TODO Austin August 2012

Landeros on Latinos’ Green Legacy p. 15

Volume IV, 4 / August 2012

Change is gonna come.

Blanca Valencia: Teaching Tolerance p. 4 Basic Questions and Human Rights p. 7 Mohandas’ ‘Food for Thought’ p. 10 Austin Intercultural Network p. 12

Austin’s New District-Charter Compact

Educational Innovation in East Austin

By Kelle Kampa

contact@todoaustinonline.com

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BRIDGE2BRIDGE From Montopolis Bridge to 360 Bridge, Everything Austin

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AUSTIN PET EXPO PALMER EVENTS CENTER SATURDAY, AUGUST 18

With 125+ local exhibitors, an appearance

by Shorty Rossi, star of Pit Boss on Animal Planet (see photo), agility demos, all-day entertainment and a mega-adoption event with more than 200 pets available for adoption, this free event attracts pet lovers from all over Greater Austin. Get your four-legged friends ready for this indoor activity which a t t r a c t s thousands looking to enjoy a day out with their furry, feathered or reptilian pals.

From 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., the Expo will hold an abundance of local and nationallyrecognized veterinarians, groomers, trainers, retailers and organizations primarily geared towards pet lovers. Learn, shop, play or adopt. Rossi, who will be making an appearance with his popular canine sidekick, Hercules, champions the cause of pit bulls. Expo organizers ask that your pet be current on all shots or choose to have your pet’s immunizations updated at the event; low-cost vaccinations and microchipping are offered on-site. The immunization requirement only applies to dogs, cats and ferrets. You’ll be required to sign a pet waiver at the entrance, but you can avoid waiting in line by visiting the Austin Pet Expo website (austinpetexpo.com) to fill your pet waiver form out in advance.

TODO Arts

AUGUST --------------------------------------------------Yanni // Bass Concert Hall

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Echoes remain of the Eastside’s rich Tejano past on a hallowed hillside along the 2100 block of E. 3rd. Each Tuesday evening during the summer, the A.B. Cantu Pan-American Recreation Center presents its free family Hillside Concert series. Next show is Tuesday, August 7, from 7-9:30 p.m., with a stellar line-up of Cinco Doce, Miranda Gil, and Trampia. Bring food, chairs and coolers, but no glass.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Mexic-Arte Museum’s exhibit, “Grafficanos,” the 17th edition of the Young Latino Artists exhibition, presents selected graphic artworks influenced by graffiti and street art genres, curated by James Huizar. Featuring the work of Daniel Anguilu, Eddie Castro, Jellyfish Colectivo, Antonio Diaz, Miguel Donjuan, Dsek, NIZ and Saner. Also see Serie Print Project XIX in the Annex Gallery. mexic-artemuseum.org • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Celebrate India’s Independence Day with a Bollywood celebration on Saturday, August 11, at the India Community Center of Austin’s iFest 2012. Savor tasty treats, see what jingles at clothing, jewelry and retail booths, support charities and enjoy festivities on stage, culminating with the 4th-annual Desi Star Talent Competition. North Austin Event Center (10601 North Lamar), noon-6 p.m. Free. iccaustin.org • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Barrio Writers invites you to its second annual Live Reading on Saturday, August 18, from 3-6 p.m. at the Texas Union/Santa Anita Room 3.502 on the UT campus (24th and Guadalupe). The reading celebrates young writers who have spent time this summer reading, writing and creating their own works. Snacks and refreshments provided, with music by The Cipher, “Austin’s Hip Hop Project.” Free. barriowriters.org • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Texas Music Museum’s spotlight exhibit on East Austin’s African-American Music explores the musical legacies of local artists with rare photographs, biographies, historic posters, recordings, and live music videos, plus items from the Victory Grill and the Piano Professors. Ragtime/Barrelhouse, Blues, jazz, gospel, rap and hip hop are surveyed. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.4:30 p.m. Free. texasmusicmuseum.org • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Global Exchange and Mexico’s Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity have made their “End the Drug War- No more Violence” campaign a priority in 2012. They bring their Caravan for Peace to Austin on Saturday, August 25, at the Capitol where they’ll join local supporters from noon-4 p.m. MPJD’s Javier Sicilia and others hope to create more awareness about the situation Mexico is currently facing.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center presents a free screening of the 1947 classic film, “Vuelven Los García,” on Tuesday, August 28, at 9:30 a.m. as part of its Cine de Oro series. Two resentful families, two youths who love them, they’ll choose between the honor of their name, the loyalty between cousins and the love that is born in their hearts. Spanish/ English subtitles. maccaustin.org • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

His concerts are legendary. His live shows have amazed millions on every continent in the world. After an extensive World Tour, Yanni returns Friday, August 17, 8 p.m. with an all new show featuring music from his new album, “Truth of Touch,” the composer’s first album of original studio music in almost a decade. The tour is a return to his roots with a performance that will deliver old and new fans the very best of Yanni.

Batfest // Congress Ave Bridge

The free “Greyhound Batfest: the Night of the Bat,” is the 8th rendition of the celebration of our favorite nocturnal mammal. Join 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats at dusk on Saturday, August 25, from 5 p.m. to midnight on the Ann Richards Congress Ave Bridge. With 10 Bands on two stages, 75 arts and crafts vendors, food and drinks, fun children’s activities, a bat costume contest and other bat activities.

Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival // Fiesta Gardens

The world’s largest celebration of hot sauce, drawing as many as 15,000 spectators and more than 350 entries every year, is Sunday, August 26. Free parking and shuttles will be available at Saltillo Plaza at the northwest corner of 4th and Waller for attendees. The festival, which serves as a major fundraiser for the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas, includes live music on the Planet K Stage and a wide array of foods.

HABLA Austin // Current affairs and issues impacting our community from Hispanic Advocates and Business Leaders of Austin.

Institutionalized Racism in the Capital City:

¡Todos a Votar! // Joining forces in the national public education effort are SEIU, Mi Familia Vota (MFV), the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), National Council of La Raza (NCLR), Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), Center for Community Change (CCC), Presente.org, Voto Latino, and the Hispanic Federation. The organizations will work with activists on the ground and online to register Latino voters, inform them of the issues at stake in this election, and help mobilize them to the polls... According to recent National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) projections, over 12 million Latinos are expected to vote this presidential election. (ENEWSPF) – Paul Saldaña

By Blanca Valencia

Hermanos de East Austin Calling // Familia, how would you like to become a Volunteer Deputy Voter Registrar and help out your barrios by registering your neighbors, friends and family?

For more information please contact j.velasquez@ hermanosdeeastaustin.com. – José A. Velásquez

Teaching Tolerance in Austin?

During mid-July, I had the distinct pleasure of attending the Presidential Timeline Summer Institute for Teachers (PTSI) that focused on the Civil Rights Era (kudos to Cinthia Salinas, Ryan Crowley, Ken Tothero and Mary Knill for putting this on at the University of Texas at Austin.) Revisiting the history of the Civil Rights movement at the PTSI, I heard not only diverse understandings of the era, but of how racism is defined and explained in each classroom.

I came to one conclusion: We know exactly how to teach the events of history, but not at all how to talk about racism in our classrooms. And if that’s true in our schools, in the place where teachers are expected to be guides - experts even, in this area - how true is that of our own homes? How do we make sense of racism?

Put Latinos Back to Work // There are more than a million people unemployed from the construction industry - many of them Latino - who are looking for work. We have tremendous infrastructure needs that the federal government will eventually have to attend to. The obvious solution to both unemployment and crumbling infrastructure is to invest in important projects now and put construction workers to work rebuilding and repairing the nation’s infrastructure. (Huffington Post) – US Hispanic Contractors You and Green Water Redevelopment // Here’s a great opportunity for local, small, minority and women owned businesses to learn about potential subcontracting opportunities on the upcoming Green Water Redevelopment Project. To learn more, join us for a project overview briefing, Tuesday, August 7, 10 a.m. to noon at IBC Bank Community Room, 1st floor, 2817 East Cesar Chavez. To RSVP, email GreenWater@brisacommunications.com or call 1-855-4GRNWTR (1-855-447-4987). — Angelica Noyola Women’s Wage Gap is Big Economic Roadblock for Latinas // NBC Latino reports that “Latina women make 62 cents for every dollar made by an average white male, according to the Department of Labor. This is one of the biggest factors limiting women from obtaining economic security for themselves and their families, according to a new Center for American Progress report.”

Disconcerting data, although not surprising.

Perhaps it is a contributing factor in the continued rise of Latina-owned small businesses! – Kathy Vale 04 TODO Austin // August 2012 // TodoAustin.com

No, racism is now institutionalized. It is embedded in the very systems we rely on every single day. But how do we know when it is there? More importantly, how do you fight it?

