news(-6,
'"During the month of June, Lily\'s List is eligible to win a $250,000 Pepsi Grant - to give 500 Lily\'s List members $500 each into their student loan accounts. * ',
'',
'100% of the money will go directly into their members\' student loan accounts, not to Lily\'s List, Inc. ',
'
Lily\'s List is asking that you VOTE one time every day during the month of June. http://www.refresheverything.com/lilyslist
To win this grant, they need the most VOTES by midnight (EST) June 30, 2010.
Please take a minute to vote everyday - your VOTE could make a huge difference to 500 student loan holders!" '
);
news(-5,
'Civic Learning at the Edge:
Transformative Stories of Highly Engaged Youth ',
'',
'Marilyn Price-Mitchell has just finished her research about highly engaged youth and she shares some of her fascinating findings on her website. ',
'"The primary aim of this research was to help bridge the gap between our understanding of civic learning and civic action by better understanding the challenges young people face in community engagement activities. For the 44 participants in this study, civic interests and service beyond self were unusually high sources of motivation."
http://www.mpricemitchell.com/Research/summary.php '
);
news(-4,
'Major Hispanic National Civic Events Spring Update',
'Washington, DC [CapitalWirePR] March 22, 2010 – eDiversity is pleased to collaborate with CapitalWirePR to outline the major, notable national Hispanic conferences and civic programs now publicly calendared. Please email edits, changes or new listings to Thomas@ediversity.net.',
'2010
March 22-24, 2010 Washington, DC - United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Legislative Conference www.ushcc.com
March 23, 2010 New York City, NY - Latino Justice PRLDEF Reception, Hispanic National Bar Association www.hnba.com
March 24, 2010 Washington, DC - ON: Greening the Next Generation Workforce, Voto Latino www.votolatino.org
March 24, 2010 Washington, DC - CHLI-FAES Transatlantic Forum, Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute www.chli.org
March 25, 2010 Miramar, FL - Health, Wealth & Entrepreneurship Answers to the 10 Most Important Questions for Women in 2010, Ana G. Mendez University System & Dialogue on Diversity www.suagm.eduwww.dialogueondiversity.org or
March 25 – 28, 2010 Washington, DC - National Hispanic Medical Association Annual Conference www.nhmamd.org
March 25 – 28, 2010 Salt Lake City, UT - Regional Leadership Development Conference, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers www.shpe.org
March 26, 2010 Charlotte, NC - National Hispana Leadership Institute’s Latina Empowerment Conference www.nhli.org
March 27, 2010 Nationwide - 8:30pm Earth Hour, National Latino Coalition on Climate Change www.latinocoalitiononclimatechange.org
March 27, 2010 Los Angeles, CA - LA Media Reform Summit, National Hispanic Media Coalition www.nhmc.org
March 29, 2010 San Bernadino, CA - Latino Education & Advocacy Day, California State University San Bernadino http://lead.csusb.edu
April 1, 2010 Nationwide - Census Day www.2010census.gov
April 8 – 11, 2010 Atlanta, GA - Regional Leadership Development Conference, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers www.shpe.org
April 8 – 11, 2010 Santa Monica, CA - National Association of Independent Latino Producers Annual Conference www.nalip.org
April 9 – 10, 2010 San Juan, Puerto Rico - League of United Latin American Citizens National Women’s Conference www.lulac.org
April 9 – 11, 2010 New Brunswick, NJ - Regional Leadership Development Conference, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers www.shpe.org
April 9 – 11, 2010 San Diego, CA - Regional Leadership Development Conference, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers www.shpe.org
April 18 – 20, 2010 Washington, DC - Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities [HACU] Capitol Forum www.hacu.net
April 20, 2010 Washington, DC - 11th Annual Awards Gala, MALDEF www.maldef.org
April 22, 2010 Fort Worth, TX - National Hispana Leadership Institute’s Latina Empowerment Conference www.nhli.org
