The Weekly Focus:
Published by SacLatino Magazine
July 27, 2017 - Volume 1, issue 5
Latinos makeup nearly 30 percent of the Sacramento Region’s Population...! Now that we got that out of the way, we can focus on the critical issues connected to that statistic. Through the Weekly Focus Newsletter we will bring forth key issues, information, and possible solutions affecting Latinos living in the Sacramento region with emphasis on education, economic development, and political empowerment. We invite you to share this online publication, provide feedback, submit guest articles, but more importantly, to become engaged. Thank you for the opportunity.
Latino Roundtable to Address the City Hall and Schools Relations! The interdependence appears to be waning at a crucial time for both. SACRAMENTO, CA - Sacramento’s city government and the surrounding school districts are independent of each other, meaning they don’t share the same borders, districts, governing bodies or budgets. Yet, they are both called “local government” serving many of the same constituencies and dependent on voter participation. Their independence from one-another is cause for concern especially when it comes to ensuring child safety, the consequences of zoning decisions, the location and operation of public libraries, the access to recreation facilities, and the tiein between curricula and city economic development. ! In the March 1, 2011 meeting of the Sacramento City Council, a City-Schools Partnership was discussed, where staff recommended the establishment of a City-Schools Partnership Framework. Its intent was to ensure the development of “a sustainable partnership that maximizes resources in support of an excellent public education and high quality of life for Sacramento children, families, and community.” This proposal was consistent with the City’s approved strategic plan to “foster economic development and vitality through partnerships with educational institutions.” So what happened?
The school districts affected by City actions, or lack thereof, include Sacramento Unified School District, Robla School District, Natomas School District, San Juan School District and Twin Rivers School District. Because of past issues, Twin Rivers established their own police department while the rest rely on City police or Sacramento County Sheriff for security.! “Safety of school children to attend local schools is essential, especially when they walk to school and encounter dilapidated homes or building structures,” says Daniel Savala, Lead Field Staff Member for Council Member Allen Warren, District 2. “These are dangerous and we’ve held property owners accountable.”! This is just one example of the many safety concerns parents have in sending their children to school. Others include broken sidewalks, loose dogs, tall weeds/grass, unkept street gutters, and homeless persons.! Another challenge is the lack of tie-in between the City’s “New Economy” plan and the inclusion of local schools. School districts must develop lesson ! Continued on Page 3 - SCHOOL RELATIONS
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School Relations, from Page 1 plans that meet State and County Department of Education requirements. At the same time, the City is relying on local schools to perform at optimum levels and produce students that continue their education into college. So how can the schools achieve both?! A new study by Georgetown University confirms the correlation between not having a college degree and earning $35,000 or less per year. Based on current and predicted living standards, individuals with only a high school degree will have
challenges in providing for themselves and family, if they have one. Based on this alone, the City, which was recently identified as having the fastest growing housing rents, will need to revisit the CitySchools Partnership again or at least consider creating a Private-Public Schools Partnership to ensure students a provided a meaningful and safe education while preserving the City’s vitality.! The Sacramento Latino Community Roundtable meeting is scheduled for Saturday, July 29, 2017 at the Robertson Community Center.
“Imagine the kids would see this building everyday from their school across the street. We took care of it by addressing the issue with the property owner,” Daniel Savala.
Finally, a story about California’s Historical Figures! JOHN J. VALADEZ’S ‘THE HEAD OF JOAQUIN MURRIETA’ PREMIERES ON PBS STATIONS FOR HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH 2017 Los Angeles, CA – Filmmaker John J. Valadez has been fascinated by the legend of Joaquin Murrieta for decades. The subject of popular dime novels and several films, Murrieta was a Mexican-American Robin Hood who, as a young man in 1853, was hunted and killed by bounty hunters and decapitated; his head was displayed throughout the West in saloons, hotels and brothels. A man in California told John that he had the head but the lead never panned out — until ten years later when a strange box arrived at John’s doorstep. Deeply personal, often irreverent and always surprising, the new 30-minute film The Head of Joaquin Murrieta premieres on PBS stations nationwide during Hispanic Heritage Month 2017 (September 15October 15); check local listings.
