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. e s g i r r a f e e y r x e i know my h s t r n o i f d t o u o b f , , o w w o t d r n i o w y c a y d I m a e r d i o s f t ou ot n a w o r g s r owe m t e l t ’ d n n a ca I o s d n A . d e l h l s u i f n e u t h p t u t a abo k o g o n l i e o b t f e o v a r h a e f I . t l u m l o ’ e h h I t i , o w t d o n g G o n i i y n o g m , s i h O g n . i p h u t c y r l e l v u e f , t d . o a y h G r t t y e n r u a o M h c s s i o ink h t t e s v i a h n o I h , g u w o o n n e k d u r o a o h t d t e k r r a o e w nd then, y h t o e n h e t v a f h o I s e r s e u a t c t i e e a n h o t m e , f h o k t n s i s d h e t l an d f r l e a s g y e r m , e e l r a p o t e a p h t r e h h d t o o w o o g t n n k g a n t w ’ n thi I a c . a y c e i h r e t m t u A b , n i y r s o a t s w d y o m T . w s o r n a e k y because I e l x i p s o e r o P f . e t g u e b l i , o v i r w t p r t o n a i h y t a d o d e o v f a a , r h o w f o d t n o i n w e y g a m t s e o d i h s t d u l e o h g g n n i i e w b o r f g o – to be s r r a e e f w o t t u r fl o h l a t u i e f i w t h u n a o e i b n i ur h p t o o i g y n w y i n o a r g t here o s i u f o g b n a i lk h k t l a y a r t e W v n e aar, sugar , c d o I G d y n a g u S , M o k t n i e h v erator t a h f l e I s Citizen Klein you know, y m t e l t ’ n , a c n e h I t o s d t n o n A e . And v p a u h c l I l e u s f u e a h c t e t n a o e k h o t o l d o n t a e , 6 m 8 have o t m ’ e I m a , c d o t a G h y t m d , o o h g O . g n p i u h c t y l r l fu try. Eve • february 2011
•
ts Diabetes, desserium ed and a happy m
ke tro s und h A f esearc H eA tr p thd hear l e H an
ARIZONA EDITION
ann Klein’s Gerda Weissm rica love of Ame
take life with you ¡Y con mucho amor! Introducing the GALAXY Tab™, Samsung’s pocketable 7” Internet and entertainment device. 6alVnh"dc >ciZgcZi >ciZgVXi^kZ <EH CVk^\Vi^dc Z"gZVY^c\ VcY dc"i]Z"\d bdk^Zh ;gdci VcY gZVg [VX^c\ XVbZgV [dg k^YZd X]Vi 6YdWZ ;aVh] EaVnZg &%#& [dg hZVbaZhh lZW Wgdlh^c\! \Vb^c\ VcY k^YZd k^Zl^c\ Samsung GALAXY Tab™
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Journal of the American Latino Dream
Volume 7
20
{February 2011}
Issue 6
Love for citizenship
Gerda Weissmann Klein, the next recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, sets a great example for the human race
45
Oh, honey, honey
Diabetes, desserts and a happy medium. Have your cake and eat it, too, with sweet substitutes
42 7 8
From the editor
Matters del corazon carry a whole new meaning during the month of February
¿Será posible?
Mark Twain’s classic gets put through the politically correct wringer. We welcome Robrt Pela and his take on the topic
12 LP journal One coalition begets ten more. But more coalitions do not beget more power
14 Vibe Xico rocks; Sette turns 25; A’fair on Sundays;
The Brazilian Hour; immortal Henrietta Lacks
19 Rincón del arte Painter/collagist Fausto Fernandez
25 Movin’ up Calleros receives Spirit of Excellence Award;
Tovar honored by JAG; Aranda and Hidalgo join HCF; Espiricueta is new prez at Friendly House
29 Entrepreneur Mario and Lilia Jimenez, owners of Complete
Paint and Body CARSTAR Collision Car Center, are keeping it in the family
31 35
39 Those who serve
Angel Carbajal, Tempe’s assistant chief of police, loves his work
41 Education math is making a comeback – though it Mental never went away. The resurgence of the abacus 54 Time out
Champion fencer Natalie Vie has her eye on the next Olympic Games
Briefcase
OSHA gets a bad rap, yet the organization keeps employers responsible and employees safe
Career
So, are you an alpha type who likes to be in charge? Or a worker bee who thrives on helping? Matching career choice to personality type
57
P.S.
V-Day in Juárez
58 My perspective
Ruben Gallego on respectful rhetoric
wants to party with Julian Schnabel
Coming in March:
arizona trailblazers www.latinopm.com
¡ February 2011!
Latino Perspectives Magazine
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Full Page AD
¡! from the executive editor
February 2011 Publisher/CEO Ricardo Torres Executive Editor/COO Cecilia Rosales, Ph.D. Editor Rosa Cays Art Director Charles Sanderson Contributing Writers Catherine Anaya, Erica Cardenas, Dan Cortez, Ruben Gallego, Jonathan J. Higuera, Sam Naser, Robrt L. Pela, Stella Pope Duarte, Georgann Yara Director of Sales and Marketing Carlos Jose Cuervo Advertising Account Executives: Grace Alvarez and Barry Farber Executive Assistant to CEO & COO Olivia Rojas Special Events Nicholas Fierro Webmaster Jorge Quintero
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Subscriptions For home or office delivery, please send your name, address, phone number, and a check for $24 to Latino Perspectives Magazine at the address above. Subscriptions also available for credit-card purchase by calling 602-277-0130. Visit www.latinopm.com/digital for a free digital subscription. Latino Perspectives Magazine is published 12 times a year and is selectively distributed throughout Arizona. The entire contents of this publication are copyrighted by Latino Perspectives Media, LLC, all rights reserved, and may not be reproduced in any manner, in whole or in part, without written permission from the publisher.
Matters of el corazón By Cecilia Rosales, Ph.D.
I must have been 5 years old when I realized the human heart didn’t
look anything like the bright red, “heart-shaped” Valentine’s candy grams, stickers and construction paper cutouts. To say I was surprised is an understatement. I was dumbfounded. By then I had blown the tooth fairy’s cover and, because of that, I obviously thought of myself as a grownup. But this was different. As I stared and stared at a picture of an actual heart in a plastic-covered tome of The Human Body of the LIFE encyclopedia, I muttered, “This is yucky.” How that ugly piece of flesh equated love was a complete mystery to me. Childhood is full of magic moments like that one. Now I’m awed by the physiological and metaphorical complexities of the human heart, and this I know for sure: It is beautiful and amazing. Capable of incredible feats. Valley resident, author and philanthropist Gerda Weissmann Klein knows a lot about that. She hasn’t let her experience as a Holocaust survivor highjack her heart. In “Citizen Klein,” Robrt Pela presents a glimpse into Gerda’s life and the remarkable work she has done in our community. We thank Gerda and her granddaughter Alysa Ullman for sharing with Latino Perspectives their current projects and plans for the future. We are happy to announce Robrt Pela is joining LPM as a regular contributor. ¡Bienvenido! February is also American Heart Month. Join us and support the American Heart Association Phoenix Start! Heart Walk to raise funds for cardiovascular disease. Each year, heart disease and strokes claim the lives of 27 percent of the more than 133,000 Latinos who die each year. Izzy Gonzalez is among the lucky ones. During a routine checkup, his doctor discovered five blocked arteries. He underwent quintuple bypass surgery and now is on a mission to help spread the word: “Get checked, get healthy, start now.” Read his story in the special supplement from the American Heart Association. If you receive a Valentine gram, even if it’s the cheesy kind, remind yourself of the truly amazing powers of the heart. Feliz día de San Valentín.
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¡ February 2011!
Latino Perspectives Magazine
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¡! ¿Será posible?
What the Huck? By Robrt L. Pela
While we’re all wringing our hands
over the proposed demolition of the 14th Amendment, one sneaky professor has been busy giving the finger to the First Amendment. Alan Gribben, a professor of English at Auburn University in Montgomery, Alabama, has removed the word nigger from Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn in a new edition of the classic just published by NewSouth Books. Gribben contends that the offensive word, which appears upwards of 200 times in Finn’s text, is the reason the book has fallen off high school and junior college reading lists over the past decade. He swears his expurgation is not censorship so much as “an update” that will help return the book to students’ hands. Gribben has excised an especially dreadful epithet, to be sure, but in context – as a common racial slur of the antebellum South, in a novel depicting small-minded townfolk of another era – the word stands today as a reminder of the less-compassionate attitudes of a bygone age. Gribben’s contention that changing Twain’s intention in Huckleberry Finn will restore the book to its proper place in halls of higher learning is nearly as offensive as the N-word itself. The notion that art (and Twain’s best-known writing is inarguably art) should only ever reflect contemporary, liberal standards is naïve and, frankly, dangerous. Literature’s power is its ability to deliver us to another time, lovely or ugly, and to experience how far we’ve come in our ability to embrace diversity. Shall we revise Miguel de Cervantes’ Don
Your thoughts? Tell us what you think. Send your thoughts to editor@latinopm.com 8
Latino Perspectives Magazine
¡ February 2011!
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Quijote de la Mancha – full of references to its title character as “unwise” and “addlepated” – so that it instead employs more current labels like “differently abled” and “learning disabled”? Should we excise the rape of Aldonza from its musical adaptation, Man of La Mancha, for fear that all Latinos will be mistaken for sex offenders? The Bible has been repeatedly and rather famously edited over centuries, its references to whores and cuckolds sublimated or removed. But what about The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, with its many euphemisms for genitalia and its shocking inclusion of the childish pejorative “beaner”? Shall we wax Frida Kahlo’s uni-brow in all future prints made from the artist’s self-portraits? How about we remove all references to incest in Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude? And who says literature should only ever be inoffensive? The shock in seeing
Latino Perspectives welcomes feedback from readers regarding published stories or topics of interest. Please include your name and phone number. Mail letters to Editor, Latino Perspectives, 3877 N. 7th St., Ste. 200, Phoenix, AZ 85014. Or, e-mail letters to editor@latinopm.com.
horrible racial slurs on the page of a literary classic delivers a message to schoolchildren who need to see that America has evolved into a kinder, more forward-thinking nation. Banning or changing books deprives them of exposure to classic literature and shields them from considering the complexities of race relations. Huckleberry Finn is an indictment of slavery that simply isn’t as powerful when horrible words like nigger are expurgated. Pretending these awful words never existed is no favor to readers of any age. In its newly revised edition, which substitutes the word slave for the perfectly terrible word nigger, Huckleberry Finn will be returned to students not only stripped of its historically accurate vernacular, but with an ethical blunder, besides. By turning the book’s dignified Nigger Jim into “Slave Jim,” Gribben returns him to the very thing Jim is running from: his own slavery. Jim travels with Huck as a newly free man, and his wonderment at all he sees is at the heart of Twain’s story. Huck’s own transformation involves learning to see Jim as his equal, a revelation that’s nonsensical when Jim remains, at least in name, a “slave.” This expunged version of a modern classic is more than a celebrated piece of art that’s been defiled by a naïf. It’s a testament to our own uneasiness with the imperative issue of race relations. In our always-changing world, it’s critical that we acknowledge how far we’ve come, and how dreadful our forebears have been. Pretending that offensive language and racial prejudice never existed is nothing more than proof that we still have miles to go.
Editorial mission statement Latino Perspectives creates community, cultivates cultural pride and provokes, challenges and connects Latinos who are defining, pursuing, and achieving the American Latino Dream.
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Conversation starters from the world around us
14 Vibe
A’fair, anniversary and Xico auction
15
Lola
She’s none too pleased with former ESPN announcer Ron Franklin
19 Rincón del arte
Fausto Fernandez crosses the line with mixed media
i say... I’m sorry more members of the foreign press aren’t with us tonight, but many were deported right before the show, along with most of the waiters and Javier Bardem. —Robert De Niro in his acceptance speech at the Golden Globe Awards
image courtesy of lisa sette gallery
When everyone is carrying a firearm, nobody is going to be a victim … The socialists of today are only one gun confiscation away from being the communists of tomorrow.
page
14
Claudio Dicochea’s Y de la Jacqueline y el César, la Gloria (of Jacqueline and César, G-L-O-R-I-A), acrylic, graphite, charcoal, transfer, wood, 2010.
—State Rep. Jack Harper, R-Surprise
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¡ February 2011!
Latino Perspectives Magazine
11
¡!¡!
LP journal
Same difference: The chief executives share their formulas for building the future in the State of the Union and Brewer’s “Four Cornerstones of Reform” – and they sound a lot like the new math.
We are super-duper. The future = la loteria
Education > the jackpot
Brewer: I see Arizona reclaim- Obama: We know what it
Brewer: And, you can’t have
Obama: Maintaining our
ing its historic position as a national leader in population and job growth, and economic energy over the next four years. I intend to devote my last – and best – years of public service to ensuring Arizona is at the top of those states with a limited public sector, a restrained regulatory state and a vibrant private sector!
quality job creation without our second cornerstone of reform – education reform. The underlying philosophy of our education reform plan is really quite simple: A future where all Arizona students are prepared to succeed in college and careers and lead this state in the next 100 years and beyond.
leadership in research and technology is crucial to America’s success. But if we want to win the future – if we want innovation to produce jobs in America and not overseas – then we also have to win the race to educate our kids.
takes to compete for the jobs and industries of our time. We need to out-innovate, outeducate, and out-build the rest of the world. We have to make America the best place on Earth to do business. We need to take responsibility for our deficit and reform our government. That’s how our people will prosper. That’s how we’ll win the future.
