Posted by HispanicPro on January 14, 2010 at 1:58pm
Conducted by the Pew Research Center between the end of October and the end of November a poll covering several different aspects of race and race relations has shown that while the majority of African-Americans believe that more still needs to be done to address racial discrimination in the U.S., 81 percent to be precise, increasing numbers are optimistic about the future, 53 percent believing the future will be better for them, 44 percent having felt that way in 2007.
Furthermore 39 percent say that they are personally better off than they were five years ago, contrasting with 20 percent who stated in 2007 that they were better off than they were five years earlier.
However, as the poll released on Tuesday confirmed, there is an air of pessimism within the Hispanic community, with 50 percent of Hispanic respondents saying they get along "very" or "pretty" well with whites and African Americans, compared to over 70 percent of whites and African Americans indicating that they get along "very" or "pretty" well with Hispanics.
When it came to which racial groups were discriminated against "a lot", to quote the Associated Press, among the 2,884 adults who took part in the poll, 23 percent said Hispanics faced "a lot" of discrimination and 18 percent said the same of African-Americans. For whites the figure was 10 percent and for Asian-Americans eight percent.
Recent attacks on Hispanics are being attributed to anti-immigrant sentiment, with Carmen Febo-San Miguel, executive director of a Hispanic cultural center in Philadelphia saying that she believes racism in the U.S. is "pretty entrenched". Whether driven by greater expectation of fair treatment it is unclear but 31 percent more Hispanics born in the U.S. than those born outside the U.S. speak of "a lot" or "some" discrimination against their community.
The sight of Barack Obama in the White House is said to be driving much of the optimism felt by African-Americans. READ FULL STORYRead more…
Posted by HispanicPro on January 14, 2010 at 1:49pm
MIT must do a better job recruiting and retaining black and Hispanic faculty, who have a significantly more difficult time getting promoted than white and Asian colleagues, according to a frank internal study released today by the university.
In some departments, such as chemistry, mathematics, and nuclear science and engineering, no minorities have been hired in the last two decades, according to the report, which was more than two years in the making.
MIT's first comprehensive study of faculty racial diversity and the experiences of underrepresented minority professors highlights a national problem across academia: the need to improve the pipeline of black and Hispanic scholars.
Blacks and Hispanics make up only 6 percent of MIT faculty, an increase of 4.5 percent since 2000 but far below the university's goal of achieving parity with the nation, where underrepresented minorities make up 30 percent of the population.
The report indicates that in addition to focusing on recruitment and retention of these minority professors, the university needs to provide increased mentoring and expanding professional opportunities to make the climate at MIT more welcoming to underrepresented groups. READ FULL STORYRead more…
Posted by HispanicPro on November 19, 2009 at 10:25am
UNITED STATES HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Detroit-area high school junior and seniors will hone their entrepreneurship skills and learn to turn hobbies into profitable ventures at the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USCHCC) Foundation Regional BizFest competition. The Detroit BizFest is part of a series of entrepreneurial training camps in partnership with Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company.
“Education is a top priority for Ford Motor Company Fund, and we are proud to continue our partnership with the USHCC Foundation on its innovative BizFest program that paves the way for future entrepreneurs and business owners,” said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services.
Thirty students from Detroit-area high schools have been selected to participate in this intensive four-day workshop, taking place November 18-21st at the Michigan Technical Education Center (M-TEC) in Dearborn, Michigan. Participants will learn how to launch their own business, establish entrepreneurial and leadership goals, create a business plan, identify investment opportunities and other skills needed to become effective business leaders.
“BizFest gives aspiring young entrepreneurs practical, hands-on training on owning a business, marketing and networking. Through BizFest we hope to inspire the entrepreneurs of tomorrow” said Javier Palomarez, President and CEO of the USHCC Foundation. “We value our partnership with Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services, which allows us to offer Hispanic youth in Detroit this unique experience. This also provides an opportunity for us to collaborate with the Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce which has long-supported our program.”
At the closing of the event, the top students will present business plans to local business leaders to compete for different awards, including scholarships and prizes as well as long-term business support. The winner of the Detroit regional BizFest will have the opportunity to participate in the National “BizFest” Competition at the USCHCC 31st Annual National Convention & Business Expo in Dallas, Texas, in September 2010.
