Somos Primos

 January 2007 
Editor: Mimi Lozano
©2000-7

Dedicated to Hispanic Heritage and Diversity Issues
 
Society of Hispanic Historical and Ancestral Research

                                                

Paper on "Migrant Workers in Michigan: 1969 Field Notes" last item under National Issues.

Content Areas   
(Numbers refer to pages if printed)

United States
. . 4
 
Action Item. . 4
 
National Issues. . 11
   Education
. . 37
  Culture
. .46
  Business
. . 50
Anti-Spanish Legends. . 52
Military & Law Enforcement Heroes
. . 57
Cuentos
. . 67
Literature
. . 74
Surname
 
. . 78
Patriots of American Revolution
. .  82
Orange County,CA . . 89
Los Angeles,CA
. . 96
California 
. . 99
Northwestern US
. . 110
Southwestern US  . . 111
African-American . . 116
Indigenous
. . 133
Sephardic 
. . 142
Texas  . . 145
East of Mississippi
. . 151 
East Coast
. . 154
Mexico
 
. . 158
Caribbean/Cuba
. . 170
Spain
. . 172
International
. . 174
History
. . 179
Family History . . 181
Archaeology
 
. . 191
Miscellaneous
. . 192
Community Calendars
Networking 
End
194
SHHAR Meetings, Save the Dates. . . Meetings 
Jan 27:  Internet Research  and Spanish Surnames
Mar 17:  Naturalization Records and Using Batch files 
Apr  29:  Orange Family History Conference, 5 classes on Hispanic Research
May 26:  Writing Family Histories
Aug 25:   Research in Central Mexico

 


"Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves, 
and under a just God cannot long retain it."  
Abraham Lincoln

  Letters to the Editor : 


I look forward to SOMOSPRIMOS each month. I can hardly wait to scroll down and check out the topics. Due to your vast range of research, I always find several subjects of great interest! The material is not only interesting but educational and can be used as a future reference! 

Mimi, I thank the Lord for your dedication and time spent in enlightening us in all aspects of life. You have touched so many lives and reached many through your e-mails as you have mine. What a blessing you have been to us all!!   May the Lord continue to bless you and your loves ones. May he give you the strength and increase your wisdom so you can continue doing a fantastic job!

Happy Holidays!
With much respect, Lucy (Sanchez) Wilson 
lucy.wilson@lmco.com



Thank you and your fantastic staff for faithfully sending out Somos Primos each month, and the Year 2006 was no exception. We owe you all a great debt of gratitude. Your journal reports and stories represents many of us in the Hispanic / Latino community and no doubt our culture will benefit and be better understood.  Muy buena suerte to Johanna De Soto who has also been an invaluable contributor and a fine person.  
Happy Holidays to You and Yours.
Sincerely, Lorri Ruiz Frain lorrilocks@earthlink.net


MANY THANKS! For publishing the article on the Suquamish Native American Tribe. And also, my article of Veterans of Color.  As always, you and Somos Primos, gives us an accurate picture of our glorious past. Which is not attainable any where else! 
Willis Papillion willis35@earthlink.net

As usual, Mimi, you have done an outstanding job; keep it coming.  
Jose M. Pena JMPENA@aol.com

Congrats on another great SOMOS PRIMOS issue - much appreciated! 
Luce Amen  luce@rcn.com


Thank you  for the great service you provide our community. The topics are wonderful. 
Phil Vasquez  philvasquez@hotmail.com

New project to encourage world-wide networking.  International correspondence is under the International section. 
Click On. .  International
  Somos Primos Staff:   
Mimi Lozano, Editor

Reporters/Columnists

Lila Guzman
Granville Hough
John Inclan
Galal Kernahan
J.V. Martinez
Armando Montes
Michael Perez
Ángel Custodio Rebollo
Tony Santiago
John P. Schmal
Howard Shorr 
Ted
Vincent

 Contributors to this issue:  
Ruben Alvarez
Armando A. Ayala, Ph.D.
Dan Arellano
Daniel Bartoz 
Mercy Bautista Olvera
Paul Bergeron 
Javier Bustamante
Jaime Cader
Bill Carmena
Sylvia Carvajal Sutton
Nestor Castano 
Robin Collins
Myra Y. Estepa
Ernesto Figuera-Figuera
Margarita Gonzales 
Raul Gonzalez
Elsa Herbeck
Lorraine Hernandez
Manuel Hernandez 
Aury L. Holtzman, M.D
Granville Hough, Ph.D. 
John Inclan
Chris Jepson
Ray Gonzalez
Eddy Gutierrez
Sergio Hernandez
Dan Hogan
Aury Holtzman, M.D.
Rudolph Lewis 
Jan Mallet
Ramon Moncivais
Armando Montes
Dorinda Moreno
Carlos Munoz. Ph.D.
Paul Newfield III 
Maria Angeles O'Donnell Olson
Ricardo Palacios
Richard Perry
Daniel L. Polino
Elvira Prieto
Joseph Puentes
Cris Rendon
Jose L. Robles de la  Torre
Dr. Refugio Rochin, Ph.D.
Ben Romero
Norman Rozeff
Viola Sadler
Lucy (Sanchez) Wilson
John P. Schmal
Leticia Segura Robles
Howard Shorr
Frank Sifuentes
Barry Starr
Catrina Storey 
Robert Tarín
Ricardo Valverde
Cathleen Vargas
Janete Vargas
Margarita B. Velez
Familia Villarreal Verra
Ted Vincent
Ben Vinson III
Arturo Ynclan

castillosdecuba@yahoo.com

genealogia.org.mx@gmail.com
HaileysHaven@aol.com
hirider@wt.net
info@cowboy.com
newsletter@reply.myfamilyinc.com
rgrbob@earthlink.net
robles615@netzero.net
 
 

SHHAR Board:  Bea Armenta Dever, Gloria Cortinas Oliver, Steven Hernandez,  Mimi Lozano Holtzman, Pat Lozano, Yolanda Magdaleno, Henry Marquez, Yolanda Ochoa Hussey, Michael Perez, Crispin Rendon, Viola Rodriguez Sadler, John P. Schmal. 

UNITED STATES

Action Item
A Legacy of Valor Display 
A Memorial to a Hero, Guy Gabaldon
National Museum for the Latino Community

National Issues

Looking at crime and immigration
Blood and Sweat in the Meat Industry
Call for Papers: New Directions in Race Research
Extract: Diabetes Inflicts a Dangerous Toll on Hispanics in the US
National Internet-based Menopause Study
Preparing a Family Health History
WellPoint Launches Online health Assessment in Spanish
Blue Cross of California Launches NuestroBien.com:
Diccionario Biográfico Médico Hispanoamericano
Book: The Journey to Latino Political Representation by John P. Schmal
Migrant Workers in Michigan: 1969 Field Notes

Education
The Supreme council of the Mexican-American Movement
Work begun on Valadez Middle School 
Ruling: Classes divided by race
Book Inspires Student Displays On Bilingual Education History
Teaching of English and Latinos in America: Where do we go from here?
Latino College-Bound, Tech Savviest Among Peers, Missing Parental Help 
Recommended websites for parents
Badillo Lashes Latinos, Rips Hispanic Values 

Culture
Starting Your Own Family Search
SHHAR invites you to become a member
International Networking 
Self Identity: Hispanic/Latino Widely Accepted, but Multiethnic is Used
Introduction to the History of Mexican-Americans, Wikipedia
Goya Producciones
"My Roots Run Deep" by Bobby LeFebre 

Business
National Latina Business Women Association
Mexico Creates Network of U.S.-based high tech Migrants

 

Photo: Richard Avolio  puts up a cloth background behind a display for Hispanic Heroes, 
traveling photo exhibit, Corpus Christi, Texas.   Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Dec 22, 2006



Corpus Christi Exhibit shows Hispanics' Valor at War, 
December 21-22, 2006
 
The traveling photo exhibit was meant to serve as a reminder of the bravery shown by Hispanics on the battlefield and in the civil rights movement.

Rick Leal, President of the HISPANIC MEDAL OF HONOR SOCIETY hosted the event, celebrating the newly elected and currently serving Hispanic members of the Texas State Legislature.  

Corpus Christi Caller Times published three articles on the event: Dec 21st, 22nd, 23rd.

Thursday, December 21, 2006  
Exhibit shows Hispanics' valor at war,and at home 
Dr. Hector Garcia is featured in part of traveling display

By Mary Ann Cavazos Caller-Times
December 21, 2006
Corpus Christi, Texas
http://www.caller.com/ccct/local_news/
article/0,1641,CCCT_811_5228985,00.html


A traveling photo exhibit on display Friday is meant to serve as a reminder of the bravery shown by Hispanics on the battlefield and in the civil rights movement. 

