8/27/08

Dara Torres: Quogue's Olympic Champion

Dara Grace Torres is the amazing 41 year old U.S. swimmer who has won twelve Olympic medals (four gold, four silver, four bronze) across five Olympics: 1984, 1988, 1992, 2000, and 2008.

She competed in the Beijing Olympic Games in the 50 meter freestyle, 4×100 medley relay, and 4×100 freestyle relay and won the silver medal in all three of these events.

Torres, who was born in Beverly Hills, California, was the fifth of six children and older of two girls. Her Cuban American father, Eddie Torres, was a Havana Casino manager turned American real estate developer and casino magnate. Her mother, Marylu, is a former fashion model.

According to East End's The Independent, Torres and her siblings spent their childhood summers in Quogue, swimming at the Surf Club.

Links:
Torres Soars to Olympic Glory
Dara Torres is propelled by her father's memory
Swimmer Dara Torres' Olympic appearance is one for the ages

Chip Venues & Their History: Cuba
Dara Torres website

LI Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's 20th Anniversay Gala


THE LONG ISLAND HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

WILL BE CELEBRATING ITS

20TH ANNIVERSARY GALA CELEBRATION

SATURDAY, OCT. 11, 2008

LONG ISLAND MARRIOTT UNIONDALE

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE!

FOR MORE INFO, CALL MARIA AT 516-256-2483 OR EMAIL HER AT MPrieto@lihcc.org

8/22/08

The Somos El Futuro ("We are the Future") Conference

New York State Assemblyman Philip Ramos, the Long Island Elected Officials Association and the Long Island Hispanic Coalition are hosting this year's Long Island "Somos el Futuro" Conference, Friday, August 29 – Saturday, August 30, 2008.

The "Somos el Futuro" Conference is an annual legislative gathering focused on addressing the needs and challenges of the growing Latino community on Long Island.

A goal of the conference is to increase the participation of Latinos in the public policy making progress and develop local and state legislative initiatives that address issues of concern for Long Islanders.

The conference will be held at the Sheraton Long Island Hotel, 110 Motor Parkway, Hauppauge, New York 11788. For general information and registration, please call 212-233-8955.

Here's the program:

FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, 2008

Seniors Luncheon (Noon - 2:00 p.m.)
Community Forum (2:00 p.m. 3:30 p.m.)
o Don't Mess with our Telenovelas: Preparing for the Transition to Digital Television

Chairman's Welcome Reception (6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.)

SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 2008

Breakfast Plenary (9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.)
Morning Legislative Sessions (10:30 a.m. - Noon)
o Nurturing Wellness: Meeting the Health Needs of Hispanics
o ¡Si, Se Puede!: Increasing Hispanic College Enrollment and Retention
o It's Our Time: Leadership and Voter Mobilization

SOMOS Luncheon (Noon – 2:00 p.m.)

Afternoon Legislative Sessions (2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.)

o Turning the Corner: How We Can Work to Diminish Tensions and Promote Greater Inter-Ethnic Dialogue
o Protecting the American Dream: Addressing the Foreclosure Crisis and Strengthening Latino Ownership
o Helping Latino Children Succeed: A Comprehensive, Community Model for Youth and Family Development

Gala VIP Reception (6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.)

Dinner Gala (7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.)

Phil Ramos: Suffolk County's 1st Latino State Rep Fights for Re-election

Philip Ramos (D, WFP, I -Central Islip), Suffolk County's only Latino state representative, has been endorsed for re-election to the State Assembly by Islip Town Councilman Gene Parrington (D-Oakdale).

“I’m endorsing Phil wholeheartedly because I know how hard he works on behalf of Islip,” said Parrington.

The endorsement is important because Phil is being challenged in September 9th's Democratic Party primary by Waldo Cabrera--a video entrepreneur and a 2004 contestant in the 6th Assembly District. Cabrera's challenge is viewed by political observers as spurred by conservatives unhappy with Phil's leadership in fighting bigotry on Long Island.

While Cabrera is expected to lose the Democratic primary, he'll continue his run in the fall general election as a candidate on the Conservative Party line.

A former Detective with the Suffolk Police Department, Phil receives strong support from local Democratic party and it’s leaders, including endorsements from Islip Town Supervisor Phil Nolan, Suffolk Democratic Chairman Rich Schaffer and Suffolk County Legislators Ricardo Montano and Jon Cooper.

His legislative agenda includes property tax relief, enhanced public safety and affordable health care. The 6th Assembly District includes Brentwood, Baywood, Central Islip, Bay Shore, North Bay Shore, Islip and Islandia.

Photo: Ricardo Montano, Phil Ramos and Jon Cooper

Related: Phil Ramos: Fighting the Good Fight on L.I.

