DeSantis recently signed legislation that among other things places criminal penalties on anyone who transports an undocumented person across state lines, requires employers with 25 or more workers to verify their immigration status, and demands hospitals who accept Medicaid ask immigration status to patients and report the data. It also repeals a law that allows some undocumented immigrants to obtain a license to practice law in the state. Barring any potential court action, the DeSantis legislation goes into effect on July 1.
Some undocumented workers in South Florida are not showing up for work or leaving job sites because of the law.
Category: Opinion
COLUMN: Stop the attacks on drag queens and the LGBTQ+ community
The Dodgers controversy happened as many states are moving to ban or restrict drag shows.
Tennessee was the first state in the country to ban drag performances in public spaces and anywhere in the presence of someone under 18 years old. The law was set to take effect April 1 and now is tied up in the courts. A dozen other states have proposed similar legislation against drag performances, including Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia.
COLUMN: On Prosperity featuring Farah Sosa
Farah Sosa identifies as a photographer with an emphasis on multicultural musical landscapes. She was born in Guatemala City and has been living in Los Angeles since 2006. She currently rents n Highland Park, California, and would like to own a home one day.
COMMENTARY: Student loan payment freeze is ending
Almost 70% of Latino student borrowers have current debt, says a report by the Education Data Initiative. The same report says that Latino borrowers were “the most likely” of any race or ethnic group to delay marriage and children because of student loan debt, and are the second-most likely (after Black Americans) to borrow high amounts from private lenders – close to 70% of Latino students who borrow from private lenders take out loans of $40,000 or more.
COMMENTARY: The privilege and challenge of being a first generation college student
According to Pew Research, in 1980 Latinos were 4% of students enrolled at degree-granting postsecondary institutions. By 2000, Latino enrollment had increased to 1.5 million, or 10% of all students. And by 2020, 3.7 million Latinos were enrolled, accounting for 20 % all postsecondary students.
COMMENTARY: WRITERS STRIKE IS A CALL FOR MORE REPRESENTATION IN HOLLYWOOD
The strike underscores that Latinos, who make up 19% of the U.S. population,
are already severely underrepresented not just as writers but in all roles in Hollywood.
U.S. Latino representation in Hollywood went down for the last quarter of 2022 to 2019 levels.
Only 2.6% of lead actors in shows, 1.4% of showrunners, and 1.5% of directors were Latino in 2022, according to the Latino Data Collaborative Think Tank.
The think tank is the research branch of the Latino Donor Collaborative (LDC) and they released the 2022 Full-Year LDC U.S. Latinos in Media Report this month.
Mother’s Day means a lot to Latinos, where would we be without our Moms?
My mother was everything to me. Mentor. Protector. And she filled me with pride, confidence and the will to get things done. My mom removed all artificial barriers. She told me I could do anything. I believed her and became the first writer in my immediate family. My point is, when you are blessed with a beautiful mom, you should cherish every moment with her. I did not learn that lesson until my mom was gone. For many of you reading this, it is not too late.
COLUMN: I’m not a mother but I mother
So this Mother’s Day I want to acknowledge all the women who technically aren’t mothers but who mother. They are hermanas, tías and amigas. Some of them like me wanted children but weren’t able to have them. Others have chosen not to have them. Let’s honor their choices too and their right to make that choice.
COMMENTARY: Democrats criticize Biden sending troops to the border
Members of the president’s own party are smacking down the plan for troops at the U.S.-Mexico border around the same time that Biden announces his reelection bid. So the administration’s strategy appears to stress that the military deployment is temporary (just 90 days, for now) and that it has been done in the past, including during the Obama administration. Then-president Obama sent nearly 1,500 military to the southern border, and they were there for nearly a year at one point.
Amid growing inequity, San Joaquin Valley leaders demand action from Sacramento
The San Joaquin Valley, smack in the middle of a state that boasts the world’s fourth largest economy, is the breadbasket of the nation. It’s also home to some of the most polluted air and water in the country. A 2022 report by the California State Auditor found that most of the nearly one million Californians coping with failing water systems live in the San Joaquin Valley.
COMMENTARY: The COVID emergency ending means vaccines will cost money
One key provision that is disappearing is the continuous enrollment of Medicaid, which means that up to 14 million low-income persons could lose Medicaid coverage. States can apply for waivers, while others, as Secretary Becerra mentioned, are working with the federal government and community groups to make sure no one gets left out.
COMMENTARY: Bad Bunny and other Latinx artists represent at Coachella
This year Coachella has fully attempted to showcase the diversity and beauty within the music industry. There weree Puerto Rican and Korean headliners, and artists from different backgrounds and ethnicities including Bjork from Iceland, Rosalia from Spain, Burna Boy from Nigeria, and Jai Paul a British-Indian Singer.