"The message I want to leave with people is the strong sense of courage and commitment they showed," said Corpus Christi native Rick Leal, the exhibit's creator. "This is a part of history we must not let be forgotten." 

The Hispanic Heroes exhibit, unveiled in 1993, features photos of the 40 Hispanic Medal of Honor recipients on an 8-foot high mural that extends 50 feet. 

But after watching a documentary about Dr. Hector P. Garcia several years ago, Leal, who lives in San Francisco, was determined to expand the exhibit to include a display about the civil rights leader and founder of the American GI Forum. 

The endeavor took a year to complete and in 2003 the "Justice for My People: The Story of Dr. Hector P. Garcia" display was unveiled. The materials came from hundreds of boxes of Garcia's records and other documents archived at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi's Bell Library. 

"His story is one I want all Americans to know. He was a revolutionary and did so much for Hispanic Americans," said Leal, director of the newly formed Dr. Hector 
P. Garcia National Memorial Foundation and president of the Hispanic Medal of Honor Society. 

A third section of the exhibit, "Return with Honor: The story of Lt. j.g. Everett Alvarez Jr." was added last year. 

Alvarez, whose plane was shot down on 
Aug. 5, 1964, over North Vietnam, was the first American Navy pilot to be captured by the North Vietnamese. 

He spent nearly nine years as a prisoner of war before his release in 1973. He 
later retired as a commander. "They 
were tortured, they had no food and no medical (assistance) and many died,"
Leal said. 

Leal will host a welcoming party for more than a dozen newly elected state 
officials today to kick off the exhibit's opening in Corpus Christi. On Friday, the exhibit will be open to the public. 

Contact Mary Ann Cavazos 
at 361-886-3623
Friday, December 22, 2006  


Bravery on display

Lt. j.g. Everett Alvarez. Alvarez, whose plane was shot down in 1964, was the first U.S. Navy pilot to be captured by the North Vietnamese.  He spent nearly nine years a s a prisoner of war. he retired as a commander. Dr. Hector P. Garcia. Garcia, a World War II veteran, civil rights leader and founder ofhte American GI Forum, is known for a lifetime of service that included receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Rick Leal (left) creator of the exhibit, greets Joe Elizondo, a Vietnam War veteran who received three Purple Hears and a Bronze Star, during final preparation on Thursday for the exhibit's opening.
 
With sincerest congratulations to Rick Leal, a Corpus Christi native, and now a California resident, for  organizing and funding the 2-day event.

As a child Rick was treated by Dr. Hector P. Garcia. 
"I never forgot his kindness and the respect that he showed to my mother. We paid our bills, but I know he would have treated us anyway.  He was an extraordinary man.  I plan to honor his memory, not only through the Legacy of Valor display, but through other projects underway. 

If you would like to assist Rick, please contact him at:
GGR1031@aol.com



Exhibit visitors learn more about Hispanic leaders
By Heather Ann White Caller-Times
Saturday, December 23, 2006  

It's a story that must be told - the heroism of the Hispanic men and women who sacrificed their lives for their country. 

People gathered at the Omni Bayfront Hotel on Friday to view the Hispanic Heroes exhibit, a traveling exhibit honoring 40 Hispanic Medal of Honor recipients and five other photo exhibits paying tribute to Hispanic leaders. 

"Every war the U.S. has fought, Hispanics have contributed their all," said Rick Leal, the exhibit's creator. "These are stories that must be told and cannot be forgotten. We need more visibility." 

Leal gave a quick tour of each exhibit, explaining its historical significance and sharing anecdotes. Leal, originally from Corpus Christi, said this is the exhibit's first time in the city, but hopes to come back next year. 

Leal and the exhibit will go on a three-city tour after the holiday, making stops in Chicago, Miami and Oklahoma City. 

Lucio Contreras, a Vietnam veteran, said it's important to learn about those who have served the country. 

"I've always been interested in the Medal of Honor," he said. "A lot of Medal of Honor recipients have been Hispanic, and that's important." 

Contreras, who also had two brothers in the service, said he was grateful for the exhibit, especially the one honoring Corpus Christi's Dr. Hector P. Garcia, a World War II veteran, civil rights leader and the founder of the American GI Forum. Garcia, originally from Mexico, grew up in Texas and graduated from the University of Texas. 

"I really enjoyed it. It certainly helps honor Hispanics," he said, saluting to the Medal of Honor mural as he exited the room. 

Albert Alvarez, who is visiting family this weekend, came to read about his relative, Army Master Sgt. Roy Perez Benavidez, a Vietnam veteran who received a Medal of Honor. Benavidez is Alvarez's father-in-law's brother, he said. 

"This is great," he said. "This exhibit is great homage to the men and women who have fought in wars. I hope more people will come out to appreciate everything the Hispanics have done in the pursuit of freedom for this country." 

Contact Heather Ann White at 886-3794 or whiteh@caller.com




The wife of Guy Gabaldon exits on the arm of  St. Major Sal Navarro, USMC (Ret.)



A Memorial to a Hero, Guy Gabaldon
December 9, 2006
written by 
Mercy Bautista-Olvera

 

On December 9, 2006 I attended the Memorial Ceremony in Honor of Guy Gabaldon, held in the city of in the city of Montebello, California, and hosted by The Hispanic-American Veterans Association, Inc.  and Latino Advocates for Education.

The Memorial started with the Posting of Colors by United States Marine Corps Color and Honor Guard. The Pledge of Allegiance by Sgt. Major Sal Navarro, USMC (Ret) followed.

As I was walking in the park towards the Memorial Ceremony of Guy Gabaldon, I couldn't help but thinking of this man, the courage and bravery of a young U.S. Marine who single-handedly captured more than 1,000 Japanese soldiers during the Battle for Saipan, he took part of the invasion of Saipan in June 1944, Guy Gabaldon as a young Marine persuaded Japanese soldiers to give up their arms, and follow him to American lines, bringing him the nickname "The Pied Piper of Saipan,"

At this memorial the remarks by Hon. Superior Court Judge Frederick P. Aguirre, Major General Gus Hernandez, and Col. John Telles, USMC (Ret) were touching, it seemed as they all had a good relationship with Mr. Gabaldon as close friends. Mr. Gabaldon spoke to them of his adventures, how Guy would say a remark as "Ai te Guacho" (slang Spanish) meaning (see you later) to Superior Court judge Frederick P. Aguirre as they said their good-bye's. Guy Gabaldon never forgot where he came from, East Los Angeles was his hometown. He started shining shoes as a young boy to earn money, learning Japanese from his neighbors in East Los Angeles helped him communicate with Japanese soldiers to surrender. The placing of the Wreath in front of Guy Gabaldon’s photo by Major General Gus Hernandez was emotional, it reminded me of all men and women who died for their country and the bravery of Guy Gabaldon during WWII. Guy Gabaldon's sons, Ray and Jeff gave the Eulogy, they both gave a beautiful eulogy of the man, the father they knew, the beloved man who gave encouragement and guidance to his children. Ray Gabaldon was speaking about his dad with such emotion, that it was heartbreaking, both sons described on how their father was, a caring loving father who loved his family. Some of us were in tears when Col. John Telles, USMC (Ret.) presenting Guy's widow Ohana, with the Flag, how she held that flag so tight to her heart, at this time there was silence from everyone. Ohana, his wife walking holding this flag with his sons and members of the Gabaldon family after the Memorial Ceremony was also memorable.

The Memorial was very emotional, to see young men and women in uniform, to hear Humberto Argucia sing "The National Anthem," "America the Beautiful," "God Bless the USA," and listening the bagpipes of Ron Berenshot, play "Amazing Grace" touched our hearts, there were tears all around us. Mimi Lozano, the editor of Somos Primos was acknowledged for the distribution of lithographs of the Pied Piper of Saipan to non profit organizations for public display. The Congressional Medal of Honor was mentioned, sadly to say our hero, Guy Gabaldon passed away on August 31, 2006, Guy Gabaldon earned the Navy Cross, the Marines’ highest award for valor, but his family deserves the Congressional Medal of Honor as well. There is a petition to elevate Guy Gabaldon’s family with the Congressional Medal of Honor which he deserves for his courageous actions on the Island of Saipan. (There could also be a sculpture of Guy Gabaldon in the near future.)