8/21/08

Peruvian-Chamber of Commerce of LI's 2nd Annual GALA

PERUVIAN-AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF LONG ISLAND/CAMARA DE COMERCIO PERUANA AMERICANA DE LONG ISLAND
1247 Suffolk Ave.- Brentwood NY. 11717
(631) 434-2683

2nd ANNUAL GALA - 2008

Jericho Terrace
Terrace Room (Cocktails)
Skylight Room (Dinner)
249 Jericho Turnpike, Mineola 11501

Viernes 14 Noviembre – 2008
8.30 pm
9.30 pm (Orquesta)
$100.00 pp

Reservaciones:
(516)292-6248 - Linda Di Leo
(516)354-5828 - Gustavo Reyes
(631)220-0875 - Carlos Ramos
(631)434-2682 - Carmen Sime

8/18/08

Army Spc. Juan Leon arrives from Afghanistan to see newborn son

Army Spc. Juan Leon, 23, of East Massapequa with his wife Lorraine, and brand new son, Nicholas Francisco Leon.

After denying him permission to travel from Afghanistan to Long Island to be with his wife during the early and difficult birth of his son, the U.S. Army relented--thanks to Congressman Steve Israel and officials--and Leon was given leave.

While Leon missed the actual birth by a few days, he had this to say: "But I'm happy I could see him, and be there for the first couple days of his life."

Congratulations to Juan and Lorraine -- and happy birthday to Nicholas!

Link: LI soldier arrives from Afghanistan to see newborn son

8/14/08

LIIA 'Fiesta' Fundraiser to Honor Jim Claffey

The Long Island Immigrant Alliance is holding an "International Fiesta" fund raiser Sunday, August 17, at Shelter Rock UU Congregation's Art Gallery in Manhasset.

The event's honoree is Jim Claffey, program officer for the LI Community Foundation and founder of the immigrant alliance. He and his wife will soon be leaving Long Island for a new assignment working with the youth of Central America.

Join Long Island's immigration leaders and elected officials in honoring Jim Claffey and celebrating LIIA's successes on behalf of Long Island's diverse immigrant community.

Click here to RSVP and to make a tax-deductible donation in support of LIIA's vital mission.

Shelter Rock UU Congregation
Art Gallery
48 Shelter Rock Road
Manhasset, NY 11030

Related:
'International Fiesta To Celebrate Our Victories And Honor Jim Claffey'
Best wishes to Jim Claffey

Suozzi Honors Nassau's Latino Community

County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi honored the contributions of Latinos to the community of Nassau County yesterday at the "Latinos Unidos" celebration in Eisenhower Park.

"Nassau County appreciates the great contributions of our Latino community. You mean a lot to this County." Suozzi
The event was hosted by Marianela Jordan, Executive Director of
CASA (Coordinated Agency for Spanish Americans), and sponsored by Nassau County government. The program included awards to 10 exemplary leaders for their service, Salsa lessons and live entertainment.

For more photos and a nice write-up, see Lisa Votino-Tarrant's Tom Suozzi - Nassau County Appreciates the Contributions of Our Latino Community on the LIWins' blog. Very nice.

Brentwood Chamber of Commerce's Annual Dinner Dance

SAVE THE DATE

Brentwood Chamber of Commerce

3rd Annual Dinner Dance

Thursday, September 18th, 2008

7:00 PM

Brentwood Country Club
100 Pennsylvania Ave
Brentwood NY 11717

For more information call: 631.952.1280

8/13/08

Latino Professionals Job Fair

Are you bilingual and live in the New York area? Do you speak English and Spanish or Portuguese? Looking for a career opportunity?

The National Society for Hispanic Professionals holds its New York Fall Bilingual Professional Job Fair on September 4, 2008 at the Metropolitan Pavilion.

September 4, 2008 from 10am to 3pm
Metropolitan Pavilion
125 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011
telephone: 954.678.1807
website: www.nshp.org

8/8/08

Rally for Property Tax Reform

LIIA, ACORN, LIPC, WFP

invite you to:

Show your support for Real Property Tax Reform

at the Central Islip American Legion

Thursday August 21st at 7pm

340 Elmore St., Central Islip, NY 11722

For more information call 631 -650-2312

Under this family friendly real property tax reform proposal, over 50% of tax payers will pay less in property taxes, while maintaining local services through greater NYS aid. There is no CAP in the Real Property Tax Reform proposal, but a real Circuit Breaker that interrupts the predictable increases we see under the current property tax system or proposed property tax CAP.

Brooklyn’s Greenest Block

A block in Park Slope — Eighth Street, between Eighth Avenue and Prospect Park West — was named the “greenest block” in Brooklyn. The block won an annual competition, now in its 14th year and sponsored by GreenBridge, a horticulture program run by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Indigenous Peoples Day at The American Museum of Natural History

The American Museum of Natural History
presents

Indigenous Peoples Day
Saturday, August 9
12 noon-5:00 p.m.

Kaufmann Theater, first floor
Free with Museum admission

In recognition of the United Nations' International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, this afternoon features a special concert performance with Halau I Ka Wekiu from Hawai'i as well as an indigenous Caribbean cultural presentation by members of the Cacibajagua Taino Cultural Society.

"Yarning Up", a short film series focusing on Northern Australian
Aboriginal stories, will also be featured.

