THE BROOKLYN RAIL - MUSIC Feature: "From Mambo to Salsa Part Two: Roots Sounds, Core Concerns" by Alan Lockwood. The Brooklyn Rail covers critical perspectives on arts, politics and culture
http://www.brooklynrail.org/music/june05/mambo2.html
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
San Juan Cemetery
From the pool
Photo by RiffRaff
"Odd to have a cemetery backing onto the ocean, but I would certainly rest in peace here," RiffRaff said.
So would I!
Photo by RiffRaff
"Odd to have a cemetery backing onto the ocean, but I would certainly rest in peace here," RiffRaff said.
So would I!
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Monday, June 20, 2005
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Friday, June 17, 2005
FYI
Please come to a screening of THE KRUTCH at the Harlemwood Film
Festival
THE KRUTCH
Written and directed by Judith Escalona
16mm/DV, 29 minutes
Monday, June 20, 7PM
The Museum of the City of New York
1220 Fifth Avenue
(between East 103rd and East 104th Streets)
"The Krutch" is a surreal narrative about a Puerto Rican psychoanalyst
with a long-suppressed identity problem that erupts with some dire
consequences.
The film is unique in exploring the mental anguish and shame associated
with racism. Stylistically akin to Buñuel with an eye towards Godard,
it occupies an absurdist space that keeps it from descending into the
maudlin cliches of realism. With Jaime Sanchez as the mysterious Dr. Guzman and Cathy Haase as his unsuspecting patient Mrs. Kleist.
I will also be participating in a panel of filmmakers that evening.
=======================================
Judith Escalona
Director
PRDREAM.COM
161 East 106th Street
(212)828-0401
http://www.prdream.com
Empowering community through technology
========================================
TOPIC: Hidden Facts in New Census Hispanic Data
WASHINGTON, June 13 /PRNewswire/ -- There has been much press coverage of the U.S. Census Bureau's news that Hispanics accounted for approximately half of the national population growth between July 1, 2003 and July 1, 2004. There are some lesser known but equally important facts that have yet to be highlighted in the new Census data. For example, did you know ...
Almost 4 million Hispanic U.S. citizens are not included in the Census national population estimates. Census estimates of the U.S. resident population "exclude residents of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico." While residents of the District of Columbia are included in national population residents, the 3.8 million Hispanic citizens living in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are not counted. If these Americans were counted in the national population estimates, there would be 45.1 Hispanic residents of the U.S. rather than the 41.3 most recently reported by the Census. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Resident Population Estimates of the United States by Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Origin, (Table NA-EST2002-ASRO) and Population Universe Methodology, U.S. Population Estimates by Age, Sex, Race and Hispanic Origin, June 9, 2005.
The proportion of growth due to immigration is the same for both non- Hispanic whites and Hispanics. The most recent Census data reported that more than half (56%) of the growth of the Hispanic population between July 1, 2003 and July 1, 2004 was due to natural increase (births minus deaths) and 44% to net international migration. This is the exact proportion of the components of population growth for non-Hispanic whites. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Estimates of the Components of Population Change by Race and Hispanic or Latino Origin for the United States: July 1, 2003 to July 1, 2004 (Table NC-EST2004-06), June 9, 2005.
The population of Hispanics age 65 and older grew by 25%. While the youthfulness of the Hispanic population has received attention, the growth of the older adult Hispanic population has not been widely reported. The new Census data show that while the population of Hispanics under 18 years of age grew by 14% since 2000, the growth has been 25% for Hispanics 65 years and over. This was reflected in an increase in the median age for Hispanics from 25.8 years to 26.9 years. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Estimates of the Population by Age and Sex of Hispanic or Latino Origin for the United States: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2004 (Table NC-EST2004-04-HISP), June 9, 2005.
The National Alliance for Hispanic Health is the nation's oldest and largest network of Hispanic health professionals. The nation's action forum for Hispanic health, Alliance members deliver services to over 12 million persons every year making a daily difference in the lives of Hispanic communities. For more information, visit the Alliance's website (http://www.hispanichealth.org/) or call 1-866-SU-FAMILIA (1-866-783-2645).