 

On the platform as well as Mr. Gabaldon’s photo, was the lithograph by artist Henry Godines and a poster of the movie "Hell to Eternity," Guy Gabaldon’s actions were memorialized in the film, portrayed by Jeffrey Hunter, Mr. Gabaldon ended up naming one of his sons Jeffrey Hunter Gabaldon.Some of WWII veterans names were mentioned at the memorial, they were attending this memorial to honor Guy Gabaldon, wearing their uniform, a particular WWII veteran, dressed in uniform caught my attention as well, I don't know his name, he was sitting on a chair in front of me while I was standing among many other people, when a WWII veteran was mentioned, he walked to him to salute him, he walked with so much pride, as he was walking back, and many of us clapping our hands to honor him as well, he looked at me and said "thank you," this other man standing close to me shouted out "World War II was the Greatest Generation of Wars" the gentleman again said "Thank you," I thanked this man in uniform, and others did as well.

It was amazing to meet Guy Gabaldon's family, what an honor to have met them, Ohana, Ray, Jeff Gabaldon and other family members. It was an honor for me to have attended such a great memorial. It is a Memorial that I would never forget, I was able to learn more about the little boy from East Los Angeles, a great WWII hero, the man, the husband, the father, and friend; Guy Gabaldon was a WWII hero, his legacy would live with us and future generations.

 


Left to right: Ohana, Jeffrey, Heather and Ray Gabaldon
Grandchildren, Hunter, Leah, and Ellie 


 Dr. Josh Valdez, 
Senior Vice President 
of Health Care Management
WellPoint West Region


Gen. Gus Hernandez, Pres. HAVA, Inc.


Ohana receives plaque from Supervisor Michael Antonovich, LA Co.



Steven Rubin
Documentarian


Jeffry Hunter Gabaldon
Eulogy


Judge, Orange Co.
 Fredrick Aguirre



Ray Gabaldon
Eulogy


Editor:
I was so impressed by the discipline displayed by these young people.  All ages,   they stood at attention during the whole ceremony.  The photo on the left are the backs of high school and university ROTC cadets that assisted in handing out the program and giving direction as needed.  When the ceremony started the cadets formed a circle around the entire stage and stood motionless with hands clasped behind their backs.  The young people in the photo on the right were elementary and middle school. They too remained motionless. I wasn't sure how I felt about elementary students in fatigues, but when I observed their behavior, I thought how much they would be strengthened in the years ahead with that kind of discipline.  

A very strange incident occurred during the ceremony, that must be shared.  The air was still, no movement, but when Los Angeles County Firefighter, Humberto Argucia, started singing "God Bless the USA" without a breeze, or anyone even close to it, the American flag fell, almost hitting the ground. It was caught by one of the Color Guard, who jumped the steps and returned the flag to the stand quickly.  

As Humberto continue singing "God Bless the USA" the flag once again began to fall. At this point four Marines rushed forward. One grasped the pole, but instead of putting it in the stand, he held firmly upright, and took a posture.  The other three young soldiers did the same, solemnly, deliberately took their post. 

A wave of emotion passed through the entire assembly.  We all seemed to breathe in unison, a sigh of relief, of joy.  Many of us were crying.  By the time the song was finished, no one remained untouched. We experienced America. 

I will never forget the pride, the gratitude, the comfort I felt with the behavior of our youth, especially those Marines.  They demonstrated in every aspect of their response and posture, they understand their responsibility, as America's protectors, and they take it seriously. It is an incident and emotions that I know I will always remember.

God Bless the USA.




National Museum for the Latino Community

Hello Everyone,

Bad news I'm afraid. The 9 bills that were packaged together are about to be the fatal victims of the 109th Congress. We tried to get HR 2134 passed as a stand alone bill earlier this year and this week, but there were objections.

It was an all or nothing deal and unfortunately there were objections.  I talked to Senator Salazar right now when he returned from the Senate Floor. He told me to thank you for all your hard work and dedication in seeing this bill pass. It will be a major priority for us and we will work to get it passed in the 110th Congress.

Again, thank you.
Felicia Escobar
Felicia_Escobar@salazar.senate.gov

[Editor: I will keep everyone updated on this issue. Please know that your voice does matters.]
 

 


National Issues

Looking at crime and immigration
Blood and Sweat in the Meat Industry
Call for Papers: New Directions in Race Research
Extract: Diabetes Inflicts a Dangerous Toll on Hispanics in the US
National Internet-based Menopause Study
Preparing a Family Health History
WellPoint Launches Online health Assessment in Spanish
Blue Cross of California Launches NuestroBien.com:
S: Diccionario Biográfico Médico Hispanoamericano
Book: The Journey to Latino Political Representation by John P. Schmal
Migrant Workers in Michigan: 1969 Field Notes

Looking at crime and immigration
December 05, 2006
http://blogs.chron.com/bluebayou/2006/12/looking_at_crime_and_immigrati.html
Sent by Howard Shorr howardshorr@msn.com


One of the talking points on illegal immigration these days is that illegal immigrants are responsible for an increase in crime in the US. The problem, of course, is that the actual data on this is unclear. That hasn't stopped people from insisting that it must be true and offering anecdotal evidence - which shows us some disturbing examples of crime committed by illegal aliens but doesn't actually prove anything about the overall reality.

It seems, however, that people are now trying to study the situation:Even President Bush, whose perceived generosity to undocumented workers has earned him vilification on the right, commented in a speech this May that illegal immigration "strains state and local budgets and brings crime to our communities."

So goes the conventional wisdom. But is it true? In fact, according to evidence cropping up in various places, the opposite may be the case. Ramiro Martinez Jr., a professor of criminal justice at Florida International University, has sifted through homicide records in border cities like San Diego and El Paso, both heavily populated by Mexican immigrants, both places where violent crime has fallen significantly in recent years. "Almost without exception," he told me, "I've discovered that the homicide rate for Hispanics was lower than for other groups, even though their poverty rate was very high, if not the highest, in these metropolitan areas." He found the same thing in the Haitian neighborhoods of Miami. In his book "New York Murder Mystery," the criminologist Andrew Karmen examined the trend in New York City and likewise found that the "disproportionately youthful, male and 
poor immigrants" who arrived during the 1980s and 1990s "were surprisingly law-abiding" and that their settlement into once-decaying neighborhoods helped "put a brake on spiraling crime rates."

The most prominent advocate of the "more immigrants, less crime" theory is Robert J. Sampson, chairman of the sociology department at Harvard. A year ago, Sampson was an author of an article in The American Journal of Public Health that reported the findings of a detailed study of crime in Chicago. Based on information gathered on the perpetrators of more than 3,000 violent acts committed between 1995 and 2002, supplemented by police records and community surveys, it found that the rate of violence among 
Mexican-Americans was significantly lower than among both non-Hispanic whites and blacks.

There's more detail about all of this work in the article, and it's worth reading.

It's not really possible to draw a firm conclusion from any of this; first of all, it's difficult to separate illegal from legal immigrants in these kinds of studies. It is reasonable, I think, to assume that behavior in the two groups wouldn't be that different, considering that they are often members of the same communities.

But the studies do illustrate the dangers of forming conclusions from no evidence or anecdotal evidence. That danger is compounded when you're talking about a highly emotional topic, and the political climate encourages people to use the most dramatic possible stories - or poorly supported statistics that make good headlines - for their own interests.

In that kind of environment, it's wise to take anything presented as known facts with a grain of salt. But it's good to see someone studying the issue.

Blood and Sweat in the Meat Industry

Rumbo, News Report, Rodrigo París, Translated by Elena Shore, Posted: Dec 19, 2006
Sent by Howard Shorr  howardshorr@msn.com

A meatpacking plant, with temperatures of 32° F, very little light, high humidity, and frantic production lines, seems to be the closest to slavery of any factory in 21st Century America.

The organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) conducted a study in 2005 titled Blood, Sweat and Fear. The report found that employees in U.S. slaughter houses and meatpacking plants work dangerous jobs in difficult conditions.

The conditions and treatment of workers are human rights violations, the document says.

Forty-two percent of the workers in these plants are Latino. Their average annual salary is $21,320, nearly $10,000 less than the salary of workers in other industries, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Four factories – Tyson, Cargill, Smithfield and Swift – control 80 percent of the nation’s meat production. According to an OSHA report, the concentration of meat production in very few factories allows for their substandard practices and working conditions.

According to the Human Rights Watch report, 95 percent of Latino workers in these plants do not receive workers’ compensation for accidents and injuries (such as knife wounds) at a job that demands speed and precision at the same time. This is a result of the fact that the majority does not speak English or is afraid that the company will discover that they are working illegally.

Some 14.7 percent of the workers in this industry suffer work-related injuries and accidents according to OSHA’s statistics, although the situation has improved (in 1990, the rate was 30 percent).

Fifty percent of the accidents were caused by human errors while cutting the meat, according to the HRW report. “I lost a hand when I leaned over a table of boneless meat,” one worker told the organization.