One hundred and sixty-two years after Murrieta purportedly blazed across the West, exacting revenge for the rape of his wife and the theft of his gold claim, Valadez and his gruesome parcel embark on a quixotic, cross-country road trip through history, myth and memory to bury the fabled head of Murrieta in California, where his legend began. Along the way, John discovers chilling news about his own family story and uncovers the widespread murder and lynching of Mexican Americans from the mid-19th century until well into the 20th century. Using clips from old Hollywood films along with groundbreaking new historical scholarship, The Head of Joaquin Murrieta is an experimental poem; a modern folktale articulating an alternative view of American history from a decidedly Chicano perspective. For further information, visit www.lpbp.org.
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UC Davis to lead $14 million! Alzheimer's disease study in Latinos! Rapidly growing and aging population and high dementia rate drive need for answers. SACRAMENTO, CA — The University of California has been awarded a nearly $14.7 million multi-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to study contributors to dementia in the Latino population in the United States. The multi-center study will examine the biological underpinnings of stroke, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease among Hispanics, and pursue new therapeutic directions to reduce brain health disparities. !
cardiovascular disease risk factors for neurocognitive deficits, and will also provide important data for this research.! DeCarli, a UC Davis Health professor of neurology, noted that the Latino population is especially important to study in the field of dementia because they have a higher prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and obesity compared to non-Hispanic Caucasians, all risk factors for stroke and dementia. Rates of Alzheimer’s disease are about 1.5 times higher than in white non-Hispanics.! The study will make use of leading-edge magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, which can help assess vascular brain injury and patterns of atrophy seen in Alzheimer’s disease. MRIs will be acquired at the partnering institutions and evaluated at UC Davis.!
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Charles S. DeCarli, Director of the UC Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Center.
“This is the largest study of Latinos with cognitive impairment ever done,” said coprincipal investigator Charles S. DeCarli, director of the UC Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Center. “Latinos are the fastest growing minority population in our aging population, so cognitive impairment in this group is an important public health concern.”! UC Davis and nine other institutions across the country will participate in the research. The investigators will draw from the more than 16,000-patient cohort of the ongoing Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), a multicenter epidemiologic study primarily focused on cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. An ancillary study, the Study of Latinos-Investigation of Neurocognitive Aging (SOL-INCA), is examining genetic and
“Advanced neuroimaging techniques can help us better understand the relationship between brain structure and function with aging and disease,” said DeCarli, who directs the UC Davis Imaging of Dementia and Aging (IDeA) laboratory. “The information attained will help us to better design and monitor new therapies.”! Study investigators will also explore the role of genetics in Alzheimer’s disease. The E4 variant of the apoliprotein gene has been strongly implicated in increasing the risk of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in non-Hispanic Caucasians, but paradoxically, some Hispanic ethnic groups have a very low frequency of this allele despite high rates of dementia. ! “What else is going on than genetics?” pondered DeCarli. “This grant will help us to advance this and many other interesting lines of research in this very ethnically and genetically diverse population group.”! The study’s co-principal investigator is Hector M. Gonzalez, associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Michigan State University.
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A GLIMPSE INTO CALIFORNIA’S FUTURE? by Robin E. Shea, JDSupra California’s Latino population is a plurality standing at 40 percent and is predicted to be a majority by 2040. But, what will this mean for business and perhaps even government employers? A case in Houston, Texas may be offering a glimpse of possible scenarios.! The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed suit last week against a Houston-area company for allegedly requiring applicants to be of Hispanic national origin and to speak Spanish.! The EEOC is claiming race and national origin discrimination based on a “pattern or practice,” as well as disparate impact. The lawsuit alleges that Champion Fiberglass, Inc., a manufacturer of fiberglass conduit, struts, and hangers used in the electrical and mechanical markets, rejected
applicants for laborer positions who were not Hispanic and did not speak Spanish. The suit also alleges that the company used word-of-mouth recruiting almost exclusively.! According to the lawsuit, non-Hispanic laborers are significantly underrrepresented in the company, and the Spanish language requirement is not jobrelated or consistent with business necessity.! The company has not yet responded to the lawsuit, so it is unclear what defenses it will assert. Certainly, there are occasions when the ability to speak multiple languages is job-related, and perhaps this was the basis for the company’s search for Spanish-speaking applicants. It is also possible that the company will deny that it engaged in these practices at all.! The lawsuit began with a charge of discrimination filed by Freddie Foster, who is African-American. Mr. Foster alleged that Champion refused to even give him an application because he did not speak Spanish. The EEOC found reasonable cause and alleges that it tried unsuccessfully to conciliate with Champion before filing suit.! The EEOC seeks an injunction prohibiting the discriminatory practices and is seeking back pay and compensatory and punitive damages on behalf of a class of prospective non-Hispanic laborer applicants.!