Source: National Alliance for Hispanic Health
CONTACT: Adolph Falcon of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health,
+1-202-797-4341
Web site: http://www.hispanichealth.org/
Please come to a screening of THE KRUTCH at the Harlemwood Film
Festival
THE KRUTCH
Written and directed by Judith Escalona
16mm/DV, 29 minutes
Monday, June 20, 7PM
The Museum of the City of New York
1220 Fifth Avenue
(between East 103rd and East 104th Streets)
"The Krutch" is a surreal narrative about a Puerto Rican psychoanalyst
with a long-suppressed identity problem that erupts with some dire
consequences.
The film is unique in exploring the mental anguish and shame associated
with racism. Stylistically akin to Buñuel with an eye towards Godard,
it occupies an absurdist space that keeps it from descending into the
maudlin cliches of realism. With Jaime Sanchez as the mysterious Dr. Guzman and Cathy Haase as his unsuspecting patient Mrs. Kleist.
I will also be participating in a panel of filmmakers that evening.
=======================================
Judith Escalona
Director
PRDREAM.COM
161 East 106th Street
(212)828-0401
http://www.prdream.com
Empowering community through technology
========================================
TOPIC: Hidden Facts in New Census Hispanic Data
WASHINGTON, June 13 /PRNewswire/ -- There has been much press coverage of the U.S. Census Bureau's news that Hispanics accounted for approximately half of the national population growth between July 1, 2003 and July 1, 2004. There are some lesser known but equally important facts that have yet to be highlighted in the new Census data. For example, did you know ...
Almost 4 million Hispanic U.S. citizens are not included in the Census national population estimates. Census estimates of the U.S. resident population "exclude residents of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico." While residents of the District of Columbia are included in national population residents, the 3.8 million Hispanic citizens living in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are not counted. If these Americans were counted in the national population estimates, there would be 45.1 Hispanic residents of the U.S. rather than the 41.3 most recently reported by the Census. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Resident Population Estimates of the United States by Sex, Race, and Hispanic or Latino Origin, (Table NA-EST2002-ASRO) and Population Universe Methodology, U.S. Population Estimates by Age, Sex, Race and Hispanic Origin, June 9, 2005.
The proportion of growth due to immigration is the same for both non- Hispanic whites and Hispanics. The most recent Census data reported that more than half (56%) of the growth of the Hispanic population between July 1, 2003 and July 1, 2004 was due to natural increase (births minus deaths) and 44% to net international migration. This is the exact proportion of the components of population growth for non-Hispanic whites. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Estimates of the Components of Population Change by Race and Hispanic or Latino Origin for the United States: July 1, 2003 to July 1, 2004 (Table NC-EST2004-06), June 9, 2005.
The population of Hispanics age 65 and older grew by 25%. While the youthfulness of the Hispanic population has received attention, the growth of the older adult Hispanic population has not been widely reported. The new Census data show that while the population of Hispanics under 18 years of age grew by 14% since 2000, the growth has been 25% for Hispanics 65 years and over. This was reflected in an increase in the median age for Hispanics from 25.8 years to 26.9 years. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Estimates of the Population by Age and Sex of Hispanic or Latino Origin for the United States: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2004 (Table NC-EST2004-04-HISP), June 9, 2005.
The National Alliance for Hispanic Health is the nation's oldest and largest network of Hispanic health professionals. The nation's action forum for Hispanic health, Alliance members deliver services to over 12 million persons every year making a daily difference in the lives of Hispanic communities. For more information, visit the Alliance's website (http://www.hispanichealth.org/) or call 1-866-SU-FAMILIA (1-866-783-2645).
Source: National Alliance for Hispanic Health
CONTACT: Adolph Falcon of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health,
+1-202-797-4341
Web site: http://www.hispanichealth.org/
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Boat
Today's featured photo from the Puerto Rico Sun flickr pool
Photo by crashxtreme
Santa Isabel, P.R.