At the height of the Civil Rights Era, when the boycotts and the civil disobedience seemed to be sending a message, the African American community was increasingly divided over the issue of integration.

Some were actually in favor of the idea of “separate and equal” (not to be confused with “separate but equal,” which is what was being contested). Their question was, why couldn’t they have equal rights but maintain their separation from Anglo?

It was an issue of who would still hold power. Integration was seen by many to be just another, more subtle way to get African American to the Anglo table instead of the other way around. The question was never truly about why blacks and other minorities could not share the same space as whites.

It was about racism.

Integration could not mend racism.

Integration would not guarantee that because a little white girl might sit next to a little black boy in a school that the two would become friends and accept each other. It would not guarantee that we would all be judged based on the content of our character and not the color of our skin.

PHOTO BY UT-Austin

Mind you, I do not mean how we justify it. That is an entirely different discussion, because, well, I do not think you can (or should). A good friend once told me that the problem with my generation is that we no longer have a sign outside of a restaurant or store that says that people like me are not allowed in.

Volume IV, Number 04 PUBLISHER/EDITOR - Gavin Lance Garcia contact@todoaustinonline.com ART DIRECTOR - Dave McClinton www.dmdesigninc.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS - Katie Walsh, Erica Stall Wiggins SENIOR EDITORS – Güner Arslan, Cindy Casares, Sonia Kotecha, Esther Reyes, Lesley Varghese, Yvonne Lim Wilson ASSOCIATE EDITORS –Layla Fry, Yadira Izquierdo, Harish Kotecha, Alexandra M. Landeros, Callie Langford, Blake Shanley

communities, communities that look like the city of Austin where people are exposed to mass information and cultures, even here racism exists.

I’ve heard many say that racism and prejudice are only “ignorance.” It is difficult for me to be okay with that. That reasoning seems like such a scapegoat. If this were entirely true, then integration would have fixed everything.

Racism is deliberate … fueled by ignorance.

Yet, it seems that even in the most diverse Contributing Writers/Photographers/Artists – –Ainee Athar, Mohammad Al-Bedaiwi, Heather Banks, Stefanie Behe, Padmini Bhat, Adriana Cadena, Jason Cato, Sirsha Chatterjee, Jennie Chen, Priscilla Cortez, Ruben Cubillos, Chi Dinh, Harmony Eichsteadt, Lori L. Garcia, Mark Guerra, Shailee Gupta, Mita Haldar, Jillian Hall, Mari Hernandez, Ryan Hutchison, Nandini Jairam, Chaille Jolink, Ryan Jordan, Kelle Kampa, Ramey Ko, Savannah Kumar, Heather Lee, Julia Lee, Liz Lopez, Otis Lopez, Nathalie Lumang, David Marks, Darya Marchenkova, JoJo Marion, Mamata Misra, Carmen Nenadal, Cristina Parker, Preya Patel, Monica Peña, Aleah Penn, Revathi Ravi, Jorge Reyes, Paul Saldaña, Marion Sanchez, Hani Saleh, Azim Siddiqui, Blanca Valencia, Kristina Vallejo, Kuetzpalin Vasquez, Rocio Villalobos, Joseph P.A. Villescas, Bowen Wilder, Sait Yavuz, Angel Zhou COVER: Photo courtesy East Austin College Prep

PHOTO BY Mark Guerra

Perhaps the very reason racism is so difficult to combat and defeat is because it’s an idea (implied by the “ism” at the end of the word).

It is sort of like fighting terrorism. How do you defeat that? You might defeat an Osama, but terrorism? So I’m left with two questions (and I welcome your responses): how do you identify racism today and more importantly, how do you fight it?

Valencia is a social studies teacher in Manor who specializes in Latino, Chicano, and Mexican heritage. The UT graduate strives to educate Latino voters while involved with the Travis County Democratic Party. She is also integral to the efforts of Hermanos de East Austin, supporting the Latino community by disseminating information to help bring awareness and action.

TODO Austin: Multicultural Media for All of Austin. TODO Austin is a free print and online journal for all of Austin highlighting our multicultural heritage and promoting the concept of community in an ethnically diverse city. Circulation throughout Austin, from the Westside’s Pennybacker Bridge to the Eastside’s Montopolis Bridge.

TODO Austin is published by Spark Awakened Publishing. © 2012 Spark Awakened Publishing. All rights reserved.

The views expressed here are the authors and should not be taken to represent those of Spark Awakened Publishing or of any of its associates or partners.

ADVERTISING/SUBMISSIONS/EDITORIAL: Contact@todoaustinonline.com, 512.538.4115 TODO Austin – 1400 Corona Drive - Austin, TX 78723

IMMIGRATION

Republican Immigration Rhetoric and Perry’s Texas DREAM

By Ryan Hutchison

Rick Perry’s brief and gaffe prone run to become the 2012 Republican presidential nominee made for good comedy. He pushed hard to the right, calling Social Security a “Ponzi scheme,” gave a debate shout out to “Brother” Herman Cain, and touted himself as the “Tim Tebow of the Iowa caucuses (he finished in 5th place). Watching Governor Perry in the debates was at times embarrassing and cringe inducing, but his stance on a particular immigration issue made me proud of our Governor.

Rick Perry stood firm in his defense of Texas’ socalled “DREAM act,” a law passed in 2001 that offers in-state college tuition to undocumented students who attended a Texas high school for at least three years and are pursuing American citizenship. Governor Perry affirmed his stance saying, “We must say to every child learning in a Texas classroom, ‘We don’t care where you come from, but where you are going, and we are going to do everything we can to help you get there.’”

Perry was vigorously and voluminously attacked for his stance on immigration by his fellow candidates, who spotted an easy target in his “liberal” state policy of encouraging higher education attainment by providing instate college tuition for the some 100,000+ undocumented children in Texas schools. By the incredulous looks he received from Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney and Herman Cain while he defended his record, you would have thought he was from Newt Gingrich’s moon base.

How has deporting undocumented Latino immigrants and building a 1,900 mile fence become a go-to campaign issue for Republican politicians and candidates? How has Rick Perry become the Republican outlier on this issue?

Are Republicans putting themselves in a position to lose the Latino vote and motivate the Latino electorate to come out against political parties targeting their community?

It hasn’t always been like this in the Republican Party. In a 1984 debate with Walter Mondale, Reagan said “I believe in the idea of amnesty for those who have put down roots and lived here, even though sometime back they may have entered illegally.” He won 40% of the Latino vote in that election, and in 1986 Reagan led and passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act, which granted amnesty to three million illegal immigrants.

President George W. Bush campaigned hard for the Latino vote in both of his presidential elections, speaking Spanish in campaign stops and Univision advertisements. It worked. In 2004 Bush came away with 44% of the Latino vote. President Bush, like President Reagan believed Latinos were an integral part of America’s social fabric and in 2007 led the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act, an effort to enable immigrants to obtain permanent residency status. His efforts to bring illegal immigrants out of the shadows backfired and the bill was defeated.

I humbly submit that President Bush’s failure to pass comprehensive immigration reform and the downturn in the economy in 2007 created the perfect storm to make immigration a banner issue for the next federal election, and has created a culture of anti-immigration in the party since. In 2008, immigration reform became a hot-button and rhetorically charged wedge issue in national and state politics. Senator John McCain, who authored an “amnesty” bill as recently as 2006 and Governor Mitt Romney, who stated in 2005 that it would not be “practical or economic for the country” to deport all undocumented immigrants, both began backpedalling on the issue in the 2008 primary, and did so quickly.

Illegal immigration ranked as the top domestic issue for voters throughout most of 2007 and 2008. Watching the candidate’s hard line on immigration again in the 2012 Republican primary debates proves immigration is still a winner for national Republican candidates.

Providing young students, who have been in Texas schools with the same higher-education benefits as their peers should be common sense, regardless of a student’s immigration status.

We want our Texas students to succeed; their accomplishments will benefit all Texans. Texas Republicans need to help our conservative peers across the United States understand that there needs to be a shift in this conversation. The Republican Party platform’s primary focus on the family and conservative, hard work values are shared by so many Hispanic families who could easily become life-long Republican voters.

There is hope. We still have Rick, and the 2012 Texas Republican Platform is endorsing a guest worker program, one of the first state Republican parties in the nation to do so. Keep it up Texas Republicans, and remember rhetoric hurts more than our party; it hurts families who want to be a part of the American dream, too.

By Yvonne Lim Wilson

Ripple Effect: Vincent Chin 30th Anniversary

MECA Networking

By Nathalie Lumang

Join MECA, the Multi-Ethnic Chamber Alliance (comprised of the Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Capital City African American Chamber of Commerce), on Tuesday, August 28 from 6-8 p.m. at a networking event presented by LCRA at Maggiano’s Little Italy at the Domain (10910 Domain Drive). Visit austinasianchamber.org for details.