April 22 – 25, 2010 Minneapolis, MN - Regional Leadership Development Conference, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers www.shpe.org
April 23 – 25, 2010 Anaheim, CA - National Institute on Healthy Communities
www.naleo.org
April 25, 2010 Denver, CO - HIP National Membership Meeting www.hiponline.org
May 3, 2010 Washington, DC - Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute [CHCI] 14th Annual Fiesta de Golf Scholarship Challenge www.chci.org
May 6 – 8. 2010 Houston, TX - Policy Institute on Sustainable Communities: Energy, NALEO www.naleo.org
May 6 – 7, 2010 Lake Buena Vista, FL - 15th Biennial National Conference, Cuban American National Conference www.cnc.org
May 11 – 12, 2010 Washington, DC - 40th Washington Conference on the Americas, Council of the Americas www.counciloftheamericas.org
May 11 – 13, 2010 Washington, DC - National Hispanic Bar Association Legislative Day & Capital Awards www.nhba.com
May 12, 2010 Washington, DC - Health Care Symposium, Dialogue on Diversity
www.dialogueondiversity.org
May 12 – 13, 2010 Washington, DC - Annual Meeting & Good Neighbor Awards Gala, United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce www.usmcoc.org
May 17-18, 2010 San Francisco, CA - Hispanic Association for Corporate Responsibility [HACR] 18th Annual Symposium www.hacr.org
May 19, 2010 Washington, DC - Edward R. Roybal Legacy Gala, NALEO
www.naleo.org
May 19 – 23, 2010 Santa Fe, NM - NALIP Latinos Writer’s Lab www.nalip.org
May 20, 2010 Washington, DC - Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute [CHLI] Annual Gala & Leadership Awards www.chli.org
May 20, 2010 New York City, NY - National Hispana Leadership Institute’s Latina Empowerment Conference www.nhli.org
May 16 – 22, 2010 Plano, TX - Regional Leadership Development Conference, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers www.shpe.org
June 4, 2010 Denver, CO - National Hispana Leadership Institute’s Latina Empowerment Conference www.nhli.org
June 12 – 15, 2010 Washington, DC - National Hispanic Professional Organization National Summer Conference www.nhpo.us
June 17, 2010 Chicago, IL - Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund Chicago Awards Gala www.maldef.org
June 23 – 26, 2010 Denver, CO - 28th Annual Multimedia Convention & Career Expo, National Association of Hispanic Journalists www.nahj.org
June 24 – 25, 2010 Denver, CO - National Association of Latino Elected Officials 27th Annual Conference www.naleo.org
July 8, 2010 Washington, DC - Annual Awards Ceremony, Hispanic National Bar Foundation www.hnbf.org
July 10-13, 2010 San Antonio, TX - National Council of La Raza Annual Conference
www.nclr.org
July 12 – 17, 2010 Albuquerque, NM - League of United Latin American Citizens National Convention & Expo www.lulac.org
July 14, 2010 Washington, DC - Entrepreneurship/Information Technology Conference, Dialogue on Diversity www.dialogueondiversity.org
July 22 – 24, 2010 Washington, DC - National Association of Hispanic Nurses Annual Conference www.thehispanicnurses.org
July 31 – August 4, 2010 Lake Buena Vista, FL - Association of Latino Professionals in Finance & Accounting Annual Conference www.alpfa.org
August 13, 2010 Portland, OR - National Hispana Leadership Institute’s Latina Empowerment Conference www.nhli.org
August TBD, 2010 - Encuentro on Education, New America Alliance www.naaonline.org
September 8 – 11, 2010 Minneapolis, MN - National Hispanic Bar Association Annual Conference www.hnba.com
September 12-15, 2010 Washington, DC - Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute [CHCI] CHCI 2010 Public Policy Conference & Gala www.chci.org
September 14, 2010 Washington, DC - Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute [CHCI] 10th Annual Reyes of Comedy www.chci.org
September 15, 2010 Washington, DC - Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute [CHCI] 33rd Annual Awards Gala www.chci.org
September 17, 2010 San Antonio, TX - Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund San Antonio Awards Gala www.maldef.org
September 18 – 20, 2010 San Diego, CA - Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities Annual Conference www.hacu.net
September 27 – 29, 2010 Washington, DC - 6th Annual National Summit on the State of Latino Education www.naleo.org
