latinopm.com
March 2012
ARIZONA EDITION
In celebration of Arizona Trailblazers Excerpt of Gabrielle Giffords’ memoir, Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope
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Journal of the American Latino Dream
21
Volume 8
{March 2012}
Issue 7
28
2012 Latina Trailblazers
Service to others – the road to fulfillment and success
Beyond words
Giffords/Kelly memoir reveals depths of a relationship
42
7 8
From the editor
LPM celebrates National Women’s History Month
¿Será posible?
At last, a film festival for mustache fanciers; but, is masculinity going out of style?
12 LP journal ASU accused of infringing on free speech;
commerical viability of “diner” versus “bistro”;Quezada replaces Miranda to represent District 13 in the Arizona House
14 Accordionist Vibe Ramon Ayala now restauranteur;
Botanical Gardens 17th Annual Spring Paintout; Olympic wrestler, Henry Cejudo, title character of new play; Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates
19 Kerin Rincón del arte Martinez hones skills one project at a time
31
Movin’ up
ALRE and Valle del Sol honor community leaders; Molera re-eleced president of State Board of Education; Mayor Stanton names Sandoval senior advisor on education; new grants for border studies researchers; highly experienced detectives hired by San Luis P.D.
35 Bilingual Entrepreneur health professional, Debbie Polisky, carves out career niche
37 Minority Briefcase homeowners win settlement from
Diana Tapia Williams, Mesa PD detective
intercultural learning to open in August; TGen and UA closing in on a cure for pancreatic cancer; sixth year for AAA Arizona’s Sí se puede scholarships
47 Why Health Latinas fear a HPV diagnosis 50 Time out State-of-the-art sport and fitness center designed for users with disabilities
predatory lenders; light rail for South Phoenix (?); “Arizona Accord” guides the immigration debate
41 Those who serve
43 Education College prep school with strong focus on
53
P.S.
A homage to Cesar Chavez
54 My perspective Dana Campbell Saylor on what women leaders bring to the decision-making table
Green
Coming in March: jobs and sustainability latinopm.com
¡ March 2012!
Latino Perspectives Magazine
5
arizonalottery.com
¡! from the executive editor
March 2012
Celebrating women By Cecilia Rosales, Ph.D.
Publisher/CEO Ricardo Torres Executive Editor/COO Cecilia Rosales, Ph.D. Copy Editor Virginia Betz Art Director Jorge Quintero Contributing Writers Catherine Anaya, Dana Campbell Saylor, Erica Cardenas, Dan Cortez, Jonathan Higuera,Robrt L. Pela, Stella Pope Duarte Director of Sales and Marketing Carlos Jose Cuervo Advertising Account Executives Grace Alvarez and Barry Farber Webmaster QBCS Inc.
Contact Us
www.latinopm.com P.O. Box 2213 Litchfield Park, Az. 85340 602-277-0130 Advertising: sales@latinopm.com Editorial: editor@latinopm.com Design: art@latinopm.com
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.
In this issue, in commemoration of National Women’s History Month,
we dedicate our cover story to four trailblazing women who have made significant contributions to our state: former state legislator and public health advocate, Amanda Aguirre; Anna Maria Chávez, CEO of the Girl Scouts USA; Liz Archuleta, member of the Coconino County Board of Supervisors; and Terri Cruz, community advocate and social services provider at Chicanos por la Causa. Read the story on page 21. Latino Perspectives Magazine and Phoenix College’s Raul H. Castro Institute will host a community celebration on March 28th at the Phoenix Art Museum to honor these trailblazers. Join us from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. as we present the fourth volume of Arizona Latina Trailblazers: Stories of Courage, Hope and Determination – a compilation of biographies and a companion DVD featuring vignettes of these formidable women. We hope to see you there! Also in this issue, page 29, read an exclusive excerpt from Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope, by former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Mark Kelly, with Jeffrey Zaslow – who just last month tragically lost his life in an auto accident. Earlier this year, Giffords announced that she was stepping down from the U.S. House of Representatives to focus on her recovery, but she vowed to return. As in her memoir’s final chapter, she promised, “I will get stronger. I will return.” We eagerly await her comeback. Continuing with the topic of courageous women, in Those who Serve (page 41) you can read the profile of detective Diana Tapia Williams. A personal crimes detective with the Mesa Police Department, Tapia Williams works with children who have been victims of abuse. Dana Campbell Saylor, CEO of YWCA Maricopa County, is the author of this month’s My Perspective. As she reflects on Women’s History Month, she reminds us that we are all responsible for continuing the legacy of women leaders who have pioneered new ideas and helped crack, if not shatter, the glass ceiling. Because health disparities are still a reality in our community, and because Latinas are more likely than any other ethnic group to be diagnosed with human papiloma virus (HPV), we provide an overview of the disease and important facts about HPV in our Health section. Read it on page 47; and remind the women in your life about the importance of an annual Pap smear. A simple test can save lives! I hope you enjoy this month’s editorial lineup. Don’t forget to visit us online and, if you prefer to read Latino Perspectives on your computer or mobile device, sign up to receive a complimentary digital subscription of our magazine at latinopm.com/digital.
Editorial mission statement
Latino Perspectives creates community, cultivates c u lt ural pr ide and provokes, challenges and connec ts L at inos who are def ining, pursuing, and ac h iev i n g t he A me r ic a n L at i no D re am .
Your thoughts? Tell us what you think. Send your thoughts to editor@latinopm.com
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, P.O. Box 2213 Litchfield Park, Az. 85340. Or, email letters to editor@latinopm.com. latinopm.com
¡ March 2012!
Latino Perspectives Magazine
7
¡! ¿Será posible?
Stache this in your pipe and smoke it By Robrt L. Pela
It sounds like an overworked Monty
Python sketch, but, in fact, it’s a real thing: the International Mustache Film Festival (IMFF) is coming to town. Well, to Portland, Maine, anyhow. Billed as “the world’s first mustache-centric film festival,” the event is open to moviemakers far and wide who’ve been invited to submit short films of eight minutes or less to be viewed and judged at the festival. The cineaste whose film has the hairiest upper lip will be awarded a cash prize. Presented on March 30, in conjunction with New England’s largest mustache pageant (the fifth annual Stache Pag), the festival’s categories will include Best Foreign Mustache Film, Best Growth Story, Best Collection of Mustaches in One Film, and
Best Fake Mustache Movie. No, really. Hosted by Dr. Lou Jacobs, director of the New England Bureau of the American Mustache Institute, the festival is on the up-andup. “This is an important moment in mustache history,” Jacobs says, with absolutely no irony whatsoever. “Never has there been a film festival dedicated to the unique art of filming the mustached male (or female). The American Mustache Institute would like to congratulate the IMFF for its efforts to preserve the mustached arts.” Jacobs’ organization, which claims to have been “protecting the rights of, and
400 BC
1946
The term cancer originates.
3000 BC
Signs of cancer found on bones from ancient Egypt.
fighting discrimination against, mustached Americans, by promoting the growth, care and culture of the moustache,” is strictly nonprofit, and the furry film festival will turn over any profits to the Northeast Historic Film Society, as well as to something called Mystache Fights Cancer. Tom Selleck was unavailable for comment.
Chemotherapy is developed.
1899
The X-ray revolutionizes tumor discovery.
¡! ¿Será posible?
Our man, Wysong Pity the American male. Confused by
the increasing number of strong women working and politicking in his country, he’s taken to mourning his second-class status, and to wondering where in the world his strength and dominance have gone. All this head-scratching has led, according to author Jim Wysong, to some serious man-stress. “Most men are wired to be in charge; it’s part of their DNA,” says Wysong, whose new book, The Neutering of the American Male, considers the psychology of confused gender roles and how the resulting stress can harm a dude’s health. “[Men] come into the world with a tendency toward certain masculine characteristics, for instance, a preference for building blocks over building relationships. Over the past century, gender roles have blurred. The man’s feminine characteristics overdevelop, so his psychological needs can be met by the masculine woman in his life, be it his mother or his wife.”
What is this, 1956? Do we really need a new book that examines the impact of postWorld War II working women on American culture? Wysong, who appears to have slept through the last half century, thinks so. “While everyone has both masculine and feminine qualities, problems occur when a person loses balance and is living opposite his or her core,” the real estate broker-turned-author insists. “The incongruence leads to stress, distress and dissatisfaction. And, increasingly, thanks to the nation’s current economic tailspin, some very confused men and women.” In his just-published book, Wysong offers a helpful checklist of telltale signs that a man is giving in to his female side. If a fellow has “lots of friends who are girls,
but no girlfriends,” for example, he may be in danger of losing his “masculine presence” among women – always fatal to anyone who isn’t gay or looking for a group with whom to watch reruns of Sex and the City. Or, if a guy is more comfortable around women than men, he may lose his natural ability for confrontation, apparently a talent that’s enormously important to real men the world over, who should not, according to Wysong, aspire to feeling “more supported by, and therefore less threatened by, women.” It is this stunning logic that has us so looking forward to Wysong’s next book, which we hope will, once and for all, answer the question about who is smarter, boys or girls?
The history of cancer meets a future of hope. Banner Health has teamed up with MD Anderson Cancer Center, ranked # 1 in cancer care by U.S.News and World Report’s “America’s Best Hospitals” survey, to open Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center. We’re fighting cancer like never before with a powerful combination of groundbreaking treatments, revolutionary facilities, and the world-class exper tise of professionals like Medical Director, Edgardo Rivera, M.D. ( pictured here). It’s time to expect more in the battle against cancer. Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center – bringing new hope to cancer patients.
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Conversation starters from the world around us
12 LP Journal
ASU’s reversal on web censorship; resignation of District 13’s Rep. Richard Miranda; Scottsdale welcomes the Barrio Queen
17 Anaya says 19 Rincón del arte
Be prepared to save a life
Art imitates life in Kerin Martinez’ newest role in American Victory
i say... Our nation is facing serious issues – issues that require a President with the conservative conviction and experience to guide America back towards the ideals that made our country great.
image courtesy of PBS
AZ Superintendent of Public Instruction, John Huppenthal, on his endorsement of GOP presidential hopeful, Rick Santorum
page
16
Michelle Rodriguez, cinema’s “tough girl” (of Avatar fame) to be subject of Henry Louis Gates, Jr.’s genealogical probe
President Obama once said he wants everybody in America to go to college. What a snob! ... There are good, decent men and women who go out and work hard every day and put their skills to test that aren’t taught by some liberal college professor to try to indoctrinate them. Oh, I understand why he wants you to go to college; he wants to remake you in his image. GOP presidential hopeful, Rick Santorum
latinopm.com
¡ March 2012!
Latino Perspectives Magazine
11
¡!