6th Annual MECA Career & Opportunities Expo The Multi-Ethnic Chamber Alliance (MECA) holds its annual expo on Thursday, August 9, at the Holiday Inn Austin Midtown (6000 Middle Fiskville Road) from 8-11 a.m. Free. Visit austinasianchamber.org for more.

GlobalAustin Welcomes Taipei Ambassador Daniel T.C. Liao GlobalAustin invites the community to a presentation and speech by Ambassador Daniel T.C. Liao, Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston. The event is on Thursday, August 9, 6 p.m. at Austin City Hall-City Council Chambers, hosted by GlobalAustin, The City of Austin, Austin Chapter of Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston. Liao will speak on the present and future of the Republic of China (Taiwan), focusing on the current political, cultural and economic situation in Taiwan. The event is free and open to the public; refreshments provided. Liao has held posts including Ambassador to Tuvalu; Section Chief in the Department of African Affairs; and Councilor and Charge d’affaires to the Commonwealth of Dominica. He most recently accepted his post in Houston.

It was a summer night in 1982 when a young Chinese American man wandered the streets of Detroit, Michigan, celebrating his bachelor party. He would not make it to the altar for his wedding.

Two men, a laid-off autoworker and his stepson, beat Chin to death with a baseball bat. During the 1980s, layoffs hampered the U.S. auto industry due to competition from Japanese automakers. The men blamed Chin for their unemployment, even though he was not Japanese.

American community.

Following the film, a panel of local civil right activists discussed the challenges the Asian American community faces today, along with other minority groups.

Marina Bhargavam, of SAHELI for Asian Families, spoke about the need for a more unified outreach effort. “We have an obligation to advocate for ourselves, particularly the segments who don’t have the capacity to do for themselves,” Bhargava said.

Karen Gross, of the Anti-Defamation League, commented on the importance of acknowledging the consequences of the hate crimes because they may cause a ripple effect in the community.

iFest 2012 Celebrate India’s Independence Day with a Bollywood celebration! On Saturday, August 11, the India Community Center of Austin will be hosting iFest 2012 at the North Austin Event Center from noon to 6 p.m. Entrance for the event is free. This year marks India’s 65th anniversary of independence. iFest will include food from local vendors, clothing and jewelry booths, and performances throughout the day. Along with the festivities, there will be the fourth-annual Desi Star Talent Competition. For more information contact iccaustin@gmail.com

Shonen Knife at Red 7 Japanese pop-punk power trio, Shonen Knife, is stopping in Austin during their North American tour on Thursday, August 16 at Red 7. Gal Pals and Bobby Jealousy open the show; doors at 9 p.m.

Angel Zhou | PHOTO

The two men were convicted of seconddegree murder, but they never spent a day in prison. The infamous hate crime spurred major interest among Asian Americans across the country and is now considered the start of a pan-ethnic Asian American movement.

Others on the panel included Constable Bruce Elfant, of Precinct 5; Paul Rhea, of Austin Human Rights Commission and Lesley Varghese, of the Austin Asian American Resource Center.

Austin judge Ramey Ko, a member of Austin APAP, said that Asian American history has recently been left out of Texas history

Thirty years later, a proclamation was passed to commemorate Chin’s death, stand up against injustice and also raise awareness and in cities across the U.S., including Austin, June 23 marked Vincent Chin Remembrance Day. Angel Zhou | PHOTO

UCarnival Austin – A Fashion Blast from India It’s a smart, sassy and swinging Indian fashion fiesta as Utsav presents UCarnival, the Indian fashion fiesta from Friday-Sunday, August 24-26 at Hilton Garden Inn Austin North (12400 I-35). In a city as unique as Austin, with its eclectic taste in ethnic fashions, UCarnival provides a great shopping experience from a range of Indian ethnic wear, from traditional to contemporary, with stunning sarees, Indo-western and elegant salwar kameezes. UCarnival Austin runs 2-8 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For more go to UCarnival.com.

Harvest Moon Festival at the Asian American Cultural Center Celebrate the Harvest Moon Festival at the Asian American Cultural Center on Saturday, September 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 11713 Jollyville Road. Asian cultural performances throughout the day and traditional food for the entire family. Free. Visit www.asianamericancc.com for details.

06 TODO Austin // AUGUST 2012 // TodoAustin.com

This year, a nationwide town hall billed as, “Vincent Chin 30: Standing Up Then and Now,” included more than 30 cities participating in a Google Hangout, hosted

by Asian Pacific Americans for Progress. In Austin, the event was held in the Fulbright & Jaworski, LLP offices.

The event began with Irwin Tang, author of “Asian Texans,” introducing the film “Vincent Who?” The film was made for the 25th anniversary of the murder, exploring the importance of Chin’s death and the aftermath that followed in the Asian

textbooks. “If Texas, whose standards are used by many textbook makers because of our size, can’t even teach the Japanese American internment,” Ko said, “then we definitely can’t assume they’ll actually teach the real history of our community.”

The nationwide town hall served as a platform to unite APAP communities across the U.S. Though awareness for Chin’s legacy continues, there is still much work to be done.

King’s ‘Certain, Basic Questions’ About Human Rights

By Cristina Parker

Shortly before he was assassinated in 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said that, “we have moved from an era of civil rights to the era of human rights, an era where we are called upon to raise certain basic questions about the whole society.”

In this spirit, King’s last gift to the struggle was the formation of the Poor People’s Campaign, which he was working on at the time of his death. The Poor People’s Campaign aimed to unite impacted communities in the U.S. beyond race and to push for what they called the Economic Bill of Rights.

Though the campaign went on after King’s death, the bill was never passed.

We see how this vision of unity and justice for communities remains unfulfilled today.

Cities have been gutted, public workers cut and families displaced from their homes. The human right to education, housing, healthcare and good jobs are out of reach for more and

more families every day.

We face enormous challenges in trying to fundamentally change the systems that have created inescapable poverty in generation after generation. But King’s last gift was also his last charge in this battle against injustice.

There are people standing up and taking on this challenge to move towards a movement for human rights and they are right here in the U.S., in Texas and in Austin.

For example, the Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition is doing this work by connecting impacted communities in the Austin area. These communities are uniting for deep, systematic change in this city and far beyond. The AIRC and its members are working toward this vision through a process of consulting, educating and organizing local communities around human rights.

In nine counties throughout Texas, members of the Reform Immigration Alliance are doing the same. RITA is the large coalition that was able to beat back anti-immigrant bills, especially Arizona-style enforcement, in the last Texas legislature. The AIRC was a part of this coalition along with educators, law enforcement, faith leaders, business owners, students and workers. The seemingly impossible victory against Arizona-style bills in Texas started RITA

Radha Madhav Dham Family Camp Despite the heat, Radha Madhav Dham again welcomed family campers to its South Austin oasis this summer. As the main U.S. Ashram of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, the Dham is located in the scenic hill country, just 15 miles SW of Austin. Visitors from all over North America come to feel the peaceful atmosphere and the Divine vibrations of the chanting and meditation.

on the path to transformation. It became crystal clear: No longer can we fight and win or lose as immigrant communities, we must instead start to work toward human rights for all.

The only way to do this here in Austin or Texas or the rest of the U.S. is to build connections that go beyond issues, beyond geography or language and as Dr. King demanded of us, beyond race.

We have to be willing to embrace the fact that there is no such as immigrant rights. There is no such thing as LGBT rights, or labor rights.

There are no such things as children’s rights or women’s rights or students’ rights. There are only human rights — those things that we are

We are called upon to answer these questions and the answers can only be found together.

Hindu Charities For America (HC4A) and the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) have linked together for a joint community service project to help with the education of homeless children in Manor.

The unique service project is the first of its kind in Austin.

The organizations will coordinate the kitting of school supplies with volunteers from both communities on Sunday, August 19, from 1-4 p.m. at the Dell Jewish Community Campus, located in Northwest Austin at 7300 Hart Lane, Room 150-C. Each kit will include several school items in 600 bags for each of two grade levels, which will be delivered to Manor on August 24 at the Manor New High Tech School cafeteria.

HC4A typically raises funds to donate school supplies to homeless children in the Austin metro area. Since its inception in 2010, it has served Round Rock, Austin, Bastrop, Leander and Del Ville independent school districts. With the help of individual donors, various Indian organizations – cultural, religious, service and civic – and businesses, HC4A has raised funds to procure school supplies for upcoming school year. HC4A’s recent fundraising concert, “Bollywood Fiesta,” drew an overflow crowd to Mexita’s, with donations earmarked for the Manor students.