September 28 – October 2, 2010 Dallas, TX - United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 31st National Convention & Expo www.ushcc.com
September 30, 2010 San Juan, PR - Entrepreneurship Conference, Dialogue on Diversity www.dialogueondiversity.org
October TBD, 2010 New York City, NY - Latino Economic Forum, New American Alliance www.naaonline.org
October 6, 2010 Arlington, VA - MANA A National Latina Organization Las Primeras Awards Gala www.hermana.org
October 8 – 10, 2010 Houston, TX - Policy Institute on Public Finance
www.naleo.org
October 13, 2010 Washington, DC - Hispanic Heritage Awards, Hispanic Heritage Foundation www.hispanicheritage.org
October 15 – 16, 2010 Houston, TX - National Hispanic Professionals Organization Winter Conference & Gala www.nhpo.us
October 27 – 31, 2010 Cincinnati, OH - 2010 SHPE Conference, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers www.shpe.org
October 29, 2010 Washington, DC - Hispanic College Fund Annual Scholarship Awards Gala www.hispanicfund.org
October 30, 2010 Washington, DC - Domestic Violence Awareness Colloquium, Dialogue on Diversity www.dialogueondiversity.org
November 4, 2010 New York City, NY - Hispanic Business to Business Trade Fair, United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce www.ushcc.com
November 4, 2010 Los Angeles, CA - Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund Los Angeles Awards Gala www.maldef.org
November 4 - 5, 2010 Miami, FL - National Hispana Leadership Institute’s 2010 Executive Leadership Conference and Mujer Awards www.nhli.org
November 18 – 21, 2010 Washington, DC - 8th Biennial National Institute for Newly Elected Officials, NALEO www.naleo.org
2011
February 16 - 19, 2011 New Orleans, LA - 2011 40th Annual Conference, National Association for Bilingual Education www.nabe.org
February 23 – 25, 2011 San Juan, Puerto Rico - Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities International Conference www.hacu.net
March 8, 2011 Washington, DC - Capital Awards, National Council of La Raza
www.nclr.org
April 4 – 5, 2011 Washington, DC - Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities Capitol Forum on Higher Ed www.hacu.net
May 5, 2011 Washington, DC - Valor Foundation Valor Fellowship Program
www.capitalwirepr.com
September 21-24, 2011 Albuquerque, NM - United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Annual Convention & Expo www.ushcc.com
October 26 – 30, 2011 Anaheim, CA - 2011 SHPE Conference, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers www.shpe.org
October 29 – 30, 2011 San Antonio, TX - Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities Annual Conference www.hacu.net
2012
February 11 – 18, 2012 Reno, NV - 41st Annual Conference, National Association for Bilingual Education www.nabe.org
March 26 – 27, 2012 Washington, DC - Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities Capitol Forum on Higher Ed www.hacu.net
May 5, 2012 Washington, DC - Valor Foundation Valor Fellowship Program
www.capitalwirepr.com
October 20 – 22, 2012 Washington, DC - Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities Annual Conference www.hacu.net
November 14 – 18, 2012 Fort Worth, TX - 2012 SHPE Conference, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers www.shpe.org
2013
February 5 – 9, 2013 Orlando, FL - 42nd Annual Conference, National Association for Bilingual Education www.nabe.org
October 30 – November 3, 2013 Indianapolis, IN - 2013 SHPE Conference, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers www.shpe.org
');
/*
news(-3,
'Main Hispanic Conferences of the year',
'contact: alex@capitalwirepr.com',
'Washington, DC [CapitalWirePR] January 20, 2010 – With today’s MALDEF State of the Union program at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, the march to advance our country and our Hispanic community has begun anew for 2010.
CapitalWirePR and eDiversity Solutions are pleased to collaborate in outlining the following major and notable national Hispanic conferences and civic programs for the coming year. Updates will be posted regularly at www.capitalwirepr.com in the Calendar listing.