LP journal
g r o . e g n a ch ASU policy-makers exhibit quick-change artistry with Internet access issues
Around the block with ASU Few were surprised when Arizona State University recently blocked access to change.org, a popular and widely-used website that allows Internet denizens the opportunity to author and sign petitions that promote social change. The bolt from the blue came quickly, in the form of a hasty reversal of the ban and an awful lot of back-pedaling by the university. Angry activists buried ASU in emailed complaints within hours of the net block, which the school is claiming had nothing to do with change.org’s content. The blockade became necessary, according to ASU, to protect its web network from spam and viruses. “Arizona State University blocked access to the website change.org after it was used to spam thousands of university email accounts in early December, 2011,” according to an official release sent to media just after ASU’s access to change.org was restored. “[T]he university routinely blocks both inbound and outbound access to sites that distribute spam to stop the propagation of malware and the associated compromise of an individual’s personal information or the security of university accounts 12
Latino Perspectives Magazine
¡ March 2012!
latinopm.com
and information. The university blocks spam emails regardless of their content.” The release went on to state that “ASU strongly supports the First Amendment and an individual’s or group’s right to free speech.” But some of the university’s detractors disagree, in part because the plug-pulling on change.org occurred while the site was circulating a petition demanding a decrease in ASU’s tuition rates. It’s that petition, according to a Tumblr blog post written by ASU student, Eric Haywood, that was behind the university’s censure on December 7 – an accusation that ASU firmly denied. Yet mere hours after Haywood created a second petition titled “Arizona State University: Stop CENSORING change. org,” the school’s ban on the petitioning site was suddenly lifted. But not quickly enough to keep the story from going national and drawing fire from several activist organizations. “The timing of ASU’s actions in this case has created the unmistakable impression that ASU has used its spam policy as a pretext to deny access to a petition because of content that is critical of the university and its administration,” a spokesperson from the Foundation for Individual
Rights in Education wrote in a letter to ASU president, Michael Crow, in early February.
Quezada replaces Miranda at the legislature Tongues began wagging when Democrat Richard Miranda resigned from the Arizona House of Representatives last month. The District 13 representative said, in a letter to House Speaker Andy Tobin, that he was resigning because of “personal health and family issues.” Effective only days after the letter was received, his resignation ended a 13-year career in office. He did not return calls seeking comment. “I have found my experiences over the last 13 years rewarding and satisfying,” Miranda wrote to Tobin. “I take pride in the advocacy made on behalf of the underserved community that I have represented. I will continue to recover from my health issues and take care of my personal family issues.” Miranda served in the House of Representatives for four years, from 1999 to 2002, and then moved to the state Senate, where he served four terms. At the time of his resignation,
LP journal legislature as a research analyst and policy advisor to the Democratic Caucus. He’s currently the vice-president of the Governing Board of the Pendergast Elementary School District, a member the Maryvale Village Planning Committee, and serves on the board of ASU Los Diablos Hispanic Alumni Association, Los Abogados and the West Phoenix Revitalization Community Advisory Board.
It’s not easy being barrio queen Martin J. Quezada
he was serving a first term back in the House; his district includes the Westside communities of Tolleson, Maryvale and Avondale. While wags pondered the real reasons behind Miranda’s departure, individuals and community groups leapt at the chance to submit recommendations for Miranda’s replacement. In the end, three Avondale democrats submitted applications to fill the vacancy: Martin J. Quezada, Lorenzo Sierra (who is running for the House in the new Legislative District 19), and educator Paul Valach. A five-member citizen panel interviewed the candidates and forwarded recommendations to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, who appointed Quezada. “He is familiar with what is going on down there and will hit the ground running,” said Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, who made the motion to appoint Quezada. “He also got so many letters of support,” she added. The 34 year old, who was born and raised in Maryvale, announced earlier this year his intentions to run for the House in the newly created Legislative District 29. After obtaining his law degree from Arizona State University, he worked for five years in the state
Just when we were getting used to the idea of Euro-Mexican cuisine, Barrio Café owner and chef, Silvana Salcido Esparza, shuttered one of her two new restaurants. Less than a month after opening Silvana Bistro, Esparza locked the doors on this upscale restaurant, located in Old Town Scottsdale in the former Southbridge storefront. “The feeling was not there,” Esparza wrote on Facebook shortly after closing the bistro. “The menu was not right yet ... the flow of the kitchen. The food was steller (sic) and the service was subpar, so my focus
¡!
was on trying to keep up and fixing the problems as they occurred.” Not for long. With two new restaurants to look after (Esparza opened a more casual diner, Barrio Queen, right next door to the quickly dead Silvana Bistro a few weeks before), Esparza threw in la toalla and shifted her focus to Barrio Queen, which proved to be an instant hit with fans of her Phoenix Barrio Café, known far and wide for its excellent mole and its table-side guacamole preparation. Word on the street is that diners were put off by Silvana Bistro’s unusual menu, which Esparza called “Euro-Mexican,” and which borrowed from French and Italian cuisine – a fusion that’s proven popular on the east coast, but which food fans here apparently weren’t prepared for. And so, Esparza has slid some of the Bistro’s entrees onto the menu next door, as well as much of its seating, more than doubling Barrio Queen’s dining capacity. “I am going to do what I do best, be the barrio queen,” Esparza told her Facebook fans at the time. “I drive a low-rider, for Christ’s sake!”
latinopm.com
¡ March 2012!
Latino Perspectives Magazine
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vibe
Spring Paintout at DBG
El Rey del Acordeón
The Desert Botanical Garden and the Scottsdale
Ramón Ayala is venturing into the restaurant
Artists League present the 17th annual Spring Paintout. Every Saturday in March, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., visitors to the Botanical Garden will encounter Scottsdale Artists League members capturing the beauty of the Garden through photography and painting in a variety of media. The artists will present their completed works in an art show and sale scheduled for March 31, and April 1, 2012. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Desert Botanical Garden and the Scottsdale Artists League’s Scholarship Fund. The Desert Botanical Garden is located at 1201 N. Galvin Parkway in Phoenix. Admission: $8 for children 3–12; $10 for students 13–18; $15 for seniors 60+; $18 for adults 19–59; infants and members, free. Visit dbg.org for more information.
business. The singer/songwriter has partnered with Primm Valley Casino Resorts and, last month, celebrated the grand opening of Ramón Ayala Cocina y Cantina. The eatery opened last month at Buffalo Bill’s Resort and Casino, located 25 minutes south of Las Vegas at the southern Nevada/California state line. Known as the King of the Accordion, Ayala has recorded more than 105 albums and has received four Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards. Cocina y Cantina features authentic Mexican fare, live music, and Ramón memorabilia and merchandising – just in case you go to Vegas and want to splurge on a Ramón Ayala T-shirt.
Get more Vibe at www.latinopm.com
American Victory, the play The alluring story of local Olympic gold medalist,
Henry Cejudo, center, listens as ASU theater and film professor, Guillermo Reyes, and students rehearse American Victory. The play opens March 2 as part of the Herberger Institute MainStage Centennial series.
14
Latino Perspectives Magazine
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Henry Cejudo, comes to life on stage this month as part of the ASU School of Theatre and Film’s MainStage Arizona Centennial Season. American Victory, an original play by graduate student and playwright, José Zárate, is part of the Arizona Centennial Project New Works series. The play is an adaptation of the homonymous memoir written by Cejudo with co-author Bill Plaschke. The play is directed by award-winning playwright and ASU professor Guillermo Reyes, director of the Centennial series. Alberto Ley stars as Cejudo, and Kerin Martinez as Cejudo’s mother, Nelly Rico (read Kerin’s profile in Rincón del Arte on page 19). Dates and show times: March 2–4, 8–10, 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. March 11 at 2 p.m. Location: ASU Tempe Campus, Nelson Fine Arts Center, studio 133. Tickets: $8–16, are available at asu.edu/events, or by phone at 480-965-6447.
Clockwise From top left: Photo by Adam Rodriguez, courtesy of Desert Botanical Garden; Courtesy of RA Cocina y Cantina; Photo by Taylor Fenno, courtesy of ASU
¡!
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A F U S I O N O F A R T A N D C U LT U R E
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Celebrating 30 Years of the HBA Scholarship Fund May 11 2012 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm Live music to follow
Madison Event Center 441 W Madison Street Phoenix, AZ
Cocktails, Lotería, Raffle Prizes, Live Music, art auction & more... For more information and ticket purchase please visit wpcarey.asu.edu/alumni/hba latinopm.com
¡ March 2012!
Latino Perspectives Magazine
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¡!
Pocho keen
vibe
Like peachy keen, pero different Photo courtesy of PBS
Rich kid, poor kid Not long ago, I read an article Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Alphonse Fletcher Professor at Harvard University and director of the W.E.B. du Bois Institute for African and African-American Research, is writer, producer and host of a new PBS series.
Finding your roots Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., is at it again.
After much success with his Black in America and Faces of America series, the Harvard professor continues to find new ways to “get into the DNA of American culture.” Finding your Roots with Henry Louis Gates is a ten-part series examining the genealogy and history of well-known personalities and celebrities. Each hour-long episode focuses on a pair of seemingly unrelated individuals. As the host treks through layers of ancestral history and genealogy, the pair is revealed to be somehow linked in an intimate, often hidden, way. “It will be a moving, uplifting, entertaining and enlightening experience for viewers,” says Gates. “Genealogy is more popular than ever; it’s a fascinating endeavor that can drastically alter both history and the way we think about ourselves.” Among others, the star-studded guest list includes actor Michelle Rodriguez, who discovers family secrets left behind when her parents immigrated to the U.S., while Robert Downey, Jr., marvels at the vastness of his family tree traced to the 13th century. Viewers can share their stories, family pictures and browse an online collection created by genealogy aficionados via the interactive companion website: pbs.org/ wnet/finding-your-roots. The series premieres nationally on March 28 on PBS (PBS airs locally on KAET channel 8). 16
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about “stupid” habits people tend to develop as a result of growing up poor. Some of the habits I could relate to more than others, but what the article really did was get me to relive the scarcity in my life. It also made me wonder if I was going to be one of those parents who says things like, “... when I was a kid, we didn’t have toys. We had rocks and sticks and we were happy to have them!” It also made me marvel at how naive I was as a young person about life in general. Not growing up with things can make you go “Whoa!” when you actually see those things in real life – things like your friends not only having their own beds, but their own rooms, too! The first time that happened to me was in the fifth grade. I went to the house of my friend whose family owned a dairy. Their house was big, but I just assumed they kept cow-related things in there. When my friend asked if I wanted to see his “room,” I didn’t know how to react. “Sure,” I said. We left the kitchen and entered a gigantic room that sort of looked like our living room because it had a TV (a much bigger one) and some couches (as in plural). My friend, Scott – or “Escot” as my mom called him – then headed up the stairs while I stayed frozen in my tracks, thinking about how we could actually play football inside this room. Stairs? I had never seen stairs in a house. After checking out his room and his “things,” his own things – like his very
own clothes, toys, underwear, posters – well, I freaked out a bit. Leaving his room, I saw a small kid poke his head out of another room down the hall. No way does this kid have his own room, too, and his own things! Yep, he did. These kids had won the lottery of life. I was freaking out on the inside, but on the outside I was like, “cool house, man.” Then we had dinner – as a group – with place settings and matching glasses! Everyone got the same amount of everything. Not that we never had dinners like that, we just did it on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Growing up poor can hurt when you’re a kid and it can seem unfair, but, I also remember why we didn’t always eat dinner together. There were seven of us and my dad didn’t come home from work until after nine p.m., often bringing home food from the restaurant where he worked. My mom worked, too, and then she would make food that my friends would salivate over. It would all be in pots and, whenever we kids would get home separately from our games or from practice, we would load our plates and scarf down food that I long for today. Then, we’d run back out and play until around the time my dad would get home. I didn’t feel poor, just different. I know now that we were, indeed, poor, and I know that my own kids won’t have those same experiences and routines I had growing up. Pobrecitos.