Undocumented immigrants who work in these companies often don’t ask for work loans, compensation or improvements, afraid of the possibility that the company could turn them in to immigration authorities, according to HRW.

Many workers in the meat industry are afraid of the consequences of the massive Dec. 12 raids in various processing plants.

According to Mark Krikorian, director of the Center for Immigration Studies, there are concerns that what happened could have repercussions for consumers and the entire meat industry, since they could experience a shortage of workers, a rise in production costs and, therefore, an increase in the price of meat.

Some observers say that perhaps it’s time for these companies to do what the meat industry in Canada has already done: raise their salaries and pay in proportion to the risks of the job. 



Call for Papers: New Directions in Race Research
Sent by rgrbob@earthlink.net

Social Forces seeks papers for a special section on race research planned for the December 2007 issue. We are soliciting original papers that address issues of race, racial inequality, racism and racial identity construction from U.S.and international perspectives. Papers might address new developments in racial inequality in housing, education or health; the creation, maintenance and changing definition of racial categories; the racial dynamics of colorblindness; and racism within the context of immigration, neo-colonialism and the environment. We welcome papers that expand our theoretical understanding of race and are particularly interested in empirical research that challenges, expands or redirects existing race scholarship.

The special section will be edited by Charles A. Gallagher, Department of Sociology, Georgia StateUniversity. Papers will be peer reviewed.

The deadline for submitting papers is April 2, 2007. Manuscripts should be limited to 5,000-9,000 words including references and endnotes and should be e-mailed as a Microsoft Word attachment to Social_Forces@unc.edu. Any tables or figures must be editable in Microsoft Word or Excel. Do not use any automatic formatting feature. Submission fees for this section are waived.


Monica J. Casper, Ph.D.
Director of Women's and Gender Studies
Associate Professor of Sociology
Associate Professor of Women's and Gender Studies
Garland Hall 220-B
VanderbiltUniversity
Station B, Box350086
2301 Vanderbilt Place
Nashville, TN 37235-0086
(615) 343-7808
www.vanderbilt.edu/womens-studies



Extract: Diabetes Inflicts a Dangerous Toll on Hispanics in the United States
By Charlotte Hodge, R.N., Nurse Practitioner
Sent by Dr. Armando Ayala  drchili@webtv.net

One out of 10 Latinos has or will develop diabetes vs 1 in 20 for the general population. 
One in four Hispanics over age 45 has diabetes. 
In California, more than 830,000 Latinos have diabetes, half of them are unaware that they have the disease. 

As the Hispanic population continues to grow, the prevalence of diabetes among Hispanics is expected to reach epidemic proportions. The best Insurance policy one can have to prevent developing diabetes is to reach and maintain normal weight and participate in regular exercise.


National Internet-based Menopause Study

Project seeks participants.  Kim Belcik writes: Hola, I am a Hispanic research assistant at the University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing. I am responsible for the recruitment of Hispanic women between the ages of 40-60 for a national Internet-based menopause
study.

This study is important because the majority of information about menopausal symptoms and treatments are based on the experience of Caucasian women. Nurses need to know more about the menopausal experience of women of other cultures so they can find better treatments for these symptoms. This study provides that opportunity.

Please visit our website for more information and to complete the survey:
http://moms.nur.utexas.edu/MOMS/


Kim Belcik (née Ostiguin)
University of Texas at Austin
School of Nursing
1700 Red River St. #5.167
Austin, TX 78701
Office: 512-475-6352
Fax: 512-471-5470
 

Preparing a Family Health History

According to the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG; http://www.acmg.net), knowing your family's medical history can help your doctor predict conditions that may pose a risk to your health—meaning you can take actions to minimize those risks.

"Some families may already be collecting genealogical information but haven't gathered details about health history," said ACMG Executive Director Michael S. Watson. As with traditional genealogy, asking relatives is the best way to start. Since you’re all gathered around the table anyway, pose these questions from the ACMG:

1. What health problems are known to run in our family? 
2. Has anyone in our family had cancer, heart disease or other adult-onset health problems at an early age, such as between 20 and 50?
3. Does/did anyone in our family have mental retardation or learning problems, or have to attend a special school?
4. Have there been any early deaths in the family (including stillbirths, infant deaths and multiple miscarriages)?
5. Have any relatives had extreme or unexpected reactions to medications?

Examine your genealogy research, too, for clues to relatives’ illnesses and causes of death. Record the information using the My Health Portrait Web-based program at http://familyhistory.hhs.gov, print out the family health history chart and take it along on your next checkup.  Source: familytree-newslette@fwpubs.com





WellPoint Launches Online health Assessment in Spanish

Questionnaire and Personalized Report Provide Spanish-Speaking Members with a Secure Online Health Tool to Identify and Manage Their Personal Health Risks

INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE: WLP) announced today the launch of a secure, online Health Assessment in Spanish that will enable members to complete a health questionnaire and receive a personalized report, in Spanish, with recommendations on how to manage their personal health risks.

The Health Assessment helps members to identify and understand their personal risk factors, including family history and lifestyle behaviors. Upon completing the online questionnaire, members will receive a personalized, easy-to-understand report that allows them to compare their overall health status with the national average and with their peers.

The report also provides a member with personalized recommendations to help him or her effectively manage, reduce or eliminate personal health risks and embrace healthier lifestyle behaviors, for example, enrolling in a smoking cessation program, exercising regularly and getting preventive screenings.

"The online Health Assessment provides our members with a powerful tool -- in Spanish and English -- to help them identify their personal health risks and, more importantly, take action to manage these risk factors with a goal to prevent or delay the onset of more serious and chronic health conditions," said Ray Morales, M.D., a medical director for WellPoint, Inc., the nation's largest benefits provider. "This is especially important within the Hispanic community, where men and women are affected disproportionately by several health conditions, including diabetes and stroke. The Health Assessment is an easy-to-use tool that gives our members greater control of their health and health care."

The secure, online Health Assessment covers such topics as:

1) current health conditions

2) family health history

3) lifestyle behaviors, including alcohol consumption, tobacco use, stress, exercise and diet

4) vital statistics, including cholesterol and blood pressure measurements

5) life events, including family, children, relationships, job and finances

6) use of health care resources, for example, doctor visits, prescriptions and hospitalizations.

The Hispanic online community is one of the fastest-growing online populations. More than half of the Hispanic population in the United States actively uses the Internet.

The Web-based Health Assessment in Spanish complements WellPoint's comprehensive suite of online health resources that are available in Spanish and English through its health plans' member websites.

"The free, online Health Assessment -- now available in Spanish and English -- is a valuable tool that helps our members stay ahead of potentially serious, chronic and costly health conditions by answering a few simple questions about their health, lifestyle and family history," said Sam Nussbaum, M.D., executive vice president and chief medical officer, WellPoint, Inc. "We're committed to providing our Spanish-speaking members with health tools and information that respect language and cultural differences -- and which engage and empower members to make more informed decisions about their health and health care."

 



Blue Cross of California Launches NuestroBien.com:
Web Site Resource for California's Latino Community, Friday December 22
Sent by John P. Schmal
JohnnyPJ@aol.com

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Dec. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Cross of California (BCC) has launched a Web site called NuestroBien ("Our Well Being") to help promote health and wellness in the state's Latino community. Located at www.nuestrobien.com, the site is designed to provide educational content for the Latino community and focuses on prevention, nutrition and early detection of health issues. It is available in both English and Spanish.

Nuestrobien.com contains facts about the leading health care problems for Latinos, tips on improving health, and links to the Blue Cross of California Web site, where those interested can apply for health coverage. A "Kids Center" contains games and animated clips on how the human body works. Over 600 health related articles for parents, teens and kids are available in both languages.

"Our goal is to offer consumers new online tools that make it easy, convenient and familiar for them to get the information they need to make the best choices possible about their health and health care options," said Mary Scanlon, senior vice president of eBusiness consumer technology for WellPoint, Inc., BCC's parent company. "With NuestroBien, Spanish-speaking consumers now have a valuable resource of health and wellness information for better decision-making for themselves, their children and their families." Additional information about WellPoint is available at www.wellpoint.com


[[Editor: Congratulations to Dr. Jaime Gómez González [amun2005@yahoo.com]
long time member of SHHAR, who sent the following information. It is particularly exciting because I remember when the project was getting started. ]]

Diccionario Biográfico Médico Hispanoamericano
http://www.compumedicina.com.ar/libros.shtml

Circulo Biográfico Médico Hispanoamericano.
Jaime Gomez-Gonzalez, Leopoldo Briceño Iragorry, Miguel Rabi Chara, (Editores)
Ateproca, Caracas 2007
IBSN 980-6905-25-3

La Academia Nacional de Medicina de Venezuela nos presenta este CD Rom con la versión electrónica del DICCIONARIO BIOGRAFICO MEDICO LATINOAMERICANO
cuyos editores son los Drs. Jaime Gómez-González (colombiano), Leopoldo Briceño-Iragorry (venezolano) y Miguel Rabí Chara (peruano). 