The Family Camp is now an eight year tradition, boosted by a mix of families who’ve attended the camp for years and those experiencing the retreat for the first time with the anticipation of growing their love for God and making new friends. The concurrent classes for adults, teens, youth and children are prepared to teach age-appropriate basics and tenets of Hinduism. The Dham’s Family Camp provides a fun, nurturing and safe environment for spiritual, emotional and educational growth, and it seldom fails to motivate families to return year after year.

Janvi Agrawal and Grace Lewis, who have been campers over the last few years and are now counselors, are training to be teachers. “These kids loved their classes,” Grace said. “They do chanting at the end of their class and all of them have their eyes closed; it’s beautiful to watch.”

We are in still struggling in the era of human rights that Dr. King imagined. It’s time for us to “raise certain basic questions about the whole society.” We must ask what it means for our government to fulfill and protect human rights. We have to ask what economic system can ensure those rights. We need to raise the question of how to get to this new society and even who gets to go there.

Hindu-Jewish Service Project Benefits Manor Homeless Children By Harish Kotecha

Families arrived on buses, planes and automobiles from as far as Queens, New York and Topanga Canyon, California, for the last biannual Family Camp, joining local families for basketball, cricket bats, music – including the playing of dholaks, harmoniums and cymbals – plus the performance of a leela play in costume. Radha Madhav Dham’s popular peacock babies safely cross the front lawn without fear of flying volleyballs or running khabbadi players.

Seventeen year old Gourab Modak of Austin, who attended the camp said, “My favorite part was the discipline. I stretched myself like never before. I woke up for arti at 6:30 a.m. and found that I really liked that. The amount of sadhana incorporated into the schedule had a positive effect on me. It improved me and gave me a positive change of mind.”

all entitled to enjoy by virtue of being alive and sentient human beings who each contribute to our communities and our country.

The JCRC is a division of the Jewish Community Association of Austin (JCAA). The JCAA provides a vast array of services and programs, from enrichment opportunities for all ages to support services for families, from health and wellness oriented programming to global philanthropy. The JCRC coordinates and implements a program of positive community relations both within the Jewish community and between the Jewish and the general Austin community, and has stepped up to host the volunteer kitting project at the Dell Jewish Community Campus.

HC4A’s BollywoodFiesta

Volunteers with trucks to deliver the bags to Manor should call Dana Epstein at 512-735-8008 or email hinducharities4america@gmail.com.

TODO Austin // AUGUST 2012 // TodoAustin.com 07

AUSTIN’S NEW DISTRICT-CHARTER COMPACT

Growing Up to Success?

Educational Innovation in East Austin

By Kelle Kampa

board trustees in December 2011, outlines the partnership between AISD and IDEA Public Schools, a charter program out of South Texas; the collaboration is eligible to reapply for an additional $7 million from the Gates Foundation once the program is up and running.

IDEA will run two schools in East Austin under executive director Larkin Tackett with focuses on professional development, early literacy intervention, and family involvement. “Our biggest focus is on getting through this first year and focusing on our partnership with AISD to create something truly unique in public education,” Tackett told the Austin American-Statesman earlier this year. “I really see this as an opportunity for the sum of the partnership to be greater than the individual pieces.”

AISD Superintendent Meria Carstarphen at Martin Middle School.

Ask a child what they want to be when they grow up and you will most always receive an inspiring answer: doctor, lawyer, actor, professional soccer player. Unfortunately, for a lot of kids, life gets in the way of their dreams. Money trouble, an abundance of distractions, and failure to attain the requisite educational or experiential achievements are just a few reasons why many children – especially those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds – land far short of their original lofty projections. In East Austin, where neighborhoods have historically been troubled by high rates of poverty and public schools are notorious for poor performance, children’s success in school and beyond is especially challenged by their circumstances.

But that could be changing. East Austin is now home to some of the most innovative and rigorous schools in the city in large part due to the Austin Independent School District’s recent collaborative contract with a slew of charter school programs.

Residents in East Austin will soon be awash with educational possibilities for their children.

Austin’s charter schools are public institutions that are established through a contract, or charter, that essentially gives schools free reign over staffing, curriculum and budget decisions while holding the school accountable for students’ academic performance within the purview of 08 TODO Austin // AUGUST 2012 // TodoAustin.com

the state. Since both traditional public schools and charter schools are required to participate in state standardized testing, the efficacy of the two modes of schooling can be compared through assessment data. According to data provided by the Texas Charter School Association from 2009-2010, charter schools outperformed traditional school districts from the 6th-12th grades in reading, math, science, and social studies components of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test (TAKS). Additionally, charter schools are having marked success with underserved populations, as higher percentages of charter-schooled African-American, Hispanic, and economically disadvantaged students consistently pass the TAKS test in every core subject (with exception of African-American social studies results), which are equal to their traditional-schooled peers.

With the steady uptick of charter schools serving low socioeconomic status communities, a growing number of school districts, including AISD, are beginning to shift from a mindset of competing for students to strategic collaboration and partnership. Encouraging such collaboration between districts and charter schools is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which recently awarded a $100,000 grant to help AISD launch its District-Charter Collaboration Compact. The agreement, which was approved by AISD school

While Mathias acknowledges the potential for the district-charter compact to have positive affect on the community, he has reservations. “As a product of public schools, I share the sensitivity of so many in our community,” he said. “Unquestionably, charter schools and the private sector have a role to play in public education. Such efforts, however, must be a good fit for our students, parents, and teachers. The students and parents of East Austin have been very clear in expressing their fear that their community has become a misplaced laboratory for experimental changes to public school education.”

However, not everyone in East Austin is on the same page about the benefits of the districtcharter compact. Reverend Dr. Jayme Mathias, a prominent member of the East Austin community and candidate for the AISD Board of Trustees, Position 2, expressed his concerns that AISD and area charter schools may be going forward with their plans without considering what East Austin community members really want. “Many parents and community members have expressed that communication is an important area of needed improvement in education,” said Mathias. “Parents have told me they feel helpless. They believe no one listens to their concerns.”

EACP photo

EACP photo

Dr. Juan Sanchez, Board Chair of East Austin College Prep and founder and CEO of Southwest Key Programs, a nonprofit that offers a wide variety of services and programs to residents of East Austin, is optimistic about the future of education in East Austin. While he understands that the community may be overwhelmed by the new schooling options for their children, Sanchez stresses the dire need for educational

East Austin College Prep’s focus on cultural arts includes the Austin Soundwaves orchestra program.

innovation in East Austin. “This community has suffered through countless years of floundering public schools, schools that are failing in nearly every respect to improve academic outcomes and provide the necessary wrap-around services for student success,” he asserted. “The outlets of traditional public schooling have been tried and tested, again and again, but there continues to be an outrageous proportion of students who do not graduate, who are not prepared for college, who will not be able to land a successful job.”

Sanchez emphasizes that the area charter schools are anything but “experimental;” the academic benefits they offer are concrete and reflected in the yearly TAKS test data which indicates the outperformance of charter schools over traditional public schools. “The best way to get this community out of poverty is through educational reform,” Sanchez said. “If every child in East Austin graduates from college, this community will be well on its way to financial security.”

With the district-charter compact underway, Sanchez looks forward to East Austin College Prep’s collaboration with AISD and area charter schools to provide a wide array of options to satisfy the needs of East Austin families.

The IDEA charter schools will join a cadre of similar charter schools already operating in East

Austin, including KIPP, Austin Can! Academy, East Austin College Prep, and Austin Achieve Public Schools, all of which offer an alternative to traditional public schooling that incorporates an extended school day and year, increased parental involvement, and individualized support for their students. Additionally, by offering a more competitive teacher salary, these schools often get their pick of some of the best teachers in the state; Austin Achieve recently boasted a whopping 460 applications for just nine available teaching positions, a ratio which allowed them to pick only the best and brightest for their team.

Each charter school in East Austin has its own niche within which the school excels, making choosing between them a little easier for students and parents. KIPP Austin hosts the “KIPP Through College” (KTC) program which, according to their website, “provide[s] ongoing academic, emotional, and organizational support to empower KIPP Austin Public Schools alumni to achieve success in their current school and to become leaders in the community.” The KTC program maintains connections between KIPP alumni, mentors, and staff to empower their alums to succeed in high school (if they are not at a KIPP school) and college. At East Austin College Prep, there is a strong focus on technology and cultural arts; the school offers Globaloria, an intensive video game programming class, as well as Ballet Folklorico,

and a full orchestra program through Austin Soundwaves. At Austin Achieve, technology is incorporated throughout the lessons by providing an Apple iPad tablet computer for each student to use during school hours.

John Armbrust, the principal and founder of the Austin Achieve public school, elucidated the various strengths of charter schooling, especially concerning the needs of East Austin students.