Please email any news about your calendared programs to news@capitalwirepr.com.',
'2010
January 20, 2010 Washington, DC
Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund Latino State of the Union
www.maldef.org
February 2, 2010 Phoenix, AZ
Hispanic Business & Information Clearinghouse Business Forum
www.hispanicbic.org
February 5 – 7, 2010 San Juan, Puerto Rico
National Association of Independent Latino Producers Seminar on Making Your Documentary Happen
www.nalip.org
February 17 – 20, 2010 Chicago, IL
United States Hispanic Leadership Institute National Conference
www.ushli.org
February 23 – 25, 2010 Washington, DC
League of United Latin American Citizens National Legislative Conference & Gala
www.lulac.org
March 2-4, 2010 Washington, DC
National Council of La Raza, NCLR Capital Awards & Latino Advocacy Days
www.nclr.org
March 4 – 6, 2010 San Diego, CA
National Hispanic Bar Association Mid-Year Conference & Moot Court Competition
www.nhba.com
March 10 – 13, 2010 Albuquerque, NM
National Association of Hispanic Publications Annual Conference
www.nahp.org
March 20 – 28, 2010 China
National Hispanic Professionals Organization China Trip
www.nhpo.us
March 22-24, 2010 Washington, DC
United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Legislative Conference
www.ushcc.com
March 25 – 28, 2010 Washington, DC
National Hispanic Medical Association Annual Conference
www.nhmamd.org
March 30, 2010 Washington, DC
Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund Washington DC Awards Gala
www.maldef.org
April 8 – 11, 2010 Santa Monica, CA
National Association of Independent Latino Producers Annual Conference
www.nalip.org
April 9 – 10, 2010 San Juan, Puerto Rico
League of United Latin American Citizens National Women’s Conference
www.lulac.org
April 18 – 20, 2010 Washington, DC
Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities [HACU] Capitol Forum
www.hacu.net
May 3, 2010 Washington, DC
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute [CHCI] 14th Annual Fiesta de Golf Scholarship Challenge
www.chci.org
May 5, 2010 Washington, DC
Valor Foundation Valor Honors Program
www.capitalwirepr.com
May 11 – 13, 2010 Washington, DC
National Hispanic Bar Association Legislative Day & Capital Awards
www.nhba.com
May 17-18, 2010 San Francisco, CA
Hispanic Association for Corporate Responsibility [HACR] 18th Annual Symposium
www.hacr.org
June 12 – 15, 2010 Washington, DC
National Hispanic Professional Organization National Summer Conference
www.nhpo.us
June 17, 2010 Chicago, IL
Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund Chicago Awards Gala
www.maldef.org
July 10-13, 2010 San Antonio, TX
National Council of La Raza Annual Conference
www.nclr.org
July 12 – 17, 2010 Albuquerque, NM
League of United Latin American Citizens National Convention & Expo
www.lulac.org
July 22 – 24, 2010 Washington, DC
National Association of Hispanic Nurses Annual Conference
www.thehispanicnurses.org
July 31 – August 4, 2010 Lake Buena Vista, FL
Association of Latino Professionals in Finance & Accounting Annual Conference
www.alpfa.org
September 8 – 11, 2010 Minneapolis, MN
National Hispanic Bar Association Annual Conference
www.nhba.com
August TBD, 2010
Encuentro on Education, New America Alliance
www.naaonline.org
September 12-15, 2010 Washington, DC
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute [CHCI] CHCI 2010 Public Policy Conference & Gala
www.chci.org
September 14, 2010 Washington, DC
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute [CHCI] 10th Annual Reyes of Comedy
www.chci.org
September 15, 2010 Washington, DC
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute [CHCI] 33rd Annual Awards Gala
www.chci.org
September 17, 2010 San Antonio, TX
Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund San Antonio Awards Gala
www.maldef.org
September 18 – 20, 2010 San Diego, Ca
Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities Annual Conference
www.hacu.net
September 20 – October 2, 2010 Dallas, TX
United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 31st National Convention & Expo
www.ushcc.com
October TBD, 2010 New York City, NY
Latino Economic Forum, New American Alliance
www.naaonline.org
October 6, 2010 Arlington, VA
MANA A National Latina Organization Las Primeras Awards Gala
www.hermana.org
October 15 – 16, 2010 Houston, TX
National Hispanic Professionals Organization Winter Conference & Gala
www.nhpo.us
October 29, 2010 Washington, DC
Hispanic College Fund Annual Scholarship Awards Gala
www.hispanicfund.org
November 4, 2010 Los Angeles, CA
Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund Los Angeles Awards Gala
www.maldef.org
'
);*/
news(-2,
'Florida International University announces Hispanic Communication Studies.',
'',
'The School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC) at Florida International University (FIU) announced it has created a program of Hispanic Communication Studies to address communications trends and issues relevant to the U.S. Hispanic community. The school plans to continue upgrading the program in the future in order to position itself as the premier thought-leadership institute on issues relevant to the U.S. Hispanic community.',
'The new program builds upon an already existing set of courses taught at the FIU SJMC covering Hispanic market communications and Spanish language journalism. It will be headed by the SJMC Department Chairs: Teresa Ponte, chair of the Department of Journalism and Broadcasting, and Fernando Figueredo, chair of the Department of Advertising and Public Relations. The SJMC is led by Dean Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver and Associate Dean Allan Richards.
