1	In the News The headlines of Hispanidad. read more...
2	UPFRONT Dr. Eduardo Padrón The value of a good education. read more...
3	UPFRONT Ruben Navarrette, Jr. An ugly hubbub about a mouthpiece. read more...

panorama

politics
A New Loss for the Grand Old Party
The party that saw a huge gain in Hispanic voters during the 2004 presidential election also saw a loss of some of those voters in 2008. In last November’s general election, the Democratic Party gained 13 percent of Hispanic voters in the presidential vote and 15 percent of Hispanic voters for the Congressional races. Most of the defections of Hispanic voters from the Republican side to the Democratic side have taken place in the border states of Arizona, California, Texas and New Mexico—all places where Hispanics make up at least 30 percent of the electorate. Experts chock up the voter shift largely to the role the immigration issue played in the last election. “As long as mass deportation is on the table and in our platform, the Democrats are going to beat us,” said Richard Nadler, president of the Americas Majority Foundation in an interview with the Washington Times.

law
New Numbers for Prison
The largest ethnic population in the U.S. federal prison system is Latino. According to a new study conducted by the Pew Research Center, 40 percent of prisoners convicted of federal crimes are Hispanic. Considering the overall Hispanic population in the United States is only 13 percent (in 2007 when the study was conducted), the percentage of those imprisoned is staggering. In that year, Latinos accounted for one-third of federal prison inmates, and of the Latino prison population 72 percent are not U.S. citizens. Almost half were convicted of immigration crimes, followed by drug crimes, and most were convicted in a U.S.-Mexico border state.

"I actually think that my baby would be very proud to be able to share her milk and when she grows up I am going to make sure that she continues to be a generous, caring person and I think that is the best thing I can give her as a mother."

Salma Hayek, on personally breastfeeding an African child in Sierra Leone when the actress visited the nation in February, while she was still producing milk from nursing her own daughter Valentina. Hayek is the spokesperson for a Pampers program that in association with UNICEF donates one dose of vaccine per package of specially marked Pampers sold.

education
Going to the Library
Although Latinos visit libraries at a lower rate than the overall population, new research shows that they visit more often, and use more resources, than previously thought. According to a study by the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute and WebJunction, many Latinos’ go to the public library to aid in the process of learning English as well as to borrow movies and music. And in fact, it is Latinos’ satisfaction with a library’s English-language materials that is more essential to attracting them than satisfaction with Spanish-language materials. Other factors that attracted Latinos include the perceived friendliness of the staff and the perception of whether the staff treats all guests fairly.

sports
aging gracefully
“The real reason most of us fear middle age,” Olympian Dara Torres writes, “is that middle age is when we give up on ourselves.” In her book set for release this month, Torres is still trying to convince the world that you don’t have to put an age limit on your dreams. In Age is Just A Number: Achieve Your Dreams at Any Stage in Your Life, Torres covers a wide range of topics, from her personal battle with bulimia to the art of making a comeback.
Torres made history in 2008, becoming the first swimmer to win a medal in five Olympics and, at age 41, the oldest Olympic swimming medalist. She missed the gold by just a fraction of a second in the women’s 50-meter freestyle. Back in the pool again, she won her first competition since the Olympics in March, and is continuing to train for the world championships in Rome this summer. “I don’t know where my peak is yet,” she told he Associated Press. “I want to keep swimming until I reach my peak or until my body wears down.”

health
Elderly issues
It’s no surprise that seniors living on a fixed income are having a difficult time during these economic times, but a new study suggests that its all the more difficult for Latino seniors in California. The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and the Insight Center for Community Economic Development reveals that one elderly person needs approximately $20,000 a year to survive, and that almost 500,000 single seniors in California cannot afford basic living expenses. About three-fourths of Latino elderly are in the same boat. Many of those elderly are women, who are more likely than man to be unable to pay for their basic living needs.

"Today ushers in a new era of hope against disease and disability. Millions upon millions of Americans who watch helplessly as a loved one becomes debilitated or are themselves suffering can now be more confident that there is a light at the end of the tunnel."

Sen. Bob Menendez, (D-NJ) speaking in support of President Barack Obama’s reversal of a ban on stem cell research last month. Menendez noted that his own mother suffered with Alzheimer’s Disease and that stem cell research may hold a cure for others in the future.

education
Building a Foundation for the Future
Early education of all children must be strengthened in order to preserve the promise of America, according to a recently released report by the Foundation for Child Development.
The report, which examined government statistics on academic performance, showed that more than 80 percent of Latino children are unable to read at or above grade level by fourth grade.
“This is an American tragedy,” said Ruby Takanishi, president of the Foundation for Child Development, said in releasing the report. “Our children are not failing to learn. Our schools are failing to teach them effectively.”
The foundation is pushing for improved program from kindergarten to third grade in order to build a strong educational foundation for all children.
“America’s democratic traditions and economic power in an increasingly competitive global marketplace demand the transformation of public education to promote the lifelong learning of America’s future generations,” said Takanishi. “Our country can no longer afford an educational system that leaves behind the majority of its students by fourth grade.”