Tuesday, January 04, 2005

Opinion

Family

Dora the Explorer Inspires Kids with Bilingual Adventures
Top Rated Television Program Comes To Popular Restaurant Chain With A Series of Collectible Toys

Dora the Explorer toys available at participating BURGER KING(R) restaurants nationwide reinforce that being bilingual is a skill children should embrace.
(HISPANIC PR WIRE - CONTEXTO LATINO)--Hispanic parents no longer need to worry that their children will lose their affinity for the Spanish language when going to school or watching English television. These days, kids are embracing Spanish even more due to the widely popular star of Nick Jr. series Dora the Explorer. With her best friends Boots, Backpack and Map, Dora, a seven-year-old Latina heroine enthralls kids of different ages, ethnicities and backgrounds. In a short time, she has helped show kids the power and pride in their own culture and language.

BILINGUAL SUCCESS

Currently the number one preschool show on commercial television, Dora the Explorer has become a breakthrough Hispanic character. She represents the very best of the bilingual and bicultural lifestyle in this country and helps kids to learn as she entertains them.
Through repetition and verbal prompts, young viewers are encouraged to play and explore along with her, speaking both Spanish and English words aloud. The show helps English-speaking children learn a new language, while it reinforces the use of two languages among bilingual children. Dora and her friends illustrate that being able to speak another language is valuable and should be embraced.
Educators and psychologists have reported there are benefits to being bilingual and that learning a second language at an early age has a positive effect on intellectual growth, leaving children with more flexibility in thinking, greater sensitivity to language, and improved listening skills. For the Hispanic family, being able to communicate in their native language allows children to embrace their culture and heritage with pride and also be closely involved with older relatives who may not speak English.

EDUCATION CONTINUES

In recognition of the show's success, Burger King Corporation, a company committed to supporting and promoting cultural diversity, is teaming up with Dora to take her message across the country. The restaurant company is providing a series of four educational, bilingual toys inside its Kids Meals at participating BURGER KING restaurants nationwide, beginning in January -- reinforcing the lessons children learn by watching the show. The meals will contain items for kids to explore the world: Backpack's bilingual memory cards, a Dora lantern figurine, Boots Monkey Measure and a Swiper Magic Basket with a bug's eye lens.
"Burger King Corporation is more than food and restaurants. Families often want to enjoy the experience," says Sope Aluko, multicultural marketing manager, Burger King Corporation. "We recognize the importance of celebrating culture and our Dora promotion is a great way to celebrate cultural diversity."
"Dora is beloved by kids from all different backgrounds and instills a particular pride in the Hispanic community," said Pam Kaufman, Senior Vice President, Nickelodeon Marketing. "We appreciate Burger King's commitment to the Hispanic community and the program they have created to support bilingualism."
Now mom and dad can feel even better when treating their children to a meal out at BURGER KING(R) restaurants. Not only will the kids enjoy the menu choices offered, they can continue to learn and explore with Dora. In addition, for those who want to get up close and personal with Dora, she will be appearing at BURGER KING restaurants in the New York tri-state area, southern Texas, southern California and Chicago -- giving kids the chance to meet their favorite heroine.
Visit a BURGER KING restaurant near you for fun Dora toys, and encourage your kids to watch Dora the Explorer on Nick Jr.
Jan 4, 2005 15:31 ET

Puerto Rican Media/Community Group Urges FCC to Yank License of Univision Station in San Juan
Cites 'Cultural Insensitivity,' Failure to Serve the Community