The executive +pen = veto power
Conviction + rhetoric = will power
Brewer: To be at the top of the Obama: In the coming year,
Brewer: Finally, let me be as
Obama: What I’m not willing
pro-growth, pro-privatesector group of states, Arizona needs a 21st-century state government. ... The constitution should be amended to allow the governor to reduce existing expenditures to balance the budget during a fiscal emergency and to reduce expenditures through the current line-item veto authority.
clear as I can be: I will never sign a budget that cuts money to Arizona schoolchildren to fund the federal Medicaid mandates. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever!
to do, what I’m not willing to do, is go back to the days when insurance companies could deny someone coverage because of a preexisting condition. new
12
Latino Perspectives Magazine
¡ February 2011!
we’ll also work to rebuild people’s faith in the institution of government. … And because the American people deserve to know that special interests aren’t larding up legislation with pet projects, both parties in Congress should know this: If a bill comes to my desk with earmarks inside, I will veto it.
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math. on building the future
¡!
LP journal Accountability – bluff = reform
High expectations
Brewer: If we ever hope to have
Obama: Of course, the
Brewer: Children can learn
Obama: When a child walks
resources follow success – and to reward schools and colleges for graduating students instead of just enrolling them, we must have a new student data system – and we must have it now. For that reason, my proposed budget will include a plan to fund this system and oversee its development. To make sure we are staying on track, I’ve announced an overhaul of the existing P-20 Education Council. The Council has served our state well as a coordinating body among our various education systems. But, the new council will be dedicated to driving results under the new plan while respecting local control. As they say in business, “What gets measured – gets done.”
education race doesn’t end with a high school diploma. To compete, higher education must be within the reach of every American. That’s why we’ve ended the unwarranted taxpayer subsidies that went to banks, and used the savings to make college affordable for millions of students. And this year, I ask Congress to go further, and make permanent our tuition tax credit – worth $10,000 for four years of college. It’s the right thing to do. Because people need to be able to train for new jobs and careers in today’s fastchanging economy, we’re also revitalizing America’s community colleges.
if we expect them to – and – I can tell you this – we expect them to learn in Arizona! Arizona’s new education plan, has yearly benchmarks that will put us on the path to achieve specific goals by 2020, including: improving our high school graduation rate to 93 percent, from a starting point of 75 percent; enabling at least 94 percent of third graders to meet state reading standards, in contrast to our baseline of just 69 percent; and doubling the number of college students who complete their studies and receive a four-year degree.
into a classroom, it should be a place of high expectations and high performance. But too many schools don’t meet this test. That’s why instead of just pouring money into a system that’s not working, we launched a competition called Race to the Top. To all 50 states, we said, “If you show us the most innovative plans to improve teacher quality and student achievement, we’ll show you the money.” ... We will reach the goal that I set two years ago: By the end of the decade, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.
+
innovation = graduates
Business friendliness + tax reform = $$$
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– in innovation, education, and infrastructure – will make America a better place to do business and create jobs. But to help our companies compete, we also have to knock down barriers that stand in the way of their success. ... So tonight, I’m asking Democrats and Republicans to simplify the system. Get rid of the loopholes. Level the playing field. And use the savings to lower the corporate tax rate for the first time in 25 years – without adding to our deficit.
at
Obama: All these investments
zone tax incentive program is outdated and should be replaced with a statewide program of tax incentives that reward companies for creating high-quality jobs. Finally, we need to phase in reforms to our tax structure that will attract businesses from outside Arizona and encourage business creation and expansion. ... Tax reform should include: reducing the corporate income tax rate to a regional average just below 5 percent; reducing the business personal property tax, which discourages capital investment …
St
Brewer: Arizona’s enterprise
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This is our generation’s Sputnik moment, really? Ay, ay, ay!
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¡ February 2011!
Latino Perspectives Magazine
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¡!
vibe
A date – an A’Fair Gorgeous weather, luscious scenery and great music
are reasons enough to partake in the Sunday A’Fair concerts presented by the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. Add gratis to the equation (including admission to SMoCA) and the deal becomes irresistible. Where else can you take your novio, abuelita, kids or sobrinos to enjoy fantastic live music and dance with zero dinero? Bring your picnic basket, lawn chairs or blankets for the grass; food and drinks available for purchase, hands-on activities for kids free. Sundays, noon to 4 p.m., with two different acts each A’Fair. Feb. 13: The Samba Project; Flamenco de Leóon. Feb. 20: Kenny Love and the Rock-er-Fellas; Chuck Hall Band; Feb. 27: Anamieke Quinn Trio; Mark Zubia and Los Guys. Relax, enjoy your A’Fair, repeat! More info at www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org.
Detail of Illegal Alien’s Guide to Climate Science, by Enrique Chagoya, acrylic and waterbased oil on Amate paper, 2010.
Lisa Sette turns 25 A quarter of a century of doing the same thing sounds so …
¿aburrido? Not if it’s dealing in art, which is exactly what Lisa Sette Gallery has been doing. And in today’s local art market, 25 years in business calls for jubilation. The gallery’s owner and namesake started the business when she was in her mid-20s and she’s still at it, traveling the globe looking for stimulating and moving works of art. See for yourself. The 25-Year Anniversary Exhibition runs March 3 through April 2, with works by Claudio Dicochea, Enrique Chagoya, Jessica Joslin, Mayme Kratz, among others. Lisa Sette Galley is located at 4142 N. Marshall Way in Scottsdale. Liliana de León
Xico rocks Get ready to rock ‘n’ roll and bid on some muy bueno works of
art at Xico Inc.’s Annual Dinner and Art Auction. Now in its 23rd year, the event attracts many art collectors and supporters of the multidisciplinary nonprofit organization. Proceeds from the silent and live auctions and ticket sales support Xico’s educational and programmatic offerings. If el arte is not your thing, the after party, in and of itself, is lotsa fun. Tickets are $95 per person; attire is business casual or, in following with the event’s theme, ready to rock and roll!
Dónde: Cuándo: A qué hora: Por qué:
Wyndham Hotel in downtown Phoenix February 25, 2011 6 p.m. Because it’s fun and proceeds support a great organization.
Visit www.xicoinc.org to learn more or call Xico at 480-833-5875.
14
Latino Perspectives Magazine
¡ February 2011!
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images courtesy of: scottsdale center for the performing arts; lisa sette gallery; estudio ray
Get more Vibe at www.latinopm.com
Vibe
¡!
Lola's Voicemail: Listen to me, sweet baby ¿Aló? Señor George Solomon?
A Hora Brasileira If you took Portuguese in college,
or if you simply have a penchant for good music, you’ll enjoy The Brazilian Hour. We admit that visiting a website to listen to music sounds a bit retro – in this era of shuffles and fave play lists on smartphones, iPods, and iPads, but this show is worth the trouble. The Brazilian Hour is a radio show produced in Portuguese, French, Spanish and English, and made possible by the Ministry of Foreign Relations of Brazil. Its aim is to foster a better understanding of the rich culture and music of the South American country. The show dates back to 1978, when it was created by the Cultural Sector of Brazil in Los Angeles. National and international satellite distribution began in 1981. Today, the program is available on various radio stations around the country, but not in Arizona (surprise!). It is available at www.brazilianhour.org. The Brazilian Hour is written and produced by Sergio Mielniczenko of the Brazilian Consulate General in Los Angeles. ‘brigado!
Greetings from Arizona. I’m contacting you today in your role as ombudsman for ESPN and, because you’ve previously denounced demeaning, sexist behavior in the workplace. I’m sure you’ve received a slew of complaints and accolades after the highly publicized firing of ESPN announcer Ron Franklin. This call is in reference to the same matter, basically to say bravo to ESPN for swiftly dealing with Franklin’s inappropriate, unethical and rude behavior. When I first read the headline, which basically said he was fired for calling a female reporter “sweet baby,” I immediately thought of my viejo, who calls younger women in the office “mija,” shortened vernacular for “mi hija,” Spanish for “my daughter.” I was thinking this would be a learning moment for him. But then I read more about the conversation and was appalled to learn that the woman in question was sideline reporter Jeannine Edwards; that the incident took place at a meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, prior to the Chick-fil-A Bowl (ironically enough), and that at the meeting, Edwards was talking to ESPN announcer Rod Gilmore about his wife Marie Gilmore, who was recently elected as mayor of Alameda, California. (Ha, more irony: Mayor Gilmore was the first black woman to serve on the Alameda City Council) AND … that when Ron Franklin joined the conversation, he told Edwards, “Listen to me sweet baby, let me tell you something …” I thought that was bad enough, but ay, dios mío. When Edwards objected to his tone and word choice, Franklin allegedly responded, “OK, then listen to me, a—hole.” Is this how you understand the incident? I called Edwards to no avail. And now Franklin is suing ESPN for wrongful termination. If so, please, please
promise to share with the big honchos of the Disney-owned enterprise that Lola from Arizona and women from around the world are watching. I’m sure Mr. Sexist will come up with an explanation as to why he demeaned Jeannine Edwards. Perhaps he’ll feign ignorance or come up with excuses for his use of sexist language in the past as well. It’s one thing to call someone you love “sweet baby” in a genuinely endearing way, or an a—hole an a—hole, and a totally different thing for a chauvinist to call a female colleague “sweet baby” in a condescending tone AND then an “a—hole” for objecting to being treated like a piece of meat. Some men claim to be “involuntarily sexist,” but I don’t buy it. As they say, ignorance of the law doesn’t make one any less guilty, no? You see, my hubby thinks of “mija” as a term of endearment, despite the fact that I’ve told him muchas veces that it’s inappropriate and demeaning to use the term in the workplace and, mind you, especially with women with whom he’s not related. I have yet to meet anyone who wants her boss to call her “my daughter.” C-r-e-e-p-y. In an effort to accommodate me, he’ll sometimes use “sweetie” instead. Not good. Are you following me? But while my viejo has some work to do in dealing with his deeply, culturally rooted and internalized sexist language, Ron Franklin’s remarks are beyond sexist, and as a media professional, he’s totally out of line. His words were stupid, for sure, but also evidence of the pervasive objectification and sexualization of women, particularly women in the workplace. Not to mention women in sports. So, thank you, Mr. Solomon, for listening. We have bigger pescados to fry right now here in Arizona, but please know we care. And we’re watching.
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¡ February 2011!
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¡!
Pocho keen
Vibe
Like peachy keen, pero different What are words for?
and used, without your knowledge, in laboratory experiments related to cloning, in-vitro fertilization or even the development of the polio vaccine. This really happened to Henrietta Lacks, a poor tobacco farmer from Virginia. Rebecca Skloot’s book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, tells her tale, which began in 1951 after Lacks developed cancer, and doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital took a tissue sample without her consent. “HeLa” cells, as they were dubbed, were harvested, establishing an immortal cell line and setting an important precedent in the biotech industry. HeLa cells were the first biological materials ever bought – and sold – for medical research. In honor of Black History Month, we say bravo to Skloot and Crown Publishing for acknowledging the role of Henrietta Lacks in the history of medicine. Skloot contends that if all HeLa cells ever grown were piled onto a scale, they would weigh more than 50 million metric tons — more than one hundred Empire State Buildings. 16
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¡ February 2011!
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Imagine if your cells were cultured
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Immortal cells
Why is it that the only songs that ever get stuck in my head are always from the ‘80s? “We Built This City” by Jefferson Starship can drive me mad for hours. How about the quirky (heck, they’re all quirky – it was a quirky decade) Missing Persons hit, “Words”? Do you hear me? Do you care? Yes, I do. I just wish I could stop playing air synthesizer! The band’s singer Dale Bozzio laments that her words fall on deaf ears, but words in general don’t – at least not on infant ears. Findings from a recent study claim that talking to your niños is crucial to their academic success. Researchers discovered that it’s not just the quality of words being spoken to babies that is instrumental in their vocabulary development, but the sheer quantity. So, put away your Mozart and Baby Einstein CDs and start platicando. I was excited to hear this because … well, I like to talk a lot. I just haven’t felt comfortable blabbering to my 7-month-old until now. The researchers recorded and counted the words spoken to children of working professionals and those whose families were on welfare, and found that children of professional parents heard 2100 words in an hour while those in welfare homes only heard 600 words in the same time period. By the time the children reached the
age of 4, the poorer kids had heard only 13 million words compared to 48 million words by the richer kids. This, of course, isn’t the only test to determine what a child’s academic achievements will be, but it seems to be a rather simple way to raise the bar of possibility. I used to laugh under my breath when I overheard seemingly affluent parents talking to their infant as if the baby understood what they were talking about. Mommy: “Now, Taylor, we talked about how that isn’t necessarily the best behavior for you to be exhibiting.” Taylor: “Bah-bah!” In the future, I’ll still chuckle at the content but applaud the word count. So what if Taylor doesn’t know a single word Mommy’s saying? Hmm ... now that I think about it, my own version of baby talk might have a few strangers laughing at me. My wife recently pointed out that grammatically stunted “boo-gee bahbah” and “goo-bee joo-bee” combinations followed by “Look at Mama!” might actually cause our son to repeat a grade down the road. (She didn’t even know about the study.) Since then, I’ve started to have somewhat awkward, one-way conversations with my little tyke. But even when I feel like Dale Bozzio singing “Words,” I keep at it. He does hear me – and by golly, he does care – so I press on even when he stares at me as if I were the adult voice in a Charlie Brown special. My wife said it’s actually helped my conversation skills. Indeed.
Vibe Happenings at Phoenix Art Museum
¡!
Anaya says
Happy Humility Day Photo courtesy of phoenix art museum
By Catherine Anaya
Givenchy evening dress, coat and purse, 1960s. Silk brocade. Gift of Vernon Taylor Jr. and family.