Vibe
¡!
Anaya says
Photo Courtesy of The Arizona Science Center
Matters of the heart By Catherine Anaya
Some thought it was strange that
Van Gogh Alive is a multi-sensory exhibition that uses light, color and sound to bring van Gogh’s work to life.
Van Gogh Alive If you are looking for a traditional
museum experience, in which you pace quietly through a gallery while appreciating original pieces of artwork from afar, skip Van Gogh Alive. The latest exhibit at the Arizona Science Center is anything but traditional. It explores the work of the Dutch painter during a ten-year period of his career (1880 to 1890). The multi-sensory exhibition uses light, color and sound to bring van Gogh’s work to life and guide the viewer through the gallery. Large-scale images of the artist’s work, along with video and photographs of his sources of inspiration, are projected onto walls and screens synchronized with classical music from the period (in surround sound). If you want to study the color and technique of van Gogh’s paintings, this hightech experience is for you. The quality and size of the humongous images allow for the examination of the works in hyper-fine detail. Van Gogh Alive runs through June 17. The Arizona Science Center is located at 600 E. Washington Street in Phoenix. Member admission is $8; non-member adults, $25; seniors, $22; and children (3–17), $20.
I took the day off work to be at the hospital for my ex-husband’s heart surgery. I didn’t think twice. I will always consider him family and, as the father of my children, I will always care about his health. His recent experience has been a good reminder that heart disease isn’t simply “a man’s disease.” In fact, it’s the number one killer of American women and the number one killer of Hispanic women. A few years ago, my ex, who is only 45-years-old, collapsed in the middle of the night. That’s when doctors first diagnosed him with atrial fibrillation. A medical encyclopedia describes this fairly common condition as an abnormal heartbeat in which the heart rhythm is fast and irregular. He was put on medication to control it. But late last year he collapsed on the field during one of my son’s soccer games; doctors determined that medication alone wasn’t working. Surgery was necessary. I’m relieved to say he’s doing well, but his condition has been unsettling for our children who worry about their father. I worry about what would happen if they were with him and something went wrong, so I signed us up for a CPR class. If (heaven forbid!) something did go wrong and they were the only people with him, I want them to know how to aid him, or anyone else in the same circumstances. It is an important life skill and one I’ve neglected for far too long – particularly given the statistics. More women die of heart disease than all forms of cancer combined. But,
it frequently goes undetected because its symptoms are silent, hidden and, according to the American Heart Association, misunderstood, especially among Latinas. “Traditionally, for women the symptoms aren’t as intense or strong. For women, it might be that they’re a little tired or have a nagging pain … not like the ‘Hollywood effect’ that you would see with men: really dramatic, intense, kind of obvious,” says Nancy Espinosa, Health Equity Director with the American Heart Association. She tells me that the challenge is getting women in general, but specifically Latinas, to make their own health as important as that of their families. “They are so busy taking care of their families, they don’t often take the time to pay attention to themselves – to exercise, get active, cook healthier. Honoring the values of our culture and trying to make that shift is a delicate balance … You can be healthy and still eat some of the traditional foods,” Espinosa adds. Education is key, which is why the American Heart Association is making a big push with a campaign called “Go Red por tu Corazón” (GoRedCorazon.org). The goal is to get women to learn the truth about heart disease not just for our families, but for ourselves, and change the statistics. Catherine Anaya anchors CBS 5 News weeknights at 5, 5:30, 6 & 10pm. She is a mother of two, marathon runner and motivational speaker. Reach her at canaya@cbs5az.com, on Facebook, Twitter and at CatherineAnaya.com.
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rincón del arte
¡!
Inspired by beating the odds Kerin Martinez, actor and theater arts major Originally from: I was born in Miami, Arizona, while my mother was visiting family there. I lived in many parts of the Phoenix metro area during my childhood, but ultimately call Tempe home.
In Arizona since: My family has been in Arizona for five generations.
Education: I graduated from Marcos de Niza High School in 2009, and I am currently a junior at Arizona State University. I will receive my B.A. in Theater from the Herberger Institute of Design and the Arts in May, 2013. Who or what influenced your decision to pursue an acting career? I was 13 years old when I
Photos Courtesy of ASU
fell in love with the theater. It happened during the first play I was in, a junior high production of The Music Man. When the curtain dropped after the opening night performance, I knew without a doubt that I would spend my life on the stage. Throughout high school, my choir and drama teachers at Marcos de Niza High School nurtured this passion and pushed me to believe in the power of theater. They encouraged me to follow my heart despite my fears and doubts. I have them to thank for the courage to pursue what I love.
An artist you want to meet: I would love to meet and work with Carol Burnett. My favorite kind of work is comedy, and Burnett is a comic genius! Current projects: I try to tackle only one project at a time during the semester. Right now, I am focused on American Victory (about Olympic wrestler Henry Cejudo) in which I perform the role of Henry’s mother, Nelly Rico. I am honored to be the first to portray this woman who has not only survived back-breaking hardships, but triumphed despite the odds. It is not difficult to identify with this character, having watched my own mother struggle as a single mom. She has overcome many hurdles similar to Ms. Rico’s and has served as a great inspiration to me in creating this character.
Next professional goal? I am currently in the process of applying for an internship with Teatro Luna, Chicago’s all-Latina theater company. I hope to spend the fall semester in Chicago gaining experience with a nonprofit theater company, and then return to Arizona in the spring to graduate from ASU. Kerin Martinez playing the role of Beatriz in the 2010 ASU production of 26 Miles
Help us highlight the local arts Send information to editor@latinopm.com. latinopm.com
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RAUL H. CASTRO I N S T I T U T E
O F
Join us for a tribute to Amanda Aguirre, Anna María Chávez, Elizabeth Archuleta and Terri Cruz
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Wednesday, March 28
Phoenix Art Museum - 5:30-8:00pm — Live music - Appetizers - No-host bar Sponsored by
Community Partner
In celebration of Arizona Trailblazers By Jonathan J. Higuera
I
f the term “trailblazer” refers to someone creating a path where there once
was none so that others may follow, then this year’s Arizona Latina Trailblazers honorees truly embody the definition. Their personal and professional accomplishments are characterized by a series of firsts: first in their families, first in their neighborhoods, first in their towns and cities, and first in their generation to reach heights and goals previously unattained by Latinas. Whether it was becoming the first Latina to serve on the county board of supervisors, first Latina from a rural border district to serve in the state legislature, first Latina to lead a venerated national organization or the first Latina to serve as a founding board member for one of the country’s largest Latino-run nonprofits, the honorees broke new ground with their endeavors and achievements. The common thread among the honorees is the desire to help people in their communities get a fair shot at attaining the rights and opportunities afforded to all who reside in this great country. For Amanda Aguirre, serving in the state legislature struck her as a logical extension of the work she had done in public health, serving the needs of rural areas near Yuma and the U.S.Mexico borderlands. When appointed to serve as the representative for her state legislative district in 2003, she broke through a barrier that had existed for decades, because no Latino or Latina had held that seat, despite its being in a majority Latino area. In another part of the state, Elizabeth Archuleta’s passion for the greater good led her to become the first Latina to serve on the Coconino County Board of Supervisors at the age of 31. Now, more than a decade later, she still holds the position and has a major commitment to helping Flagstaff neighborhoods become empowered. In her chosen profession at Northern Arizona University, she’s created and developed numerous programs to give youth the skills and confidence to become leaders and reach their potential. As a young girl growing up in Eloy, Arizona, Anna Maria Chávez joined a Girl Scout troop hoping it would provide some fun experiences that were hard to come by in her small town. She had no inkling that one day she would be chosen to run the national Girl Scouts of the USA organization. In 2011, she became the 19th leader of the 100-plus-year-old organization. Before joining the Girl Scouts, she left her mark in Arizona, working on the staff of former Gov. Janet Napolitano. Terri Cruz’s amiable personality belies her fierce determination to help people get the services they need and deserve. Although she points out that there was no “plan” for her career other than to do what was in her heart, it has been a remarkable journey that has made life better for countless individuals. It is also why a building at the Chicanos por la Causa facility on Buckeye Road is named the Terri Cruz Social Services Center. latinopm.com
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Photo Courtesy of CPLC
Terri Cruz
Terri Cruz will be the first to tell you that she never planned her career. She just took on whatever challenge or opportunity came across her path and, in her words, “put it in the Lord’s hands.” The result has been an incredible journey that has taken her from cleaning houses for close to two decades to a long career in social services, mostly with her employer of 31 years, Chicanos por la Causa (CPLC), the same group she co-founded as an original board member. She became so effective and well thought of for the work she did that she now has a building in the CPLC complex named after her, the Terri Cruz Social Services Center. Her transition from cleaning woman to service provider started with an improbable election victory as a precinct committeewoman. As she recalled, a lawyer she cleaned for encouraged her to run for that position. At first, she resisted, saying she didn’t have the skills. At the time, she only had an eighth grade education. But the lawyer persisted and she finally said okay, figuring she had no chance of winning. Remarkably, she did win, and this was followed by subsequent employment as a receptionist, job developer, personnel manager and social service provider. Her new vocation coincided with the “War on Poverty” initiative. That effort fomented in her a desire to provide opportunities to all. She did this as a job developer for SER Manpower Training Center, and through the numerous boards on which she served. But, as a mother of eight children, she still continued to clean houses to help make ends meet. Eventually, she transitioned to full-time work in job placement, working for SER Progress and becoming a personnel manager at the old Rhodes Department Store before becoming a social services counselor at CPLC. Of her time in job development and placement, she recalls telling potential employers, “We’re not asking for a handout. We just want a fair opportunity to show you we can help you with your business and make money.” At CPLC, her ability to touch so many lives is a testament to what can happen when you open your heart and decide to help others. Cruz, raised by an aunt after her father and mother both died within less than a year when she was five years old, remarked that her whole career has been so improbable, considering where she started.