La realización de este extraordinario instrumento de trabajo ha estado a cargo de la Editorial ATEPROCA, CA de Caracas, que ya nos tiene acostumbrados a un excelente nivel de realizaciones.

"La obra consta de 3.307 minibiografías de médicos ordenadas alfabéticamente por cada uno de los 21 países de origen. Las páginas del libro están numeradas de manera correlativa , y cada número va precedido de otro con el que se identifica el país, separados por un guión.

Esta primera edición del Diccionario Biográfico Médico Hispanoamericano, que verá su edición impresa a comienzos de 2007, es una muy loable iniciativa del colega colombiano y colaborador de Compumedicina, Jaime Gómez González, quien con el apoyo de numerosos otros médicos de todos nuestros países, y la efectiva colaboración de la Academia Nacional de Medicina de Venezuela, aportando la dinámica cooperación de su Secretario, doctor Leopoldo Briceño-Iragorry, han podido llevar a efecto este tan importante proyecto de auténtica integración cultural, con las minibiografías de médicos que ya no están con nosotros, pero cuyas obras constituyen la base sobre la que podemos seguir construyendo una medicina de muy alto nivel al servicio de toda la sociedad.

Compumedicina.com® extiende sus más sinceras felicitaciones a la Academia Nacional de Medicina de Venezuela, a los editores, a los colaboradores y a la Editorial ATEPROCA, ya que este Diccionario establece un precedente integracionista significativo, que permitirá conocernos mejor y así poder trabajar más eficientemente en el mundo globalizado en que vivimos.




New Book: The Journey to Latino Political Representation 
By John P. Schmal

The Journey to Latino Political Representation is a detailed, yet succinct, description of the struggle of Latino Americans to express their political voice from 1822 to the present day. There are essentially two parts to this story: the decline of Hispanic representation in the Nineteenth Century and the revival of their political voice in the second half of the Twentieth Century. To explain this, the author discusses Latino population demographics, anti-immigrant legislation and other political influences. In addition, short biographies throughout the book help to familiarize the reader with each politician.

In the preface to this book, Dr. Edward E. Telles, the author of the award-winning, Race in Another America: The Significance of Skin Color in Brazil, states that this book is "an important educational service" that "will be useful in classrooms throughout the United States." He adds that "no longer can educators in any part of the United States deny or ignore the political importance of Latinos to their students, as this book makes apparent."


Table of Contents:
THE LATINO VOTE: AN INTRODUCTION 1
The Right to Vote 1
State Measures to Restrict Minority Voting 1
A New Generation 3
Latino Political Organization 4
The Twenty-Fourth Amendment 6
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 6

CALIFORNIA (1848-1899) 11
The Mexican-American War 11
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo 11
The Constitutional Convention of 1849 12
The First Constitutional Legislature (1849-1850) 14
The First State Legislative Session (1851) 15
Andres Pico 15
Chicanos in Office 16
Los Angeles 17
Santa Barbara 18
Romualdo Pacheco 19
The Gradual Erosion of Voting Rights 21
Reginaldo Francisco del Valle 23
The English Literacy Requirement (1894) 24

CALIFORNIA (1900-1964) 27
Miguel Estudillo 27
The End of World War II 28
The Emergency of Edward Roybal 30
The Election of Charles Navarro (1951) 32
Navarro as City Controller 34

CALIFORNIA (1900-1964) [Continued]
Fracturing the Chicano Vote 35
1961 Reapportionment 36
The 1962 Elections 38
The 1964 Elections 41
CALIFORNIA (1965-1975) 43
The 1965 Reapportionment 43
The 1966 Elections 44
Julian Nava's Election (1967) 44
The 1968 Elections 46
A New Decade (the 1970s) 46
The 1971 Reapportionment 47
The Elections of 1972 48
The Special Masters Plan 49
Chicano Legislative Caucus 50

TEXAS (1836-1964) 53
Independence 53
Early Political Representation 53
Thomas A. Rodriguez 54
The Poll Tax (1902) 55
José T. Canales and Augustine Celaya 55
John Charles Hoyo 57
Diminished Representation 58
Legislative Redistricting 59
A New Breed 61
First-Third Session (1953) 64 
The First Tejano Mayor of El Paso 65
Fifty-Fifth Session (1957-1958) 66
Fifty-Sixth Session (1959-1960) 67
Fifty-Seventh Session (1961-1962) 71
The Eighty-Seventh U.S. Congress (1961-1962) 74
Fifty-Eighth Session (1963-1964) 75

TEXAS (1965-1980) 77
The Twenty-Fourth Amendment 77
Eighty-Ninth Congress (1965-1966) 78
Fifty-Ninth Session (1965-1966) 79
Sixtieth Session (1967-1968) 81
Sixty-First Session (1969-1970) 84
Sixty-Second Session (1971-1972) 85
The Redistricting Battles of 1971 85
Sixty-Third Session (1973-1974) 88
Sixty-Fourth Session (1975-1976) 91
Sixty-Fifth Session (1977-1978) 92
Sixty-Sixth Session (1979-1980) 93

THE U.S. CONGRESS (1822-1959) 95
The Great Promise 95
Joseph Marion Hernández (1822-1823) 95
Demographic Influences on the Hispanic Population 96
José Manuel Gallegos 97
Miguel Antonio Otero (1856-1860) 99
Francisco Perea (1863-1865) 100
New Mexico Representation (1865-1873) 101
Romualdo Pacheco 102
New Mexico Representation (1877-1901) 102
Latino Representation in the Nineteenth Century 105
Puerto Rican Resident Commissioners 107
The Status of New Mexico 110
Hispanic Representation in Louisiana (1904-1941) 112
Hispanic Senators from New Mexico (1928-1952) 113
Antonio Manuel Fernández 116

THE U.S. CONGRESS (1960-2005) 119
Hispanic Representation Up to 1960 119
The Tide Changes in California 119
Texas Representation 121
Henry B. González 122
Kika de la Garza 123
Manuel Luján, Jr. 124
A New Decade (the 1970s) 124
The 1980s 126
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) 128
Redistricting in California (1981) 128
Texas 130
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen 130
The 1990s 131
Latino Representation in the New Millennium 132
The Election of November 2004 133

TEXAS: MOVING INTO A NEW CENTURY 137
The Extension of the Voting Rights Act 137
Tejano Representation of the 1980s 137
Sixty-Eight Legislature (1983-1984) 138
Tejano Representation in the New Millennium 143
The November 2004 Election 144

LOS ANGELES CITY GOVERNMENT 149
A Mexican Pueblo 149
Antonio Francisco (Franco) Coronel 149
The Councils 150
Cristóbal Aguilar 151
The Decline of Chicano Representation 152
Edward R. Roybal (9th Council District, 1949-1962) 153
Charles Navarro (10th Council District, 1951-1961) 156
The City Council in the 1960s 157
Councilperson Snyder and East Los Angeles 158

LOS ANGELES CITY GOVERNMENT [Continued]
The City Council in the Early 1980s 161
Richard Alatorre (14th Council District, 1985-1999) 163
The County Board of Supervisors 168
Mike Hernandez (1st Council District, 1991-2000) 170
Richard Alarcon (7th Council District, 1993-1999) 172
Alex Padilla (7th Council District, 1999-Present) 173
Nick Pacheco (14th Council District, 1999-2003) 173
Ed Reyes (1st Council District, 2001-Present) 173
Tony Cardenas (6th Council District, 2003-Present) 175
Antonio Villaraigosa (14th Council District, 2003-2005) 175
Eric Garcetti (13th Council District, 2001-Present) 176
Antonio Villaraigosa (Mayor of Los Angeles) 176
CALIFORNIA (1978-2005) 179
The 1978 Elections 179
The 1980 Elections 180
The 1982 Elections 181
The 1984 Elections 184
Chicano Representation in the Late 1980s 184
Chicano Representation in the 1990s 185
Increased Representation in the New Millennium 187
BIBLIOGRAPHY 189
INDEX 199 