Fashion Independent Fashionistas and Ann Taylor fans
will rejoice with the February 27 opening of Fashion Independent: The Original Style of Ann Bonfoey Taylor, an exhibit featuring the wardrobe of the American fashion icon that includes pieces by legendary designers like Givenchy, Balenciaga and Madame Grès, as well as a wide range of Charles James apparel from the 1940s and ‘50s. Contextualizing the couture on display are large-scale photographs of Taylor by noted fashion photographer Toni Frissell and a short documentary by awardwinning filmmaker David Boatman. Dennita Sewell, the museum’s curator of fashion design, puts it succinctly: “In today’s climate of rapidly changing fashion trends and runway spectacles, Taylor’s achievement of a timeless, original style with classic elegance makes her a true visionary.” The exhibit runs through May 29 and is presented in Steele Gallery. Admission to the exhibition is included in general museum admission. Visit www.phxart.org for more information.
With love and valentines in the
air this month, I was tempted to write a flowery essay on love, but decided to ditch the cliché for a subject I’ve been grappling with lately: humility. If you look up the word humility in the dictionary, you’ll find it defined as “modesty; a low view of one’s own importance.” That struck me as odd, because I’ve often considered people with a sense of humility as the complete opposite: strong folks who are secure enough with themselves that they are unafraid to admit to and apologize for their mistakes; to accept constructive criticism without arrogance; and to willingly delve deep enough to figure out how to learn from a setback and move forward. I’m a person of deep pride – and swallowing it isn’t simple. I’ve hurt and have been hurt and can sometimes give off an air of overconfidence or selfimportance. Couple that with a highprofile career, and it’s hard to convince anyone that I’m a woman of insecurities with a constant fear of failure. Those emotions only seem to heighten when I’m handed something I truly care about, and in some cases, have actually produced the opposite result of what I had intended. In other words, my fear of losing something has at times produced actions that end up sabotaging the very thing I was trying so hard to maintain. That’s where humility comes in. I recently made a horrible mistake
that hurt someone near and dear to me. I’m harder on myself than anyone, so forgiving myself will take a very long time – if I’m able to do it at all. But I do believe I’m worthy of forgiveness from others when I’m able to face my failure with humility. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Humility shouldn’t be about feeling less than human. Humility should be about bravely admitting you are human, capable of error and even more capable of accepting the consequences that follow, however difficult they may be. I came across an article adapted from a book about how humility can actually become a source of strength, with suggestions about how to actually practice the art of humility: 1. Try at times to just stop talking and let the other person take the limelight (I talk for a living so I expect this will take some getting used to). 2. Try speaking the words, “You are right.” 3. Humbly ask others, “How am I doing?” and then humbly consider the answer. As of this writing, I’ve yet to learn if my humility will repair any of the damage my actions have caused. But like with so many other painful experiences I’ve endured, I’ve learned something invaluable about myself and what improvements I can make.
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¡!
Crossing lines Fausto Fernandez, painter/collagist
Fausto Fernandez was born in El Paso, Texas,
on September 25, 1975 and raised in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico. With dual citizenship and family in both countries, Fausto was able to move easily between the two throughout his childhood. He spent 25 years as a resident of Mexico and received his education through high school in Juárez, then crossed the border on a regular basis to study at the University of Texas in El Paso, where he received a BFA in graphic design and a BFA in painting. He moved to Arizona in 2002.
Irwin’s thought process, Matisse’s Blue Nude II, and local artist El Mac is doing some incredible work.
Artist you’d like to meet: Julian Schnabel would be fun to party with, I think.
Recent projects: I just had my first solo
Where do you paint? The Lodge
show at Gebert Contemporary in November 2010 called The virtue of wisdom; I did a public art piece called Flowing Overlapping Gesture last spring. It was a threedimensional floating painting; site-specific artwork for Scottsdale Waterfront Canal in Scottsdale.
art studio at 1231 NW Grand Avenue in downtown Phoenix.
On the horizon:
Describe your art/genre: Abstract mixed-media collage, using paper, acrylic and spray paint on canvas.
Favorite artists: No one specific, but I do
More about Fausto: Visit www.faustofernandez.blogspot.com or www.facebook.com/faustofernandezpaintings.
Photo of fernandez courtesy of Makoto Ishida
like the Vik Muniz Pictures of Garbage series, Robert
I’m working on a series of black-and-white paintings, a change from my usual bright-color paintings, and also working on some public art proposals.
Horizontal stabilizer and valve, woodcut, mixed media collage on paper.
Help us highlight the local arts Send information to editor@latinopm.com.
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¡ February 2011!
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Gerda Weissmann Klein’s love of America is a Valentine to us all by Robrt L. Pela
G
erda Weissmann Klein is laughing. The joy in her laughter – a deep yet genteel chortle – comes not from the knowledge that Barack Obama will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to her this month. She’s not giddy about a new book deal, or the stack of awards on a nearby sideboard, or about the fulfilling life she’s led since becoming an American citizen. Gerda Klein is laughing because a visitor to her Scottsdale home has just referred to her as “humble.” “I am many things,” Gerda says after composing herself. “But not so humble.” She shoots a look at her granddaughter, Alysa Ullman, who’s seated across from her, and the two women beam. “It’s true,” says Alysa, the executive director of Citizenship Counts, an organization that Gerda recently 20
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founded to teach kids the value of American citizenship – an especially timely cause launched while the country debates immigration reform. “We talk about her lack of humility a lot around here.” Yet Gerda, an 86-year-old Jewish Holocaust survivor, merely shrugs when asked about the accolades and honors heaped on her over the years – citations and awards acknowledging the work she’s done on behalf of children and immigrants and the disabled; prizes recognizing her selfless devotion to Jewish causes and the Holocaust Museum
and in reminding people of the beauty that can be borne of unspeakable horror. It’s not shtick. Gerda begins every third sentence with the phrase “I have been privileged to …” and appears to genuinely mean it. She won’t consider the possibility that some kind of special inner strength kept her alive. “I was not unique,” she insists. “I was lucky. Ninety-five percent of survival is luck – being at the right spot at the right time. Every day [the Nazis] came to the camp. Sometimes if you looked up while they were talking, you were being fresh. If you looked down, you weren’t paying attention. It was all horror.” It’s what Gerda has done with that horror that sets her apart, according to Lawrence Bell, executive director of the Arizona Jewish Historical Society. “It’s
not just that her work is extraordinary,” he says, “but the way that she makes surviving the Holocaust a human issue, and not just a race issue or a Jewish issue. People everywhere are influenced by her and her experiences.” Gerda has shared those experiences in books (her 1957 memoir, All But My Life, has seen dozens of printings and has been translated into 13 languages), on film (her acceptance speech for the Oscar won by Kary Antholis’s short film about her, One Survivor Remembers, is a YouTube tear-jerker), and in countless speaking engagements over the past half-century. Those speeches have lately been about the importance of citizenship and our responsibility to share and promote it to people of all races. The rights of immigrants and the joys of American citizenship are issues close to Gerda’s heart. After Nazi Germany took over her homeland of Poland, she was separated from both her parents. They were sent to Auschwitz, and she to a series of labor and concentration camps. In 1945, she was sent on a 350-mile death march to avoid the advance of Allied forces. She was one of few who survived the forced journey. In May of that year, Gerda was liberated by forces of the United States Army in Volary, Czechoslovakia, and later married Army Lt. Kurt Klein, one of the soldiers who liberated her camp. “There are fewer survivors of the Holocaust with us all the time,” Bell says. “And few have been as generous with sharing their stories as Gerda. She’s a valuable resource, and I’m not surprised that she’s been awarded the Medal of Freedom.” Gerda herself was very surprised. When the White House called, she nearly hung up on them. “I was very tired and having a cup of tea,” she recalls. “The phone rang, and it was, ‘Hello, this is the White House calling.’ I said, ‘Tell the president hello, and give him my warmest regards.’ And this woman, she said, ‘You are not taking this seriously.’ So I said, ‘No, I’m not. I’m an old lady with a weak heart, and jokes of this nature don’t sit well with
me. Goodbye.’” There were no hard feelings. And so Gerda became one of 15 recipients (among them poet Maya Angelou, artist Jasper Johns, and civil rights activist Sylvia Mendez, whose Mendez v. Westminster case was a landmark decision in the civil rights movement against Latino segregation) of the nation’s highest civilian honor given to people who have, according
her latest book, One Raspberry, to Ryan House, which offers pediatric palliative care to terminally ill kids. “We have to teach the children to appreciate what we have,” Gerda says. “To remind them how great it is to live here. America could be better, no question about it, but it’s still better than almost any place in the world. I have faith that children will learn to care for the community, and
to President Obama, “made our country and world a better place.” Gerda is thrilled, she says, but a little depressed about the honor, too. “My husband is not here to share this with me,” she says. “He would have been so proud.” Gerda often mentions her husband, who died in 2002; it’s clear she misses him still. It’s the memory of Kurt Klein, a German who’d immigrated to the United States to escape Nazism, that fuels her passion for the rights of immigrants. Her own memories of a lost girlhood and of the joys she’s experienced as a naturalized citizen inform her work on behalf of the Arizona Lost Boys Center, a nonprofit agency that helps acclimate Sudanese children who fled the genocide of their own country. She’s given all proceeds from
the country, and the world – and to stop caring about skin color.” Toward that end, Gerda and her granddaughter are stumping for Citizenship Counts and its message that we all deserve a better life. The program was launched after Gerda was asked to speak at a naturalization ceremony in Ohio. Touched by the students’ response to immigrants taking the Oath of Allegiance, she took the idea first to her granddaughter and then to a publisher of educational texts. Alysa created a civics-based curriculum built around the naturalization process and citizenship ceremony, emphasizing the notion that “giving back” through community service is imperative. The program was made official in 2009 at a public naturalization ceremony held at the
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Gerda and granddaughter Alysa hold up one of many awards Gerda has received for her work. Photos by josé L. muñoz
Phoenix Convention Center, followed by Gerda’s emotional speech about “the American dream.” A lot of kids enter the program, Alysa says, repeating the unfortunate anti-immigration dogma they’ve heard from adults, but leave having been transformed. She likes to talk about the middle school student who attended the Citizenship Counts pilot program. He’d always avoided the cashier at McDonald’s who didn’t speak English, he told Alysa, because the clerk always screwed up everyone’s fast-food order. “After he did our program, this boy learned some Spanish phrases and started talking to this cashier about where he was from and how he ended up in America.” Alysa has her work cut out for her, getting the program implemented around the country. Although Florida has passed a mandate that lessons concerning citizenship be added to all school curriculums, Alysa isn’t certain
Gerda Weissmann Klein: A timeline May 8, 1924: Gerda Weissmann is born in Bielsko, Poland.
1939: Nazi Germany takes over Poland. Gerda’s brother Arthur is drafted into the army. Gerda and her parents go into hiding.
1942: Gerda is separated from her parents, who are sent to Auschwitz. Gerda is sent to Dulag, a transit camp. She is later sent to labor camps in Sosnowitz, Bolkenhain, Märzdorf, Landeshut and Grünberg. Three years later, Gerda and the other inmates of the work camp are sent on a 350-mile death march to avoid the advance of Allied forces. Gerda is among the very few who survive.
May 1945: Gerda is liberated 22
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by forces of the U.S. Army in Volary, Czechoslovakia. Among her liberators is Lt. Kurt Klein, a German who’d immigrated to the U.S. to escape Nazism. Gerda and Kurt fall in love, marry in Paris in 1946 and settle in New York.
1996: Gerda attends the Academy
2006: Gerda speaks to the United
Awards ceremony. She accepts the Oscar for Best Documentary Short for filmmaker Kary Antholis’s One Survivor Remembers, based on her memoir, All But My Life.
Nations, as part of International Day of Commemoration, in memory of Holocaust victims.
1957: Gerda publishes All But My
1998: The Kleins create the Gerda
Life, which details her life in the Nazi concentration camps and beyond. A mother of three, she becomes involved in local charities and begins to speak publicly about her experiences during the war.
and Kurt Klein Foundation, which promotes tolerance, respect and empowerment of students through education and community service.
1974-1986: Gerda publishes several books over 12 years, including The Blue Rose, a children’s book about a girl with developmental disabilities and A Passion for Sharing, a biography of civil rights activist Edith Rosenwald Stern.
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2001: Gerda publishes The Hours After: Letters of Love and Longing in War’s Aftermath, a collection of stories co-written with her husband Kurt Klein. He dies in 2002.
2004: A Boring Evening At Home, a collection of reminiscences by Gerda about the importance of home, is published.
2009: The inaugural naturalization ceremony under the stewardship of Citizenship Counts is held at the Phoenix Convention Center.