The Detroit BizFest is one of several regional BizFests held throughout the country. BizFest is the USHCC Foundation’s signature youth initiative. The BizFest training in Detroit will be conducted by Peter Hornberger, a Blended Learning and Consulting Specialists; Lenin Agudo of the Latino Business Resource Center; and Dama Gonzalez of Bilingual Executive Strategic Training (BEST). Carlos Ojeda, Jr., a motivational speaker and educator, will also participate in the program.
About the USHCC Foundation:
The USHCC Foundation is committed to the advancement of the Hispanic community’s economic development and entrepreneurship skills through the empowerment of Hispanic-owned businesses, growth of the Hispanic chamber of commerce network and promotion of life-long learning experiences for Hispanic youth and entrepreneurs. The Foundation’s broad-based approach is coupled with proactive strategy, which is reflected in the diverse number of USHCC Foundation-driven programs created to reach constituencies of all age groups and needs. For more information on the USHCC Foundation please visit www.ushccfoundation.org. About Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services:
Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services is a community relations and philanthropic non-profit funded by Ford Motor Company. Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2009, Ford Fund supports initiatives and institutions that foster and promote innovation in education, greater automotive safety and American heritage and diversity. National programs include Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies (Ford PAS), which provides 21st century skills-based curriculum to more than 40,000 high school students; and Ford Driving Skills for Life, which has taught safe driving skills to more than 337,000 young drivers. In addition, the Ford Volunteer Corps, established in 2005, enlists the help of thousands of Ford employees and retirees who volunteer their time to continue Ford's legacy of community service worldwide. For more information about programs made possible by Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services, please visit www.community.ford.com, www.volunteer.ford.com or www.abrighterfuture.ford.com.
CONTACT:
DeVere Kutscher (202) 715-0497
dkutscher@ushcc.com
Read more…
Posted by HispanicPro on October 1, 2008 at 12:22pm
Mt. Hood Community College’s decision to place Al Sigala, longtime spokesman, on paid leave and eliminate his position has drawn fire from college supporters.
Members of the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber, which represents hundreds of Latino businesses, professionals and others, were set to meet the college’s new president, John J. “Ski” Sygielski, on Wednesday, Oct. 1, to discuss their concerns.
Sigala is of Mexican descent and supporters say he has been instrumental in increasing the college’s Latino enrollment. Sigala says Latino enrollment increased from 6 percent when he arrived more than 11 years ago, to 12 percent today. READ FULL STORYRead more…
Posted by HispanicPro on October 1, 2008 at 12:18pm
The fastest-growing segment of U.S. home buyers is also among those facing the greatest risk of foreclosure, two top federal housing officials told a group of Hispanic real-estate professionals meeting in Phoenix this week.
Poor guidance and cultural biases have forced too many Hispanics into predatory loans, they said, and in some cases their Hispanic real-estate agents helped put them there. READ FULL STORYRead more…
Posted by HispanicPro on October 1, 2008 at 9:17am
Former Mexican President Vicente Fox expressed hope Tuesday that a new U.S. administration will find a mutually beneficial solution to immigration and restore America's standing in the world.
Fox said the United States and the Bush administration have been too focused since 9/11 on related issues to be the example that other democracies expected from previous administrations.
"We missed that great leadership in this nation. We need it back," Fox said.
Fox did not disclose his preference between presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, offering his choice of "Palin and Hillary" instead. READ FULL STORYRead more…
Posted by HispanicPro on September 30, 2008 at 11:49am
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is working to pass a law that will improve the education of Hispanics and other minorities in California. According to La Opinion, the law would authorize hiring more teachers in schools with low achievement levels that lack professionals to teach math, sciences and special education. READ FULL STORYRead more…
Posted by HispanicPro on September 30, 2008 at 11:44am
America's largest minority is a paradox. Latinos have a reputation for being fatalistic. Yet many, especially immigrants, also share an entrepreneurial belief that people chart their own destinies. The result is 46 million Americans -- 15 percent of the U.S. population -- who vacillate between pessimism and optimism.
At the moment, pessimism has the upper hand. According to a new survey from the Pew Hispanic Center, Latinos in the United States are increasingly gloomy about their own situation, the economy and their prospects for future success.
That is true of many Americans. However, it's precisely because Latinos -- as with other groups with a strong immigrant tradition -- are known for being optimistic and overcoming obstacles that a surge of pessimism should be taken seriously. Imagine what other groups typically less optimistic are going through. READ FULL ARTICLERead more…
Posted by HispanicPro on August 4, 2008 at 10:30pm
We decided to take on a new website platform for HispanicPro.com that would provide our visitors and website members with a better experience and true interactivity. Please help us test it out and help us spread the word!
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