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State’s Climate Change Actions Get Majority Support, Though Most Expect Gas Prices to Rise! Big Rise in Approval Ratings for Brown, Legislature on Environmental Issues SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Majorities of Californians favor state policies to address global warming, including the law mandating statewide reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Most adults and half of likely voters favor the state’s cap-andtrade program. Residents support steps to reduce warming even though most expect the result will be higher gasoline prices. These are among the key findings of a statewide survey released today by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC).! Strong majorities of California adults (72%) and likely voters (66%) favor the state law passed last year that requires the state to reduce emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2030. Overwhelming majorities of Democrats (84%) and independents (71%) and 42 percent of Republicans support the law. Majorities across the state’s regions and racial/ethnic groups are in favor.! Half of Californians believe that the state’s actions to reduce global warming will result in more jobs in the future (22% fewer jobs, 19% no effect on jobs). Among likely voters, 49 percent say the result will be more jobs. The share of Californians who express this view is the highest since PPIC first asked the question in 2010. At the same time, most Californians (54% adults, 54% likely voters) say the state’s actions to reduce warming will cause gasoline prices to increase.! While the survey was being conducted, the legislature voted to extend the state’s cap-and-trade system until 2030. Most Californians (56%) say they have heard nothing about the system, in which the state enforces emissions “caps” by issuing permits that can be traded among companies at quarterly auctions. After hearing a short description of the system, 56 percent of adults and 49 percent of likely voters are in favor—a high point for support since PPIC began asking about cap and trade in 2009. Most Democrats (60%) and independents (54%) and 32 percent of Republicans favor cap and trade.! “There is broad consensus for the state’s efforts to address climate change, and many support the cap-and-trade system,” said Mark Baldassare, PPIC president and CEO. “Most Democrats and independents and sizable percentages of Republicans are in favor.”
The survey describes how cap-and-trade revenues are spent—on affordable housing near public transit, energy efficiency, high speed rail, and public transit—and gives a Legislative Analyst Office estimate that cap and trade will add 15 cents per gallon of gasoline by 2021. Given this additional information, 60 percent of adults and 51 percent of likely voters favor the state’s efforts to reduce emissions through cap and trade. Across party lines, 68 percent of Democrats, 52 percent of independents, and 28 percent of Republicans are in favor. Most Californians (54%) and 46 percent of likely voters also say it is very important to them that some of the cap-and-trade revenues are spent on projects to improve environmental conditions in lower-income and disadvantaged communities.! Californians also support expanding the state’s goals for generating electricity from renewable energy sources such as solar or wind power. State law currently requires that 50 percent of electricity come from renewable sources by 2030. The legislature is considering requiring that 100 percent of electricity come from renewable sources by 2045. Overwhelming majorities (76% adults, 71% likely voters) are in favor, as are majorities across parties.! Half of Californians (51% adults, 48% likely voters) say that to reduce global warming, they are willing to pay more for electricity if it is generated by renewable sources. Most Democrats (60%) are willing to pay more, compared to fewer than half of independents (45%) and 30 percent of Republicans.! When asked about air pollution in their part of the state, 24 percent of Californians say it is a big problem, while 38 percent say it is somewhat of a problem. Los Angeles residents are the most likely to say air pollution is a big problem (39%). Residents of Orange/San Diego and the San Francisco Bay Area are the least likely (17% each). In the Central Valley as a whole, 24 percent say air pollution is a big problem, while 34 percent express this view in the eight-county San Joaquin Valley.! Most state residents (55%) say air pollution is a serious health concern and Californians (79%) favor the idea of empowering local air districts to require industries curb emissions of air pollutants.