Armbrust stresses Austin Achieve’s “personal responsibility to make sure each and every one of its students is successful, not allowing students to fall through the cracks.” One of the cornerstones of student success at Austin Achieve is its focus on connecting parents to the school and to their children’s academic success. “We go out of our way to build relationships with families and provide lots of opportunities for them to be involved,” Armbrust said.

Teachers and school administrators regularly make home visits to students and their families, and schedule plenty of open events at the school, including family movie nights. “The parent connection piece is vital to student achievement,” Armbrust said. “When we register a student for our school, we ask parents what is holding them back from being more involved, and often times their answer is that they can’t speak the language that their child is being educated in. So we started offering ESL classes in the evening for the parents.”

Austin Achieve is just one of a growing number of charter schools that go above and beyond to provide the best education possible for students in East Austin through a results-driven, college-preparatory culture. With the districtcharter compact, the climate for educational opportunities in East Austin will only get better.

Armbrust is very optimistic about what the future holds for students in East Austin: “I’m excited to see the partnership come together,” he said.

“We’re all fighting for the same goal – giving students access to a great education.”

Looking at end-of-year surveys taken by 8th graders at East Austin College Prep, a charter middle school just around the corner from Eastside Memorial (formerly Johnston) High School, hopes and dreams are palpable. When she grows up, Jailene Delacerda wants to be a crime scene investigator, “because I like to investigate and explore new things,” she writes. Analisa Flores’s ambitions are to be “a lawyer, business woman, journalist, photographer, and pastry chef because these are my passions.” Brian Velasquez wants to be an engineer “because it is fun.” Will they make it there? At this point, it’s hard to tell. With so many new educational opportunities opening up to them right in their backyard, it is hoped that these students will be well equipped to succeed in high school, college and beyond.

TODO Austin // AUGUST 2012 // TodoAustin.com 09

Austin Muslims host Open House for Ramadan The month of Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection where Muslims fast from dawn to dusk and spend time in prayer.

Traditionally, the daily fast is broken with an “Iftaar” meal shared with family and others in the community. Now that Ramadan is underway, Austin’s local Muslim communities are offering special opportunities for non-Muslims to experience this important part of their religious practice.

The North Austin Muslim Community Center (NAMCC) is hosting a Ramadan Open House with an Iftaar dinner on Wednesday, August 1. In addition to enjoying the meal, visitors will learn more about the meaning of Ramadan and the role it plays Muslim practice.

Ramadan is the month on the Islamic lunar calendar during which Muslims abstain from food, drink and other sensual pleasures from break of dawn to sunset, ending their fasts with a meal after sunset prayers. They also invite friends and family to their homes and mosques to share meals together at this special time of the year. The fast is performed to learn discipline, self-restraint and generosity, while obeying God’s commandments. Fasting (along with the declaration of faith, daily prayers, charity, and pilgrimage to Mecca) is one of the “five pillars” of Islam. The end of Ramadan is marked by communal prayers called “Eid ul-Fitr,” or Feast of the Fast-Breaking.

The NAMCC open house will include a presentation on Islam and Ramandan and an opportunity to experience the Muslim month of fasting by breaking the fast, observing the sunset prayer, and enjoying dinner with the Muslims community at NAMCC. The North Austin Muslim Community Center (NAMCC) was founded in approximately 1992 and moved into its current location at 11900 North Lamar Blvd in 1996. Many services, including five daily prayers, are offered, and approximately 1,500 Muslims attend Friday prayers here each week.

Prakash Mohandas’ Screening ‘Food for Thought’ in August Agni Entertainment’s “Food for thought,” a film directed by Austin’s Prakash Mohandas, will screen this month at the Austin Film Society on Friday, August 17, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. and Saturday, August 18 at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

The film is a tale about two young boys, Rishi, who is unwillingly thrust into a world of academic rigors, and Krishna, a mathematical prodigy from a poor family and with limited opportunity. The story deals with their interaction and how they help each other realize their talents with the help of a perceptive and empathetic young professor, Mr. Joseph.

The film, a recent selection at the Worldkids International Film Festival, “is a medium through which many kids around the world in various schools will have a chance to view the film,” said Mohandas. After a successful premiere at the Alamo Draft House in Austin, the G-rated film

has met with positive reviews. Tickets can be purchased online at agnidance.com.

Mohandas is the founder and CEO of Agni Entertainment, an organization whose prime focus is the production, promotion and distribution of independent film, theatre projects with a goal of establishing the missing links in the south Asian film industry outside of Asia and eventually create a thriving, stand-alone film industry in countries outside the Asian sub-continent.

Mohandas, a filmmaker, entrepreneur, actor, dancer, musician and is the founder of Agni Dance Company and Agni Performing Arts, based in Austin, his most recent work, “Lanka,” was a stage production that combined theatre dance and martial arts. Mohandas is currently making a series of short and feature length films which he hopes to present at film festivals and screenings around the world next year.

Circuit of The Americas Kicks off Austin Fashion Week with ‘Shift Into Style’ Circuit of The Americas is partnering with Austin Fashion Week organizers to present Shift Into Style, an exclusive event designed to stitch together motorsports and fashion. The fashion party and fundraiser is slated for Friday, August 10, from 8-11 p.m. at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.

Shift Into Style will feature runway shows, gourmet food and live entertainment. Circuit of The Americas’ beneficiaries for this event will be Seton Breast Cancer Center and Dell Children’s Blood and Cancer Center. Silent auction items created specifically for this event

by Kendra Scott, Linda Asaf, Lana Chu and other designers will benefit The Arc of the Capital Area.

VIPs from the fashion and motorsports industries will unveil the outfits to be worn by the Circuit

of The Americas’ (COTA) Girls at the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix November 16-19. Local fashion talent, of Fashion Star™ fame, Ross Bennett designed the COTA Girls’ collection for Austin’s 2012 Grand Prix and will be on hand for the unveiling.

“This is one of the most unique design projects and it’s an honor to have been chosen for this special assignment in my hometown,” Bennett said. “Formula 1 events draw sophisticated fans from around the world. We expect Shift Into Style to highlight the important role fashion plays in international motorsports.”

Shift Into Style will feature runway shows by Robert Danes and other locally and nationally recognized designers, with hair and make-up by ROAR Salon. “The Circuit Events Host Committee

is working on a number of special events leading up to the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in November, and we are excited to launch our official event schedule with Shift Into Style in partnership with the great team responsible for Austin Fashion Week,” said Geoff Moore, Circuit chief marketing and revenue officer. “Formula 1 Grand Prix is a very fashion-focused experience, and we expect Shift Into Style to get our guests excited for the fall season while providing a preview of what we expect to see at the Circuit this November.”

Circuit of The Americas will be a world-class destination for performance, education and business with a 3.4-mile circuit track. Other support buildings will include an outdoor live music space, a conference center, a banquet hall

Austin Fashion Week Features World of Designers Each year Austin Fashion Week features a variety of designers whose creations are sparked by styles and influences from throughout the world. Some of the globally-inspired designers for this year’s event include: Rare Trends Rare Trends was founded by two Argentinian sisters, Paola Moore and Marina Silver, who scouted designers at Buenos Aires Fashion Week and bring back their fashion-forward pieces to Texas. The sisters spent years selecting pieces from home and abroad to define their own style. “We believe women should wear art. The designers we carry are inspired by architecture, movement, and construction leading to garments that each tell a story.”

Rare Trends will feature designs by several talented Argentine designers, including Tramando, by Martin Churba. Churba is a genius textile artist who combines design with unique techniques transforming his garments into the exquisite, intelligent and sophisticated. Natacha Morales: Churba’s alumni who creates old school couture, beautifully finished and glamorous, with a touch of modern, edgy details. TuCouture: strives to bring the sexy and the classy out of every woman with incredible designs and a mix of original and vintage fabrics. Ana Sylveira: Leather is her passion and she includes it in an array of designs from tanks to skirts and dresses that bring out the rock and roll character of her design. All appliques are handmade and applied.

By Monica Peña

as well as a state-of-the-art medical facility.

Austin Fashion Week features nearly 100 “Showcase Events” that take place throughout the city August 11-14, ranging from designer trunk shows to cocktail parties including apparel and accessories collections debuts at the landmark Driskill Hotel during “Runway Presentations and Marketplace,” August 15-17.

Each night, numerous collections will be shown from contemporary and evening, to menswear and resort wear. Austin Fashion Week concludes with the Austin Fashion Awards at Austin Music Hall on August 18 where Rising Stars, Trailblazers, and Mash Up teams will be recognized with the coveted Golden Boot Award. For more information visit fashionweekaustin.com.