November 2010: The White House announces that Gerda will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
December 2010: Gerda receives the World Leadership Award from Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council. She explains that she learned to tie knots as a Girl Scout, a skill that saved her life as it was considered valuable to the Nazis.
that forcing kids to learn about any issue is a great idea. “Whenever you require that a lesson be learned, it can become a have to rather than a want to,” she says. “That can lead to teachers being less motivated, and students, too.” That won’t do, Gerda says. The only way to change the world is to teach children that most of them belong to people who came here from someplace else. “When you look at the people who have made this country great,” Gerda likes to say, “they are immigrants.” Alysa tends to look uncomfortable when Citizenship Counts is too closely linked with issues of immigration reform. “We’re a nonprofit,” she’s quick to point out. “We’re not here to fight for or against Senate Bill 1070, or any other Senate bill.” Gerda shrugs. “You can imagine what immigration means to me, as an immigrant. We must stay true to our ancestors, and highlight what people who have come here have done for this country. But we also have a responsibility to be good Americans
once we arrive.” Becoming a model citizen is a small price to pay in return for living here, she insists. “America is a miracle,” she says, adamantly and often. “Everyone who came here for religious freedom, for education for their children, for a better life – they had the same dream, and they made that dream happen.” She’s generous about lawmakers who would keep future immigrants from crossing the border in search of that dream. “Everyone brings something to the story,” she says. “My people brought the Ten Commandments. Others maybe are bringing something less.” She is, she admits, hopelessly optimistic. “I am not Pollyanna,” Gerda says with a little smile. “But if I weren’t an optimist, I’d have no business being alive. From age 15 to age 21, I never knew if I was going to live or die. People know my story, but they can’t know how it felt – to be held hostage not for a day or two, but for six years. Today I sit here with beautiful flowers growing outside my
window, food in the refrigerator, and I can talk about any opinion without fear of being punished. And so I can’t let myself think My God, everything is going to hell. I have to look at the full cup. And then, you know, I have to share that full cup.” But time, she says, is growing short. “Oh, my God, I’m 86, and the one cause I have not worked hard enough on is this country. Everything good that came to me came because I was in America. I want other people, regardless of their race, to have that privilege.” She pauses to stare out the window, past the refrigerator full of food and the glittering table heaped with citations and awards, at the flowers growing outside. “I’m not a hero,” she says. “What happened to me, happened to everybody in the camps. But because of what happened to me, I have a responsibility.” Gerda Weissmann Klein smiles, but there are tears in her eyes. “Survival is a great privilege,” she says. “But it’s also a very deep obligation.”
More about Citizenship Counts
1
Citizenship Counts is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization founded by Gerda Weissmann Klein to encourage youth to appreciate the value and responsibilities of American citizenship by way of a specially designed civics education curriculum. The goal is to educate students on the tenets of citizenship, inspire a student’s pride in America and encourage participation in community service.
2
In late 2004, the organization was created after Klein was asked to speak at a naturalization ceremony hosted by Three Rivers Middle School in Cleves, Ohio. Klein was so moved by the pride of the Ohio students as they witnessed immigrants taking the Oath of Allegiance and becoming U.S. citizens, she and her granddaughter Alysa Ullman began planning a program that would allow students across the country the opportunity to participate in creating and witnessing this patriotic event.
3
Ullman, a writer, created a civics-based curriculum using the naturalization process and ceremony as its foundation. In 2008, Ullman’s The Path
to Citizenship was published by McDougal Littell (now Holt McDougal), a publisher of educational materials for grades 6 through 12. The material educates middle and high school students about the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, the naturalization process, and the importance of “giving back” through community service. Its multidisciplinary syllabus offers lessons on social justice and the advantage of living in a democratic, racially diverse and inclusive country.
4
In 2009, Citizenship Counts was launched with an inaugural naturalization ceremony held at the Phoenix Convention Center. Fifty new citizens from 26 countries took the Oath of Allegiance, which was administered by former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Klein addressed more than 100 students that day, telling them that this new organization was her own American dream.
5
The program concludes with a studentplanned naturalization ceremony, hosted by the children at their own school. Preparation for the event teaches students about the process of legal
immigration and emphasizes their rights and privileges as U.S. citizens. And access to the student-hosted ceremony and a reception after, both open to the public, introduces the naturalization ceremonies to the wider community. It’s a larger lesson that offers a deeper understanding of the role legal immigration plays in creating our diverse country.
6
The organization’s list of collaborative partners is impressive and includes United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS); the Center for Civic Education and Leadership; the Close Up Foundation; the Minnesota Center for Social Studies Education (MCSSE) and the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC).
7
Citizenship Counts works with a variety of educational, political, business and civicminded leaders that serve on its advisory and governing boards. Readers interested in serving on one of these boards (or in recommending someone else) can send an e-mail to info@citizenshipcounts.org. Type the phrase “Board Recommendation” in the e-mail’s subject line. www.latinopm.com
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31 Entrepreneur Mario and Lilia Jimenez keep it in the family
33 Briefcase
OSHA gets a bad rap for keeping employees safe
37 Career
Does your personality fit your job? or vice versa?
Movin’ Up American Bar Association honors Calleros Dr. Charles Calleros, a law professor at Arizona State University, will receive the Spirit of Excellence Award from the American Bar Association Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity. Calleros is among six lawyers being recognized for excelling in the field and for promoting a more racially and ethnically diverse legal profession. The awards will be presented on February 12 at a ceremony in Atlanta, Georgia, during the association’s midyear meeting.
Dr. Charles Calleros, ASU law professor and recipient of the Spirit of Excellence Award
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¡!
movin’ up
Ortiz, Jordan honored at MLK Awards Breakfast Andrew F. Ortiz, president and CEO of Ortiz Leadership Systems, LLC, is among six notable Phoenicians honored last month at the 25th Annual “Stand up For Justice” MLK Awards Breakfast. Honorees were recognized for their lifelong commitment to making Phoenix a better place to live and for their efforts to create a compassionate and just society. Nancy Jordan, formerly with
Nancy Jordan
Arizona State University, received the Calvin C. Goode Lifetime Achievement award for her dedication to promoting social and economic justice, defending civil rights and enhancing the dignity of all people. The award is named for former Phoenix City Councilman Calvin C. Goode.
Legacy of Excellence Award for Tovar Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) presented Rep. Anna Tovar, D-Tolleson (District 13), with its Legacy of Excellence Award.
Tovar participated in the JAG youth development program and graduated from Tolleson Union High School. She credits the program with her successful transition to postsecondary education and employment. Tovar was recognized for being an inspirational role model for youth and for her work with current JAG students who aspire to careers in civic leadership.
Aranda and Hidalgo join Hispanic College Fund Lydia Aranda has joined the Hispanic College Fund (HCF) as its director of corporate and foundation relations for the Southwestern region. Aranda’s professional experience includes over 25 years in corporate and community development. Marco Hidalgo is the new director of HCF’s Hispanic Youth Institute for Arizona and New Mexico. He will be responsible for year-round programming and fostering partnerships with universities and volunteers. Based in Washington, D.C., HCF was established in 1993 and has awarded over $15 million in scholarships to Hispanic youth.
Carol Andrade
experience includes 25 years in nonprofit management and education and has previously worked for Friendly House. In the late ‘80s, he began his career as the agency’s director of Youth and Family Services. He’s also served as director of programs for the Arizona Community Foundation.
Andrade, Salcido: outstanding students Two Arizona State University graduates were presented with outstanding student awards at the fall 2010 Hispanic Convocation ceremony. The Ed Pastor Outstanding Graduate Student Award went to Olivia
Friendly House names new president/CEO Raúl Espiricueta is the new president and CEO of Friendly House, Inc. He succeeds Luis Ibarra, who retired from the agency in June of last year. Terri Leon, who served as interim CEO after Ibarra’s retirement, will be returning to her role as the chief operations officer. Espiricueta’s professional
Raúl Espiricueta
Movin’ Up Know someone who has been promoted, elected or honored? Send us the news of their achievements! E-mail movinup@latinopm.com 26 26
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Salcido, who graduated summa cum laude with a Ph.D. in justice studies. While a student at ASU, Salcido cofounded ASU’s Latina(o) Graduate Student Alliance. Her work has been recognized by national organizations such as Sociologists for Women in Society and the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence. Carol Andrade received the Jose Ronstadt Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award. She received a B.S. in management and a certificate in international business, graduating magna cum laude. Andrade has been active with the Pat Tillman Foundation, the César Chávez Leadership Institute, the Canon Leadership Program and ASU’s Devil’s Advocates.
AZHCC appoints new board chair and prez/CEO Tony M. Astorga has been appointed chairman of the board of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (AZHCC). Astorga is a certified public accountant and serves as senior VP and chief business development officer for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. The AZHCC’s new president and CEO is Gonzalo de la Melena, who had been serving in an interim capacity for the last seven months. He has over 15 years experience in global brand management and Hispanic marketing and is the managing partner of Emerging Restaurant Group LLC, the Phoenix-area developer and franchisee for the restaurant chain Pollo Campero.
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entrepreneur ¡! ¡!
In the family
Mario and Lilia Jimenez, owners, Complete Paint and Body CARSTAR Collision Center
The numbers: Founded in 1990; 10 employees.
understand the sacrifices that must be made to succeed. Being able to work hard is a must.
Inspirational book: In Search of Excellence by Tom Peters.
Best advice you have received: From my mother, Gloria Aldana. She taught me at an early age that you must believe in yourself. TOThe MOST world COMMUNICATIONS can be a hard place, but your conviction must be strong in yourself and your goal if you are to succeed.
COMPANIES,
ALL BUSINESSES LOOK THE SAME.
Why did you strike out on your own, Mario? Working in the
Favorite aspect of owning a small business: I enjoy the daily
auto painting industry for years, I always knew I could improve the systems that my employer used. The ability to determine the methods and craft the outcome continues to be the challenge I most enjoy.
challenges and problem solving. It keeps me involved in the details, which I enjoy.
Elements of success: In order to get and keep the loyalty and trust of your customers, you must be honest. It binds you together. Challenges in a business are the norm. The way you handle them makes you successful. Being resourceful allows you to deal with challenges in a productive way. Being an entrepreneur sounds glamorous, and it can be. More often though, it is hard work! Those of us that are successful
Photo by Daniel Silva of SilvaPhotoGallery
Mario Jimenez has worked in the autopainting industry for over 30 years. Twenty years ago, the Jimenezes started their own auto paint-and-body shop. In the last year, their daughter Sylvia and son-in-law Steve have become an integral part of Complete Paint and Body CARSTAR Collision Center. The Jimenezes pride themselves on exceptional, quality work and customer service. Their goal is to make their clients’ experience as pleasant as possible to relieve the stress brought on by a fender bender or worse. “We take our motto seriously: ‘Relax, we’ll take it from here.’” We managed to get Mario to take a few minutes out of a busy day to answer a few questions about Complete.
Important milestone: Our recent merger with CARSTAR. It positions us with larger companies while keeping our independence.
If I could do it all over again … I would have left the corporate world earlier. Sometimes taking the first step in a different direction can be difficult, but the path you make can be amazing.
the business. Be passionate about it. Always give 110-percent effort. Do not get discouraged. Not everyone will have your vision; keep your eye on your dream!
Plans for the future:
Our plan is to slowly diminish our role in the business. Our daughter and son-in-law have given us the freedom to participate as we wish. With this freedom, we plan WE’D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT to enjoy the grandkids, play more golf and travel!
WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT. Complete Paint and Body CARSTAR Collision Center
2323 W. Van Buren Street, 85009 602-252-2455 You’re not just any company, we know that. So before we can develop a plan to propel you Advice to other into tomorrow, we want to learn how you do business. www.completepaintandbody.com Then, building the right communications plan is the easy part. Whether a “familia business or a Fortune 500 powerhouse, entrepreneurs: Beyou’re as prepared asrun” www.carstar.com/complete Cox Business can customize a unique solution just for your business. 1complete1990@gmail.com possible. Find out everything you can in Phoenix: 623-594-7291 Tucson: 520-344-7901
coxbusinessaz.com Suggest an entrepreneur
Send your information to editor@latinopm.com.
LPM’s Entrepreneur profile is sponsored by
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¡ February 2011!
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¡! ¡!
:
Playing it safe
OSHA gets a bad rap, but the agency does a good thing By Jonathan J. Higuera
Every day, an average of 12 workers in the
United States die in work-related accidents. And every year, 3.3 million U.S. workers are injured or fall ill due to their work conditions. As bad as that sounds, 40 years ago it was far worse. In 1970, close to 13,800 U.S. workers died in work-related mishaps. Later that year, then President Richard Nixon signed the Occupational Safety and Health Act into law. Still, in 1972, nearly 11 per 100 workers suffered workrelated injuries or illnesses. Compare these grim statistics with more current data: In 2009, some 4,340 workers died. In 2008, only 3.9 workers per 100 suffered work-related injuries and illnesses. While some may debate how much credit the Occupational Safety and Health Act deserves for these statistics, it’s clear the nation’s workplaces have become much safer for workers since its ratification. The act also led to the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Labor and chief regulator of workplace safety for the nation’s employers. And although the agency’s 40th anniversary did not gain much media attention, the significant list of improvements to the nation’s workplace safety record during that period deserves acknowledgment. Nonetheless, for many business owners, if an OSHA inspector shows up at company headquarters, feelings of paranoia surface, even if the company is in compliance. But a visit from an OSHA inspector can also mean an employee has suffered a work-related injury or illness – or worse. Unfortunately, OSHA’s reputation undermines the organization’s goals and difficult task at hand, especially when one considers the organizations’ own workforce. Approximately 2,200 OSHA inspectors work throughout the country. To visit the millions of businesses scattered across the states is statistically improbable, so OSHA, by necessity, is more reactive than proactive when it comes to safety enforcement. Even with the addition of
agency inspectors under the Obama administration, it’s still a tall order to police all businesses.
Attention, empresarios Business owners are responsible for providing a safe workplace. If the job exposes employees to risks of injuries or worse, employers must provide effective and documented training to remove or reduce workers’ exposure to these occupational hazards. (See sidebar on OSHA’s general duty clause for employers.) If workers need personal protective equipment to help keep them injury free, then employers must provide it and pay for it. Failure to provide protection or training or both can result in fines and even the shutdown of the business.