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Citing "cultural insensitivity" and failure to live up to required local broadcast standards, an alliance of Puerto Rican media unions and community groups is urging the Federal Communications Commission to deny license renewal to the island's largest television station, WLII in San Juan, which is operated by U.S. media conglomerate Univision.
The Alliance of Puerto Rican Artists and Support Groups, whose acronym in Spanish is APAGA, charged that Univision has all but dropped local production of telenovelas and game shows in favor of canned programming from Mexico and Venezuela, the source of most of Univision's production. Puerto Rican programming has dropped from about 50 programs a week down to only three since Univision took over in 2002 under a local marketing agreement with station owner Raycom Media.
Besides causing substantial job loss locally, the station's shift to foreign news and entertainment programming has had an insulting and damaging impact on Puerto Rico's culture and language, APAGA stated.
Puerto Rican actors have lost their jobs because Univision considers their accents "too Puerto Rican," clashing with the "internationalized" accents of the network's programming that chiefly is directed at people who speak "Chicano or Mexican Spanish," APAGA stated.
Even the station's local newscasters have been pressured to alter their accents, which "degrades the culture and linguistic value of Puerto Rico," according to APAGA.
Insensitivity to local usage has even, unwittingly, introduced obscenity to the station's broadcasts, APAGA noted. A commonly used Spanish word "bicho" means insect or bug in Mexico and much of the U.S. -- but in Puerto Rico it is slang for the male sex organ. "Children in Puerto Rico are taught not to use the word," but "then they hear it on local television," the petition states.
The lack of a local community focus at WLII, and its repeater station, WSUR in Ponce, has even been potentially life-threatening, the group charged. With its news coverage directed from Univision studios in Miami, the station reported on the hurricanes bedeviling Florida but gave the islanders no advance warning of the approach of Hurricane Jeanne, which hit Puerto Rico dead-center on September 15, according to the petition.
More evidence of Univision's tin ear for the local community was its coverage of the shocking defeat of the U.S. Olympic basketball team by the Puerto Rican team last August. While islanders were taking great pride in their team's upset victory, WLII sportscasters based in Miami were bemoaning the event as a loss for the U.S.
"This failure to cover our news from our perspective does not serve our community or localism in broadcasting," said Angel Baez, executive secretary of Newspaper Guild Local 33225, which represents technicians and news department employees at WLII and is affiliated with APAGA. Baez cited the examples of the hurricane and Olympic coverage in one of three statements by individuals appended to the petition.
The petition calls on the FCC to hold license renewal hearings in Puerto Rico, noting that, "The cultural and linguistic implications of the situation are best understood in Puerto Rico." Citing the facts presented in its own petition, APAGA urged commissioners not to renew licenses for WLII and sister station WSUR.
The APAGA petition to the FCC is available at the web site of The Newspaper Guild, an affiliate of the Communications Workers of America representing 40,000 media workers in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Go to http://www.newsguild.org/.

Source: Communication Workers of America



Saturday, January 01, 2005

Hands to S.E. Asia


Hands to S.E. Asia
Originally uploaded by Velvet G.


Photo by "Velvet G." View his photo collection at flickr.

First sunset of 2005


First sunset of 2005
Originally uploaded by somebonnie.
Photo by Somebonnie.

Look how pretty! The best in 2005. This sunset is from South Boston.
Source: http://www.aspira.org/reyes_main.htm

THREE KINGS FIESTA

In celebration of heritage, you are invited to a traditional Three Kings Day celebration in Washington, DC.

When: Thursday, January 6, 2005
Time: From 6:30 P.M. - 11:00 P.M.
Where: The Galleria Lafayette Center 1155 21st Street NW, Washington, DC (Between L & M Streets)
Parking is available on 1121 21st Street NW (Between L & M Streets)
Metro: Blue or Orange Line to Farragut North or West Metro Stations
Directions: http://www.dcgalleria.com/content/directions/directions.html

While there is no fee for this cultural activity, in the spirit of the epiphany we will be accepting new children's book donations. Books will be donated to local Latino organizations serving children and youth.

This activity is sponsored by:
The Aspira Association Institute for Puerto Rican Arts and Culture
National Puerto Rican Coalition

Contact us by email 3kings@aspira.org or phone 202-835-3600 ext. 137
Please RSVP.