By Monica Peña

“It’s important for us to participate in Fashion Week as ambassadors of numerous designers who believe fashion is an expression of art. Austin is The Capital of The Arts, and has a magnificent community eager for what is new, in so many diverse expressions like film, music, technology and now Fashion. We are grateful to have this channel to offer amazing collections to the local community,” commented Paola Moore, CEO and founder of Rare Trends.

House of Victoria House of Victoria is a clothing line designed by four sisters from Lagos, Nigeria that blend African fabrics with European styles. House of Victoria began as a fun hobby for siblings Esther, Elizabeth, Rosemary and Isioma, who started out as fashionistas in Lagos, where they were born and raised. Their styling was influenced by their grandmothers - both named Victoria - and other cultures from around the world. This collection of 28 pieces is for the outgoing and fun-loving woman and includes selections that range from avant-garde to formal evening wear.

ProjectNCY With the belief that behind each handmade piece is a story, ProjectNCY captures the traditions and uniqueness of Indonesian culture in its line.

Designer Nancy Liando is an Indonesian-born apparel designer with Chinese heritage. In late 2010, she returned to Indonesia to rebuild her apparel label ProjectNCY, focusing on handmade accessories, made-to-order clothing, fashion illustration drawings, handbags and clutches and home decor projects using ceramic clay and other mixed media materials.

Tickets for events during Austin Fashion Week are available at fashionweekaustin.com/tickets/.

Rare Trends Photo TODO Austin // AUGUST 2012 // TodoAustin.com 11

CHARIT Y PROFILE:

Austin Intercultural Network

By Isaiah Dao and Sara McCuistion

Many of us have been challenged at one time or another by academic courses, work studies and exams on Intercultural Relations.

Fortunately, a new charity has been formed in our city, the Austin Intercultural Network, to bring people together to learn about each other, as well as look both smart and wellcultured.

The Austin Intercultural Network (AIN) was created to celebrate the diversity of Austin by providing a welcoming forum in which community groups can showcase their diverse cultural events, language, arts, literature, achievements and knowledge as a means to promote cultural awareness, community partnerships, cultural diversity and understanding.

Austin’s Tejano Music Coalition Canta Tejano Idol II Underway By Otis Lopez Austin’s Tejano Music Coalition is going strong and has begun auditions for its second annual Canta Tejano Idol contest. Founded in 2005, the group is comprised of Tejano artists, fans and industry professionals. The group’s mission is to support and expand the presence of a native Texas genre of music known as Tejano and its artistic contributionthroughout the community of Austin and Central Texas; preserve the historical and cultural significance of Tejano music by creating an environment of respect, understanding and appreciation; and to promote the advancement of Tejano music and culture through unification, education, communication and public awareness.

Austin Tejano Music Coalition President Rosendo Gomez, Ruben Ramos and ATMC’s Gilbert Rivera.

AIN, a non-profit, was founded in 2009 by Austin’s Chi Dinh. Known as an incredible Salsa dancer to friends, Dinh is also noted as a great cook who espouses healthy living. At the formation of AIN, Dinh teamed up with a diverse, bright group of friends and local business professionals.

Together, with all of they turned their vision of promoting cultural awareness and building the community through partnerships into a reality.

Now in their fourth year, AIN counts over 500 members. To date there are already over 25 countries represented by its membership. The goal in 2012, with a major festival on the horizon, is to grow even more as AIN plans on being a big part of moving Austin forward.

Regularly scheduled events hosted by AIN foster relationships and provide opportunities for cross-cultural connections. Naturally, these events highlight Austin’s charm and creativity while promoting the city’s unique local businesses. The culmination of AIN’s effort will be the creation of the annual InterFest Austin cultural event launching in Austin this November.

with other charity organizations and event promoters, and participating artists will be selected from a variety of local cultures. The plan is to showcase cultural performances that are expression of life in Austin, representing multiple traditions that will invite attendees a look inside the greater heritage Austin shares.

InterFest Austin and join local patrons, known for their love of performing artists who stem from all walks of life. Sharing and understanding of cultures, allow differing communities to be more understanding and appreciative of each other, especially under-served ethnic groups, is the goal for event organizers.

Producers are convinced that great food, music, and the arts representing people from across the world will lead to better understanding in the city. It’s not just about fun for AIN, but people connecting and recognizing the special role of artists in this equation. Curious visitors from across the world for the Circuit of The Americas U.S. Grand Prix will feel at home at

Reaching out to forgotten communities is a major component of any humanist endeavor, and AIN plans to bring artists and musicians alike to the fore to take on the challenge. The thinking goes, the more the public has access to the artistic expression of the performers, and the more the intercultural forum can blossom.

Austin Intercultural Network members, L-R, Kevin Williams, Isaiah Dao, Peter Shen, Chi Dinh and Chris Summers.

AIN will help coordinate talent for the festival

ATMC continues to support Tejano music artists by attending local concerts, producing events and dances, and keeping their heritage alive. Current board members include President Rosendo Gomez, Vice President Hector Reyes, Treasurer Mary Ann Gomez, Secretary Aggie Sanchez, Parliamentarian Gilbert Rivera and Special Affairs Director, Senator Gonzalo Barrientos.

Members ask that parents take the time to educate their children about Tejano music and its importance to the Mexican-American culture, introduce them to Tejano artists and their music and take them to familyfriendly Tejano events, such as the free family Hillside Concert series at the A.B. Cantu PanAmerican Recreation Center on Tuesday, August 7, from 7-9:30 p.m., featuring Cinco Doce, Miranda Gil, and Trampia. The public is invited to attend an ATMC meeting and find out how to get involved. All musicians, business owners and fans of Tejano music are welcome.

Ballet Austin Free Classes: Come Dance!

On Saturday, August 26, Ballet Austin invites Central Texans to celebrate a day of free dance classes with the Butler Community School. From jazz to Turbo Kick to ballet, dance classes in a variety of styles are offered to everyone wanting to come out and dance. This year’s Come Dance! 2012 celebrates the 5th anniversary of the opening of Ballet Austin’s Butler Dance Education Center at 501 W. 3rd Street in downtown Austin (at San Antonio Street).

Come Dance! 2012 classes will represent the broad range of dance styles and levels available through Ballet Austin’s BCS, which may include Ballet, Ballet Fit, Theatre Dance, Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop, Hula, Jazz Funk, Tap, Turbo Kick, Videodance, Modern and West African. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in prize drawings such as free BCS dance and fitness classes, tickets to performances and more. Ballet Austin’s Come Dance! celebration has become one of Austin’s favorite free dance events, with up to 1,000 participants.

Each class is 40 minutes long with a 20 minute transition time between classes. Come take one class or dance all day.

As distinctive and dynamic as the city it calls home, Ballet Austin welcomes audiences near and far to participate in its’ “classically innovative” vision for the democratization of dance. With a rich history spanning five decades, acclaimed productions, a commitment to creating access to programs and one of the nation’s largest classical ballet academies, the organization is poised for an even greater future. From their home at the Butler Dance Education Center & Community School in downtown Austin, Ballet Austin and Artistic Director Stephen Mills actively engage the community, dancers, and audiences alike. The New York Times proclaims Ballet Austin “a company with big ambitions” originating work that is “absorbing.” With more than 5,000 students of all ages taking classes at Ballet Austin each year, Ballet Austin’s BCS and Academy comprise one of the largest dance training centers associated with a professional dance company in the U.S. An up-to-date schedule of classes, parking information and pre-registration is available at www. balletaustin.org/comedance.

12 TODO Austin // AUGUST 2012 // TodoAustin.com

Better Educational Outcomes Critical to Success for Foster Youth

By Callie Langford

Many families are happily preparing for their children’s return to school this year. They may be buying school supplies or a new wardrobe.

Perhaps they are even prepping for the big step up to middle or high school this year. It’s an exciting time for many children as they look forward to what a new school year will bring.

For youth in foster care the new school year may look a lot different.

Casey Family Programs has reported that 65% of adults who grew up in foster care changed schools seven or more times from kindergarten through their senior year of high school. Many foster youth will be attending a brand new school this August, and there is no guarantee they will be able to stay there even through the fall semester.

In spite of the potential benefits of education for foster youth, the overall results for many of them are still poor. They are more than twice as likely to drop out of high school. National studies show that children in foster care have higher rates of suspension or expulsion and grade repetition. They also have lower standardized test scores and are less likely to graduate than children in the general population. Only 74% of foster youth alumni had graduated high school, in comparison to 84% of people in the general population. The numbers begin to look even more dismal once youth have aged out of foster care at age 18. While 70% of youth who age out of foster care plan to attend college, only around 3% of foster care alumni actually complete a bachelor’s degree.