Migrant Workers in Michigan:
1969 Fieldnotes

by

Refugio I. Rochín
With Editor Notations by Danny Layne, JSRI

Occasional Paper No. 61
July 2006

http://www.jsri.msu.edu/RandS/research/ops/oc61.html


List of Families Attended 
and Information on Some Families
Summer 1969

18. Andres Tafolla (26): Maria Isabel (23), Rodrigo (4 1/2), Ricardo (2 1/2), Andrea
(1 and 4 months), Mario Hernandez (58)- Maria's father, Maria de Jesus Hernandez
Maria's sister, Carmela rodriquez (31)- step sister, Santos Rosalez (18) second cousin.
19. Pedro (47) and Prudencia (27) Ozuna; Pedro Jr. (17), Francis (15), Delicia (14), Dalia (9)
20. Juan Sepulveda (59); Maria (40), Jose (19), Alicia (18), Eleazar (17), Carlos (12), Juan Jr. (10), and Carmen (4)
21. Rodolfo Garcia (33); Socorro (32), Guadalupe (13), Rodolfo (11), Jorge (9), Socorro (6), Sylvia (4), Sonia (3), and Rene Ramirez (20)
22. Manuel Serrano (36): Emelia (35), Maria Laura (17), Irma (14), Yolanda (13), Manuel Jr. (10), Ricardo (8), Elivera (6), Hector (4), Raquel (3), Elia (18 mo.), and 
Enrique (1 month)
23. Urrano (42) and Hermila (42) Benavidez-Rio Grande, Texas; Juliana (20), Adriana
(16), Juan de Dios (15), Renaldo (13), Graciela (11), Ricardo (8), Adolfo (7), Hermela (5), and Martina (3)
24. Urrano Jr. (18) and Oralia (21) - no children; Mike Sanchez and wife, Eliazar and Martinez and wife - 10 children.
1. Antonio Aguilar 
2. Arturo Aguilar
3. Juan Guerrero
4. Jesus Gonzalez
5. Ramon Guerrero
6. Flora Mata Martinez
7. Zeferino Reyna
8. Ramona Sanchez
9. Luis Torres
10. Rafael Mendoza
11. Guadalupe T. Tafolla (age
12. Domingo Reyna (28) (bachelor)
13. Ramiro Longoria (20) and Ana (20): 
four children (4,2,1, and 5 months)
14. Espiridion Salas and Poloma
15. Carmen C. Reyes (40) - widow: 
Federico (20) Mike (18), Jaime (1), Santos (13), Ricky (4), Debbie Garcia (3)
16. Pedro Alvarez Paredes (61); Celia S. Paredes (59); Maria (18), Narcisa (17), Guadalirio (16), Nico (15), Inez (14), Juan (13), Adela (12), Marylu (11)
17. Guadalupe Reyes (21) son of Carmen,. Elizabeth (15),Guadalupe (6 months)

Preface

Almost 40 years ago, from September 1967 through September 1969, I was a doctoral candidate
in Agricultural Economics at Michigan State University. As a Chicano from California, I missed my family and relationships with raza. In 1969 I decided to step out of the academic groove and enlisted as a volunteer with Michigan Educational Opportunity Program, a derivative of the federally-funded programs of the Office of Educational Opportunity. My "mentor" and supervisor was Ubaldo Patino.

The "notes" which follow are from my daily log. They record the actual names and places of my job. I leave this information intact, primarily because some of the people — like Mr. Patino — deserve to be remembered for their dedication and service to migrant workers in Michigan.

I was 28 years old at the time. I had no specific vision or plans to become an "expert" on farmworkers. But this "little" experience shaped my destiny. I never discarded these notes. They traveled with me all over the world (literally) and to the University of California, Davis where I began my academic career. And they came with me to my alma mater, MSU. The fact of the matter is that I was cleaning my files at the Julian Samora Research Institute when my student assistant, Matthew Martinez, put these notes aside. He left them for me to see.

What luck! Had I merely discarded all in my files, these notes of history would have joined the piles of the forgotten past. As good fortune would have it, Danny Layne also joined our staff at JSRI. His presence and knowledge of the area introduced an important component for this paper. Danny not only knew the vicinity of the labor camps, he knew the history of the area and some of the local population in the area. In short order, our conversations led to the idea of a co-authored production, specifically, my notes from 1969 with Danny’s updates and insights of changes in places and time.

I dedicate these notes to my mentor, Ubaldo Patino, a fine man who served countless farmworkers. I also take pride in recognizing Julian Samora, who taught me to value the legacies of our people — la raza. I honor my father, Refugio Rochín, who was a farmworker from Sinaloa, Mexico, between 1924-1928 and always taught me — by his example — that farmworkers have the pride, intelligence, and determination needed to make a better life for their children.

Migrant Workers in Michigan: 1969 Fieldnotes

6/27 Went to camp for first time with Mr. Ubaldo Patino and co-worker Suzie Holtz. The Heifetz Camps sit a half-mile off highway M-99 and 50, south of Eaton Rapids. The turn-off point is the Red Cedar Cafe.

Ownership of the Red Cedar Cafe has, since Rochín first visited there in 1969, changed several times. It is now known as the "Robin’s Nest," and remains a favorite eatery among many area residents. The restaurant turning point is the only visible reminder of the Heifetz Camps. There is currently only one state-licensed, migrant housing camp in Eaton County, where the Heifetz Camps were located.

The camp has 15, 20’x15" (or so) cabanas situated in a circular fashion. Each cabana has lighting with refrigerator, gas stove with two burners, and beds. The mattresses are all well-used and apparently dirty. None of the houses were well-cleaned before occupancy. Grease was on most panelings behind the stoves. A kitchen table and two benches provide the rest of the furnishings.

The camp grounds have some grass. There are clotheslines for family use and the water facilities are nearby. There are hoses, which serve as fire extinguishers, on both ends of camp. There is plenty of yard for recreation, which we will attempt to introduce.

Since 1978, Michigan has required the annual licensing and inspection of sites occupied by or housing migrant workers engaged in agricultural activities and food processing. The primary areas that are emphasized in this list of requirements include safe and adequate water supplies, structurally sound and equipped camp and shelter sites, fire safety, bathing and laundering facilities, and proper waste disposal. The State of Michigan has also provided grants in recent years to farmowners so they can construct and upgrade migrant housing.

After (the) informal introductions, we drove into Charlotte, 10 miles west of Eaton Rapids on M-50 to get some food stamps for the families in the camp.

Those going with us were the following:
1. Ramona Sanchez, with three dependents
2. Flora Martinez, with four dependents
3. Reyna Zeferino, with four dependents
4. Juan Guerrero, with 10 dependents
5. Arturo Aguilar, with six dependents
6. Ramon Guerrero, with six dependents
7. Antonio Aguilar, with four dependents
8. Jesus Gonzalez, with three dependents
9. Luis Torres, with six dependents

We were attended to by Mrs. Kade. She was very cooperative and took every family we presented with little questioning regarding last work and sources of income. She accepted the number of dependents without asking for birth certificates. Susie and I invited her to visit the camp with us and she was very willing to accompany us later.

Upon returning to camp we met a new arrival, Rafael Mendoza, with (his) wife and son. Since the banks were closed, we promised to take them in on Monday to purchase food stamps.

We should note that — out of the group we took for food stamps — only three could speak passable English. Two people had to sign with an "X."

We will try to teach them to spell their names.

6/29 Suzie and I drove to the camp Sunday noon to see if there were any more arrivals to take for food stamps; we soon found out there were none, except Mr. Mendoza.

The crew leader, organizer, and instructor, Frank Gonzalez, was at the camp with his wife and three or four children. Not knowing exactly who he was, I asked if he was Mr. Gonzalez and quickly explained that we were working with Mr. Patino. I’ll have to admit that our first encounter was uncertain for both of us. Mr. Gonzalez immediately stated that he knew our function and told us that we would have to be out of the camp by 8:00 every night.

Next, he asked if I was with Ruben Alfaro, a local unionizer. I assured him that I did not know the man and had no intentions of unionizing the workers. Mr. Gonzalez eventually calmed down and we sat around talking about agriculture with the workers there.

One very interesting thing discussed was "mechanization." Gonzalez felt that in a year or so, cucumbers (pickles) would be nearly 100% mechanized. Today, about one family (four people) can handle 10 acres of cucumbers at prime picking-time; machines could replace 250 pickers. Heifetz has something like 2,000 acres to pick and only needs farmworkers for 600 acres. The advent of mechanization in cucumbers is really something which promises to leave only a few jobs for those that can handle the machinery and their maintenance.

Training will be needed.

While Michigan cucumber production keeps the state ranked fourth nationally (state crop production values are estimated to be more than $2.1 billion annually), the Eaton Rapids area has witnessed a tremendous downturn since 1969. The local "pickle factory" closed its doors in the early 1990's -- displacing about 200 workers -- and a nearby turn-of-the-century warehouse is now used to store cucumbers harvested by area farmers.