Photo Courtesy of Valle Del Sol
Elizabeth Archuleta
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Helping people, especially youth, achieve their full potential has propelled Elizabeth Archuleta’s life and career to amazing heights. At 31 years old, Elizabeth Archuleta became the youngest person to serve on the Coconino County Board of Supervisors and the only Latina to ever hold a seat on the powerful board. During the 16 years that she served on board, she solidified her reputation as a passionate advocate for neighborhoods. The contributions she and her family have made to the development of northern Arizona is a tribute to her ancestors, who settled in the area decades ago as one of Flagstaff’s pioneering families. Archuleta’s accomplishments are not restricted to the realm of politics. As a staff member at Northern Arizona University (NAU), she developed programs designed to increase diversity at the campus, build leadership skills in youth and attract grants to fund those programs. She has been a persistent voice for enhancing inclusivity and diversity at the school. The programs she brought to Flagstaff include: Hispanics Organizing for Youth, which replicated the Hispanic mother-daughter program originally instituted at Arizona State University; the Minority Access and
Photo courtesy of Girl Scouts of the USA
Anna Maria Chávez
Anna Maria Chávez was the first person of color to lead the Girl Scouts of the USA. As a 10-year-old girl in Eloy, Arizona, Chávez had no inkling when she first joined a Girl Scout troop that she would someday lead the national organization as its chief executive officer. This is a role she relishes for its clear mandate to provide leadership opportunities to young girls. She herself benefited from being a Girl Scout, even though it was a small, under-resourced troop. “We didn’t have uniforms,” she recalled, “but we had badges.” Chávez has been pushing through doors her whole life. Her accomplishments, which include getting a bachelor of arts from Yale University and a law degree from the Rogers School of Law at the University of Arizona, fill a resume and then some. She has held several high-profile positions within the federal government in Washington, D.C.: legal counsel for the Federal Highway Administration; senior policy advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Transportation; chief of staff to the Deputy Administrator at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA); and advisor to senior SBA and White House officials. She returned to Arizona in 2000 to work for former Gov. Jane Dee Hull. Later, she served in former Gov. Janet Napolitano’s cabinet, rising to deputy chief of staff. After Gov. Napolitano resigned to become chief of Homeland Security, Chávez sought out a new opportunity as the executive officer of the Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas, which eventually led to her current role with the Girl Scouts of the USA. She also served as a role model by becoming the first Latina to sit on the Central Arizona Community College Governing Board. She credits her mother and father with providing her with unwavering support in the pursuit of her hopes and dreams. Anna Maria’s mother and father met while working in the fields. Her parents recognized the need to give their daughter every opportunity to fulfill her potential. They moved to the Phoenix area when Anna was in the eighth grade so she could attend high school in the Paradise Valley High School District. She graduated from Shadow Mountain High School with honors, where she also received generous support from the teachers there. At the time, Shadow Mountain was a youngish school and Chávez was possibly the first from the school to attend Yale University. Chávez is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Exemplary Leadership Award from Valle del Sol, the Adjutant General Medal, the Diversity Leadership Award presented by the Arizona National Guard, and, most recently, the 2012 Chairman’s Award from the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Achievement Council, which brings business, industry and education together to address needs of minority youth; and the Young Women’s Minority Leadership Conference, which she founded to foster leadership in multicultural and at-risk youth. She has received a Valle del Sol Profiles of Success Award and other professional recognitions. She still lives in the neighborhood where she grew up and where her parents still live today – the Sunnyside neighborhood in Flagstaff. Archuleta is quick to point out that her community work is an extension of the values she received from her parents, Remigio and Isabel Archuleta. They always encouraged her to be whatever she dreamed she could be, and served as role models for their three children. Working in the family ice-cream-truck business provided Liz and her siblings a chance to pay their way through college; all attended Northern Arizona University. Liz received her degree, majoring in Speech and Communication and Spanish, then went on to work at NAU and eventually became coordinator of multicultural affairs. Archuleta’s most rewarding achievements have been creating and developing programs that have provided Hispanic, African American and Native American youth in middle and high schools with the skills, confidence and vision to pursue a college degree. Not only did she do it, she created a path for others to follow. latinopm.com
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Amanda Aguirre
Amanda Aguirre has dedicated most of her professional life to improving the health and welfare of people in the Yuma border region and beyond. As president and chief executive officer of the San Luis Walk-In Clinic and president/CEO of the Regional Center for Border Health, she has created a network of services for people who might otherwise have gone without health care. Her career is a labor of love, and Aguirre is still putting her considerable expertise and time into creating resources to address border and public health issues. Most recently, she cofounded the Nuestros Niños Foundation, a private foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life for children and families living along the U.S.-Mexico border. In addition, she is promoting a project to build a $10 million medical complex that would house a primary health care center, an ambulatory center with 15 to 20 beds, a vocational training program and other health education programs. Aguirre believes that people are entitled to quality health care and education. She credits her upbringing with instilling in her the ideal of equality. “It was a very beautiful childhood,” she recalled, “I was blessed with two parents who raised five kids; they made us all feel very special as individuals, and ingrained in us that everybody was equal.” She entered the political arena in 2003 as a means to move policy forward on the issues she believed were important. In 2004, she became the first Hispanic, and first female, to represent District 24 in the state legislature. District 24 encompasses parts of Yuma and La Paz Counties. Two years later, she would be elected to the Arizona State Senate for District 24, a seat she would hold until November, 2010, when she lost her re-election bid to a Tea Party candidate. The loss hasn’t dampened her appetite for politics and she’s preparing for future runs, although she has yet to announce for which seat. Born in Agua Prieta and raised in Nacozari, Sonora, along with four siblings, she credits her parents, who were educators, with instilling a love for learning, a duty to give and a work ethic geared to the fulfillment of whatever dreams you have. She received a chemistry degree from the University of Sonora in Hermosillo, and later a master’s degree in nutrition from California State University in Los Angeles. Her grown daughter graduated from MIT and her only son is a helicopter pilot for the U.S. Air Force who flies missions in Afghanistan and other hotspots. 24
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Deser t Botanical G arDen
Wildflowers at the Garden Throughout Spring
Visit the Harriet K. Maxwell Desert Wildflower Loop Trail to experience a kaleidoscope of color as desert wildflowers bloom throughout the spring. Trail closes at sunset.
Spring Butterfly Exhibit
March 3 – May 13 / 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. / Daily Maxine and Jonathan Marshall Butterfly Pavilion Members: Free General Public: $3.50 with paid Garden admission Children under three free Stroll through the beautiful Marshall Butterfly Pavilion and be surrounded by hundreds of fluttering butterflies.
Get the latest info for the Garden at 1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, Arizona 85008 dbg.org dbg.org | 480 941.1225
soul-shaking! Cubano Be, Cubano Bop: Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Jazz Band featuring Terence Blanchard Fri, March 23, 8 p.m. | Tickets start at $29 Two Grammy Award-winning jazz legends share the stage in a red-hot tribute to the Afro-Cuban jazz pioneered by the Original Conga King Chano Pozo and Dizzy Gillespie. Presented with support from
order your tickets today! soul-sh
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480-499-TKTS (8587) ScottsdalePerformingArts.org 7380 E. Second St.
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p u ’ n i v o M and
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Gabrielle Giffords first made history in 2000 when she became the youngest woman ever elected to the Arizona State Senate. She went on to become a U.S. representative and was serving her second term when, in January of 2011, she survived a gunshot wound to the head in an assassination attempt that killed six and wounded thirteen people. She stepped down from Congress early this year to focus on her recovery, but vowed to return. In Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope, she and her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, share their remarkable story. Told in Mark’s voice and from Gabby’s heart, the book is a reminder of the power of true grit, and the transcendence of love. ***Chapter 1 The Beach
Excerpt
the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, or whether she was alone with me, talking about her yearning to have a child. Gabby doesn’t have all those words at I used to be able to tell just what my her command anymore, at least not yet. wife, Gabby, was thinking. I could sense it in her body language— A brain injury like hers is a kind of hurthe way she leaned forward when she was ricane, blowing away some words and intrigued by someone and wanted to soak phrases, and leaving others almost within up every word being said; the way she reach, but buried deep, under debris or in nodded politely when listening to some a different place. “It’s awful,” Gabby will know-it-all who had the floor; the way say, and I have to agree with her. But here’s the thing: While Gabby she’d look at me, eyes sparkling, with that full-on smile of hers, when she wanted me struggles for words, coping with a conto know she loved me. She was a woman stant frustration that the rest of us can’t who lived in the moment—every moment. fathom, I still know what she’s thinking Gabby was a talker, too. She was so much of the time. Yes, her words come animated, using her hands as punctua- haltingly or imperfectly or not at all, but tion marks, and she’d speak with passion, I can still read her body language. I still clarity, and good humor, which made her know the nuances of that special smile someone you wanted to listen to. Usu- of hers. She’s still contagiously animated ally, I didn’t have to ask or wonder what and usually upbeat, using her one good she was thinking. She’d articulate every hand for emphasis. And she still knows what I’m thinking, detail. Words mattered to her, whether she was speaking about immigration on too.
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There’s a moment that Gabby and I are going to hold on to, a moment that speaks to our new life together and the way we remain connected. It was in late April 2011, not quite four months after Gabby was shot in the head by a would-be assassin. As an astronaut, I had just spent five days in quarantine, awaiting the last launch of space shuttle Endeavour, which I’d be commanding. It was around noon on the day before the scheduled liftoff, and my five crew members and I had been given permission to see our spouses for a couple of hours, one last time. We’d be meeting with our wives on the back deck of this old, rundown two-story Florida beach house that NASA has maintained for decades. It is on the grounds of the Kennedy Space Center, and there’s even a sign at the dirt road leading to it that simply says “The Beach House.” The house used to have a bed that astronauts and their significant others would use for unofficial “romantic reunions.” Now it’s just a meeting place for NASA managers, and by tradition, a gathering spot where spouses say their farewells to departing astronauts, hoping they’ll see them again. Twice in the space shuttle’s thirty-year history, crews did not make it home from their missions. And so after a meal and some socializing as a group, couples usually break away and take private walks down the desolate beach, hand in hand. The 2,000-square-foot house is the only structure on the oceanfront for more than twenty-five miles, since NASA controls a huge chunk of Florida’s “space coast.” Look in any direction and there’s nothing but sand, seagulls, an occasional sea turtle, and the Atlantic Ocean. It’s Florida pretty much the way it was centuries ago. On our previous visit to this spot, the day before my shuttle mission in May 2008, Gabby and I were newlyweds, sitting in the sand, chatting about the mis-
Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope by Gabrielle Giffords and Mark Kelly, with Jeffrey Zaslow. Scribner, 2011, hardcover sion, her upcoming election, and our future together. Gabby reminded me of how very “blessed” we both were; she often said that. She felt we needed to be very thankful for everything that we had. And we were. The biggest problem on our minds was finding time to see each other, given our demanding careers in separate cities. It seemed complicated then, the jigsaw puzzle that was our lives, but in retrospect, it was so simple and easy. We couldn’t have
imagined that we’d return for a launch three years later and everything would be so different. This time, Gabby entered the beach house being pushed in a wheelchair, wearing a helmet to protect the side of her head where part of her skull was missing. It had been removed during the surgery that saved her life after she was shot. While the others at the house had come in pairs (each astronaut with a spouse), latinopm.com
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Gabby and I showed up with this whole crazy entourage—her mother, her chief of staff, a nurse, three U.S. Capitol Police officers, three Kennedy Space Center security officers, and a NASA colleague assigned to look after Gabby for the duration of my mission. The support Gabby now needed was considerable, and certainly not what my fellow crew members expected in their final moments with their wives. Instead of an intimate goodbye on a secluded beach, this became quite the circus. It was a bit embarrassing, but the men on my crew and their spouses were 100 percent supportive. They understood. Gabby had just logged sixteen arduous and painful weeks sequestered in a Tucson hospital and then a Houston rehab center. She had worked incredibly hard, struggling to retrain her brain and fight off depression over her circumstances. For her doctors and security detail to give their blessings and allow her to travel, this was how her coming-out needed to be handled. My crewmates and their wives greeted Gabby warmly, and she smiled at all of them, and said hello, though it was clear she was unable to make real small-talk. Some words and most sentences were still beyond her. Everyone was positive, but everyone noticed. As I watched Gabby try to navigate the social niceties, I was very proud of her. She had learned since her injury that it could sap her energy and her spirits to be self-conscious about her deficiencies or her appearance. So she had found ways to communicate by employing upbeat hand motions and that terrific smile of hers—the same smile that had helped her connect with constituents, woo political opponents, and get my attention. She didn’t need to rattle off sentences to charm a bunch of astronauts and their wives. She just had to tap into the person she’s always been.