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LATINO AND AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS ACHIEVE VICTORY IN LANDMARK SETTLEMENT WITH KERN HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT Civil Rights Groups Battled for Three Years to Stop Discriminatory Practice Denying Students Their Educational Rights Bakersfield, CA - Latino and Black students enrolled in the Kern High School District, together with their parents and community activist organizations Dolores Huerta Foundation, National Brotherhood Association, and Faith in Kern, obtained a historic settlement in their challenge to discriminatory practices. The settlement, the first of its kind in California, includes an immediate change to Kern High School District discipline practices and an acknowledgment by the school district that students of color face higher rates of discipline than white students. KHSD agreed to implement major policy changes to reduce the disproportionate suspensions, expulsions and involuntary school transfers of African American and Latino students. !
California's guarantee that all students will receive a high-quality education regardless of circumstance.”! The alternative schools offer fewer academic and extracurricular opportunities and limited access to courses required to enroll in California universities. Students in these alternative schools have higher dropout rates and lower graduation rates, hurting their overall ability to succeed in life. !
"Racially biased discipline is often the result of unacknowledged stereotypes of Latino and Black students that result in their being suspended and expelled in disproportionately higher numbers than their white counterparts. The district has retained a number of experts on how to lessen the negative impact of implicit bias, racial anxiety, and other mind The lawsuit was filed in October 2014 alleging that science phenomena," said Eva Paterson, President KHSD discriminated against African American and of the Equal Justice Society. Latino students in its suspension, expulsion and school transfer policies. ! "This settlement provides structure and accountability for addressing the discriminatory effects of the District’s past practices. The Plaintiffs and the community spent years before the lawsuit and nearly three years after it was filed working to have the District comply with their legal requirements to educate all students and to stop discriminating against the most vulnerable students. We are proud to have been at their side helping them obtain this settlement," said Cynthia L. Rice, CRLA Director of Litigation and Training, "and CRLA will be right here during the next 3 years to make sure the terms of the settlement are met." ! "A primary purpose of the federal ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) is to eliminate achievement gaps," said Kip Hustace, staff attorney at MALDEF. "To accomplish that goal, all educators—whether in school districts or county and state agencies—must focus on eliminating disparities that contribute to those gaps, especially discipline and transfer disparities. This settlement, with community members' vigilance and participation, will help the Kern High School District to make good on Weekly Focus July 20 2017 - Page 7
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NEWS BRIEFS Sponsored by Imperial Homes and Investments The housing collapse hit minorities hardest — and the impact is still being felt across America! By Pedro Nacolaci de Costa, Business Insider The housing market collapse that started in 2006 and led to the deepest recession and worst financial crisis in generations had a disproportionate impact on minority communities that still hampers the ability of low-income households to fully participate in the economy.! That’s according to a new study from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis that highlights the lasting impact of the nation’s historic housing downturn on the country’s most vulnerable.! Two key factors amplified the effects of the housing slump on minority households — home prices often tumbled even more than average in urban, low-income areas, and minorities often held a larger share of their wealth in housing than whites.! To Read More, CLICK HERE
Latino, black state lawmakers press California gubernatorial candidates on affirmative action!
prominent gubernatorial candidates.! The candidates are being asked to describe their views on affirmative action, their thoughts on the ramifications of the 1996 law that bans its use at publicly funded colleges and universities, their track record on diversity and equity efforts, and specific proposals they would try to enact on such matters in schools, state government, businesses and nonprofits if elected governor.! To Read More, CLICK HERE.
MiLB launches Hispanic-focused initiative 'Es Divertido Ser Un Fan'! Multicultural fan engagement program includes new team identities, specialty uniforms, ballpark experiences - Skips Sacramento!
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ST. PETERSBURG, Florida -- Minor League Baseball® (MiLB™) has launched Es Divertido Ser Un Fan, a new multicultural fan engagement platform aimed at specifically connecting with Hispanic/Latino baseball fans in 160 markets throughout the U.S. and Canada. The program will debut this August in select MiLB markets, including Las Vegas, Charlotte, North Carolina; Kane County, Illinois; and Visalia, California, with a national expansion planned for 2018.!