6/30 I drove out alone to the camp to take Mr. Mendoza and his wife to get food stamps in Charlotte. I took a "frisbee" — or flying saucer —and left the men playing with the thing (Frank Gonzalez mentioned that he would buy a swing set for the children if we could find someone to install a heavy-duty one). The people want recreation. Their only main source of fun is driving around Eaton Rapids.

Eaton Rapids, the "Island City," is a small, "bedroom" community situated about 15 miles southwest of Lansing-- the state capital. The estimated population of Eaton Rapids in 1969 was about 4,500. Today-- according to the 2000 Census-- the city has a total population of about 5,330. Within a 10-mile radius of the city, however, there are an estimated 15,000 more people living there.

Michigan farmland has been sacrificed at a rapid pace to accommodate swelling suburban populations. With this trend, there are fewer family farms and even fewer migrant workers now than in 1969. State figures show nearly a 30% decline in family-owned farms from 1990 to 2000.

While state officials estimated nearly 47,000 migrant farmworkers in 1970, that number now ranges from 40,000 to 150,000 -- depending on the state agency providing the data. However, Michigan has embarked upon its first migrant and seasonal farmworker "enumeration," or census, project. The Migrant Services Division, part of Michigan's Family Independence Agency, expects initial results by 2007 with similar enumerations occurring annual or semi-annually from that point.

Again, we were met in Charlotte by Mrs. Kade, who continued to treat us very well. The Mendozas got their stamps and I took them back camp.

Charlotte is the County Seat of Eaton County. It is there that the county-level administrative offices of the state's social services programs are located.

In my discussion with the Mendozas, I found out that they joined the migrant stream three years ago. They learned of the pickle harvesting from a friend, who previously worked in Michigan fields. The situation in "the valley" of Texas seemed to force them to Michigan. A hurricane of a couple years back — Beulah — left them and others worse-off than ever.

Hurricane Beulah was one of the seven most severe hurricanes to affect the Texas middle coast during this century. Nearly 100 tornadoes were spurred by the 1967 hurricane with most of the storm damage resulting from the floods caused by the storm's extremely heavy rains. Rainfall totaled 10-20 inches over a widespread area of southern Texas and -- in some areas -- amounts reached nearly 30 inches.

In a way, the Mendozas looked forward to working in Michigan. They like the countryside and find the people who visit the camps to provide social services very friendly and helpful. Mrs. Mendoza said that there was no social welfare service of this kind in her part of Texas. Both were a bit apprehensive about the weather, but didn’t show any reluctance to express a willingness to find work here and settle. They will wait, though, at least a couple years until their son graduates from high school. Their aspirations for their children’s education is very great.

7/1 Suzie and I drove directly to the Eaton Rapids Community Hospital to inform them of our work, the presence of migrants in the area, and to ask them of their services. We met with Mrs. Steven who was very attentive and interested in our work. She is the Director of the business office and in charge of the paperwork we would have to deal with for emergency cases. She worked in the hospital the previous year and handled some medical cases of migrants. She made it clear that the hospital handled "emergency" cases, not stomach-aches, headaches, minor aches, and pains.

She said that the year before many of the migrant workers came into the hospital with their minor problems when they should have gone to the medical clinic. All in all, the hospital is primarily ready to handle emergency cases. Suzie and I left our names and telephone numbers, and Mr. Patino’s as well, with Mrs. Stevens so she could contact us if needed.

The Eaton Rapids Hospital, now known as the Eaton Rapids Medical Center, currently offers its patients complete laboratory, rehabilitation, and surgical facilities as well as "Urgent Care" or "Express Care" service to handle non-emergency, after-hours cases.

We met with Mrs. Fuller of the medical clinic and found her as receptive as Mrs. Stevens. The clinic is across the street from the hospital and has five doctors, each of whom shares the work in the hospital. We left the same type information with Mrs. Fuller as we did in the hospital.

Both the hospital and clinic require a form to be filled out for any treatment extended to a migrant. The forms are in the Social Services office in Charlotte and are a must for settling the problem of who pays. Last year, Frank Gonzalez, the contractor from Heifetz, was left with some bills because the forms were not filled out and signed by the migrant. Suzie and I told Steven and Fuller that we would handle the forms.

After these visits we went back to the camp.

Nearly all migrants were hoeing weeds in the field except for the Guerreros. Mrs. Gonzalez was also in the camp registering children, ages 1-13, for a summer school program to be held at the Union Street School under the guidance of Mrs. Dickinson. The program will bus children to school, feed them a light meal and provide a late snack, and give some schooling. Mrs. Gonzalez is visiting migrant camps in the vicinity including some run by her husband. She is, by the way, a Mexican from Guanajuato, Mexico, attractive, and polished.

Everything was fine in the camp as far as health went. We searched for the camp license, but couldn’t find it any place. This leads us to suspect the camp isn’t licensed — we’ll have to find this out later.

Suzie and I left a horseshoe game, primarily for entertainment, in camp for the males. We drove into Eaton Rapids and visited with the city clerk, Mr. Rule. He directed us to the Chamber of Commerce where we received a list of service organizations and members of the commerce. The Chamber is only open on Tuesday and Thursday from 9-noon. The Chamber President is a dentist — Dr. Zeller. His office is conveniently located next to the Chamber.

The Eaton Rapids Chamber of Commerce now has more than 50 local businesses, individuals, and organizations listed among its members. The Chamber's stated goals include: providing leadership in local business development; enhancing relationships with statewide organizations and the encouragement of strong partnerships between schools and businesses, promoting cooperation between organizations supporting community events; and establishing a citywide Volunteer Network (Ambassador's Club). Its mission is to "promote and advance the general welfare and prosperity of the Eaton Rapids area" so that its "citizens and... business, civic, cultural, educational, and farming community shall prosper." While the Chamber is more organized and structured than it was in 1969, it still only maintains office hours part-time.

Back to Lansing.

7/2 Suzie Holtz and I met with Mr. Patino in Cristo Rey Community Center. At noon we drove out to a small camp just north of Potterville on Davis Highway, just off of M-100. The camp is owned by Mr. Macleod who lives just up the dirt road. There are five houses, but only two are occupied. There is the Salas family with eight people living in the house. Next door lives Domingo Salas’ daughter and her husband, with another three or four inside.

The camp is licensed, apparently clean, and fairly-well furnished. But it’s difficult at this time to make any judgements. Mr. Salas and his son-in-law were working in the fields, so we spoke with the ladies. We arranged to pick them up on Monday, July 7, to purchase food stamps in Charlotte.

This evening we met with several doctors and nurses of the Lansing community in Dr. Hewitts’ home. The meeting was the first of a project to engage doctors in servicing migrants in their camps. Basically the set-up is still informal and runs as follows: the social workers — including me — will have two major functions to perform.

One is to find out the health records of families in the camps. We will make little index cards recording sicknesses, injections, operations, visits to the doctor, complaints, etc. We will, secondly, relay this information to doctors, who will team up with the social workers and nurses and visit the camps when able. At present, it appears that the doctors have not committed themselves whole-heartedly, and it will take some effort on our part to recruit them into visiting the camps.

The few nurses that attended the meetings appeared very enthusiastic. I think that as a first step, we will try to introduce the nurses to the camps, take them around so that their expert eyes can sense what’s wrong. Next we will influence them to encourage the doctors’ participation.

In the future, it would be highly advisable to engage as many people of the medical profession to make camp visits. To paraphrase Mr. Patino — "it’s not so much that the people need actual medical attention, but they need some attention." The people are greatly honored and humbled by the appearance of doctors and just their presence cures the mental ailments of many migrants. These migrants need to feel welcome in the community and a good place to start is with the well respected medical profession.

7/5 This Saturday was sure a wonderful experience. I went to the camp to visit and to primarily teach the men how to play horseshoes. I also took with me some clothing that neighbors had given me. I found that a good tactic is to tell the men that there are some things in the car for the ladies and themselves — to go see if they could use any of the clothing. The people — about 10 of them — went to the car and, without quarreling, went through the clothing and divided it all up. This used clothing can at least serve as work clothes. But I noticed that the women have few dresses. A recommended project for large camps would be sewing lessons on simple tent-type dresses. I’m sure the ladies would participate and benefit from the dresses made.

The men threw horseshoes for a few hours and loved the game. One guy even asked me to pick him up another game for his kids. During the game, I spoke mostly with Luis Torres and a couple new arrivals — Mr. Reyes and Mr. Tafolla.

They explained to me that people were working in the Brownsville area for $2 a day, that work conditions were very poor, and any work was hard to come by. They would work occasionally, but they gave me the impression that since there were few jobs, it seemed fruitless to seek work in Texas. Thus, they anxiously awaited their trip to Michigan.