Fortunately, these challenges have been recognized and are being addressed with action to improve education for children in foster care. The Texas Supreme Court’s Commission on Children, Youth and Families recently released “The Texas Blueprint: Transforming

Education Outcomes for Children & Youth in Foster Care.” This report is the result of more than 100 court, education and child welfare stakeholders working collaboratively over an 18-month period to build a set of best practices for foster care and education. It includes their recommendations for improving judicial practices, school stability and transitions, school readiness, post-secondary education and many more areas critical to youth in foster care and their educational needs.

Here in Austin, a Travis County Model Court pilot project on educational advocacy will begin this fall to minimize the negative impact that involvement with the child welfare system can have on a youth’s education. CASA of Travis County is a key partner in the project, with participating CASA volunteers set to complete specialized training in August that will address special services available for foster children through Austin Independent School District as well as an education checklist. Vital areas of advocacy for CASA will include the quick transfer of children’s records to a new school, making sure all credits transfer and paying attention to children’s involvement in extra activities. “Educational advocacy has always been a component of CASA’s work for children in foster care, and with the recent Texas Blueprint report and the upcoming Model Court educational pilot, we are excited to be able to focus more on this specialized advocacy and incorporate these excellent recommendations into our advocacy work,” shares CASA’s Executive Director Laura Wolf.

Education is key to achieving success for all of us, but especially for youth who have experienced trauma and instability in their young lives. Ensuring that foster youth both stay and succeed in school is vital to providing them with greater stability and a healthy outlet in their young lives, as well as ensuring that they grow up to be successful, contributing adults. You can read the full Texas Blueprint report online at texaschildrenscommission.gov/.

CASA

(Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Travis County

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT COURTNEY VALENTINE loves exploring Austin with her two dogs. They go to Barton Springs and pretty much anywhere else they can cool off from the Texas heat.

Courtney grew up in Connecticut, so the heat was definitely a shock when she moved to Austin to go to get her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Texas.

Her studies have always been focused on education and psychology including an undergraduate degree in human development and a Masters of education focusing on risk and prevention for youth and families. Before moving to Austin, Courtney served as a case manager for foster youth in San Diego. There she met a CASA volunteer who made a huge impact on the life of the child she was advocating for. “I knew that was something I wanted to do – a great way to work with these kids – so as soon as I could I signed up,” shared Courtney. She’s worked with five children over her years as a CASA volunteer. As a volunteer, the most important thing to Courtney is “building a strong relationship with the child. That takes time and consistency. You have to put energy into making sure that you do what you say you’re going to do, and every interaction with them has to show them you care.”

Interfaith Action of Central Texas Spirituality Book Club

Knights of Columbus Promotes Campaign for ‘Civility in America’

on political and social issues, focusing on policies rather than on individual personalities. For our part, we pledge to make these principles our own.”

A monthly exploration of the world’s spiritual literature continues on August 13 when Interfaith Action of Central Texas ( iACT) celebrates the 10th Anniversary of the Central Texas Spirituality Book Club. iACT invites the public to share their love of reading and interfaith exploration in a respectful circle of inquiry. The August date will also marks Rev. Greg McDonell’s last month with the club as he will be retiring from his position as Co-Pastor at Central Presbyterian Church at the end of October. iACT invites the public to join the forum at Book People (603 N. Lamar Blvd) from 7-8:30 p.m. to discuss both classic and contemporary texts that address the intersections of faith and public life. Book People will be serving up wine and cake to compliment other dishes available.

Responding to Americans’ growing frustration with campaign rhetoric and the tone of the national discourse, the Knights of Columbus recently launched a national, non-partisan initiative to give voice to Americans’ desire for civility in public discourse.

A series of full-page national newspaper ads will encourage readers to sign the online petition at www.CivilityinAmerica.org.

Facebook users can show support by “liking” the petition at www.

Facebook.com/CivilityinAmerica.

“The American people want and deserve civility and a conversation on the issues rather than personal attacks,” said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. “In our own lives, all of us have friends with whom we disagree, and we long ago learned how to have civil relationships despite our differences. Since our elected officials work for and represent the American people, this petition is a step forward in making our voice heard and in making clear to our public servants how we would like them to conduct themselves.”

iACT also reminds that it’s a sacred night is on the horizon as the annual “A Night Under One Sky” fete is scheduled for Tuesday, October 9, at the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum. Details on the event and ticket purchasing will be announced the event draws closer. For more go to interfaithtexas.org.

The petition reads: “We, the undersigned citizens of the United States of America, respectfully request that candidates, the media and other advocates and commentators involved in the public policy arena employ a more civil tone in public discourse

The campaign finds support in a Knights of Columbus-Marist Poll conducted in July that shows that nearly 8 in 10 Americans (78 percent) are frustrated with the tone in politics today. The survey also found that: • Nearly three-quarters of Americans say that campaigns have gotten more negative over the years (74 percent).

• Two-thirds of Americans (66 percent) believe that candidates spend more time attacking their opponents than talking about the issues.

• By a nearly 20 point margin, Americans believe that campaigns are mostly uncivil and disrespectful (56 to 37 percent).

• And nearly two-thirds of Americans say that negative campaigning harms our political process a great deal or a significant amount (64 percent).

• The telephone survey of 1,010 adults was conducted from July 9, 2012 through July 11, 2012. It has a margin of error within +/- 3.0 percentage points.

TODO Austin // AUGUST 2012 // TodoAustin.com 13

TENGO HAMBRE

Barrio Bites: Memories of Mexican Street Food Katie Walsh | words and photos

I miss Mexican street food. All due respect to our bratwurst dudes and ever-multiplying food trucks, Mexico beats the pants off of the U.S. at offering quick, readily-available, cheap snacks—many of which are actually pretty healthy and all of which are going toward supporting people and families in the neighborhood. These folks work on foot. Word-of-mouth and hand-to-hand. Their delicacies are their craft. // Falafel was a common offering (done Mexican style with pickled red onion), churros, crepes with Nutella and cream cheese, and of course the wonderful old snaggle-tooth lady with cake-like sweet corn tamales. Where was my camera for all of that? It probably never made it out of the bag. Some moments were just meant to be savored. // Here are a few street snacks I did manage to snap decent shots of, from when I was in Quintana Roo last year:

favorites. Slightly sweet and crisp, it’s hydrating and high in fiber, antioxidants and vitamin C.

DULCES Oh, Mexican sweets. Coconut candy with lime rind or cinnamon.

Marzapan. Peanut pralines. Vanilla meringues. Dulce de leche (kind of like caramel) and cajeta (goat’s milk caramel). Delicioso.

ESQUITE You’ve probably seen Mexican-style elote, fresh corn on the cob with sour cream or mayo, cheese, chile, maybe a squeeze of lime...well esquite is all that, cut off the cob and mixed up in a cup.

This is my version with potato.

GAZPACHO I found this “gazpacho” in Playa del Carmen—big cubes of cucumber, jicama, pineapple, mango, and other fruits and veggies mixed up with tomato juice, hot sauce, lime juice, chile powder and cheese. Super refreshing on a hot day.

JICAMA CON CHILE Just one of many goodies cut into long spears, arranged in a cup and sprinkled with chile and lime, jicama is one of my all-time

LYCHEE Fresh lychee is where it’s at. Its subtle, tropically floral flavor is best fresh, when the fruit (which is found inside that spiny looking shell and is something like a big, tender white grape with a pit) is dripping with juice that collects in the shell as you break it away.

PAPAS So you think Lays makes good potato chips? At the neighborhood papas cart, potatoes are shaved into long, thin curls right in front of your face, cooked ‘til golden brown and served hot out of the fryer with a sprinkle of salt and maybe some chile. Beats the bag any day.

PLATANOS FRITOS Perhaps my favorite, platanos fritos, or fried plantains, are like long strips of a big, custardy banana fried until super sweet and caramelized around the edges. There’s something so comforting about them, especially served hot with a cool dollop of crema, or sour cream.

LYCHEE

GAZPACHO

DULCES PLANTANOS

ESQUITE

R E S TA U R A N T, B A K E RY & B A R Tex-Mex breakfast and lunch since the 1950’s “Best Freakin’ Migas” – Best of Austin Awards

1511 East 6th Street 512.478-2420 14 TODO Austin // AUGUST 2012 // TodoAustin.com

JICAMA

PAPAS

Mexican Food and Cantina Great Lunch Specials and a great price Come try our Happy Hour from 4-7pm!

1107 North IH 35 • 512.467.4444

PLUM WRITING CHRONICLES OF UNDERCOVER MEXICAN GIRL:

Latinos Need to Live Up to Their Green Legacy

By Alexandra M. Landeros

of 6 people) and an even faster growing demographic in Austin (1 out of 3 people), Latinos can make a difference by our sheer numbers. If we put aside our socio-economic differences and tap into our cultural heritage of being green, we can demand things such as Monsanto stopping genetic modification and the destruction of biodiversity in our corn, which is an ancient crop in Mexico – 60 native varieties of corn have been documented, but they’re in danger of disappearing.