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briefcase
In this state, the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) monitors workplace injuries and illnesses for some 2.1 million workers. It is one of 25 states and territories that run its own OSHA program. Federal OSHA permits a separate state-run program as long as it meets the minimum federal standards and adopts whatever federal rules are passed. At ADOSH, state budget cuts have hampered its effectiveness in the last few years, but it has managed to maintain its independent status. Its 22 or so compliance inspectors are expected to cover 130,000 private and public employers here in Arizona. The federal agency recently completed an evaluation of state-run programs, including ADOSH. A string of deaths of construction workers in Nevada prompted the evaluation. It was a Pulitzer-Prizewinning series of articles in the Las Vegas Sun that brought the deaths to light. The resulting investigation by OSHA found many deficient areas in Nevada’s program. With regard to the Arizona program, the federal evaluation found that ADOSH meets the minimum requirements, but can improve in a few areas: they can provide better documentation of all reportable accidents, and stay in better contact with the families of those killed or injured in workplace accidents. If a state-run program is deemed hopelessly out of compliance with federal OSHA, it can be taken over by the agency. OSHA can also cut the funding it sends to state-level programs. For many business owners and corporate interests, the collective attitude
toward OSHA has been mostly negative. They often portray it as a bureaucratic organization that hampers their ability to create jobs through overregulation and by levying stiff fines. Many a chamber of commerce and other employer organizations have labeled OSHA as a “job-killing” agency because of its many standards, regulations and penalties. But not all business owners take that view. Dan Puente, president and founder of D.P. Electric, a Tempe-based firm, believes OSHA is a federal entity just doing its job. “As a business owner, you have to have the mindset that what they are doing is good for individuals in the workplace and good for society,” says Puente. “Ultimately, they are trying to keep people safe. I embrace what they do and don’t criticize.” Puente, whose firm has about 265 employees, also knows that safety has become a key issue for most businesses, including his. Not only can a poor safety record invite scrutiny from OSHA, it can also make a company less competitive in the market. “If a contractor sees we don’t have a good safety record, it has an impact on whether we get that job,” he says.
Derechos de los trabajadores For Latino workers, on-the-job risks are greater than for any other group. They get hurt more often and more seriously than other workers. This disturbing pattern led to a national summit last April convened by the U.S. Department of Labor, including OSHA. The disproportionately high fatality and injury rates, particularly
A 2006 report from the Centers for Disease Control stated 20 million Hispanics are part of the U.S. workforce. Of that group, about 56 percent were foreign-born, Spanish speakers. From 2003 to 2006, the occupational injury/casualty rate for foreign-born Hispanics was 5.9 per 100,000 workers, compared with 3.5 for U.S.-born Hispanics. “Far too many Latino workers have needlessly lost their lives just trying to earn a living, and it must stop,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, Dr. David Michaels, during last April’s summit convened by the U.S. Department of Labor.
briefcase
¡! ¡!
All employers subject to OSHA standards are required to follow the general duty clause relating to its safety responsibilities. It reads:
Each employer: (1) shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees; (2) shall comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this Act.
among Spanish-speaking workers who don’t understand English, led U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis to call for the summit. The two-day conference in Houston brought together a broad array of groups representing employee associations, labor unions, the faith community, community organizations, medical, safety and health professionals, educators, government officials, consulates, the entertainment industry and other nontraditional parties. “Workers have a right to talk to employers about unsafe conditions and, if necessary, to call OSHA,” Secretary Solis said during her keynote address. She also noted that Latino workers have workplace rights they may not be aware of, including: • A right to get safety equipment that is required by law and paid for by the employer; • The right to be trained in a language and in a way they understand; and • The right to use these rights without fear of retaliation. “Every worker needs to know that he or she has the right to come home alive at the end of the day,” she remarked. With only 2,200 OSHA inspectors nationwide (including those who work for state-run agencies), enforcing these standards among the millions of U.S. businesses is the challenge. But OSHA does maintain a robust website (www. osha.gov) where employers can find valuable information. Employers can also look up specific regulations and
standards related to their specific workplace hazards.
OSHA amends OSHA also looks for patterns of accidents or injuries, so they can review whether the standards and regulations they have in place are effective. For example, OSHA recently revised a standard it had been using for fall protection for residential construction workers, a particularly vexing problem in Arizona when the homebuilding boom was at its peak. Since 1995, OSHA has not required homebuilders to provide personal fallarrest systems for workers constructing at heights of six feet or above. In essence, it has allowed employers to maintain that it’s “infeasible” to provide anchor systems or other safety systems that are generally more effective at preventing falls. But at the urging of workplace safety advocates, OSHA began to look at its standard several years ago and finally revised it this past December. By next June, homebuilders will have to provide stronger fall protection to its workers. At ADOSH, monitoring safety compliance in the workplace is only half its role. The agency also provides consultation services. Any Arizona employer can request these services without fear of being penalized for noncompliance issues. So next time you or someone you know is bashing OSHA, remember: It could very well be your hijo or sobrina who is being protected at work by an OSHA standard or regulation.
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Who are you, really? Your instincts and personality defined: what they mean for your career By Erica Cardenas
Look around any workplace and you’ll find a
melting pot of personality types, from the methodical organizer and the talkative extrovert to the office peacemaker and idea guy, each with his or her own unique traits. But aside from personality, let’s take it a step further – what about instincts and natural talents? How does knowing and understanding your instinctive strengths translate to deciding what career to pursue? Whether you’re fresh out of college or planning your next career move, having an understanding of what your natural abilities are can possibly lead to a satisfactory job or career that works well for you.
Find out your MO Will Rapp, president of Kolbe Corporation, a Phoenixbased company that provides people of all ages with tools to identify their instinctive talents or “conative” skills, shares his outlook on the benefits of being equipped with such information. “Too many people end up five to 10 years down the road dissatisfied with what they’re doing for a living,” he says. “But it’s not only a lack of job satisfaction – stress tends to build up when you’re working against the grain and against your natural strengths.” Known as the Kolbe A Index, the online questionnaire consists of 36 questions that measure a person’s instinctive method of operation (MO), and identifies the ways he or she will be most productive. Results are retrieved in an 18-page report, after which the Career MO+ questionnaire can be answered; this one identifies jobs and careers that fit a person’s MO. This supplemental report to the Kolbe A Index offers guidance on how to make the most of your natural talents in a current job. The report shows where someone fits on a scale of one to 10 within four “action modes”: Fact Finder, Follow Thru, QuickStart and Implementor. Fact Finder measures gathering and sharing of information; Follow Thru evaluates arrangement and design; QuickStart looks
at dealing with risks and uncertainty, and Implementor assesses the handling of space and tangibles. An interesting note to point out: Kolbe has nothing to do with whether someone is an introvert, extrovert, math whiz or potential rocket scientist. Kolbe Index results deal with a different part of the mind than personality or intelligence. So, how did this writer measure up with the Kolbe A Index? According to the results, I am “terrific at stepping into tough situations and concocting daring solutions. [I lead] the way out of dilemmas … blaze uncharted trails and improvise inventions until [I] get them working.” www.latinopm.com
¡ February 2011!
Latino Perspectives Magazine
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My action-mode results conclude that my Fact Finder mode is to explain; my Follow Thru is to adapt; my QuickStart is to improvise and my Implementor mode is to restore. So, tie these modes of action into career examination and the report suggests I seek job opportunities that allow me to brainstorm new solutions, logically arrive at conclusions, help make the prototype, fix the product and act outside the box, just to name a few. The career paths based on these leading strengths that have satisfied people with similar MOs include actor, environmental advocate, new product developer, teacher for the physically challenged, television producer and life coach. Quite the variety. About 50,000 consumers use Kolbe instinct assessments annually, including companies such as Intel, Volkswagen, Honeywell, Banner Health and APS. In fact, Rapp adds that the Kolbe A Indexes are administered to the participants of Valle Del Sol’s Hispanic Leadership Institute (HLI) as an additional tool for them to apply to their jobs. To take the Kolbe A Index, you’ll want to visit their website at www.kolbe.com. It takes about 20 minutes to complete and will run you $63.95 for both the assessment and the additional Career MO+ report. The indexes are available in Spanish, too.
Another assessment option Another well-known assessment is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The mother-daughter team of Katharine Myers and Isabel Myers-Briggs developed this personality-typing instrument over 50 years ago. The duo began creating the indicator during World War II, believing that knowledge of personality preferences would help women who were entering the industrial workforce for the first time to identify the sort of wartime jobs where they would be most comfortable and effective. The MBTI places people’s personalities into one of 16 types determined by four polarities: introversion/extroversion, sensing/intuition, thinking/feeling and
judging/perceiving. These preferences influence how we behave in and out of the workplace. As we engage in everyday life, our preferences lead us to develop a personality, behaviors and an approach to relationships that are uniquely individual. For example, your boss could be an ISTJ personality, while your coworker could be an ESFJ type, and you may possess ISFP traits. Todd Firth, assistant director at NAU’s Gateway Student Success Center, sees diverse value in the MBTI. “Whether you’re a student just starting the exploration or you’ve been in the workforce for a while and are looking at retooling, the MBTI is a tool people can [use to] look at themselves in a fresh or different lens,” says Firth. “It has shown to hold up well across the board culturally and it’s translated into 21 languages.… The MBTI assesses where you get information, how you make decisions and how you structure your world.” According to the Myers and Briggs Foundation (www.myersbriggs.org), when you understand your type preferences, you can: approach your work in a way that best fits your style; deal with the culture of your workplace; develop new skills; understand your participation on teams, and cope with change in the workplace. Read the samples of type preferences below – they may seem familiar: Thinking/Feeling – A person may decide to apply for a certain job, make a career change or put in extra hours at the office, but it’s how he or she decides that is determined by the preference. For example, the firm-mind Thinker will use the skills of logic and analysis to make a decision, whereas the Feeler is more concerned with the emotion and impact of the decision. Judging/Perceiving – The employee who prefers Judging (not to be confused with judgmental) would enjoy a planned, scheduled day with a to-do list of tasks. People who prefer to use the Perceiving process tend to remain flexible and spontaneous with their day. Perceiving types would rather stay open to new information and avoid being tied down to a rigid schedule that requires time management.
The MBTI assessment is easily accessible online or can be administered with paper and pencil, usually through a certified individual who has met specific professional requirements for interpreting the results of the instrument. The Myers and Briggs Foundation website provides a list of local certified practitioners as well as an MBTI master practitioner referral network. Fees to take the MBTI assessment vary and can sometimes cost up to $150. However, many local community colleges and universities provide the assessment at a fraction of that cost. Glendale Community College’s Counseling Services provide the MBTI for $11 for students and $15 for non-students. And for $35, ASU’s Career Services provides the assessment to both current students and alumni.
The report identifies the ten most important “career satisfiers” and a review of over 50 careers tailored to the unique talents discovered in the assessment, among other things. Paul D. Tieger created the assessment; he’s also the author of Do What You Are, a bestselling career guide that has sold close to one million copies.
Does personality really matter? Despite all the theories about matching career to character traits, personality assessments may not be the end-all deciding factor when it comes to honing in on a career. Miguel Cano, a 29-year-old doctoral student and clinical psychology intern with Texas A&M University and an ASU alum, suggests considering other factors
Your boss could be an ISTJ personality, your coworker could be an ESFJ type, and you may possess ISFP traits. Firth says that the MBTI is a practical tool for all. “It’s not a golden key, but it’s definitely a step in the process,” he says. “Many of those who take the assessment find that their journey through their career path is much more efficient.” Aside from the Kolbe Index and the MBTI, there remains a multitude of quick, online career assessments that will gauge different areas of personality-type preferences. For example, the Personality Type.com Assessment™ allows users to quickly identify their personality type in about five minutes. The initial assessment is free – of course. Then a 12-page personal career report can be downloaded for $14.95.
Opportunity in the digital age
when contemplating a career – like following your passion, for example. “I find sometimes that people get discouraged when they take a personality assessment. It’s not set in stone … if you have a passion for something, you’ll find ways to make it happen.” Cano says to seek out people in careers you’re even remotely interested in; find out first-hand what type of preparation you need for that particular career, and what an average day at that job looks like. “Even if you have a particular personality type,” says Cano, “you still need to assess your personal values and explore what’s meaningful to you.”
Oportunidad en la era digital How do you become among the most reliable and trusted providers of communication and entertainment services in America? By connecting people with nearly endless opportunities to learn, grow, share and succeed. With Cox Communications, there’s no shortage of possibilities for our customers or our employees. Add your talents to the team that’s advancing communications into the Digital Age. Establish a career connection with a real and rewarding future, with one of the industry’s most respected and exceptional employers. To learn more about Cox, or to apply for open positions, visit us online. Grow with us. Crece con nosotros.
www.cox.com/coxcareer
EOE
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and
present
p u â&#x20AC;&#x2122; n i v Mo s t n e m h s i l p m o c c a l a n o i s s e f o r p g n i t a r b e Cel
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ga in r B . s u in o j o t You are invited RSVP. o t e r e h k ic l c e leas friend or two! P by also presented
Love for service Tempe’s Assistant Police Chief Angel Carbajal Jr.
Years of service: Two years as a patrol officer; two and a half years as a motor officer; two and a half years as a patrol sergeant; two years as the personnel services sergeant; seven and a half years as a police commander, and nearly four years as assistant chief of police. I’ve served for more than 20 years total. Education: I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey College of Business and graduated from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.
Personal triumphs: My time as SWAT commander. During the four years I held this position, I was responsible for several operations where the threat potential was very high. Fortunately, my officers always returned home safely to their families. Duties: I co-develop and review department goals, objectives and our strategic plan; address staffing issues; continuously evaluate our organizational structure to ensure we are well-positioned to fight crime; monitor our crime-fighting efforts; serve as a resource to our employees and monitor legislative issues that affect law enforcement. Periodically, I will also go out on patrol where I can respond to a variety of calls for service and help our patrol officers.