***Chapter 23 Gabby’s Voice Over many nights, as this story became a book, Gabby and I read these chapters together, one at a time. She was fully engaged, weighing in on every page. She corrected imprecise anecdotes and added her memories to mine. Our hope was always that she would be able to write the final chapter in her own voice. —M.K.
***
Hope and faith. You have to have hope and faith. Everything I do reminds me of that horrible day. Just rolling onto my side is hard. Hard to sleep at night. Reminds me of how badly I was hurt. It was hard but I’m alive. Lot of people died. Six wonderful people. So many people hurt. Always connected to them. Long ways to go. Grateful to survive. It’s frustrating. Mentally hard. Hard work. I’m trying. Trying so hard to get better. Regain what I’ve lost. Want to speak better. Trying to get back to work. Back to work for Arizona. Back to work for the American people. I love the people of my state. I’m so sorry I’m unable to work right now. My staff ’s been awesome. Been hard for them, too. They are working hard. I want to thank all the doctors. Thank the nurses and therapists. It’s been challenging. They are all special. A whole lot of cards and letters. Thank you. I appreciate the help of my mom and dad. Mark is an inspiration. I love them very much. I will get stronger. I will return.
From GABBY: A Story of Courage and Hope by Gabrielle Giffords and Mark Kelly. Copyright © 2011 by Gabrielle Giffords and Mark E. Kelly. Reprinted with permission by Scribner, a Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. The Spanish edition of this book, GABBY: Una historia de valor y esperanza, will be published in paperback this May. 30
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Gabrielle Giffords, a third generation Arizonan, represented Arizona’s 8th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 through February, 2012. She served on the Armed Services Committee and was the Ranking Member of the Science Committee’s Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee. A graduate of Scripps College, she has a master’s degree from Cornell University. She was a Fulbright scholar in Mexico and a fellow at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Mark Kelly was a captain in the United States Navy when he commanded the final mission of the space shuttle Endeavour in May of 2011. A veteran of four space flights to the International Space Station, he is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy and holds a master’s degree from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. As a naval aviator, he flew 39 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Jeffrey Zaslow, was a Wall Street Journal columnist and the coauthor, with Randy Pausch, of The Last Lecture, the New York Times number one bestseller, now translated into 48 languages. His other bestsellers include The Girls from Ames, and as coauthor, Highest Duty, with Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger.
35 Entrepreneur
A carrer path blooming with possibilities for bilingual nutritionist, Debbie Polisky
37 Briefcase
Fallout from “reverse redlining” of minority borrowers; signing on to the “Arizona Accord”; new Small Business Advisory Councils to assist Rep. Grijalva
Movin’ Up Barrios, Valenzuela recognized by Valle del Sol’s HLI
Photo Courtesy of Valle del Sol
Valle del Sol is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its Hispanic Leadership Institute (HLI) with an awards ceremony and community breakfast on March 16 at the Phoenix Convention Center. Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, is scheduled to deliver a keynote address to commemorate the occasion and Valle’s role in fostering leadership development in Arizona. Maribel Barrios, community and multicultural relations manager at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, will be presented with the HLI Alumni Excellence Award.
Maribel Barrios, receipient of the Alumni Excellence Award from the Hispanic Leadership Institute
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movin’ up
Phoenix Councilman Daniel Valenzuela will receive the Daniel R. Ortega Public Service Award.
Jaime Molera
Molera at the helm of Board of Education Jaime Molera has been re-elected as president of the State Board of Education. Molera, a former superintendent of public instruction, was appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer to serve a four-year term in 2011. Soon after his appointment last year, he was elected as board president for 2011. This is his second term as board president. The Board of Education is an 11-member body responsible for setting policy for K–12 public schools. The governor appoints 10 of its members; the 11th member is the state superintendent of public instruction. Molera is a principal and cofounder of Molera Alvarez, a Phoenix-based government and public affairs firm.
Trino Sandoval takes on new role Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton has appointed Trino Sandoval as his senior policy advisor on
education. Sandoval is a residential faculty member in the Department of Liberal Arts and World Languages at Phoenix College, where he has taught for over 16 years. He will assist the mayor on a part-time basis and will work on strengthening preschool programs, expanding afterschool programs, improving secondary and post-secondary alignment and collaboration, and seeking a greater university presence in Phoenix. In addition, he will serve as a liaison to grantmaking organizations such as the Lumina Foundation and the Gates Foundation. Sandoval holds a Ph.D. and Master of Arts in Spanish Literature from Arizona State University.
Veronica Hernandez joins Torres Consulting Torres Consulting and Law Group, LLC, announced the hiring of Veronica Hernandez as public relations account executive. Hernandez graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in Public Relations and Strategic Media. Prior to joining Torres Consulting, she served as project manager for the Oak Ridge Institute of Science and Education, and as PR records assistant for the Air Force Research Laboratory.
New hires at San Luis PD Two former Phoenix police detectives have joined the San Luis, Arizona, Police Department. Edward Muñoz, a Phoenix native and 32-year law enforcement veteran, is the new city police chief of San Luis.
Art Ramos joins the department as commander. Ramos’ background includes three decades of law enforcement experience. He started his law enforcement career as a police officer in the city of Somerton, and retired from the Phoenix Police Department with the rank of detective.
ASU faculty members win CBS research grants Four Arizona State University faculty members have won inaugural research grants from Comparative Border Studies (CBS), a research initiative within the School of Transborder Studies. The grant recipients are: Daniel Arreola, professor, School of Geographical Science and Urban Planning; Susan Gray, associate professor, School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies; Elizabeth Sumida Huaman, assistant professor, School of Social Transformation; and Luis Plascencia, assistant professor, Social and Behavioral Sciences.
Pilar Looney-Williams joins Donor Network The Donor Network of Arizona has hired Pilar Looney-Williams as its Hispanic community health coordinator. Prior to joining the Donor Network of Arizona, Looney-Williams served as Phoenix market manager for Aeromexico, and as marketing specialist for a health plan in Arizona. She holds a degree in Public Relations and Communications from the Universidad Nacio-
Movin’ Up Know someone who has been promoted, elected or honored? Send us the news of their achievements! Email movinup@latinopm.com 32
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nal Autónoma de México, and is a graduate of the Hispanic Leadership Institute West.
Photo Courtesy of Valle del Sol
¡!
Sal Rivera
ALRE presents awards Last month, the Arizona Latino Research Enterprise (ALRE) recognized the work of community leaders and advocates during a ceremony at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Phoenix. The 2012 ALRE Community Leaders Awards were presented to: Petra Falcon, executive director of Promise Arizona; Kent Paredes Scribner, superintendent of the Phoenix Union High School District; State Representative Anna Tovar; Randy Parraz, president of Citizens for a Better Arizona; and Sal Rivera, principal at Rivera Law Group and cofounder of ALRE. Also last month, in partnership with Phoenix College’s Raul H. Castro Institute, ALRE hosted a town hall on “Arizona’s Emerging Latino Vote.” During the event, a group of over 20 local organizations dedicated to civic engagement pledged to continue their efforts to increase Latino voter turnout in the 2012 elections.
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Filling needs, satisfying ambitions Debbie Polisky, MS, MBA, founder and CEO, Words & Health, LLC Website:
wordsandhealth.com
Founded:
July, 2011
Career highlights: I’m a bilingual nutritionist who has empowered patients, students, clients and employees to be passionate and faithful about their own food heritage while learning healthy eating habits. I grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I obtained a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from the University of Buenos Aires. I also hold a Master of Science degree in Nutrition from Rosalind University, Chicago, Ill., and an MBA (with a Marketing concentration) from Keller Graduate School of Management. I came to Arizona in 2000 to work as a bilingual nutritionist for a community health center. I quickly moved up the career ladder, becoming a coordinator and then director, focusing on public health and community nutrition. For 11 years, I’ve worked for the same organization, gaining experience with state and federal grants for nutrition programs. How did you decide to start your business? As a manager for a community health center, I had a very hard time hiring bilingual nutritionists and dietitians to educate the Hispanic community. I realized that there was a shortage of bilingual health professionals, as well as a shortage of health-related print material. I decided to fill these needs in the Hispanic community by combining my bilingual health background with my creativity.
Other company you admire most and why? I admire every company that started with just a small idea and no money, faced many challenges along the way, yet made it to the top – such as Microsoft.
Photo Courtesy of Debbie Polisky
Elevator pitch: Words & Health, LLC, is a bilingual nutrition, wellness and health communication business that provides services to the community, health care professionals and organizations by “speaking the language” of the Hispanic health market.
Best advice you have received: Try, try … till you succeed. Success means persevering and jumping through a lot of hoops. Be confident that when one door closes, another will open up. Favorite aspect of owning a small business: The independence and freedom to experiment and not be rejected for having new ideas, as crazy as they may seem.
Business goals for 2012:
I would like to have my own nutrition radio and television show.
Important business milestone: I just launched my new website with a lot of free information from many sources and I’ve just written my first bilingual e-book.
Suggest an entrepreneur Send your information to editor@latinopm.com.
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MICHAEL JACKSON MADONNA BEE GEES EARTH WIND & FIRE
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Good credit score? Too bad By Jonathan Higuera
As the debate rages on about who deserves more
blame for the nation’s housing crisis – homeowners, who blindly took on bigger loans than they could afford, or mortgage lenders, who recklessly gave outsized loans to those not qualified for them – the evidence continues to mount that the hardships created by the housing mess continue to fall disproportionately on Latinos and African-Americans. Take, for instance, a Wall Street Journal analysis that found that more than half of all high interest rate loans went to borrowers who should have qualified for prime rate mortgages. Data suggest that while 6.2 percent of white borrowers with credit scores of 660 and above were placed in higher interest rate loans, more than 19 percent of Latinos and 21 percent of African-Americans with similar scores received higher rate loans. The company that created the FICO score classifies scores of 660 and above as “good.” This, in turn, led to an increased likelihood that they would face foreclosure. In December, Bank of America (BofA) settled a complaint filed by the U.S. Department of Justice alleging that mortgage lender Countrywide Financial, one of BofA’s subsidiaries, discriminated against Hispanic and African-American borrowers for “reverse redlining,” which is described as the practice of targeting minority borrowers for higher interest loans even when they deserved better terms based on credit scores and credit history.
The $335 million settlement will be divided among 200,000 identified minority homeowners who were the victims of predatory lending. In a policy brief, the Washington, D.C.-based Economic Policy Institute maintained that the discriminatory practice extended well beyond Countrywide. Furthermore, the effect has been bad for U.S. society in general, even beyond losing a home. The consequences have led to further segregation, as former homeowners have had to move back to poorer areas, leading to elevated family stress and lower academic achievement for children who often find themselves back in under-resourced, lower-performing schools.
South Phoenix light rail? A one-million-dollar federal grant
to study public transportation options for South Phoenix has been awarded to METRO and the City of Phoenix. The grant, awarded by the Federal Transit Authority, is the first step in the process of competing for more federal funds for a future transit project.