In Oaxaca, there is a non-profit women’s art collective called MAMAZ (Mujeres Artistas y El Maiz). The group arose from the collective questioning and reflection on the state of our nutritional base, maize.

In indigenous Mexican towns, the native maize seed is on the verge of extinction because of lack of government support, the loss of the farming traditions due to immigration, water shortages, climate changes and transnational economic interests – but most of all, because very few people care, including Latinos in the United States.

MAMAZ held an exhibit and events in Austin in 2010, and in San Antonio in 2011. Why weren’t more Latinos there? Do we want to have the opportunity of enjoying one of the sixty varieties of corn native to Mexico that have existed for centuries, or would we rather have the one type of genetically modified corn imposed on us by a corporation that makes huge profits and has no respect for family farmers?

I haven’t conducted extensive polls or studies, and I don’t have the exact statistics, but it seems that whenever I get into circles talking about sustainable food systems, environmental stewardship, natural and healthy eating, and waste-free non-consumer lifestyles, Latinos are a minority.

I have read arguments that “being green” is historically and traditionally part of Hispanic cultures, for example, washing and reusing containers. I have also read commentary on how it’s inherently part of lower-income lifestyles, not by choice, but rather because riding a bicycle or taking the bus is the only way they can afford to get to work.

I do whatever I can in my personal life to be environmentally responsible and healthy. I hang my laundry out to dry in the fresh air, rather than using up electricity by running the dryer machine, and I run my air conditioning at 83 degrees. (Saves money on my bill, too!) I try to avoid buying anything that comes in a package that I’ll have to throw away or even recycle. I reuse containers as much as possible, but I also try to be mindful of how much water I use to clean them out. I don’t water my lawn and instead use that water for my vegetable garden.

We can wait for the non-profit organizations and the eco-friendly brands to figure out a way to culturally connect with Latinos, particularly those in lower-income communities. We can wait for them to foster and encourage their deep-rooted sustainability and develop it into a conscious choice applied to all aspects of life, so that those same people don’t also walk home with double plasticbagged groceries or eat processed fast food packaged in plastic and styrofoam.

But as leaders, who are college educated and aren’t living in poverty, we need to be more proactive in sharing information and being role models for those in our Latino community. Aren’t we the ones who hold the secret key to cultural sensitivity and knowledge of the Spanish language? Do we want to be left behind in the sustainability, environmental, and health movement? Do we want to wait for the rest of the world to show us a better way to live?

More and more people are talking about eating and buying local.

Food items in the grocery stores are increasingly being labeled as organic. McDonald’s is now putting apple slices in their Happy Meals. Big corporations are touting themselves as environmentally responsible by making products out of recycled material or using renewable energy.

Of course, let’s not be fooled – in many of these cases, local, green, and organic are simply buzz words, and companies can’t always back up what they claim to be. Or they may be using eco-friendly light bulbs, but meanwhile, they’re polluting a river somewhere. But that’s not the point.

The point is that as a growing demographic in the United States (1 out

I buy organic, but rather than trust the corporations to tell me what is organic, I’ve been getting to know my local farmers and get my food directly from them. It is generally more expensive to buy local and organic, but I’ve offset that cost by eating less meat and eating more vegetables, legumes, and grains. (We shouldn’t be ashamed of eating rice and beans! We should be ashamed of eating pizza and cheeseburgers.) By eating this way, I haven’t gotten sick in nearly three years, so I’ve also saved money on healthcare.

So I do all these things, and I hope that other Latinos in the community will notice, but the only way they will is if more of us are doing these things. What would happen if we led the way for a healthy and environmentally friendly lifestyle? What would happen if we were known for this, rather than being known for our increasing purchasing power and being stalked by corporations who want us to buy more televisions, cars, sodas, potato chips, and clothing?

Want to join me in the green revolution? Send me a Tweet @ UndercoverMexi or find me on Facebook (search for Undercover Mexican Girl). ¡Vamos!

Frame of Reference

By Blake Shanley

Take a little stroll with me, would you please?

Picture a beautiful, dense, thriving forest on a warm day with an easy breeze sweetly snaking in and out around the trees, tickling the tops layers of your skin in a constant greeting upon each step. Rays of sunlight slice through the canopy and line your path with fiery linear beacons of energetic authority. The dampness of moss and dewy piles of fallen leaves softens your senses to the underbelly of a rich ecosystem of earthly delight.

The palette of green and brown blinds your eyes and soul with its unnatural natural intensity and you wonder if color could get any brighter. With further heightened inspection through the veil of neutral magic you start to see rounds of red and orange, beads of yellow and beige, blossoms of pink and purple, spheres and ovals, fruits and nuts, leaves and berries, mushrooms and meals, water and air, a rampant pantry of nutrient and life. You reach your hand out and start to collect the gifts your intuition tells you were made for your pleasure, for your survival and for your vessel.

You kick off your kicks and dig your toes into the chilled, damp dirt and feel a thread of life traveling its way up your core, quietly electrifying all of your ins and outs. You breathe deeply and your eyes open wide to the world around you as if walking outside from a dark room. You sit on a fallen log, secretly teeming with tiny communities filling their own baskets with bits and scraps left nearby, and you put a handful of your harvest into your mouth. The clean and clear flavors nourish your thoughts instantly and you feel full and fulfilled.

You see a shimmer in the corner of your eye and follow it to your own private sparkling pool created effortlessly by a small waterfall. You immediately throw off your clothes and jump in, giggling and screaming at the chill and electricity that embraces you like a child. You are awake and you are alive and you know you are truly in the right place at the right time.

Now picture those experiences and feelings being offered and accessible to you whenever you call it forth. Feel free to use Tiny Taiga to help you make that call.

Oh, what’s Tiny Taiga, you ask? Well, it’s located at 1200 E. 11th St. #106. And it’s opening soon. In the meantime, www.facebook.com/TinyTaigaAustin TODO Austin // AUGUST 2012 // TodoAustin.com 15

The youth of Austin and the world are making a positive impact on themselves, their families, their communities and their countries.

Help them by supporting the 6th Annual Global Youth Peace Summit Over 70% of the youth that attend the Global Youth Peace Summit each year are on scholarship. Every donation from $10 to $200 is received with humble gratitude and has a direct impact on the life of a youth.

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Please DONATE by visiting www.amalafoundation.org/donate or by contacting the Amala Foundation at 512.476.8884

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Good Times at Güero’s

For great tunes and great rita’s!

Please join us for live music on our outside jardin stage, every Thursday through Sunday. THANKS TO THE FANS & BANDS WHO SUPPORT US!!! ALL OUTDOOR SHOWS ARE “WEATHER PERMITTING”

AUGUST Line-up

TACO BAR

1412 S. Congress Avenue • Austin, Texas 78704 Open Weekdays 11am-11pm; Weekends 8am-11pm

----------------------------------------------------------------WED 8/1 THE LARRY MONROE RADIO SHOW (6:00) THU 8/2 THE BOB FUENTES SHOW (6:30) FRI 8/3 LOS FLAMES (6:30) SAT 8/4 THE PETERSON BROTHERS (6:30) SUN 8/5 THE TEXAS TYCOONS (3:00) ----------------------------------------------------------------WED 8/8 THE LARRY MONROE RADIO SHOW (6:00) THU 8/9 THE FABS (6:30) FRI 8/10 LOS FLAMES (6:30) SAT 8/11 THE LEROI BROTHERS (6:30) SUN 8/12 TRENT TURNER & THE MOONTOWERS (3:00) ----------------------------------------------------------------WED 8/15 THE LARRY MONROE RADIO SHOW (6:00) THU 8/16 MATT SMITH’S WORLD (6:30) FRI 8/17 LOS FLAMES (6:30) SAT 8/18 LARRY LANGE & HIS LONELY KNIGHTS (6:30) SUN 8/19 MITCH WEBB & THE SWINDLE (3:00) ----------------------------------------------------------------WED 8/22 THE LARRY MONROE RADIO SHOW (6:00) THU 8/23 ERIN JAIMES & HER BAD HABITS (6:30) FRI 8/24 LOS FLAMES (6:30) SAT 8/25 PONTY BONE & THE SQUEEZETONES (6:30) SUN 8/26 CHICKEN STRUT (3:00) ----------------------------------------------------------------WED 8/29 THE LARRY MONROE RADIO SHOW (6:00) THU 8/30 THE JONAS ALVAREZ BAND (6:30) FRI 8/31 LOS FLAMES (6:30)

www.GuerosTacoBar.com