Who inspired you to become a police officer? My father is, by far, my greatest influence. His love for the military and for law enforcement fostered my desire to become a police officer.
Proudest moments: The birth of my two daughters and marrying my wife.
Who is your hero? That’s easy … my father! What do you like most about your work? I love that I truly have the ability to make a difference in our organization and in our community. By virtue of my position, I am able to help our officers be successful and provide the best law enforcement service possible.
Dark moments: My darkest moments are when one of our officers is either hurt or killed. During my tenure as assistant chief, we lost Motor Officer Kevin Weeks when he was involved in a traffic accident. We have also had officers who have been critically injured, some of whom can never be police officers again. Perspective: Balancing service with family life is absolutely critical. Law enforcement can be a very stressful and demanding job. What makes managing the stress possible for me is the love and support of family and friends. Spending quality time with family helps me keep things in the proper perspective.
In closing: Serving others is a very noble calling. Our community trusts us with their safety – we should never take that responsibility lightly. www.latinopm.com
¡ February 2011!
Latino Perspectives Magazine
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Counting on beads
The abacus is an ancient math tool – and still around for good reason
by Sam Naser
In Japan, the land that gave the world the
desktop, pocket and wristwatch calculator, one counting device has always managed to hold its own. It’s the abacus, a 2,400-year-old instrument that never blinks, blips or runs out of batteries. In fact, it usually consists of nothing more than rows of beads on wires inside a bamboo frame. Yet, for sheer speed and accuracy, it will best most of its electronic rivals at any addition, subtraction, multiplication or division conundrum thrown its way. And unlike a calculator’s microchip brain, the abacus can accommodate any number, no matter how large. In a world that’s becoming evermore electronic, the abacus’s very survival is a testament to the resilience of a few beads and strips of hard wood. While techies slog through typing on a calculator, a fleet-fingered abacus user will flick across a few tiers of beads, and a mere clickety-clack later, will have arrived at the same answer in a matter of seconds. Its prowess was perhaps most famously demonstrated on November 12, 1946, in a contest held in Tokyo between a Japanese abacus operated by Kiyoshi Matsuzaki, and an electronic calculator operated by U.S. Army Pvt. Thomas Wood. The match asked both competitors four basic arithmetic operations, as well as a fifth problem that combined all four. The abacus won four to one in both accuracy and speed. But the true advantage of the abacus goes beyond speed. In fact, the mark of a seasoned abacus student is the ability to dispense with the physical hardware altogether. The beads are still moved, but in a mnemonic image projected in the person’s mind.
Mental math Not long ago, mental arithmetic was a fixture of primary school education. So much so, that 30,000 juku (schools
for abacus instruction) used to be in operation in Japan in the 1980s, teaching students as young as tots in abacus literacy. At the juku, instructors would prepare students to no longer need the abacus at all. For a portion of class time, all abaci would be put away as the instructor called out figures to be calculated, and students would sit, eyes closed, moving their hands on their desks. Abacus literacy was measured through a series of examinations granting new ranks, just as it is with the martial arts. But instead of tying on a colored belt, a new ranking label would be tagged onto the front of the abacus. The best and the brightest, of course, mastered the ability to mime the beads in their heads. It’s a skill known as anzan or “blind calculation,” a cerebral art that’s drawn researchers from around the globe. Cognitive neuroscientists claim that such mental arithmetic exercises the prefrontal area of the brain, enhancing mental abilities such as memory, concentration and the ability to think logically. www.latinopm.com
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Those who become proficient with the abacus almost automatically become adept at anzan. It’s likely a big reason why, despite the popularity of calculators, the abacus is still very much in use today. In Japan, it continues to be taught in primary schools as part of mathematics lessons, with teachers giving song-like instructions to teach young students the decimal number system. But for all the appeal of the abacus, it’s still not clear whether it will stand up in the long count against its electronic cousins. Its main strength lies in addition and subtraction, not sophisticated
2009. The league says the renewed interest in one of mankind’s earliest counting devices falls on the heels of recent expert claims about the abacus’s role in enhancing concentration and memory.
Big in America Like so many of Japan’s other innovations, the abacus has also found a home in the United States. Private classes are available in nearly every major city nationwide. Take, for example, Tempe’s IQ Abacus, a school that offers private classes to students aged 4 to 12 in mental math and abacus literacy.
In an age of calculators, where children often don’t get a true sense of figures in mathematical calculations, the abacus removes the mystery out of arithmetic. calculations, and it remains notably weak when it comes to modern requirements, like data storage. Technology is one reason why its popularity has largely waned in the last 20 years. At one time, children in Japan were so enthusiastic about the abacus that they sought prestigious certifications through rigorous tests that graded abacus proficiency. Those certifications paid off big time when it came time to look for a job. But according to the League of Japan Abacus Associations, the number of people taking these abacus certification tests plummeted to 180,000 in 2005. Compare this to 1980, when the number of students taking abacus certification tests peaked at 2.05 million. Encouragingly, though, the abacus seems to be staging a comeback. The number of students taking certification tests began rising in 2006 and rose to 210,000 in
Rueyin Chiou founded the school, a beneficiary of abacus math herself, after she witnessed its benefits when transferring her abacus skills to her son in preschool. Chiou has been teaching mental math classes ever since, developing her own textbooks, homework, workbooks, audio CDs, posters and math games. The abacus, Ms. Chiou says, is an easy way for students to understand the basic number system, and it also gives children with short attention spans something to manipulate with their hands. Moreover, many parents see the abacus as not just a calculation tool but also a lifelong teaching aid. In an age of calculators, where children often don’t get a true sense of figures in mathematical calculations, the abacus removes the mystery out of arithmetic. Children can move the beads forward and backward themselves, assuming control
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and giving them a hands-on experience with mathematical processes. And therein lies much of the abacus’s value when it comes to the psychological process of learning. You can press buttons on a calculator, but you can’t press buttons to find the answers in your head. On the other hand, you can mime mathematical calculations on the abacus in your head.
How it works Those interested in trying out an abacus can do so on the Internet. Simply point your web browser to www.alcula.com/ soroban.php to fiddle with a virtual one. Each column of the Japanese abacus represents a number from 0 to 9. When the abacus is set to all 0’s, all the bottom deck beads are aligned at the bottom and the top deck beads are aligned at the top. Within each column, every bottom deck bead is worth 1 and each top deck bead is worth 5. Moving up one bottom-deck bead increases by 1 the number represented in the column. Moving down the top deck bead increases the number by 5. For instance, to represent the number 8 on an abacus, one would shift the top bead down toward the center, (or divider that separates the top and bottom deck), on the rightmost column. This produces a 5. Next, the abacus user would move three of the bottom beads up toward the center, adding 3, for a subtotal of 8. Multiple-digit integers are written left to right. To represent a multiple-digit integer, start with the left-most digit and add each number to the corresponding column. For instance, if you want to enter 739 on the abacus, you would start by entering the number 7 in the third column from the right. This would entail shifting the top bead in the third column from the right down toward the center, and moving two of the bottom beads in the same column up. Next, enter the number 3 in the second column from the right by moving up three beads from the bottom deck. Lastly, enter the number 9 in the rightmost column by moving a top bead down and all four bottom beads up toward the center.
Addition calculations on the abacus can get tricky. Suppose you wanted to add the numbers 5,286 and 3,197 together. You would begin on the column fourth from the right and shift the top deck bead toward the center to represent 5. On the third column from the right, shift two bottom beads up to signify 2. On the second-to-last column, shift the top deck bead and three lowerdeck beads toward the center to represent the 8. Finally, a shift of the top deck bead and one lower bead in the rightmost column represents the 6. To add 3,197 to the number you have already entered, you would begin with the fourth column from the right and shift three lower deck beads up to add the 3. On the third column from the right, you would move one lower deck bead up to the 2 to make 3. The next column is a little more confusing, because you already have 8 beads represented and want to add 9. In this instance, what’s known as a “ten’s complement” is employed by going back to the third column from the right and shifting a lower bead upward (+10), while meanwhile subtracting one from the second-to-last column by shifting a lower bead downward (-1). On the very rightmost column, you have to repeat this maneuver once again. Go back to the second-to-last column and add 10 by shifting a lower bead upward (+10), then subtract five from the rightmost column by shifting the top deck bead upward (-5). Now, you just need to add 2 to make the 7. To do this, shift two lower beads upward (+2) in the rightmost column to complete the operation. The subtotal should read 8,483. It’s a challenging process to learn, but this ancient discipline has survived hundreds of years of commerce and competition from the electronic calculator for a reason. It can turn a mathematical duffer into a whiz kid, take the mystery out of arithmetic and instill youngsters with a “mind computer” that will follow them for life. In this computer age, with such a prevalence of infallibility toward electronics, maybe an abacus revival might be a good thing.
“We must view education as an investment, not an expense.” SHELLY ESQUE Vice President, Intel
The education we provide for Arizona’s children will determine the kind of future we all enjoy. Arizona employers need a highly skilled, talented workforce to diversify our economy, increase job opportunities and stay competitive.That requires a stronger education system that begins at birth and continues through career. By investing time, talent and money to improve education today, we better position Arizona for long-term success. In the end, we all benefit. Education is everyone’s business. Make it your priority. Visit ExpectMoreArizona.org.
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Sugar, sugar Diabetes, desserts and a happy medium
By Georgann Yara
Six years ago, Irma Boggio was forced
to change her relationship with a few close “friends” she’s had since childhood; friends she grew up with in the form of comfort food. Although the Phoenix resident misses the food diabetes has taken away from her, she’s learned to live without having them so present in her day-to-day diet. Boggio never had much of a sweet tooth, but she had to greatly reduce her consumption of carbohydrates, which turn into sugar in the body. And that hurt. “Bread, cheese and wine – those were the three things I almost gave up completely,” says the Uruguay native. “I used to love to have a good piece of bread with cheese … I don’t have that anymore. Back home, [we] have bakeries on every corner. Pastries, bread that you eat with your café con leche. Those things, forget it. That was very difficult for me.” Boggio is one of the 24 million people in the United States living with diabetes, who can’t use the holidays as an excuse to indulge; not even champagne dinners and exotic boxed chocolates wrapped in red bows for Valentine’s Day. But there is hope for food lovers after diabetes. With obesity and diabetes rates on the rise among Latinos, portion control, keeping track of the diet and using sugar substitutions go a long way in making sure things stay sweet. “Food is not your enemy,” Boggio says, “but it’s not your best friend.”
Living sugar-free – or close to it Pasta and wine (which the body also turns into sugar) were also on Boggio’s forbidden list. Ice cream is another. Her favorite flavor, Tiramisu, is not common in the sugarfree varieties she enjoys on occasion.
“It was difficult at the beginning, but little by little, you get used to it,” she says. “But when I see someone eating that wonderful ice cream, I try to think of something else.” Eating a lot of fresh fruit, including starting her day with an orange, helps keep cravings in check. When she was diagnosed with the disease, Boggio was confused, because she did not consume a lot of desserts. However, a hereditary tie has shown itself: her grandmother and father had diabetes, and her nephew recently discovered he is diabetic. Boggio does not need insulin injections, but she does take a new oral medication twice a day to help control her disease. She has also www.latinopm.com
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adopted an exercise routine. She tries not to cheat, but if a craving hits, Boggio sucks on a small piece of hard candy. At a restaurant, she orders a dessert that comes in a small serving or eats only a small part of a piece of cake or pie. If sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s having spaghetti, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll only eat a little portion. Boggio keeps track of what sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s consumed that week and if she has not eaten carbs or sweets, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll allow herself a little treat. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you deprive yourself, you will never be able to maintain a healthy diet,â&#x20AC;? Boggio says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Diabetes is a very difficult disease. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get better from it. But it is not impossible to manage if you put your mind to it and actually embrace it.â&#x20AC;? Â
Substitution over elimination Living with diabetes does not mean
forever giving up all sugar, a common misconception, says Debbie Polisky, WIC program manager and nutritionist. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The three basics we need are fat, protein and carbs,â&#x20AC;? says Polisky. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The myth is, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to stop eating rice and dedicate [meals] to vegetables, meat and chicken.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Polisky suggests substituting instead of eliminating. Adding fiber, like a salad or fresh vegetables with meals and switching partially or totally to the whole grain version of foods, helps stabilize blood sugar as the fiber slows down glucose peaks, she says. For example, use brown rice or whole wheat bread or whole grain tortillas. Instead of eating two or three tortillas, have a little piece of chocolate or cookie instead â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but not with every meal. Save those sugary treats for special occasions. And use sugar substitutes in cooking or baking.
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Applesauce â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Use in baking instead of sugar. If food is not heated, replace sugar with equal amount of applesauce. In heated dishes such as cookies or muffins, replace up to two-thirds of sugar with applesauce. For cakes, replace half the sugar with applesauce. Since applesauce contains more moisture, reduce liquid in the recipe by Âź cup for every cup of applesauce. Berries, bananas and dates â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Combine with plain yogurt and add nuts (almonds or walnuts are best) for a healthy dessert that satisfies a sweet tooth. Frozen or canned juices â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Must be pure juice; if frozen, use quickly after thawing. Canned juice can be used as a sweetener for fruit. Juice can also be diluted before drinking. Date sugar â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Grind up dates and use for cookies, jams and preserves. Spices â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, ginger, mace, nutmeg, mint and vanilla can sweeten a recipe without adding sugar.