Photo by crashxtreme
Santa Isabel, P.R.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
NY1: The Bronx: "Hispanics Dominate The Bronx, But New Immigrants Continue To Move In"
Click on "NY1: The Bronx" (above) and read story.
Click on "NY1: The Bronx" (above) and read story.
KEEPING SOCIAL SECURITY SOLVENT MUST BE NATION'S PRIORITY, NEW NCLR REPORT CONCLUDES
Expanding Coverage to Domestics and Other Itinerant Workers also Essential
Washington, DC - The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., released a report today urging Congress and the Bush Administration to strengthen the solvency and reach of the Social Security program for Latinos and consider options - such as add-on private retirement accounts, automatic 401(k)s, and making the saver's tax credit permanent and refundable - to further boost retirement security for this growing population. The Social Security Program and Reform: A Latino Perspective presents a comprehensive analysis of the Social Security program as it relates to Latino workers, taxpayers, and retirees.
"Maintaining solvency of the system is especially important for the Hispanic community," stated Janet Murguia, NCLR President and CEO. "Without Social Security, the poverty rate of eligible elderly Hispanics would more than triple, from 16% to 55%. Without the Social Security contributions made by Latino workers - which, according to a Census Bureau estimate, is $50 billion - the safety net we created to alleviate poverty would not be strong enough to support beneficiaries."
"As workers and as beneficiaries, Latinos have a profound stake in the debate over Social Security. It is critical to ensure that it is the social insurance program it was intended to be," continued Janet Murguia. "We need to make sure that all workers who pay into the system receive decent benefits when they retire. We must ensure that the Social Security program is fiscally sound so that young people today have guaranteed benefits years from now. And, we should do more, outside of Social Security, to encourage individual savings for retirement security for Latinos and all Americans."
NCLR's analysis found that the vast majority of Hispanic workers in the U.S. - 19.4 million Latinos - pay into the Social Security system. When compared with White and Black peers in many categories, Latinos are the least likely to receive Social Security benefits, for several reasons:
• Latinos who receive benefits tend to have shorter covered-earnings histories, lower average monthly earnings on record, and consequently, lower Social Security benefits than others with similar lifetime earnings.
• Many Hispanics are left out of the system because they work in informal sectors of the labor market or in occupations such as domestics and childcare workers, where Social Security rules may prevent them from earning quarterly credits that help them qualify for retirement benefits.
• Lax enforcement of earnings reporting in certain sectors, particularly for domestics and farm workers, prevents many Hispanic workers who have earned benefits from qualifying for social security.
"It is a must for us that the Social Security program include the hard-working domestics who help raise our children, farmworkers who put the food on our tables, and the health care workers who care for our sick and elderly. Despite paying their fair share into the system, they find themselves left out when it comes to retirement benefits," said Murguia.
NCLR's recommendations in the report include:
• Improving solvency through such measures as lifting the cap on wages subject to Social Security taxation from $90,000, considering expanding the revenue base with a capital gains and an estate tax surcharge, and considering modest changes to the normal retirement age if improvements to the disability insurance program can be instituted;
• Strengthening retirement security by creating add-on private accounts and enhancing savings vehicles such as 401(k) plans and private pensions, rather than carving out private accounts from the Social Security program; and
• Expanding eligibility for Social Security benefits by reducing the earnings threshold required for domestic and other itinerant workers, improving enforcement of earnings reporting, enhancing minimum benefits to levels above the poverty rate, and considering measures that would provide Social Security credit to those who stay home to care for children.
"We believe that everything should be on the table in this debate and we will focus on the substance and merits of all reform proposals," Murguia stated. "For example, our report found that add-on private accounts could help low-income workers build savings and assets over time without incurring the risks associated with a 'carveout' system. At NCLR, we will continue to analyze proposals, participate in the public discussion about Social Security, and educate the Latino community on these vital issues."
For more information or a copy of The Social Security Program and Reform: A Latino Perspective, please visit NCLR's website at www.nclr.org or call Luisa Grille-Chope at (202) 785-1670.