"It makes sense to establish this program at FIU, since Miami is home to the most important Hispanic broadcast-media outlets as well as a large and diverse Hispanic community," Ponte said. "We have become a feeder school to the news media as well as to public relations and advertising agencies recruiting Hispanics to address the fastest growing minority segment in the U.S.," she added.
"Our location as well as the significant number of award-winning Hispanic professors in our faculty places us in a unique position to establish such a program," added Figueredo. "Seventy percent of the students we graduate from the SJMC are of Hispanic heritage, and university-wide at FIU, we graduate more Hispanic students than any other university in the country," he added.
The SJMC is already making plans to upgrade this initiative into an institute focused on the analysis of communications issues and trends impacting the U.S. Hispanic community. It will include projects such as an ongoing series of seminars with highly distinguished speakers from around the country as well as hosting an annual conference to discuss the most relevant issues on the continuing evolution of the Hispanic media. In addition, it plans to further the current Hispanic-market-driven research agenda at FIU on critical issues affecting the U.S. Hispanic community, with a special focus on how Hispanics consume and interpret news and information.'
);
news(-1,
'NJIT Capstone: The Future of American Education Is Occurring In Newark',
'FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 01, 2009',
'NEWARK, New Jersey - NJIT\'s (New Jersey Institute of Technology) Capstone Showcase will feature teams of students presenting current or recent projects developed for regional corporate sponsors, local Newark non-profit organizations and social services and student entrepreneurs.Admission to this unique semi-annual open house, set for December 9, 2009, 2:00 p.m.- 5:30 p.m. in NJIT\'s Campus Center Atrium, is free.',
'Osama Eljabiri, senior university lecturer at NJIT, founded the program in 2002 for NJIT\'s College of Computing Sciences. "Classes operate as virtual companies with students elected as CEOs", according to Prof. Eljabiri. Market-driven training covers everything from business and leadership skills to hands-on technical workshops. A capstone team in a corporation can save, and has saved, many companies hundreds of thousands of dollars. Our Capstone is unique in that it really prepares our students for the future by helping them to invent it. Graduates of the program are developing the skills and using the tolls to become tomorrow\'s leaders today.
"Capstone reflects the epitome of evolution in education. For sponsors, they are able to acquire inexpensive professionals, build connections for new potential teams in the future, and ultimately mentor and develop students that can be future new hires. In a highly competitive job market, more so now than ever, students are gaining the upper hand through Capstone. They are working side by side with industry leaders and building work portfolios with real world project, scenarios, and gaining experience. These opportunities are leading to employment right upon graduation."
-Jose Espinoza, Fall 2009 Capstone CEO (NJIT IT Senior)
The Capstone Program at NJIT matches interdisciplinary teams of senior students with clients from corporate industry, government agencies and university programs to develop customized software and database applications, to design and test devices, or to analyze and diagnose a variety of business problems.
Come and see for yourself this is a very significant program in the dynamic life cycle of professional development, you may just meet your next corporate solutions team leaders here.
Contact:
Jose L Espinoza
Fall 2009 Capstone Student CEO
Jle3@njit.edu
(201) 286-0426');
news(0,
'A young Latino student was gifted the actual tie of the President of the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce',
' ',
'A young Latino student in Denver, who developed a business plan for affordable, eco-friendly snowboards',
'Denver, CO (CapitalWirePR) September 23, 2009 - A young Latino student in Denver, who developed a business plan for affordable, eco-friendly snowboards, was gifted the actual tie of the President of the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC), so the young entrepreneur could follow the dress code for the presentation of his plan.