An Indigenous Artisan Showcase will take place in the Museum's Grand Gallery.

This program is cosponsored with the Secretariat of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the NGO Committee on the United Nations International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, the Tribal Link Foundation and the United Confederation of
Taino People.

1:00 p.m. - Halau I Ka Wekiu
Hawaiian Hula School Performance

2:00 p.m. - "Yarning Up: 4 Short Stories from the Top End"
Australian Aboriginal Short Films
Screening with introduction and Q&A by Producer Penny Smallacombe

3:00 p.m. - Halau I Ka Wekiu
Hawaiian Hula School Performance

4:30 p.m. - Cacibajagua Taino Cultural Society

12noon – 5:30pm: An Indigenous Artisan Showcase, Grand Gallery, First Floor
Several indigenous artists including Jude Norris (Cree) and Taino Spirit will display their works throughout the day.

8/2/08

Marc Anthony - Nadie como ella

Sgt. Alex Jiménez' Final Gift?

Sgt. Alex Jiménez was finally laid to rest today at Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale. A funeral mass was held earlier at Our Lady of Sorrows Roman Catholic Church in Corona, Queens.

Sgt. Alex Jiménez was one of three U.S. soldiers that went missing in Iraq a year and half ago. Listed as a POW/MIA, his remains were finally found a few weeks ago in a village south of Baghdad.

Make no mistake about it, Sgt. Alex Jiménez' is an American story with a timely lesson for us.

Alex was an immigrant to the U.S. -- and like so many other immigrants, a gift to this nation. He was born in the Dominican Republic and was brought to the U.S. as a child. His parents, Maria Duran and Ramon Jiménez, lived and labored in the immigrant communities of Corona, Queens and Lawrence, Massachusetts. By all accounts, Alex was a good guy.

It's been said that Alex knew early on he wanted to serve his country as a member of the U.S. military. He enlisted, made the U.S. Army's elite 10th Mountain Division, and was sent off to war -- to the Iraq. And as has happened to so many other immigrant parents, Maria and Ramon lost their son.

However, Jiménez' story has a contemporary twist -- and I don't just mean that he fought and died in an unpopular war whose true purpose has been veiled. It's about the domestic and popular war against immigrants. Specifically, while Jiménez was missing in action in Iraq, his young wife, Yaderlin, was being threatened by ICE blackboots with deportation.

Yes, the very government Alex was serving was rushing to boot his new wife from the country. Imagine the fear and sense of helplessness they must have felt. It was only when Alex went missing in action that Yaderline's terrible plight became known. If it hadn't been for the ensuing public outcry, she surely would have been booted.

So, it's only fitting that Jiménez be buried in Long Island; after all, it's a place heavily shaped by the contributions and sacrifices of immigrants and their children. And it's an island that is being transformed and renewed by newer waves of immigrants settling in Long Island City, Montauk and everywhere in between.

Sadly though, Long Island has its unique brand of nativism -- an anti-newest and poorest immigrant intolerance percolating just beneath its leafy surface. It's a bias that operates subtly (and not-so-subtly) through local codes, profiling, racial steering and the like; and during times of strive--such as the present--flows into acts of intimidation, vandalism, assault and even murder.

Unfortunately, it's a dark side too many Long Islanders deny -- even though it's evident to even the casual observer.

So when "Latinos Go Home" was splashed for all to see, authorities just weren't sure the message was anti-Hispanic hate. Or when a motorist jumped the curb and plowed into a groups of Latino day workers, authorities didn't see it as a bias crime--or any crime at all. Or when a restaurant was harrassed by the local police only during "Hispanic Nights", yet authorities claimed they were just enforcing the law. Or when a village seizes rental property under the guise that it's an eyesore, evicts the immigrant/Latino residents, and trustees wonder why their motives are suspect. Or when county legislature push laws targeting Latino immigrant workers claiming they're only levelling the playing field for their largely white, middle class and heavily protected, nonimmigrants constituents. Or when a local cable station exams the rise of hate groups, ignores local anti-immigrant incidents, and then proclaims Long Island to be hate-free.

(BTW: The above incidents--and countless others--are all real and have occured on Long Island in just the last few months.)

Perhaps Sgt. Alex Jiménez' burial in Long Island soil will help sow a new resolve among concerned residents--oldtimers and newcomers, native-born and foreign-born, whites and people of color--that stopping nativism and hate is vital to preserving all that is good and right about Long Island.

Might it be Sgt. Alex Jiménez' final gift to us?

Links:
WCBS-Channel 2 -- Fallen Hero
The Body of Alex Jiménez Found
Sgt. Alex Jiménez (POW/MIA): R.I.P.

Prayers And Hope
Alex Jimenez' Wife Might Be Deported
Iraq: Missing soldiers' bodies recovered

May 2007 abduction of US soldiers in Iraq
Jimenez Family Waits
Alex Jimenez's MySpace page
Kerry Tells Homeland Security Not to Deport Wife of Missing Soldier
Woman's husband missing in Iraq since May; DHS halts her deportation