###
source: NCLR release
Expanding Coverage to Domestics and Other Itinerant Workers also Essential
Washington, DC - The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., released a report today urging Congress and the Bush Administration to strengthen the solvency and reach of the Social Security program for Latinos and consider options - such as add-on private retirement accounts, automatic 401(k)s, and making the saver's tax credit permanent and refundable - to further boost retirement security for this growing population. The Social Security Program and Reform: A Latino Perspective presents a comprehensive analysis of the Social Security program as it relates to Latino workers, taxpayers, and retirees.
"Maintaining solvency of the system is especially important for the Hispanic community," stated Janet Murguia, NCLR President and CEO. "Without Social Security, the poverty rate of eligible elderly Hispanics would more than triple, from 16% to 55%. Without the Social Security contributions made by Latino workers - which, according to a Census Bureau estimate, is $50 billion - the safety net we created to alleviate poverty would not be strong enough to support beneficiaries."
"As workers and as beneficiaries, Latinos have a profound stake in the debate over Social Security. It is critical to ensure that it is the social insurance program it was intended to be," continued Janet Murguia. "We need to make sure that all workers who pay into the system receive decent benefits when they retire. We must ensure that the Social Security program is fiscally sound so that young people today have guaranteed benefits years from now. And, we should do more, outside of Social Security, to encourage individual savings for retirement security for Latinos and all Americans."
NCLR's analysis found that the vast majority of Hispanic workers in the U.S. - 19.4 million Latinos - pay into the Social Security system. When compared with White and Black peers in many categories, Latinos are the least likely to receive Social Security benefits, for several reasons:
• Latinos who receive benefits tend to have shorter covered-earnings histories, lower average monthly earnings on record, and consequently, lower Social Security benefits than others with similar lifetime earnings.
• Many Hispanics are left out of the system because they work in informal sectors of the labor market or in occupations such as domestics and childcare workers, where Social Security rules may prevent them from earning quarterly credits that help them qualify for retirement benefits.
• Lax enforcement of earnings reporting in certain sectors, particularly for domestics and farm workers, prevents many Hispanic workers who have earned benefits from qualifying for social security.
"It is a must for us that the Social Security program include the hard-working domestics who help raise our children, farmworkers who put the food on our tables, and the health care workers who care for our sick and elderly. Despite paying their fair share into the system, they find themselves left out when it comes to retirement benefits," said Murguia.
NCLR's recommendations in the report include:
• Improving solvency through such measures as lifting the cap on wages subject to Social Security taxation from $90,000, considering expanding the revenue base with a capital gains and an estate tax surcharge, and considering modest changes to the normal retirement age if improvements to the disability insurance program can be instituted;
• Strengthening retirement security by creating add-on private accounts and enhancing savings vehicles such as 401(k) plans and private pensions, rather than carving out private accounts from the Social Security program; and
• Expanding eligibility for Social Security benefits by reducing the earnings threshold required for domestic and other itinerant workers, improving enforcement of earnings reporting, enhancing minimum benefits to levels above the poverty rate, and considering measures that would provide Social Security credit to those who stay home to care for children.
"We believe that everything should be on the table in this debate and we will focus on the substance and merits of all reform proposals," Murguia stated. "For example, our report found that add-on private accounts could help low-income workers build savings and assets over time without incurring the risks associated with a 'carveout' system. At NCLR, we will continue to analyze proposals, participate in the public discussion about Social Security, and educate the Latino community on these vital issues."
For more information or a copy of The Social Security Program and Reform: A Latino Perspective, please visit NCLR's website at www.nclr.org or call Luisa Grille-Chope at (202) 785-1670.
###
source: NCLR release
El Farol
Today's featured photo from the Puerto Rico Sun flickr pool
Photo by Clarisel
FYI: Visitors have called this their "favorite" photo from my personal photostream at flickr (clarisel's photos).
Photo by Clarisel
FYI: Visitors have called this their "favorite" photo from my personal photostream at flickr (clarisel's photos).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)