The grant will fund an analysis of the feasibility of various modes and routes for the area. Those modes include light rail, bus rapid transit and modern streetcars. The study is expected to take two years and will provide data on preliminary ridership forecasts, cost ranges, engineering requirements,
economic development opportunities and community issues. The area to be studied is along Central Avenue from Washington Street to Baseline Road. Congressman Ed Pastor, who helped secure the grant, said, “Connecting people with their jobs and services through public transit is important for our quality of life.” latinopm.com
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Adiós, Angel Cabrera Angel Cabrera, the president of
Thunderbird School of Global Management since 2004, is taking his immense resume and talents to the other side of the country. In December, it was announced that he will become president of George Mason University, which is located in Fairfax, Va. He starts on July 1. The 44-year-old Cabrera replaces Alan Merten, who has been the president for more than 15 years. A native of Spain, Cabrera becomes the sixth president in George Mason’s history. Cabrera is an outspoken advocate for corporate social responsibility, and has been behind the push to establish management as a profession, on par with law and medicine. He worked with the World Economic Forum’s Forum of Young Global Leaders to develop the Global Business Oath. The oath is a vow, similar to the MBA Oath at Harvard
Business School, taken by business people to keep long-term societal interests in mind when managing their organizations. Barbara Barrett, former ambassador to Finland, has been named interim president of the Thunderbird School of Global Management. The transition from Cabrera to Barrett will occur at Thunderbird’s commencement on April 27. She will serve until a permanent president takes office. A search is under way.
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covers a broad swath of southern Arizona, meandering in and out of six counties, including Maricopa. Now, Rep. Grijalva, who has become known as one of Congress’ most progressive voices, wants to show he is in touch with business needs, too. He is creating six Small Business Advisory Councils to help advise him on small business and economic issues in his district. Each council will represent one of the counties in his district. They will host one public event each year promoting small business issues and meet with Rep. Grijalva twice a year, and his district director Ruben Reyes four times a year. Each council will be comprised of ten members. Their goal will be to focus on increasing economic competitiveness and keeping Rep. Grijalva updated on local business needs. Although the February 6 deadline to apply for membership has passed, the council representatives will include at least one member representing a veteran-owned small business, a woman-owned small business and a minorityowned enterprise. The inaugural members will serve a one-year term but, following the 2012 elections, council members will serve a two-year term to coincide with Congressional elections for the Seventh District.
briefcase
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The Arizona Accord It’s not exactly the Grand Canyon state’s version of the Declaration
of Independence, but its supporters are very passionate about what they hope to accomplish by signing the “Arizona Accord” when it comes to the immigration debate. The Accord is a declaration of five principles to guide Arizona’s immigration discussion. The principles support: -Finding federal solutions -Respecting and supporting an appropriate role for law enforcement -Recognizing the importance of protecting families in order to sustain our communities -Supporting a free-market economy that acknowledges the contribution immigrants bring to our nation’s workforce -Embracing the culture of inclusion by welcoming people of goodwill to our state and country The list of signatories continues to grow and its supporters are sounding a lot like a Who’s Who in Arizona’s civic and business landscape. In a January 24 press release, Chicanos por la Causa (CPLC) President and CEO, Edmundo Hidalgo, states, “ ‘that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’ That phrase taken from the Declaration of Independence embodies the spirit behind the ‘Arizona Accord.’ I’m proud to say that CPLC and our board of directors unanimously endorse the ‘Arizona Accord.’” Other supporters listed on the Accord’s website include the Arizona and Tucson Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, Greater Phoenix Leadership, Real Arizona Coalition, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Arizona Farm Bureau, Friendly House, Promise Arizona, Sundt Construction, McCarty Construction, East Valley Patriots and Arizona Employers for Immigration Reform. “The ‘Arizona Accord’ is designed to help frame the discussion at both the state and federal levels of government as legislators and policy makers work to find a balanced approach to our state’s and country’s immigration needs,” said Scott Higginson, who organized the effort to bring the “Arizona Accord” forward. “What we need is to engage in a more civil and effective dialogue when confronting matters of immigration and our broken federal system.” Higginson is encouraging others to visit the group’s website at azaccord.com and sign on to support the “Arizona Accord.” “If we can get thousands of citizens to join us, perhaps we can change the level of acrimony within the public discourse that has made it nearly impossible for a realistic approach and holistic solutions to be found,” he added.
Send us your briefcase items
Who will you dine out for? Every 13 seconds a child is abused. Someone is affected by sexual violence every 2.5 minutes. Help us help those in need.
Who will you dine out for?
priMake l 25,a2012 Eat a Out. Difference Wednesday, April 25, 2012 Join us for Dine Out for Safety on April 25th when restaurants statewide will donate a portion of their proceeds to support services for children, individuals and families affected by abuse. Full list of participating restaurants in your area is available at www. dineoutforsafety.com. Presenting Sponsor: Community Partnership of Southern Arizona Platinum Sponsor: Comcast Gold Sponsor: Advision Outdoor Shelter Silver Sponsors: BMO Harris Bank & Desert Diamond Casino
www.DineOutForSafety.com
Have a business story idea? Email us at editor@latinopm.com.
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“Old fridges waste energy. Recycle yours and get $30.”
Running an old fridge can waste up to $100 in energy costs every year. Especially if it’s outside or in a garage. When you recycle your old working fridge with SRP, you get $30 in your pocket, 95% of that old fridge gets reused, and you save energy too. To schedule your free pickup and find out more, visit misrp.com.
Diversity in the line of duty Diana Tapia Williams, detective, Mesa Police Department Years of service:
Eight years.
Photo courtesy of Mesa Police DepartAment
Duties: As a personal crimes detective, I am fortunate to provide a unique service to children who have been victims of sexual and/or physical abuse. From day to day, I investigate incidents involving children and adults. This involves speaking with children, working in partnership with various Valley agencies, and interviewing suspects about the alleged abuse. As a media relations detective, I attend to media requests for information about policerelated incidents and work closely with the Latino community in Mesa. Career highlights: I have had the opportunity to work in a variety of assignments and each has provided some highlights. In my role as a media relations detective, I always take special pride in helping the community by interpreting law enforcement protocols through the media. My responsibilities as a personal crimes detective allow me to give aid to the most vulnerable group in society – children. Inherent dangers you face:
The dangers that a law enforcement officer faces are well-known. It’s important to stay mentally and physically prepared for such dangers.
Proudest moment:
As a patrol officer, I always enjoyed the “sigh of relief” look on a citizen’s face when I was there to assist them in a time of need.
On-the-job learning experience: There are never two situations that are exactly the same; the nature of the job provides an on-going learning experience. Each call responded to, each new case assigned, every training class presents another new opportunity to learn something of value.
Why did you decide to pursue this career? Growing up in the south side of Tucson made me see what I did not want for my future. I had several
friends who were involved with gangs, drugs and other violent criminal activity. Some of my friends were shot, arrested and sent to prison. I wanted to be a part of an organization that helped people such as my friends choose a better path for themselves and, at the same time, make those who commit crimes accountable for their actions. Becoming a law enforcement officer was the best choice for me to accomplish both of these goals.
Next professional goal:
In the next year I plan on taking (and passing!) the sergeant’s exam.
Final words:
My dad always told me, “El que no mira en frente, detrás se queda” (“if you are not looking ahead, you’ll be left behind”). Always aspire to reach your goals and have a plan on how to get there. Life is full of surprises, however, so take control of what you can and make the best of it.
Nominate a candidate
Help us acknowledge those who serve. Men and women currently in the military or a first responder. Send your info to editor@latinopm.com. latinopm.com
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St. John Vianney Catholic School
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Trilingual proficiency a priority at new tuition-free prep academy ICSA opens this fall By Erica Cardenas
The International Charter School of Arizona
(ICSA), a tuition-free college preparatory school, will open its doors this August to students in sixth trough eigth grades. The academy will be located at 10460 N. 56th Street in Scottsdale and, just like its private counterpart, International School of Arizona, ICSA will offer a rigorous international program. The humanities-based curriculum will be used to provide ICSA students a top-tier education. ICSA’s curriculum places a strong emphasis on foreign language proficiency. Students will enroll in a French or Spanish language track, in which they will receive eight hours of accelerated foreign language instruction per week from teachers who are native speakers of the target language. Students will be expected to learn a second language to a fluent level and a third language to an advanced level by the time they graduate from ICSA high school. Sports and extracurricular activities will also have an international flare. “ICSA will provide challenging academic programs that will develop students to their fullest potential and prepare them to succeed on a local and global level,” stated Kris Johnson, the school’s executive director. Johnson has traveled extensively to study best practices at schools throughout Australia, China, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. ICSA is currently working towards becoming an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School. The International Baccalaureate’s mission is to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. Enrollment is now open, but space is limited. Parents are invited to enroll their children
B onjour
Hola
Hello immediately. For more information about the International Charter School of Arizona, visit icsaz.org or call 602-733-9342. ICSA focuses on: - Fostering internationally-minded students through greater understanding and acceptance of other people and cultures - Developing trilingual proficiency as a means of fostering greater opportunities for global interactions - Cultivating knowledge, inquiry, and empathy in young people - Empowering critical thinkers to be prepared for college and beyond. latinopm.com
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Discounted eye exams The Midwestern University Eye
Institute, located at 19389 N. 59 Avenue in Glendale, has announced a revised pricing structure for eye examinations that lowers patient costs approximately in half, compared with traditional fees. A comprehensive new-patient exam will cost $35, a significant savings over customary rates across the Valley. Many other patient costs will be similarly discounted, making the Eye Institute one of the Valley’s most affordable, yet complete, optometric facilities. The new reduced fee structure brings the Eye Institute in line with the equally affordable Midwestern University Dental Institute. “Midwestern University is committed, not only to the future of health care, but also to serving our community by making health care more affordable and accessible today,” said Kathleen H. Goeppinger, president and th
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CEO of Midwestern University. “Our goal is to provide our community with a local, affordable and comprehensive resource for quality health care.” The state-of-the-art Eye Institute, one of the largest optometry clinics in the state of Arizona, includes 61 exam rooms, classrooms and specialty areas. The clinic also houses a full-featured optical retail center that offers a wide selection of eyeglasses and contact lenses at competitive prices. Among the many services provided by the Eye Institute are: comprehensive eye exams; glasses and contact lens fittings; disease screenings; sports vision care and vision enhancement for athletes; low vision and rehabilitative vision services; pediatric care; and a 24hour, on-call optometrist. To make an appointment at a Midwestern University Clinic, telephone 623-537-6000.