Isaias Castillo, a 17 year old California native, is a 12th grader at the Center for International Studies, a Denver Public School. He was one of the almost 100 young students who attended four days of business training at BizFest, a USHCC Foundation initiative sponsored by Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services.
The young entrepreneurs, all high school students from local Denver schools, also attended other USHCC convention programs like the Latina Leader\'s Luncheon, an interactive Business Expo, and the Awards Gala. Students learned how to turn their hobbies into profitable business ventures and establish a professional network among peers and high-profile executives.
"Since I was six I began to like snowboarding, but I could never afford one. For that reason I developed my business plan, so other young people interested in snowboarding could find affordable snowboards," Castillo said.
"I saw how successful and enthusiastic my uncle was when he opened his restaurant, I also wanted to open my own business and I decided to write my business plan," he added.
Castillo was talking with his school counselor when a secretary came into the room and gave him information about BizFest. Knowing this was a free training program, almost at the college-level, Castillo immediately registered for the event and for the training sessions.
For his presentation, Castillo opted for informal attire, in accordance to the sports-related issue of his plan. However, he needed to wear a tie as part of the dress code of the event. When Augustine Martinez, president of the USHCC, was informed of the problem, Martinez gave his own tie to Castillo, and a pin with the USHCC logo.
"I was nervous when I was writing my plan and then I was nervous just before the presentation. But when I got Mr. Martinez\' tie, I felt relaxed. It gave me new confidence,\" Castillo said.
"We are very proud about these young entrepreneurs who are already preparing themselves to be the business leaders of the future. The transference of my tie was a symbolic gesture to express how much confidence we have in the next generation of entrepreneurs," Martinez said.
Winners receive financial awards to support future education endeavors and access to future entrepreneurship partnering opportunities with business and corporate partners of the USHCC Foundation.
The top three students of the 2009 Denver Regional BizFest Competition will receive a one-time scholarship between $750 and $1,500. These three students will also receive an all-expenses-paid trip to compete at the National BizFest Competition which will take place at the USHCC 31st Annual National Convention & Business Expo, September 29 – October 2, 2010 in Dallas, TX, and compete against other regional BizFest winners. The USHCC Foundation covers all costs associated with travel and lodging with the help of its sponsors.
Castillo hopes to win a scholarship to study science and business.
"My parents taught me about the importance of education, because they want me to succeed. I agree with them; education is the key to a successful future," he said. ');
news(1,
'
I am getting deported on Wednesday!',
'by Herta Llusho',
'Dear Mariela: My name is Herta Llusho, I am 19 years old, and I\'m writing this because I\'m about to be deported. I was born in Albania and was brought to the United States when I was 11 years old. With the help and support of my family, I have struggled through more than seven years of legal proceedings to find a way to stay in this country legally.',
'Despite our best efforts, on August 19, I will be removed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from the only place I know as my home. I will be sent back to a country that has become a foreign place to me. I don\'t even speak Albanian well anymore. My only hope of staying here is for as many people as possible to ask DHS to delay my deportation until the DREAM Act is passed.
My parents brought me to the United States because they believed in the promises this country had to offer. To them it was the land of opportunities, values, and ideals. They were faithful believers of the American Dream, meaning that through hard work, education, and good character their children could accomplish anything they wanted. In fact, they believed in it so strongly that they sacrificed their own lives, as well as their relationship to make it happen. My dad stayed in Albania with the hope of relocating to the US, while my mom left everything behind in pursuit of a better life for her children. To this day, even after many years of struggle and sacrifice, they still believe that it is all worth it, and so do I. I have been truly blessed in the many opportunities I have received. The United States has made me the person I am today. I would like nothing more than to contribute to the country that has given me so much.
When my parents first brought me to the United States, I attended Pierce Middle School, just outside of Detroit, MI. I couldn\'t speak English, at first, but within a year I was able to learn it due to the extremely supportive and patient teachers and friends I made. Some of the friends I made in middle school are still some of my closest friends today. After I finished middle school, I attended Grosse Pointe South High School. Throughout my high school years, I was a 4.05 GPA student and was committed to a lot of extracurricular activities such as the Looking Glass which was a magazine publication of short stories and poems, the Spanish club, and National Honor Society. I ran cross country, track and played a little bit of soccer. Also through my church and other organizations, I volunteered at homeless shelters, summer day camps, and tutoring programs. Last year, I was accepted into the school of electrical engineering at the University of Detroit Mercy (UDM), where I was still able to maintain my GPA. I chose to become an electrical engineer because I really enjoy math and science and I have a lot of family members that are engineers.
