prognosis for blacks and Hispanics is especially dire. The non-profit economic think tank estimates that Hispanic unemployment could reach 13.1 percent overall, spiking to more than 33 percent among Hispanic teens. Already, the overall unemployment rate in January was at 7.6 percent, its highest rate in 17 years. The institute advocates a substantial surge in government spending of at least $600 billion a year for the next two years to spur demand for goods and services that will in turn generate more production and employment.

fashion icon
A Barbie for everyone
She was a presidential candidate before Hillary. She also has been an Olympic swimmer (look out, Dara Torres) and an American Idol winner. As she prepares to celebrate her 50th birthday in March, Barbie can look back a very rich and varied existence. She started out as a pony-tailed teenage fashion model, and over the years has been outfitted by more than 70 famous couturiers and has had more than 108 careers. But one of the most dramatic developments in Barbie’s history came when she embraced multi-culturalism and was released in a wide variety of native costumes, hair colors and skin tones to more closely resemble the girls who idolized her. Among these were Cinco De Mayo Barbie (shown here), Spanish Barbie, Peruvian Barbie, Mexican Barbie and Puerto Rican Barbie . She also has had close Hispanic friends, such a Teresa. Today, sales of Barbie dolls have fallen, but Mattel, the doll’s maker, hopes to inspire new excitement in Barbie through a series of events and promotions to celebrate her golden anniversary.

business
On Hold
In another indication of the ailing economy, the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has postponed its Latina Leadership Summit, originally scheduled for February 18-19 in Las Vegas. The planned theme? Increase Your Net Worth: Latina Procurement Power. The USHCC decided it might make more sense to delay the summit until September and hold it in conjunction with its annual convention planned for Denver. The organization says until then it will explore other cost-effective and economical networking and procurement opportunities such as webinars and virtual trade shows.

"Sometimes your own dreams and plans must take a back seat to what is best for the nation."

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, on his withdrawal from consideration for U.S. Secretary of Commerce due to a pending investigation into whether his administration gave contracts to a political donor. Richardson, who maintains his administration “acted properly in all matters,” said he did not want the investigation to delay Senate confirmation for the key Cabinet post.
The Washington Post

community
What’s in a name?
Despite a public outcry against giving a new high school a Spanish name, the Gilbert Public School Board in Arizona decided to stick to its guns—and the designated name of Campo Verde High School for its newest facility. Some residents had complained, among other things, that the name projected a “ghetto” image. Board member Elaine Morrison, who came up with Campo Verde’s name, explained in a memo that the name has historical meaning and pays tribute to the area’s rich farming history and its original settlers, many of whom were Mexican. The school is expected to open in August.

recognizing history
american colonization
King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain will visit the U.S. in February to commemorate the 450th anniversary of the first European settlement in the United States—led by, of course, a Spaniard. The Spanish royal family will be in Pensacola, Florida on February 19 to attend events in remembrance of the 1,500-men expedition led by Tristán de Luna, which left Veracruz but failed after a terrible hurricane hit as the expedition unloaded its food and supplies. The expedition, which history remembers as the first non-permanent settlement of Europeans in the U.S., occurred long before the first English colonists founded Jamestown in 1607. Organizers hope to gain credit for Florida as the birthplace of the United States and for the important role played by Spain in the birth of the American nation. “Much remains to be done to tell the truth about Spain in history books,” writes Emilio C. Sanchez, a member of the España-Florida 500 Años committee. “These events represent an extraordinary opportunity to rewrite American history textbooks.”

tax time
E-filing en español
In an effort to move millions more taxpayers away from paper tax returns, the IRS has expanded its e-filing alternatives, including Spanish options. Last year, nearly 27 million out of 90 million e-filings were prepared electronically by taxpayers on their own. That’s an increase of more than 19 percent from the previous year. Hoping to continue the trend of electronic returns, which are more efficient for the government, the IRS is reminding taxpayers that e-filing yields faster tax refunds—as fast as 10 days compared to up to six weeks to process returns filed by mail. Some 20 different software programs are available on the IRS website to help individuals who qualify to file their taxes for free. Three companies this year will offer their Free File software in Spanish. For more information, see www.irs.gov

"They’re not getting more breast cancer than other women, but they’re less likely to survive as long. ... The reason is they’re diagnosed at a later stage of the cancer. ... We’re seeing them at later stages, so the
cancer is more advanced."

Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, a member of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation’s National Health Advisory Council and chairwoman of the Komen Foundation National Hispanic/Latino Advisory Council, on new research that shows Hispanic women get breast cancer treatment late. CNN.com

college
BAD BREAKDOWNS
The tradition of young adults attaining higher levels of education than previous generations appears to have stalled for Latinos. Among older Hispanics, 18 percent had at least an associate degree in 2006, but just 16 percent of young Hispanics have reached that same educational threshold, according to a report by the American Council on Education. “One of the core tenets of the American dream is the hope that younger generations, who have had greater opportunities for educational advancement than their parents and grandparents, will be better off than the generations before them,” ACE President Molly Corbett Broad said in releasing the figures. “Yet this report shows that aspiration is at serious risk.” The percentages for non-Hispanic whites were 41 percent for young adults compared to 37 percent for older adults.