The Es Divertido Ser Un Fan initiative expands MiLB's fan-centric marketing campaign It's Fun to be a Fan, unveiled in March. The Spanish-translated By Seema Mehta, LA Times! campaign provides teams with an additional option to Latino and black state lawmakers are calling on better connect with and engage fans in culturallygubernatorial candidates to publicly state their opinion relevant ways.! about affirmative action, injecting into the 2018 The most recent ESPN Sports Poll report found contest a potentially volatile racial issue that has that more than 18.2 million U.S. Hispanic/Latino previously splintered California Democrats.! individuals identify themselves as MiLB fans, or 17.2 “Each of our caucuses, as you may know, is driven percent of MiLB's overall self-designated fan base.! by a mission to further the interests of all Californians To Read More, CLICK HERE through advocacy for programs and policies that promote diversity and empowerment. To that end, we would appreciate your candid thoughts and official COMING SEPTEMBER 23, 2017 position on affirmative action and related topics,” TO SACRAMENTO wrote state Sen. Ben Hueso and state Assemblyman THE LATINO PROFESSIONALS Chris Holden, the chairmen of the Latino and black legislative caucuses respectively, to the six most BUSINESS AND CONSUMER EXPO Weekly Focus July 20 2017 - Page 8
NEWS BRIEFS Sponsored by Imperial Homes and Investments Why are birth rates higher for Latina teens than others? It’s complicated, experts say! BY MACKENZIE MAYS, Fresno Bee! When Viririana Covarrubias announced she was pregnant at 15, a family meeting was held. But she was merely a bystander.! Covarrubias and her boyfriend – then both students at Fresno High School – watched as their parents discussed that the two should get married and raise the baby together. Her father and uncles started making plans to convert the garage into a small living space for the soon-to-be family of three.! “They are the typical Mexican family. His parents came to mine and said, ‘We know what our son and your daughter did. They’re now going to be parents. What’s the next step?’ ” said Covarrubias, now 18. “They talked about our options. It was, ‘OK you’re going to keep the baby. Who’s going to work? Who’s going to school? What’s the financial situation?’ That was pretty much it.” !
Johnny Marines Steps Down as President of Roc Nation Latino! by Leila Coco, Billboard! Johnny Marines has stepped down as president of Roc Nation Latino, Billboard has confirmed. The move was largely motivated by time constraints. Marines is Romeo Santos’ longtime manager, and the time consumed with Santos’ newly released Golden left little time for anything else. ! “I stepped down for personal reasons,” Marines told Billboard. “I need to dedicate more time to my sons and to my family, and with Romeo’s album coming out it was going to be a lot. It was a tough decision. These [the Roc Nation team] are great people to work with. I’ve learned a tremendous amount. It was a tough decision but one I had to make.”! Santos will continue as the CEO of Roc Nation Latino and he will continue to be co-managed by Marines together with Roc Nation. ! To Read More CLICK HERE.
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Which Social Networks Rank Highest in User Satisfaction?! Social media user satisfaction remains steady this year though it is still in the lower tier of industries on this measure, according to an American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) report [download page]. The overall index for social media is unchanged at 73 on a 100-point scale, though some platforms are better rated than others.! Sitting atop the list is Google+, the only to achieve an “excellent” rating (of 81) after a 5-point jump from last year. Google also tops the list of search engines in user satisfaction, with a score of 82.! Twitter also enjoyed a 5-point bump in user satisfaction score this year, moving it up from the cellar. With its index score of 70, it remains in the lower half of social networking sites tracked.! To Read More CLICK HERE.
For Some Latino communities the cap-and-trade package may not do enough! On Wednesday, Governor Jerry Brown signed the final bill in the cap-and-trade package. This measure would, among other things, empower the California Air Board to identify and monitor areas with high levels of air pollution.! Fifteen miles south, just northwest of Long Beach, is the city of Wilmington, a community sandwiched between several oil refineries. As of 2015, the city is majority Latino, and it’s certainly a contender to be one of those critical areas that the assembly bill would monitor.! A recent study by the Legislative Latino Caucus found that 44% of California’s Latino population live in areas with considerable amounts of air pollution. According to activists and community organizers, Wilmington is one of these areas, and they’ve noticed that the city is plagued by health problems.! To Read More CLICK HERE.
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