Dr. Peter A. Bassett
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Sugar is convenient, but not the healthiest option. Satisfy that craving with a few of these options:
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Artificial sugar substitutes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Five artificial sweeteners have been tested and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration: acesulfame potassium (also called acesulfame K), aspartame, saccharin, sucralose and neotame. Their sweetening power is at least 100 times more intense than regular sugar, so only a small amount is needed. With the exception of aspartame, the body cannot break down the sweeteners listed. They pass through the system without being digested, so they provide no extra calories. The FDA generally recognizes a newer substitute, stevia, a safe food additive and tabletop sweetener. Stevia is several hundred times sweeter than sugar and is similar to the other artificial sweeteners. Source: Debbie Polisky, WIC program manager and nutritionist
Having an occasional glass of champagne or wine is fine, as long as it is not consumed on an empty stomach. Exercise also helps control glucose, Polisky says. She suggests doing activities that are enjoyable so a commitment can be established. But controlling the quantity of food is the easiest and most immediate change diabetics can make. This is key, considering the important role meals play in the Latino culture. “Portion control is an issue [in many cultures],” says Polisky, “but especially in the Latino community, [which] likes to gather around and eat ... and have a lot of family members involved in the process.”
seem to have a genetic disposition toward developing the disease. Hispanics/Latinos are 1.5 times as likely to develop diabetes as their Caucasian peers, and Mexican Americans are twice as likely, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 21 percent of elder Hispanics have diabetes. “We see this concern in families, so it’s not just the children. Families, when they spend time together, they are often eating together,” Faulkner says. Because it is a blood disease, the long-term consequences of diabetes could affect every system in the body. Among the worst-case scenarios: heart failure,
Through healthy change, even losing 10 or 15 pounds can delay the onset of diabetes. — Melissa Faulkner, president of the Community Leadership Board for the Phoenix Chapter of the American Diabetes Association
Growing problem While 24 million people in the country have been diagnosed with diabetes, an estimated 57 million have pre-diabetes and most of them do not know it, says Melissa Faulkner, president of the Community Leadership Board for the Phoenix Chapter of the American Diabetes Association. Getting tested for diabetes is not on most people’s radar screens. “It doesn’t raise the same concern as cancer. There is not the same level of awareness, because it’s more gradual. In some families, it’s just accepted that we have relatives with diabetes and you take medicine to treat it,” says Faulkner. “But with the growing numbers, everyone needs to be aware of pre-diabetes. If you are at risk, you can reverse the onset by looking at your weight and living a healthier lifestyle.” An estimated one out of three youths born in 2000 are at risk of developing diabetes, but recent trends indicate the rate among Latino youth is higher, says Faulkner. Although the reasons are unknown, diet is only one factor, as Latinos
kidney failure, digestive problems, swelling of nerves and blood vessels and an inability to heal properly after injury that can lead to infection or amputation. In addition to getting tested, some markers indicate a greater risk. These include high weight or body mass index (BMI) coupled with a sedentary lifestyle. A larger waist circumference or disproportionately large roll in the midsection is another flag, possibly indicating the body’s difficulty with metabolizing fat, Faulkner says. Faulkner says that educating people about diabetes testing and how to change diets and recipes and increase activity are key to keeping the disease in check. “Through healthy change, even losing 10 or 15 pounds can delay the onset of diabetes,” she says. “It can make a huge difference.” The Phoenix Chapter of the American Diabetes Association does community outreach and programs that offer free screenings and education. For information, call (602) 861-4731, or visit www.diabetes.org.
Still-sweet recipes Instead of using cups and cups of regular sugar, these recipes call for reduced quantities and alternative sweeteners. Now you don’t have to skip dessert.
Chocolate Cake
¾ cup flour 3 tbsp cocoa 1 tbsp sweetener 1 tsp baking powder ¾ cups cold water 1 tbsp oil ¼ tsp baking soda 1 egg, beaten 1 tsp vanilla ¼ tsp salt ¼ cup cold coffee Sift together dry ingredients. Blend coffee, cocoa, egg, sweetener, oil, water and vanilla. Add dry ingredients, mixing only until smooth. Bake in 8-inch square pan greased with butter. Cover pan with foil and place in shallow pan of water. Bake for 25 minutes in 350°F oven. Remove from pan onto rack and cool.
Applesauce bar cookies
1¾ cups flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon ½ tsp allspice 1/8 tsp cloves ½ tsp salt ¼ cup butter ¾ cup sugar 1 egg ½ cup unsweetened applesauce ½ cup seedless raisins Grease 11 x 7 pan. Sift flour, soda, spices and salt. Cream butter; beat in sugar gradually. Add egg and beat until light and fluffy. Add sifted dry ingredients and applesauce alternately, stirring just enough to blend. Add raisins. Stir well. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Cut into 1¾-by-1¾inch squares; yields 24 brownies. Source: www.cooks.com www.latinopm.com
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February is American Heart Month Heart Facts FACT: Cardiovascular disease and stroke ranks as the No. 1 killer of Latino/Hispanic Americans. They claim the lives of 27.0 percent of the more than 133,000 Hispanics or Latinos who die each year. Cancer follows, killing 18.7 percent. All other causes of death account for 54.3 percent. FACT:Â Among MexicanAmerican adults, 28.5 percent of men and 34.5 percent of women have cardiovascular disease (CVD). FACT: Compared with nonHispanic white men and nonHispanic black men, MexicanAmerican men are more likely to have high blood cholesterol. FACT: Compared with nonHispanic whites, Hispanics are less likely to engage in physical activity. FACT:Â Compared with nonHispanic whites, Mexican Americans are more likely to be overweight and obese, and to have diabetes. FACT: For every 100,000 Hispanics in the United States in 2006, 106 died from coronary heart disease. Source: Heart Facts 2010 American Heart Association
A message from the American Heart Association
For the third consecutive year, Latino Perspectives Magazine is teaming up with the American Heart Association to share information to empower and inspire our readers.
WALK FOR YOUR HEART! One Man’s Story of Heart Disease and Survival By Isauro “Izzy” Gonzalez
19th Annual Phoenix Start! Heart Walk Have a heart and take a walk to support cardiovascular disease research on Saturday, February 26, at Tempe Beach Park, at the Phoenix Start! Heart Walk. The 19th annual Heart Walk aims to raise $1.5 million dollars which will fund researchers at Arizona State University, University of Arizona, Mayo Clinic, and Barrow Neurological Institute. This fun, 5K and 1 mile, family fitness event energizes the Valley to step-up in the fight against heart disease and stroke. Join Ron Hoon anchor of FOX 10’s Arizona Morning! This year’s entertainment will feature the Cool Breeze band performing top-40 variety, pop, and rock classics. Cool Breeze is diverse and entertaining! Money raised helps to fund life-saving research and community education programs supported by the American Heart Association. After the walk, the Wellness Village is in full-swing, packed with heart-healthy activities, presentations, screenings, games and celebrity appearances.
SURVIVORS . . . THE HEART BEHIND THE WALK.
Heart disease and stroke survivors are a very important part of the Start! Heart and Stroke Walk. All heart disease survivors are recognized with a red cap, and all stroke survivors with a white cap. “In tribute to” stickers are also available for participants walking in celebration of a survivor or in memory of a loved one lost to heart disease or stroke. So mark your calendars! We hope to see you! Phoenix Start! Heart Walk Saturday, February 26, 2011 Tempe Beach Park Rio Salado Parkway & Mill Avenue 8 a.m. Registration and Opening Ceremonies 9 a.m. - 5K Walk & One-mile Stroke Walk 10 a.m. Wellness Village & Entertainment REGISTRATION INFORMATION: www.phoenixheartwalk.org Or call 602-414-5320
Visit us at www.heart.org
A message from the American Heart Association
It was around the end of May last year when my wife kept insisting that I go to my heart doctor for my annual checkup. I just kept telling her that I felt fine and I’d go later. Finally, she convinced me to go. I scheduled an appointment to see Dr. Andrei Damian. He sent me to Dr. Anthony Sandoval. I explained to Dr. Sandoval that I wanted to see if he could get me off a pill I was taking. He said before I do that I would need to take a stress test. So I did. Everything came back OK, indicating that blood flow was good. As I got up and was about to leave, my doctor said, “You know, there is a shadow on the lower part of the x-ray. I don’t think it’s anything, but let’s not take it for granted.” So my doctor performed an angiogram (catheterization) just to be sure. I purposely made the appointment on a Friday, thinking that since everything had come out OK on the previous test, I could be back to work on Monday. At the end of the test, Dr. Sandoval wheeled me over to the monitor. “I have some good news and some bad news,” he said to me. “The good news is that your heart is not damaged ... remember the shadow that got us here?” I said, “Yes ... what was it?” He said, “You are a blessed man, and we will get to that
in a minute. First, let me tell you about the bad news. You have five blocked arteries. The main one is blocked 97 percent and the other four are 88 percent, 80 percent, Dr. Anthony Sandoval, Isauro Gonzalez and Dr. Andrei Damian 75 percent and the least blocked is at 60 percent. Weren’t you feeling anything?” he asked. I said, “Not really ... just maybe a little tired when I got home at night ... and my back was hurting a little.” I asked my doctor about the shadow on the x-ray. He said, “Do you really want me to tell you? ... I think the shadow was God’s thumbprint telling us to dig further to find your blockage.” He said I was a “ticking time bomb” and that at any given moment, I could have had a massive heart attack and may not have survived it because of all the blockages. He proceeded to tell me that I was a blessed man and the Lord has more work for me to do. On July 18, 2010, my surgeon Dr. Merick Kirchner performed five bypasses to my heart. Today I feel great and I’m extremely grateful to all of my doctors. Please join me on “Izzy’s Heart & Soul Team” on February 26th at Tempe Beach Park for the 19th Annual American Heart Association Start! Phoenix Heart Walk. For more information call 602-414-5320.
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Heart Attack and Stroke Warning Signs Heart Attack Warning Signs
Some heart attacks are sudden and intense — the “movie heart attack,” where no one doubts what’s happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren’t sure what’s wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:
that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
Y Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back,
neck, jaw or stomach.
Y Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort. Y Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness
Most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain. Learn the signs, but remember this: Even if you’re not sure it’s a heart attack, have it checked out (tell a doctor about your symptoms). Minutes matter! Fast action can save lives — maybe your own. Don’t wait more than five minutes to call 9-1-1. Calling 9-1-1 is almost always the fastest way to get lifesaving treatment. Emergency medical services (EMS) staff can begin treatment when they arrive — up to an hour sooner than if someone gets to the hospital by car. EMS staff are also trained to revive someone whose heart has stopped. Patients with chest pain who arrive by ambulance usually receive faster treatment at the hospital, too. It is best to call EMS for rapid transport to the emergency room. If you can’t access the emergency medical services (EMS), have someone drive you to the hospital right away. If you’re the one having symptoms, don’t drive yourself, unless you have absolutely no other option.
Stroke Warning Signs
If you or someone with you has one or more of these signs, don’t delay! Y Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body Y Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding Y Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes Y Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination Y Sudden, severe headache with no known cause
Immediately call 9-1-1 or the emergency medical services (EMS) number so an ambulance (ideally with advanced life support) can be sent for you. Also, check the time so you’ll know when the first symptoms appeared. It’s very important to take immediate action. If given within three hours of the start of symptoms, a clot-busting drug called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) can reduce long-term disability for the most common type of stroke. tPA is the only FDA-approved medication for the treatment of stroke within three hours of stroke symptom onset.
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A message from the American Heart Association
Y Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or
Healthy Employee is a Happy and more Productive Employee! A
The mark of Vie ASU graduate has her sights on the 2012 Olympics
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By Rosa Cays
Mention fencing in these parts, and likely folks will think you’re talking
about posts and barbed wire. But not if you happen to mention the name Natalie Vie. She’s the seventh best épée fencer in the United States. An Arizonan (she’s lived here since she was 2) and daughter of Argentine parents, Vie is training for the 2012 Olympic Games. We recently caught up with the champion fencer. Get to know her and the sport, because you’ll be hearing more about the skilled – and striking – Ms. Vie. First, how is épée different from sabre or foil fencing? Sabre and foil both have target areas on the body where the fencer can score a touch. In épée, the entire body is a valid target, from the toe, to the glove, to the mask. And in épée, there is no “right of way,” so touches may be scored at any moment. Why fencing? Why not golf or barrel racing? I was reading Catcher in the Rye
for my high school English class and the fencing in the book sparked an interest. I looked up fencing online and to my surprise, I found multiple clubs in Phoenix. I chose The Phoenix Falcons Fencing Club and began fencing the following summer. It was an épée-only club, so I had no option. My height (5’5”) makes me a very unlikely candidate for épée (where being tall can be an advantage) and so if I had gone to any other club I probably would have ended up fencing sabre or foil. How does your familia feel about their niña the champion fencer? My entire family is very supportive (Vie has many parientes in Buenos Aires). I am living at home while I train for the Olympics … I secretly love it when my Mom calls me and reminds me to be home early because I have a big tournament coming up. My younger sister Jerica is also a competitive fencer. She recently won the Arizona Junior Olympic Qualifiers. I taught her to fence.
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Natalie Vie, left, scores as she hits her opponent’s mask at the Duel in the Desert 2010 in Las Vegas.
YOU CAN CHANGE A LIFE. REALLY.
Who is your greatest competitor? I am definitely my own worst enemy. Sometimes I feel like I am battling myself rather than my opponent. Timing, distance, point control, tactics are all major factors in a fencing bout. If I am mentally off my game, then all of these things are affected.