I might not be able to continue my studies at UDM though because I have been ordered to leave the U.S. I have been to many immigration lawyers, all of whom tell me that I have run out of options. My brother scoured the Internet to look for something, anything, to help me stay in the U.S. My brother came across a story on dreamactivist.org announcing that Taha\'s deportation was just averted. DHS just gave Taha and his mother a stay of deportation until Taha graduates from college. I would like nothing better than for DHS to do the same for my family. That is why my brother contacted dreamactivist.org for help, and that is why you are reading my story, today.
I know I am not the only one that is struggling with this broken immigration system. Going from lawyer to lawyer has taught me how inhuman this bureaucracy has become. If you don\'t fit within a certain box it\'s as if you don\'t matter. I know there are thousands of others like me, or in worse situations than I am in.
Still, I continue to believe in the promises of this country, even if those promises don\'t come easy. We have to continually struggle to renew those promises so that they apply to everyone. That promise should apply to a young man, like Taha, who against all odds is brought over from Bangladesh and is able to graduate and get accepted into college, as much as they should apply to a young woman like me.
That is why I am asking you take the following actions. Help me delay my deportation until I finish college or until the DREAM Act is passed. Help renew the promise of the American Dream for me, so that together we can work renew the promise of the American Dream for everyone.
Please take these actions for me so that I have a chance at being able to stay and live the American Dream:
1. Join the facebook group for immediate updates:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=111108019510
2. Sign my petition:
http://www.change.org/actions/view/stop_deportation_of_dream_student_herta_llusho
3. Use SEIU Click to Call Action Tool to call DHS: http://call.seiu.org/9/hertadhs
Call my Senators and Representative urging them to a) introduce private bill for Herta, and b) write letter to DHS asking them to defer my deportation.
4. Call Senator Carl Levin at both his DC office - (202) 224-6221 - and his Detroit office - (313) 226-6020.
5. Call Senator Stabenow at both her DC office - (202) 224-4822 - and her Lansing office - (517) 203-1760.
6. Call Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick at both her DC office - (202) 225-2261 - and her Detroit office - (313) 965-9004.
Call in Script:
"I am calling on behalf of Herta Llusho (A#96-139-441), an undocumented student who is facing deportation back to Albania on August 19th. Herta has lived in Detroit since she was 11, she went to Pierce Middle School and Grosse Pointe South High School. Herta excelled in everything during high school, graduating with a 4.05 gpa and she continues to excel after high school. She has been very active in our community volunteering at homeless shelters, summer day camps, and tutoring programs, in addition to a lot of other things with her church.
The reason I am calling is to ask that you do something to stop Herta from being deported in less than 7 days. Please introduce a private bill for her in addition to contacting DHS and asking that they defer her deportation. Herta is an asset to our state and to our country and we should be fighting to keep immigrants like her here, not deporting them to countries they know little about."
I am so thankful to all of you for everything you are doing for me, i am very blessed to have such amazing people in my life. Thank you.
Herta Llusho');
news(2,
'
Keep Walter\'s DREAM Alive:
Halt all deporations of DREAMers!',
'by Felipe Matos on Jun 19, 2009',
'Walter Lara came to the United States from Argentina when he was just 3 years old, and almost 20 years later, he is being deported for reasons we are still trying to understand. ',
'On February 17, 2009, Walter was with his boss (a DirectTV contractor) about to get on a ferry that would take him to Fisher Island so they could work on some installations.
In ten minutes, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities surrounded the vehicle and bombarded Walter with questions which he innocently responded to. Couple of minutes later, Walter was arrested and sent to a detention center. As of today, he is set to be deported by July 6th to a country he has never known.
