Intellectually Entertaining. Socially Relevant.
Latino education is the central focus of a new initiative launched by food giant General Mills, which aims to increase parent participation in the daily education of Latino children in the U.S. The company’s Box Tops program is partnering with the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) on a project called Committed Parents: Supporting Your Read More
I remember being a couple of weeks into my first grade experience in a school in Florida. My parents had moved there from Puerto Rico so that my dad could take a low-level position in a local telephone company. I did not understand the English language. Actually, had never heard anyone speak it before I Read More
When you think of a teacher, who do you see? If you are like most people, you’re likely to imagine a middle-aged woman. If you think back on the teachers you’ve had in your K-12 education, most of your teachers fit that description, and furthermore, more likely than not, most of them were also white. Read More
I recently had the pleasure of attending an event honoring Latino youth who exemplify drive, leadership, intelligence and persistence. The Hispanic Heritage Foundation held its 2012 Youth Awards, honoring high school seniors from the New York area, at Viacom Headquarters in New York City. The event brought together high school seniors, their families and friends, Read More
As we know, Arizona has been in the spotlight for taking actions against Latin Americans — specifically, for SB 1070, which allowed the state’s police to check the immigration status of people they detain, and for HB 2281, which prohibits classes that “promote resentment toward a race or class of people,” that “advocate ethnic solidarity Read More
With all the changes seen in the healthcare industry in recent years, and those yet to come with the full integration of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; it is critical now more than ever for the Latino community to become strong advocates for their own health and their healthcare. In looking closely at Read More
On Feb. 26, just days before radical new educational reforms were scheduled to take effect, Elba Esther Gordillo, head of Mexico’s powerful teacher’s union for almost a quarter century, was arrested and charged with embezzling 2 billion pesos (approximately $160 million) from her union during her tenure. The question that is foremost on everyone’s mind: Read More
Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a fundraiser that brought together some of my favorite things: Celia Cruz, education, and art. The DREAM Project held its annual benefit event on March 7th at the beautiful El Museo Del Barrio to celebrate the legendary Celia Cruz and raise funds for its inspiring work. Thanks to Read More
A bit of good news for Latinos: “More Latinos are graduating from high school than they were nearly a decade ago, according to a new study by the U.S. Department of Education. According to the report done by the National Center for Education Statistics, Hispanic students graduated at a rate of 71 percent in 2010. That Read More
A recent study conducted by the University of California, Berkeley, and UCLA revealed that Mexican American toddlers lagged behind their white, non-Latino counterparts in both language and cognitive skills before entering kindergarten. The study, published in December in the Maternal Child Health Journal, tracked a sample of 4,700 children born in 2001 for over a Read More