Thursday, January 31, 2008

$60k/year Hispanic Liaison job among January Que Pasa listings

The Hispanic Nashville Notebook hosts a job site called the Workbook, but it is not the only Hispanic or bilingual employment listing in Middle Tennessee.

Franklin's Latin Market Communications circulates a monthly job listing in the bilingual paper Que Pasa and also makes the list available by e-mail. Many (but not all) of the Que Pasa jobs require bilingual language skills or are otherwise more attractive to the Hispanic job-seeker than opportunities in the general job market. For more information on the Que Pasa job listings, contact Eva Melo at eva@latinmarketcommunications.com

The January 2008 Que Pasa jobs are below, including a $60k/year Hispanic Liaison position in Smyrna:
HISPANIC LIAISON:
Location-Smyrna, TN. Salary-$60K/year plus bonus and benefits. Requirements- Must be bilingual (Spanish). College degree and some experience preferred. Job description- The position will act as a liason between a mutil-billion dollar OEM and a provider of premium transportation logistics. The liason will work on sight at the OEM and coordinate expedited global transportation activity with a heavy emphasis in the Mexican market. Respond to- [job filled]

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
Nashville, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) Manage current grants and coordinate efforts to diversify the organization' s funding base. Writing proposals, preparing reports to grantors, developing the membership, and identifying new sources of funding. Work with the Events Specialist to plan fundraising events, with the Operations Director to provide budgets and financial reports to grantors, and with the State Director and Board to develop an annual fundraising strategy and long-term fundraising plan. Occasional evening and weekend hours. Immigrants and refugees are strongly encouraged to apply. Bachelor's degree required. Salary plus benefits. To apply send a cover letter, résumé and writing sample to Sara Jane Saliba at sara@tnimmigrant.org.

NURSING SUPERVISOR
Siloam Family Health Center, a faith-based, Christ-centered health clinic. Work with the Medical Director to manage the day-to-day coordination of patient care including intake, triage, patient education, patient flow, onsite diagnostics, offsite referrals, and coordinating clinical programs and compliance with federal regulations. This position will supervise staff and volunteer nurses, medical assistants, and other clinicians. Must have strong computer skills and able to work flexible hours and have a current state of Tennessee RN License, and CPR Certification. Three to five years of supervisory or management experience and a four year college degree in nursing is preferred. Please submit a copy of your resume and a cover letter to: Attention: Human Resources, Siloam Family Health Center , 820 Gale Lane, Nashville, TN 37204, Fax: 615-577-4010. Website: www.siloamhealth.org

BILINGUAL RN CARE COORDINATOR
Healthways. Franklin. Requires current RN license in the state the CEC resides and a minimum 2-3 years recent clinical experience. Case management, health plan, home health and/or telephonic nursing experience are a plus; diabetes, cardiac, ESRD, COPD and/or asthma clinical experience desired. Computer competency within a Windows environment is necessary; Bilingual Spanish/English skills highly desired! (615) 885-4500

MEMBER SERVICES COORDINATOR
The Center for Nonprofit Management (CNM) is seeking qualified applicants for a Member Services Coordinator. The Center for Nonprofit Management is a nonprofit organization with a mission to create and sustain nonprofit excellence. Applicants need a Bachelor's degree, one year's experience preferably in an administrative role, strong administrative and organizational skills with a high attention to detail and exceptional customer service skills. Salary Range: $25,000 to $30,000, Contact Information and Procedure: Please submit resume and cover letter indicating position applied for by email, fax, or mail; Marissa Benchea, CNM 44 Vantage Way, Suite 230, Nashville, TN 37228, marissa@cnm.org, fax: 615-259-0400 No phone calls please

GOLD STAR COMMUNICATIONS-
Cellular Phone Sales & Phone Cards is looking for a bilingual customer service rep. Locaated at 904 Murfreesboro Pike, Candidates call George Hanna (615) 481-4865.

DOMINGUES INSURANCE (an Allstate Insurance Agency)
is looking for a bilingual candidates. Please call 615-834-8420 and ask for Valmar.

CRICKET COMMUNICATIONS.
If you enjoy selling and providing outstanding customer service, Cricket Communications is the place for you. We are accepting applications for Retail Service Representatives for our retail stores in this city. We offer competitive pay; performance-based bonuses; free mobile phone and service; paid time off; and advancement opportunities. High school diploma or GED required. Strong interpersonal skills. Proficient use of PC computer programs and keyboard skills. Looking for bilingual skills in Spanish. Tuition Assistance Flexible Spending Accounts. We are proud to be an EEO employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing. TO APPLY FOR THIS JOB? Go to www.mycricket.com for more information.