Walter has lived in the United States his whole life, completely oblivious to his undocumented status until he tried applying for college. He has never had any problems with the law. All he ever wanted to do was to go to school and have a successful career – but our country\'s laws prevented him to continue his education after he graduated from the Honors College at Miami-Dade College. He has even demonstrated the amazing asset he is to our community, by completing 1000 hours of community service just in his high school years. It would be a disservice to both him and to our country’s values to deport him. After all, what crime did Walter commit? Why are we squandering all of his talent
For more info on how to get involved in this movement contact: SWERwolfson@gmail.com
Click here to sign the petition:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/keep-walters-dream-alive.html');
news(3,
'Network Now!',
'By the www.latinosincollege.com team',
'In her latest presentations at NYU and University of Michigan, Mariela Dabbah talked to students about the importance of networking while they are still in college. Here are some tips from the presentation:',
'• Develop a 30 second presentation pitch so you can introduce yourself confidently to your new contacts.
• Leverage every relationship in school for your future career. That includes: professors, students, staff members, special guest speakers, and parents of your friends.
• Establish relationships with people in the professional association of your industry of interest.
• Attend conferences and events organized by professional associations. Once at the event, talk to attendees, presenters and exhibitors.
• Develop your writing skills so you may publish articles on your topic of interest. This will help you stand out from the crowd.
• Develop presentation skills to increase your visibility. This will help make others interested in you.
For more tips on this issue, check Mariela’s book "Latinos in College, Your Guide to Success" '
);
news(4,
'Latinos Account for Half of U.S. Population Growth Since 2000',
'Excerpt from article published in the Pew Hispanic Center: www.pewhispanic.org',
'Since 2000 Hispanics have accounted for more than half (50.5%) of the overall population growth in the United States -- a significant new demographic milestone for the nation\'s largest minority group.',
' During the 1990s, the Hispanic population also expanded rapidly, but in that decade its growth accounted for less than 40% of the nation\'s total population increase. In a reversal of past trends, Latino population growth in the new century has been more a product of the natural increase (births minus deaths) of the existing population than it has been of new international migration. As of mid-2007, Hispanics accounted for 15.1% of the total U.S. population.
To read the rest of the report, go to:
http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=96 '
);
news(5,
'Dr. Eduardo Padrón- A Leader and Role Model',
'by Michelle Adam',
'Excerpts from article published in Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine: www.hispanicoutlook.com
As president of Florida\’s Miami Dade College – the largest institution of higher education in the country – Dr. Eduardo Padrón shares a common history with the 165,000-plus students he serves. ',
'Born in Cuba, he came to Miami at age 15 with no English-language skills and eventually attended Miami Dade College (MDC) as a first-generation student. Today, 51 percent of the school’s students are first-generation, and they represent 182 countries and speak 93 languages.
"I certainly know the challenges many of our students face," Padrón said in our interview. "Many very bright students are studying in the most sophisticated disciplines as they are learning English. It\’s very challenging, and our people and support systems must recognize this."
President Padrón has more than proved what a first-generation, foreign-born student can achieve. When he arrived in Miami with no English- language skills, he attended public high school – Miami High – and then Miami Dade Junior College. Padrón graduated summa cum laude from Florida Atlantic University and earned a Ph. D. in economics from the University of Florida.After completing his Ph.D., Padrón returned to Miami and began teach- ing at Miami-Dade Junior College, later becoming department chair, academic dean and campus president (Wolfson/downtown campus) in 1980.
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.hispanicoutlook.com/data/pdf/eduardopadron-adam.pdf '
);
news(6,
'Are you Inroads Material?',
'From INROADS: www.inroads.org',
'Do you want a career-related professional internship that can give you direct and immediate access to corporate the Corporate world?',
'Are you focused on your future, and possess the professional talent and passion necessary to succeed?
Can you commit to a rigorous self-development process that will position you as a well prepared leader in the marketplace?
If you answered YES to these questions, you may have what it takes to be an INROADS Intern. INROADS Internships are awarded to outstanding ethnically diverse students. Only the best and the brightest are selected. Our Interns are graduating high school seniors, college or university freshmen or sophomores with a grade point average of B or better, and a combined SAT score of at least 1000, or an ACT score of 20 or better. They have demonstrated a proven leadership ability, and are interested in pursuing a Bachelor\'s degree in business, accounting, actuarial science, engineering, computer and information sciences, sales, marketing, allied health, healthcare management, and retail store management.
To read more about what it takes to get an internship with INROADS go to:
http://ext1.inroads.org/IOL%5FApplication/Login.aspx?Contact=Intern'
);