Scholarships benefit Hispanic students AAA is once again helping Hispanic students say, “yes we can,” to a
Fo l l ow us on www.phoenixcollege.edu
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college education. With its Sí se puede Scholarship, the club is awarding five $1,000 scholarships to outstanding Hispanic high school seniors who will attend an Arizona college or university beginning in the fall of 2012. “Giving back to our community is at the core of AAA Arizona’s values. It is an honor to support the education of five hard-working, deserving students with this scholarship,” said Susan Mulligan, chairwoman of the Employee Community Service Committee for AAA Arizona. Now in its sixth year, AAA Arizona’s Sí se puede Scholarship has helped fund the education of 30 students. Each one-time award of $1,000 will be disbursed in the fall to help cover costs for the winners’ tuition and book expenses. Recipients of the award will also receive a four-year Classic AAA membership, valued at more than $200. To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be of Hispanic heritage, graduating from an Arizona high school in 2012, a U.S. citizen and Arizona resident, and enrolled full-time in a degree-seeking program at an Arizona accredited university or community college at the time of disbursement. Applicants must submit a two-page essay describing their career goals and commitment, have achieved at least a 3.0 highschool grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) and have a clean driving record. Applications must be received by April 13, 2012. For further information, visit az.aaa.com/espanol/membership/scholarship or email publicrelations@arizona.aaa.com.
UA awarded national grant The Translational Genomics
Research Institute (TGen) and the University of Arizona (UA) have received a three-year, $600,000 grant from the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) to study targeted cancer therapies. The grant will enable TGen and the UA to continue its NFCR Center for Targeted Cancer Therapies (NCTCT), created in 2002, which is dedicated to discovering new therapies to treat pancreatic cancer, the nation’s fourth leading cause of cancer death. “This NFCR grant should provide renewed hope for pancreatic cancer patients,” said Dr. Daniel von Hoff, the Center’s physician-in-chief. “This should help us move closer to better treatments and hopefully a cure for this devastating disease.” Researchers at NCTCT have developed new therapies that block the growth of pancreatic cancer cells by interfering with the molecules that promote pancreatic cancer cells, an approach called targeted cancer therapy. While traditional chemotherapeutic drugs impair cell division in a general way, targeted therapies specifically kill cancer cells and leave
normal cells unharmed, resulting in enhanced cancer-killing power and fewer side effects. “If we can create the right drug to turn on the right gene to turn off the cancer, that is going to be a whole new approach to treating this disease,” said NFCR president, Franklin C. Salisbury, Jr. “This is 21st century medicine. Not only do we need to support this research, but the world needs to know that we are on our way to curing cancer.” Nearly 44,000 Americans were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2011; and more than 37,000 died last year from this aggressive disease, which kills most patients within the first year. The pancreas is a gland behind the stomach that secretes enzymes into the small intestine to help digestion and produce hormones. There are no early detection methods available, so the cancer usually is not found until it is in an advanced stage. Since 1973, NFCR has provided more than $288 million in support of discovery-oriented cancer research focused on understanding how and why cells become cancerous, and on public education relating to cancer prevention, detection and treatment.
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Have an education story idea? Send your information to editor@latinopm.com.
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HPV: Overcoming stigma on the road to health By Robrt L. Pela
Becky Silva would rather not talk about the virus
that nearly claimed her life. She keeps changing the subject – admiring the weather outside the window of her Westside apartment, talking about the birthday party she plans to throw for her six-year-old daughter next weekend. “It was really scary,” she admits of her illness, “but it’s over now.” It’s over for Becky, at least. But millions of women, especially Latina women, continue to discover that the human papilloma virus (HPV) they didn’t know they had has led to something worse. HPV is a strain of nearly 100 viruses that cause infections of the skin and mucus membranes. Although most types of HPV exhibit no symptoms, some of the more virulent types cause rashes and warts and can become cancerous. Nearly half of the known types of HPV are transmitted through sexual contact and can lead to genital warts, although most HPV infections are short-lived and have little long-term effects. Nearly 70 percent of these infections are resolved within a year. But, when the infection goes undetected and persists, it can lead to pre-cancerous lesions of the cervix, which can become cervical cancer. These progressions to invasive cancer can usually be stopped with prevention strategies. Cervical screening, via traditional Pap tests, can catch abnormal cells that may develop into cancer. While simple strategies can detect HPV and prevent it from becoming something more serious, many women don’t bother. And Latinas, according to some studies, are leading that pack, thanks in part to a stigma that links it, in some cultures, to promiscuity. “Well, HPV was a sex disease,” Becky says, letting out a big sigh, “and in my house, you didn’t talk about certain things, especially sex. Talking about sex was bad; it was wrong; you were a dirty person if anyone even thought you were thinking about sex. It was behind closed doors, and
that was just the way everyone I knew lived their life. And if you got a sickness that was related to having sex, well, forget it. Your life was over.” Becky says that no one in her family went to the doctor, because her grandmother was a healer who disdained modern medicine and favored homemade remedies. “So, I never got a Pap smear,” Becky says with some embarrassment. “I mean, it was just me and my husband, and everyone told me growing up that Pap smears were for easy girls who slept around.” latinopm.com
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We’ve moved to downtown Phoenix, but our commitment to civic-minded leadership is right where it’s always been.
During a routine checkup following Becky’s first pregnancy, it was discovered that she was positive for HPV. She told her husband, who took the news of her illness to mean that she had been unfaithful to him. “He took off,” she says, six years later. “And my mother didn’t believe me when I said that the doctor told me I could have gotten this from my husband. She threw me out. I was alone, with a new baby, and the doctor was saying that now I could get cervical cancer.” According to recent studies done by the California Medical Association (CMA), Latinas are less likely to be screened for HPV than women of other ethnic backgrounds. They are also, according to the CMA, less likely to get a Pap test that would reveal the presence of HPV. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for 2007 indicate that for every 100,000 cases of HPV-associated cervical cancer diagnosed in the U.S., 7.5 are white women, 10.2 are black women, and 6.5 are Asian/Pacific Islander women. But, the greatest number diagnosed with cervical cancer are Hispanic women – 11.5 out of every 100,000. The higher HPV-positive numbers among Latinas is largely related to cultural attitudes about sex among Hispanics, who are less likely to discuss
sex and sexuality, and who often (as in the case of Becky’s grandmother) discourage discussion of sex-related illness. An aversion to Pap smears and other HPV-related testing isn’t just about the stigma of having a “sex disease,” according to psychologist Jane Delgado. “Hispanic women often don’t have a regular source of care,” says Delgado, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health. “If they had an HPV result that was positive, they need treatment and they need follow-up – and it’s important to come back. That’s how you can prevent cervical cancer. That any woman in this country has cervical cancer should be a source of embarrassment to us as a nation.” The eye of the HPV storm is GARDASIL, the controversial vaccine that protects men and women against strains of the virus. The drug was approved back in June of 2006, for use by girls and women aged 9 to 26; three years later, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its use by males. (The vaccine had already been approved for men in Mexico by that time.) Critics of the drug continue to declaim its efficacy, pointing out that its long-term effects remain untested, and – particularly in the Latino community – that it promotes promiscuity among young women. Still others argue that GARDASIL
HPV: What you should know Intercourse isn’t the only sexual activity that can lead to HPV. Any genital contact with someone who has the virus puts you at risk. Nearly 80 percent of all people living in the United States will be infected with HPV in their lifetime. Transmission of HPV typically takes place during the first two or three years of sexual activity, which is why it is so prevalent in teenagers. Even if you already have tested positive for a particular strain of HPV, you can still contract one of the many other types of HPV.
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Latino Perspectives Magazine
¡ March 2012!
latinopm.com
Incidence
7.9
All races White
“Cancer Treatment Centers of America® gave me a team that stood beside me and was ready to fight. They restored my hope.”
Deaths
2.4
7.5
2.2
~Beth Gomez Cancer Survivor
Black
4.3
10.2
Asian/ Pacific Islander
6.5
American Indian/ Alaska Native Hispanic 12
2.0
7.0
4.0
11.5 10
Don’t Let Anyone Tell You There’s Nothing More That Can Be Done.
2.3
8
6
4
2
0
2
4
6
Cervical cancer incidence and death rates, per 100,000, by race and ethnicity in the United States
is valuable as the only drug that prevents the spread of HPV in males as well as females. “By vaccinating men as well as women, you reduce the amount of virus that is out there that can be transmitted back and forth,” Richard Haupt of Merck and Company (the company that manufactures GARDASIL) recently told the Washington Post. “Hopefully,
there will be a benefit not only to men themselves, but to their partners and future partners.” “You have to save your own life,” Becky Silva insists. “Get a Pap smear, every year, no matter what you hear about it. Ask your doctor to look for HPV, and if you got it, get the vaccine. Latinas need to stop dying just because they’re afraid to get tested.”
When Beth realized there was nothing more that could be done, she turned to Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA), where we have been fighting complex and advanced cancer for decades. Beth’s team of CTCA cancer experts worked with her to create a comprehensive and tailored treatment plan that combined leading-edge oncologic medical treatments with naturopathic medicine, nutrition, rehabilitation, psychological counseling, spiritual support and pain management. We are different. At CTCA, we never give up.
HPV affects both males and females of all ages. In most cases, it clears up on its own. In other cases, the disease can lead to genital warts or certain types of cancer.
Call now to speak with one of our Oncology Information Specialists and learn how we fight cancer like no one else.
GARDASIL, although approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), may not fully protect everyone who is vaccinated with it.
or go to cancercenter.com
1-888-214-9488
Males receive the same GARDASIL vaccine as females, and the drug is typically given as three injections over a six-month period. Anyone with an allergy to yeast should not take GARDASIL. GARDASIL is covered by the Vaccines for Children Program, a federal program that provides free medicine to children and adolescents 18-years-old and younger who are either Medicaid eligible, American Indian or Alaskan Native, or uninsured. If your health insurance doesn’t cover your child’s vaccinations, you may also be eligible for the program.
© 2011 Rising Tide
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¡ March 2012!
Latino Perspectives Magazine
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A class act SpoFit celebrates grand opening By LPM staff
can now work out at a world-class facility. The Virginia G. Piper Sports and Fitness Center for Persons with Disabilities (SpoFit) celebrated its grand opening last month with a community celebration featuring city officials and special guests who have succeeded in their respective fields despite their disabilities, like Anthony Robles, NCAA wrestling champion and ASU alum, and Rick Romley, former Maricopa County attorney. The festivities included live music, dancing and adaptive sports demonstrations of rowing, fencing, power soccer, scuba diving and martial arts. Although the center has been open since October of last year, the grand opening provided an opportunity to recognize the supporters and donors who helped make the center a reality. SpoFit is owned and managed by the nonprofit Arizona Bridge to Independent Living (ABIL), the state’s largest center for independent living serving people with disabilities. ABIL broke ground on the facility on April, 2010, and by July of 2011, met its capital campaign goal of $12.5 million to build the center. Spofit is co-located with the Disability Empowerment Center (DEC) at 5031 E. Washington Street in Phoenix. The DEC, also owned and operated by ABIL, is a 62,000 square-foot resource center serving the disabled community; it is home to the following disability-related organizations: Arizona Autism United, Arizona Center for Disability Law, Arizona Spinal Cord Injury Association, Arizona Statewide Independent Living Council, Brain Injury Association of Arizona, Joni & Friends, Multiple Sclerosis Society, NAMI Arizona, Raising Special Kids, Symbius Medical and Valley Center for the Deaf. SpoFit and the DEC are the only co-located, universally-designed facilities of their kind in the nation.The universally accessible 45,000-square foot sports and fitness center is much more than a gym. At SpoFit, accessibility is not an afterthought; the center was designed specifically to provide fitness, health, wellness and recreation programs for individuals with disabilities.