7/7 The Mexican-American migrant has one peculiar attitude — he acts and thinks in terms of two types — for himself; he assumes a dual personality. At times, the migrant takes on the character of being a pure American or U.S. citizen. This is legally correct because most migrants were born in the U.S.

In this U.S.-type character, he mixes conversation with English and talks about this country. This I noted, in particular, when we discussed discrimination. At other times, especially when an Anglo is present, the migrant tends to put on a pure Mexican front. The language reverts to his best Spanish with little use of "pocho" or "Spanglish," as Anglos refer to the language. He may pretend not to understand English.

But oftentimes there is imbalance and dissonance, or conflict, in the role the migrant has to take on. To solve such conflict he relies on silence. Mannerisms are shy and humble. The "outsider" — whether Anglo or Mexican — has to clarify by his actions which attitude the migrant will presume. Once the "outsiders" appearance or image is understood, then the migrant assumes his particular role and acts accordingly. This observation leads me to suspect that, in general, relations with the Spanish-speaking migrants, the "outsider" must make it clear what his function is and whether he will be part of the Mexican character or part of the Anglo character. Whichever front predominates, will influence the "outsider-migrant" relationship.

This Monday was full of events.

In the morning I took the Tafollas to Charlotte to purchase food stamps. Mr. Tafolla is 32 and his wife is 30. They met in a migrant camp in the state of Washington and now have seven children, all under 11 years of age. Both Tafollas have been migrants all their lives; they have little education, but want their children to complete at least high school.

In 1965 they started coming to Michigan at the invitation of Frank Gonzalez. This year, they purchased a 1969 Dodge pick-up and are concerned about fulfilling the payments on the truck.

At noon I drove to Lansing and picked up Suzie. We went on to Potterville to pick up Mrs. Salas and her step-daughter, Mrs. Longoria. They went with us to Charlotte to get food stamps. This extended family is very alert and the children are especially sharp.

One of the Salas daughters — Francis — is an honor student and was passed on to the seventh grade in Potterville. The other kids do pretty well, too. One notable feature is that they like to speak English and have the best vocabulary so-far encountered. Ana Longoria and her husband — both 20 with four children — would like to stay here and get a good job. This is one family with excellent potential.

After we purchased the food stamps, I noticed that one of the little Salas girls — Rosi — who went with us was limping. I found out that she stepped on a nail a week ago, but had received a tetanus shot. We immediately went to the clinic in Charlotte.

We soon learned that the only time shots could be authorized were on Thursdays. So we went across the street to the emergency service of the hospital. We were treated nicely, but asked to drive 10 miles south to Bellevue to get the tetanus shot from — get this — Dr. Frankenstein. He was very cooperative and accepted our word that he would get the social welfare to take care of the $8 bill (something we did the next day).

The Charlotte Hospital, now called Haynes Green Beach, is about 14 miles west of Eaton Rapids. The cost of a typical office visit in the Charlotte-Eaton Rapids area is currently $65-$85 for new patients. The cost of a tetanus shot from a private physician is $50; the Eaton County Health Department offers Tetanus shots to underage residents for $10. There are still no specific provisions for the inoculation of migrant or seasonal workers, according to an Eaton Health Department spokesperson.

The Salas and Longoria families seemed pleased and especially happy about the stamps. We promised a visit the next day to do the small paper-work for the emergency treatment. We also got some information on free vaccinations from the clinic and will make an effort to have the kids immunized.

One interesting story was told to us by Ana. She related that her step-mother came from a very poor family that still lives in a hut, with a camp fire for a stove, near the Mexican border on the U.S. side. Get this, Ana said that these relatives were so poor that even their father sent money to help. This is a remarkable case of charity coming from people who themselves live on as little as $2,800 per year. If everyone expressed such willingness to contribute to the feeding and care of others, just think of how much better-off we would all be. But, such is life and rare is the moment when the spirit of thanksgiving hits us with such generosity as witnessed among the poor themselves.

Virtually all of a record $16.6 billion dollars sent back to Mexico in 2004 was from workers within the U.S. This is a 24% increase over the previous year, according to the Bank of Mexico. Remittances today are considered the second largest (money-generating) industry in Mexico, surpassing tourism but lagging behind petroleum. About 20% of Mexicans report receiving money this way.

7/8 I am more an more convinced that the cause of poverty amongst Mexican-American migrants is basically a lack of opportunity from the time of birth. Theirs in not a problem of "culture boundaries." Nor is the problem essentially or fundamentally one of poor health.

There are too many cases that prove that Mexican-American migrants are not "culturally bound." Take, for example, the Reyna family.

As Domingo Reyna tells it, his father died leaving five little ones in the care of Domingo’s mother. Domingo and his sister, Guadalupe Tafolla, — being the oldest — worked with their mother in fields since there were no other jobs available to raise the other children. Domingo and his sister proudly show the pictures of a brother in the Navy with a high school education, a sister who completed college and now teaches, and a younger brother who is in high school and was recently voted most popular student among his peers. Theirs is just one case, but there are others.

If just a little more opportunity — in the way of work with good pay — had been available, I’m sure Domingo Reyna and his sister would not be working the fields.

As it is, they have assumed a responsibility to care, in any way possible, for the others of the family and feel honored by the performance of their family.

Suzie and I spent the morning talking with this wonderful family of the Tafollas and Domingo. We learned that Mr. Tafolla is very concerned about making payments of a new Dodge pick-up. The reason they bought a new truck was for the warranty that came with the truck. This concern has made Mr. Tafolla consider staying in Michigan. He is interested in steady employment that pays well. However, he gives the impression of feeling that there is no other job for him.

His biggest fright seems to be his illiteracy. He can barely write his name. But, he’s been all over the states and wouldn’t be afraid to try a winter in Michigan if the opportunity is perceived by him to be readily available.

In 1999, 85% of non-Hispanic adults -- but less than 57% of Hispanic adults -- graduated from high school, according to the National Institute for Literacy.

In 2000, median earnings of workers age 25 with:

  • master’s degree were $55,300;
  • bachelor’s degree were $46,300;
  • associate degree were $35,400;
  • some college, no degree were $32,400;
  • high school diploma were $28,800; and
  • some high school, but no diploma were $21,400.

The 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey reported that, with the exception of persons without a high school diploma or GED, annual earnings rose continuously across the literacy levels. The mean annual earnings of the employed population with 9-12 years of education were $12,420 (at prose literacy Level 1) and $8,580 (at Level 4).

For migrant farmworkers, however, things still look dismal. When combined with low educational attainment and limited employment opportunities, the average Agricultural worker's earnings decreased between 1989 and 1998 as their hourly earnings fell (in real terms and in 1998 dollars) from $6.89 to $6.18. Today that rate is about $5.94. Some are paid hourly, others earn a piece rate where a set amount is paid for each filled container.

According to the USDA's 1998 National Agricultural Statistics Survey (NASS) the piece-rate wage increased by 5.7%, but in real terms the average annual hourly piece-rate wage lost nearly 14% of its value. Half of all farmworkers still earn less than $7,500 annually and half of all farmworker families earn less than $10,000 annually, far below the 2002 U.S. poverty level of $18,100 for a family of four.

I can’t believe that these people are not in poor health; nearly every migrant I have talked to has mentioned passing a few days without food. In one case, Mr. Tafolla told me of begging for food amongst Blacks in the state of Washington. He said they were very generous and gave them a great boost of attention since they were working. Tafolla isn’t afraid to work and will seek out jobs first before asking for alms to feed his family.

7/9 The Mexican-American migrant is very proud and humble in his actions. Some of this pride even works against him to an extent. I know that Mr. Salas would not go for food stamps without the minimal payment involved. Little could be given to him and others for free.

But, the Mexican-American migrant also seeks self-respect that needs to be recognized and honored. They make it clear that they work for their earnings. The simple and used clothing that is given to them is taken as "work clothes" — at least they say it is. And when something is received by them, the donor receives, in turn, a warm thank you and welcome.

An aspect of this respect that they deserve was indicated to us today when Suzie and I visited with Mrs. Guerrero and her daughter-in-law.

The day before, we noticed that their children didn’t board the bus for the first day of summer school with the rest of the kids. The reason… the lady who registered the kids said she would tell the parents a day in advance of the bus’ arrival. Well, the lady didn’t carry out her advance notice and when the bus came, the Guerreros refused to send their children. Last night the registrar came out to see what was wrong and her visit provided the fulfillment of her original promise. Today, Mrs. Guerrero’s kids were on the bus and in school for the day. Mrs. Guerrero explained that, without the advance warning, she had no time to clean her kids and give them an adequate meal before they left.

State and National Literacy Coalitions cont