BE A HERO! BUILDING FUTURES MENTORING PROGRAM Our Building Futures Mentoring Program is one of our most rewarding services, and we are in desperͲ ate need of mentor volunteers. We have so many great kids, ages 6 to 18, who are at risk due to low selfͲesteem, social isolation, family problems, etc., Ͳ who just need a friend, a role model. A person who can spend a little time sharing interests, listening and ultimately raising a child’s selfͲconfidence and outlook on life. You would be amazed at what an afternoon at the ball game or a trip to the park can do for a child in need of adult companionship and guidance. Give us a call or email and we’ll explain how our program works, and how you can change a life. Really.
How does fencing feed your soul? Due to the mental nature of fencing, at every step of the way I have had to confront my insecurities and demons to become a better athlete … ultimately, a better human being. And something inside of me tells me I need to pursue this to the highest level that I can, and that now is the time to do it. Perhaps it is a mix of perpetual dissatisfaction and a deep love for the sport of fencing that drives me to do this. How do you make a living? I now coach at the club where I began fencing years ago with head coach Rolando Arroyo. Rolly, the fencers and their families are all extended family to me … they are all very supportive of my dreams. The club even started an Olympic Fencing Fund (at the club and online) to help me fundraise so that I can make it to all of my tournaments. Last year I could only afford to go to six of the 12 tournaments.
The adventures of Vie • Four-time Collegiate Club National gold medalist representing ASU.
• Highest American finisher at both the 2009 World Cup Havana, Cuba and the 2010 World Cup in Germany. • 2010 Division 1A U.S. National Champion. • Currently ranked 7th in the U.S. • Upcoming World Cups (depending on finances) in Doha, Budapest, Barcelona, Leipzig, Rio de Janeiro, La Habana, Sydney and Nanjing.
Keep up with Natalie Vie and her adventures at http://natalieviefencing.wordpress.com. You can also contribute to her 2012 Olympics fund (donations are 501(c)3 tax-deductible). ¡Buena suerte, Natalie!
Chandler, Tempe, Ahwatukee Kate Clarno 602Ͳ212Ͳ6179 kclarno@vosymca.org Mesa Susan Long 602Ͳ212Ͳ6186 slong@vosymca.org Carefree, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, Scottsdale Barb Harp 602Ͳ212Ͳ6289 bharp@vosymca.org Central Phoenix, South Mountain, Chris Town Marta Grissom 602Ͳ212Ͳ6187 mgrissom@vosymca.org Maryvale, Glendale, Southwest Valley Jessica Mena 602Ͳ212Ͳ6192 jmena@vosymca.org Regional Director Robert Neese 602Ͳ212Ͳ6071 rneese@vosymca.org Photo by daniel kongos (www.danielkongos.com)
And once you win a gold medal or two, then what? As always, I have a lot of big plans. One project is an organized scholastic fencing league for high schools and junior highs in metro Phoenix. Fencing is so different from other sports with its combination of combat, etiquette, and tactics. I would love to bring fencing to our metro-Phoenix schools!
To learn how to become a Mentor, contact the following directors in your area:
www.latinopm.com
Youth Development Healthy Living Social Responsibility
¡ February 2011!
Latino Perspectives Magazine
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Stella Pope Duarte
V-Day in Juárez By Stella Pope Duarte
Valentine’s Day is celebrated in a very special way each year in Ciudad Juárez, sister city of El Paso, Texas. Not only do sweethearts send valentines to one another, candy and other gifts, but Juárez also throbs with the deep, abiding love of mothers for their murdered daughters. Pink crosses decorated with black ribbon, often accompanied by photos of beautiful girls, are seen throughout the city, grim reminders of the brutal, senseless murders. On February 14, 2004, the first official V-Day March on Juárez was attended by Hollywood stars Jane Fonda, Sally Field and Christine Lahti, as they joined the mothers and families of Juárez in a protest of outrage over the savage murders and mutilations of hundreds of women of all ages – many of them workers in American factories called maquiladoras. Currently, the count of murdered women is calculated at over 500, with a total of 5,000 who have disappeared in the entire region. The march has been duplicated in numerous cities in many countries as a way to claim “heart healings” for suffering families on a day that traditionally celebrates love. I saw love in Juárez, close up, raw and open, women’s hearts palpitating, singing a mournful melody that could be heard throughout the city’s busy streets
– a secret wail of mothers who would not be comforted until the murderers of their daughters were brought to justice. They wait still, the mothers, undaunted by political ploys to ignore investigations and death threats to families who demand answers from city officials. They risk even death, as one mother did in December 2010. Marisela Escobedo Ortiz claimed she would not stop until the killer of her daughter Rubi was brought to justice. The attorney general of Mexico and President Calderón refused to see Marisela and did not continue to search for Sergio Rafael, the confessed murderer. Marisela was murdered at the doors of the palace of government and in front of the cross of nails that was placed in Juárez by mothers of murdered women and the group Women in Black. I recall one of the mothers I interviewed in her humble home, a structure of cinderblocks, freezing in February as I conducted the interview. She showed me a small box containing the only remains she had been given of her murdered 16-year-old daughter. The girl’s picture was stunning, a beautiful young woman full of promise, now numbered as one of the femicides, crimes of hatred committed against women. Love conquers all things. I believe this. It is what helped me write If I Die in Juárez, even when I wanted to run. And
I did run – three times – only to return following a “demand from within” that fortified me with the courage to complete the work and honor the courage and love of so many. I saw love in the eyes of the mothers, and anger, and deep anguish. One woman said to me, “This will end when we no longer allow machismo to become a way of life for our boys. It must begin in childhood.” I believe her. There are many factors contributing to the murders: NAFTA, which dismantled the corn economy of Mexico; globalization and greed; poverty, so extreme it defies description; drugs, gangs, serial killers and crooked police … the list goes on and on. But it is love, deeply rooted in family – not only on V-Day but every day – that will rise to finally end the murders. Love issues from the human heart and it is unstoppable. Marisela Escobedo Ortiz understood this and paid with her life. How many more sacrifices will it take for justice to reign?
Stella Pope Duarte was born and raised in South Phoenix. She began her writing career in 1995 after she had a dream in which her deceased father told her that her destiny was to become a writer. Her work has won awards and honors nationwide. www.latinopm.com
¡ February 2011!
Latino Perspectives Magazine
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my perspective on: civil discourse
Respectful rhetoric
More perspectives
Send us your perspective on whatever moves you. E-mail editor@latinopm.com.
By Ruben A few weeks ago Gallego in Tucson, I heard the President of the United States ask for a new era in our political discourse. As I sat in the audience, I wondered what this meant for an elected official like me. How do I follow the president’s request? How do I strike a balance in defending my constituents and keeping the political discourse civil? I will admit – it is difficult for me to put down the sword of rhetoric. For years, right-wing conservatives have whipped up illegal-immigration hysteria in this state. While most of the Republican leaders who caused this stir were careful not
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Mexico, though their families had been here since the 1800s. In Arizona, these harsh sentiments have been more overt in the last year. It was politicians that found the quick electoral success of demonizing the illegal-immigrant community that created this anti-Hispanic environment. As activists, politicians, parents and teachers, how do we fight those that push this rhetoric without stooping to their level? As a community, we have to learn how to argue in this new political paradigm. Our methods of opposition to radical rhetoric have either been ineffectual or counterproductive. People like Russell Pearce only salivate at the thought of massive amounts of protestors snarling traffic and beating drums. While he has a simple message, “illegal is illegal,” our comeback is disparate and unfocused. Our marches have no unifying message or messenger. It is because of this lack of focus, and focused leadership, that our marches sometimes produce chants and signs no longer acceptable in today’s political discourse – a mistake that has cost the Tea Party dearly. We must fight extremism with focused, logical arguments and dedicated allies outside of the Hispanic community. The days of putting thousand-people marches together are over.
We must fight extremism with focused, logical arguments and dedicated allies ... to use directly racist terms, it has encouraged overt racism from others toward Hispanics. It has come as a shock to be on the receiving end of this vitriolic, racist hatred. Many times in my run for office, voters proudly claimed they would not vote for a Mexican when asked to support me. On the campaign trail, I heard from many other Latinos who were told to go back to
Our organizing must be in the boardroom, classroom and neighborhoods. Our victories must now be counted by which organizations join us in a press conference, not by which ones will march. This year, to deal with the Pearces of the world, I ask you to fight like the Giffords of the world: with inner strength, dignity and respect.
Go to Latinopm.com to read Opal Tometi’s take on birthright citizenship and the Black Alliance for Just Immigration’s stance on legislation targeting the 14th Amendment.
Latino Perspectives Magazine
¡ February 2011!
www.latinopm.com
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HOPE AWARD RECIPIENT Gerda Weissmann Klein, Holocaust Survivor
PRESENTED BY The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com | SPONSORED BY Apollo Group/University of Phoenix UNDERWRITTEN BY American Express, Arizona Biltmore, Booth Ranches, Crescent Crown Distributing ALSO SUPPORTED BY Arizona Diamondbacks, Bank of America, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, Clear Channel Radio, Cochise Companies, Cox Communications, Crescent Crown Distributing, DF Enterprises, DMB Associates, Inc., Dorrance Family Foundation, Equanimity, Inc., Florence Crittenton Auxiliary, Fryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Food Stores/Phoenix Coyotes, Gila River Gaming Enterprises, Globe Corp., Go Daddy.com, Helios Education Foundation, Helix Properties, Kutak Rock LLP, Lincoln Strategy Group, Lowry Hill, Magellan Health Services, Major League Baseball, M & I Wealth Management, Meridian Bank, Merrill Lynch, Neiman Marcus, Northern Trust, Radcliff Consultants, Sleep America, St. Josephâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital and Medical Center, The Private %DQN %DQN RI $UL]RQD 8QLWHG 3KRHQL[ )LUHĂ&#x20AC;JKHUV $VVRFLDWLRQ :HOOV )DUJR DQG 79
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my perspective on: birthright citizenship
African-American Group Condemns Attacks on 14th Amendment
More perspectives
Send us your perspective on whatever moves you. E-mail editor@latinopm.com.
By Opal For the past year Tometi Arizona has been in the spotlight because of its harsh attacks on migrant populations and people of color. From the signing of the most far reaching anti-immigrant law (SB 1070) that legitimizes racial profiling, to its ban on Ethnic Studies (HB 2281), Arizona is rolling back the clock on the gains that the civil and human rights movements made in the United States of America. In addition to these legislative measures, Arizona recently banned affirmative action (Proposition 107) in the November 2010 election. Sadly, Arizona’s Governor Jan Brewer and other government officials, like State Senate President Russell Pearce, are relentless in their attack on the migrant community, attacks that also impact the African American community. Pearce’s current foray is on the 14th amendment, an amendment that is well known for both the Citizenship Clause and Equal Protection Clause. It is now threatened because, after over one hundred years in existence, Pearce wants to ascribe a new interpretation. The 14th amendment to the Constitution was written when slavery was finally outlawed in the United States. It granted formerly enslaved Africans in America full citizenship, and overturned the Supreme Court’s 1857 decision in the historic Dred Scott v. Sanford case. In plain speak, the 14th Amendment was meant to ensure that all people born in the United States would be treated as equal citizens under the Constitution. However, Pearce is trying to strip away the citizenship rights of children who were born in the U.S. to parents who are not recognized as legal residents. Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) Executive Director Gerald Lenoir explains that, “attempts to undermine the 14th amendment are unconstitutional and are part of the tradition of racism and xenophobia that
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Latino Perspectives Magazine
¡ February 2011!
www.latinopm.com
our ancestors have fought hard to dismantle. Furthermore the term ‘anchor baby’, which has become associated with this bill is pejorative and is used to criminalize children of immigrants, especially those of color.” This attack on the rights and dignity of children demonstrates a sad shift in the trajectory of the national discourse on immigration. The assault on birthright citizenship through distortion of the 14th amendment and the reversal of gains made through the struggles for civil rights, only aims to disenfranchise the growing number of people of color in this country. Arizona State Senate President Pearce, the key author and principal in pushing forward this legislation, has been known to fraternize with white supremacists. This is not the kind of thinking that we should allow to shape our nation. In this day and age when black and brown communities are continually marginalized and disenfranchised, we cannot allow for a reinterpretation of the 14th amendment that would only create a new caste of second-class noncitizens with no rights in any country. We cannot allow for the normalization of this type of antimigrant policy that further institutionalizes xenophobia, racism and injustice in the U.S., as well as dismisses the gains of the civil rights movement As Martin Luther King, Jr. poignantly said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” The Black Alliance for Just Immigration will stand with immigrant communities in Arizona and across the country in opposing the reinterpretation of the 14th Amendment and in asserting the birthright citizenship rights of children of undocumented immigrants. Opal Tometi was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona and is the National Organizer for the Black Alliance for Just Immigration. The Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) is an education and advocacy group comprised of African Americans and black immigrants from Africa, Latin American and the Caribbean. BAJI engages African Americans and other communities in dialogue that leads to actions that challenge U.S. immigration policy and the underlying issues of race, racism and economic inequity that frame it.
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MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MUSEUM | OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK Organized by Experience Music Project and the University of Washington Seattle, Washington
Exhibition Dates:
Open now through May 18, 2011
Joe Cuba band member Willie Torres dancing with partner at the Palladium. New York City, circa 1955.
American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music tells the story of the profound influence and impact of Latinos in American popular music. Through a rich display of artifacts, instruments, audio/visual interactives, listening kiosks, and films, this exhibition showcases some of the most important and iconic Latino musicians of the 20th century. Free with museum admission. Sponsored by
Media sponsor
The exhibition’s national tour and related programs are made possible by Ford Motor Company Fund.
MUSICAL INS TRUMENT MUSEUM
www.theMIM.org
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