Universal Design Universal design is based on the idea that all new environments and products should, to the greatest extent possible, 50
Latino Perspectives Magazine
ÂĄ March 2012!
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Photo Courtesy of Spofit
Individuals with disabilities and their families
be usable by everyone regardless of their age, ability or circumstance. The term was coined by architect, design pioneer and disability rights advocate, Ronald L. Mace. He spent most of his life using a wheelchair and was involved in the creation of the first building code for accessibility in the country in the early 70s. In the late 80s, Mace established the federally-funded Center for Accessible Housing, now known as the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University. The Center, along with a group of advocates, developed and compiled The Principles of Universal Design: Equitable Use: The design does not disadvantage or stigmatize any group of users. Flexibility in Use: The design accommodates a
wide range of individual preferences and abilities. Simple, Intuitive Use: Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills or current concentration level. Perceptible Information: The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities. Tolerance for Error: The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions. Low Physical Effort: The design can be used efficiently and comfortably, and with a minimum of fatigue. Size and Space for Approach and Use: Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation and use, regardless of the user’s body size, posture or mobility.
SpoFit SpoFit’s adherence to these principles makes the facility the only one of its kind in the western United States. Its 7,500-square foot fitness room, located on the second floor, features inclusive fitness equipment such as Cybex “Total Access” machines (a product line developed in the United Kingdom to meet the needs of all exercise enthusiasts, including those with physical, sensory or cognitive disabilities), free weights, aerobic equipment (such as elliptical trainers, recumbent and upright bikes, SciFit treadmills and upper body ergometers) and a group fitness room. The center will offer adaptive zumba, yoga and other group classes and workshops. During the grand opening weekend, the center hosted the Western Regional Junior Wheelchair Basketball Tournament, sponsored by the Arizona Spinal Cord Injury Association and Arizona Disabled Sports.
SpoFit’s two full-size indoor courts with 10-foot and 8-foot hoops allow users to play more competitive basketball, and can also accommodate other team sports, like power soccer, quad rugby and sit volleyball. The courts, complete with spectator seating areas, make the center the perfect new home to the Phoenix Wheelchair Rugby Team and the Banner Phoenix Wheelchair Mercury and Banner Phoenix Wheelchair Suns basketball teams. Other features include an aquatics center with a therapy pool, a lap pool, and a spa – all three accessible by chairlift. The lap pool and therapy pool also include an elevator lift and transfer access. A jogging track suspends above the basketball courts and can accommodate walkers, joggers and wheelchair users. A 35-foot-high synthetic rock climbing wall can challenge and entertain climbers of all abilities. To learn more, visit spofit.org or call 602-386-4566.
SpoFit Virginia G. Piper Sports and Fitness Center for Persons with Disabilities 5031 E. Washington St., Phoenix
Hours of operation: Weekdays: 6:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. Saturdays: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Sundays: closed
Membership fees (Daily drop-in) Youth (15-18) $5 Adult (19+) $6 Senior (62+) $5 **Family $16
Punch pass (12 visits valid for one year) Youth (15-18) $50 Adult (19+) $60 Senior (62+) $50
* two people in the same household ** up to six people in the same household
Monthly (set up as autopay; first and last month due at sign-up) Youth (15-18) $25 Adult (19+) $35 Senior (62+) $30 *Adult +1 $50 *Senior +1 $45 **Family $60
latinopm.com
Annual (paid up front) Youth (15-18) $255 $357 Adult (19+) Senior (62+) $306 *Adult +1 $510 *Senior +1 $459 **Family $612
¡ March 2012!
Latino Perspectives Magazine
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4333-7_CAZ_ProgMon_LatinoPersp.indd 1 Latino Perspectives Magazine
¡ March 2012!
9/26/11 11:35 AM latinopm.com
P.S.
Stella Pope Duarte
There is a place for you By Stella Pope Duarte
On April 23, 2003, I had the privilege of unveiling the stamp honoring
Cesar Chavez, at Cesar Chavez High School, along with Governor Janet Napolitano, U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor, Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, and a representative from the U.S Post Office. It was a day in which Cesar Chavez’ words rang out with passion and pride for all: “There is no turning back. We are winning because ours is a revolution of the mind and the heart. What is at stake is human dignity.” In response to this special occasion, and as a salute to Arizona’s native son, born on March 31, 1927, near Yuma, the following poem was written in a humble attempt to capture the love of la raza for its foremost human rights leader. There is a place for you in America Cesar Estrada Chavez, beside the dusty fields you labored in, stooping, sweating close to la raza, your people trapped between pesticide-infested earth and the blazing sun. There is a place for you in America Cesar Estrada Chavez, marching with la raza, your people, in boycotts, strikes, las huelgas aching feet pounding city streets, aching heart pumping out the melody of love – love to soften the hearts of those who keep your people chained to the earth. There is a place for you in America Cesar Estrada Chavez, where people chant and shout “Si se puede,” el grito de la libertad –
the cry of freedom, eyes held steady, heads uplifted unafraid to dream that one day, yes, one day in America, poverty will come to an end. There is a place for you in America Cesar Estrada Chavez in hearts that know the truth – we are one family, rich, poor, strong, weak, farm-worker, boss, white, brown, black, red. We share earth, air, water, wind. From humble beginnings you have taught us courage you have taught us hope you have taught us to resist injustice you have taught us to see God in one another. There is a place for you in America Cesar Estrada Chavez, here, yes here, in the hearts of LA RAZA! Your people.
Stella Pope Duarte was born and raised in South Phoenix. She began her awardwinning career in 1995 after she had a dream in which her deceased father told her that her destiny was to become a writer. Contact her at stellapopeduarte.com. latinopm.com
¡ March 2012!
Latino Perspectives Magazine
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¡!
my perspective on: women’s leadership
One month – not long enough to honor women leaders By Dana Campbell Saylor
We honor
More perspectives
Send us your perspective on whatever moves you. Email editor@latinopm.com.
“Women and Leadership” each year in March during Women’s History Month; however, from my perspective, that is just the beginning. We simply can no longer afford to overlook the importance of women’s leadership the remainder of the year!
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More than ever before, we are recognizing the important role of women’s leadership, the unique skill set and perspective women bring to the table – skills, viewpoints and expertise that are desperately needed at the table and on the world stage. A growing body of evidence indicates that women’s leadership in key positions around the world contributes to making and keeping peace and, in turn, leads to better outcomes (lives) for entire societies. Hilary Clinton noted that we have seen firsthand what happens when women participate in the peace process. They focus discussion on issues of human rights, economic renewal, justice and national reconciliation that are critical to making peace, but these issues are often overlooked in formal negotiations. What that means to me is that women bring a social justice component and nurturing ethical values to negotiations. Women build coalitions across ethnic lines, act as mediators and help foster compromise. When women respond in large numbers, they galvanize opinion and help change history forever. A recent example is the reaction to the Susan G. Koman decision to stop funding for Planned Parenthood. A high percentage of Latino women and girls depend on Planned Parenthood for potentially lifesaving breast examination and treatment
Latino Perspectives Magazine
¡ March 2012!
latinopm.com
services. The “sisterhood” responded fast and furiously. Sisters from all backgrounds raised their voices, if not for themselves, then for those that would be penalized through no fault of their own. My perspective is that our nation’s government should be balanced to reflect our citizenry – 50 percent women and 50 percent men in Congress and government agencies – an equitable balance. Women who are leaders are often mentors and role models as well. I congratulate Latino Perspectives Magazine’s 2012 Arizona Latina Trailblazers, women I personally know to be great leaders. Former State Senator Amanda Aguirre, Anna Maria Chavez, Esq., the Honorable Elizabeth Archuleta and Terri Cruz are true leaders who mentor and have raised the bar of expertise. Each Trailblazer has given selflessly, pushed forward and provided strength; they have offered their expertise, but have also shared their hearts. Women’s History Month is a true celebration of many incredible women who have challenged the status quo, pioneered new ideas and helped women get to where we are at this point in time. It is our responsibility to continue their legacy and pass on rich opportunities to younger generations of women and men. Dana Campbell Saylor is chief executive officer of YWCA Maricopa County, which was established in Arizona in 1912. She has a degree in Women’s Studies from Arizona State University. She is currently chair of the board of trustees of the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits, board chair of the YWCA Pacific Region, and is a member of several nonprofit boards and advisory groups, such as the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, the Governor’s Advisory Council on Aging, and the ASU West Campus Community Board. She was the recipient of the 2010 West Valley Mover and Shaker Award, 2009 Golden Heart Award (presented by Arizona Women’s Magazine and the Arizona Republic), and, in 2011, was inducted into the Phoenix Union Alumni Hall of Fame.
Saturday, March 24 | 10:00 a.m.– 5:00 p.m. Free with museum admission
The Brazilian spectacle will be set for an authentic demonstration of Carnaval dance, drumming, capoeira (Brazilian martial arts), and educational workshops. Festivities will also include vibrant costuming and live Brazilian music, plus original artwork, unique themed-merchandise, a specialty cocktail, and Brazilian cuisine will be available for purchase. For details and tickets, visit theMIM.org.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MUSEUM
theMIM.org | 480.478.6000 | Open Daily 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85050 (Corner of Tatum & Mayo Blvds., just south of Loop 101)
Los Abogados announces the return of its annual Gala!
Reflections Across Time:
Honoring our Past, Celebrating Our Present, Leading the Future
Keynote Address: Hon. Raul H. Castro
14th Governor of Arizona Former Ambassador to El Salvador, Bolivia, and Argentina
Mistress of Ceremonies: Catherine Anaya KPHO Channel Five news anchor
During this historic time in Arizona, please join us as we honor and celebrate the contributions of those who have supported our mission: To advance the quality of legal services provided to the Latino community, and to support the advancement of Latinos within the legal profession. During the event we will announce the inauguration of the Lifetime Achievement Award. We will also present the Community Service Award and the Young Leader Award, and announce the 2012 Cecilia Esquer Scholarship recipients from Phoenix College.
Saturday March 24, 2012, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. The Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort 11111 North 7th Street, Phoenix Los Abogados is a non-profit organization. In support of its mission, Los Abogados sponsors the Valdemar Cordova Scholarship, which is awarded to students who demonstrate a commitment to the Latino community and who are attending law school in Arizona. The money raised at the Gala fund these scholarships.
Individual tickets $100 (members) - $125 (non-members)
Sponsorships available. For more information, please contact Juan Rocha (jrocha.law@gmail.com) or Cynthia Estrella (602.650.2003, cynthia.estrella@gmail.com)
2012 Tribute to Leadership Her Century. Our Success. One Celebration. Maricopa County
A Centennial Celebration Honoring Nine Leaders who have made a difference in our community.
Saturday, March 10, 2012 6:00pm - 10:00pm
CO-CHAIRS Mayor Greg Stanton Nicole Stanton HONOREES Tina Brown Sue Glawe Karen Callahan Jodi Liggett Eddie Sissons Diane Enos Debbie Waitkus Darlene Newsom Carol Jeannine Dahl, LTC, USAR (Ret.)
Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa Dine & Dance to Upper East Side Big Band For additional information:
www.ywcaAZ.org or contact Jacque Ahrenberg 602-258-0990 ext 19 jacque.ahrenberg@ywcaAZ.org
Sponsored by:
&
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