BILINGUAL RECEPTIONIST
Needed for Dental Office. Must be dedicated, honest, good attitude and work ethic, punctual, and able to multi- task. Competitive pay in a great work environment. Please send resume to carlos226@comcast.net or call (615) 419-9960. Alternate phone: (615) 642-0623"

MEDICAL RECEPTIONIST
Provide a point of contact for patients through appointment scheduling and act as a focal point of communication between patients, doctors, nurses, other clinic staff and community partners. Must have a high school diploma, and one or more years experience working in medical office setting or clinical environment. This individual must be fluent in Spanish and expected to work one Saturday a month. Please submit a copy of your resume and a cover letter to: Attention: Human Resources, Siloam Family Health Center , 820 Gale Lane, Nashville, TN 37204, Fax: 615-577-4010. Website: www.siloamhealth.org

HOUSE CLEANER
Experienced housecleaning employees, must have a vehicle, must speak some English, start right away, part time to full time, Kristine Donahue 615-440-2083

BANQUETS
Coffee Break Server 1 FT (flexible schedule) Able to lift 20 lbs. ABC card needed. Must be able to be a server as well as coffee breaks. Call 615-321-1908, Apply in person Mon, Wedns. Or Friday between 10AM -3PM, Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, 2100 West End Avenue, Nashville.

ENGINEERING
(Maintenance Engineer I 1 FT (3 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.) General knowledge of all maintenance tasks and previous customer service skills are required. Must be able to read, write, and speak English fluently. Mechanical, electrical, HVAC, and plumbing skills required. Previous hotel experience preferred. Call 615-321-1908, Apply in person Mon, Wedns. Or Friday between 10AM -3PM, Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, 2100 West End Avenue, Nashville.

STEWARDING
Crosswinds Cafeteria Attendant 1 PT (9:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.) Must be able to lift 30 lbs. Must have some knowledge of the Health department sanitation procedure. Must have some cooking experience, and be able to take directions from a supervisor. Call 615-321-1908, Apply in person Mon, Wedns. Or Friday between 10AM -3PM, Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, 2100 West End Avenue, Nashville.

ROOM SERVICE
Room Service Server 1 FT 2 p.m. - 12 a.m. Good customer service, communication, and organizational skills required. Must be able to stand for a long period of time and lift up to 50lbs. Some room service experience helpful. ABC card. Call 615-321-1908, Apply in person Mon, Wedns. Or Friday between 10AM -3PM, Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, 2100 West End Avenue, Nashville.

HOUSEKEEPING
Executive Housekeeper 1 FT (flexible schedule) Thorough knowledge of all matters relating to the proper administration and operation of Hospitality Housekeeping operations. Five to seven years of progressive management experience in large, fast paced, hotel housekeeping environment with at least three years as Executive Housekeeper. Ability to develop and maintain effective operating and control processes designed to attain maximum operating efficiency while ensuring adherence to established guest satisfaction criteria. Effective management, leadership, organizational, communication skills, and the ability to develop a strong and positive work environment. Experienced in Microsoft Office Programs Call 615-321-1908, Apply in person Mon, Wedns. Or Friday between 10AM -3PM, Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, 2100 West End Avenue, Nashville.

ROOM ATTENDANT
6 FT (8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.) 1 FT (2:30 p.m. -11 p.m.) Must be able to stand, walk, and bend for long periods of time, and lift up to 25lbs. Great customer service skills required. Room cleaning experience preferred. Must be able to work weekends and holidays. Call 615-321-1908, Apply in person Mon, Wedns. Or Friday between 10AM -3PM, Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, 2100 West End Avenue, Nashville.

TURNDOWN ATTENDANT
3 PT (5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.) Must be able to stand, walk, and bend for long periods of time, and lift up to 25 lbs. Great customer service skills required. Must be able to work weekends and holidays. Call 615-321-1908, Apply in person Mon, Wedns. Or Friday between 10AM -3PM, Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, 2100 West End Avenue, Nashville.

ACCOUNTING
Night Audit, 1 FT (11 p.m. - 7 a.m.). Previous Front Desk or Audit experience required. Must have excellent communication, computer, and customer service skills. An ability to pay close attention to detail is also required. Must be able to work weekends and holidays. Call 615-321-1908, Apply in person Mon, Wedns. Or Friday between 10AM -3PM, Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, 2100 West End Avenue, Nashville.

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
TIRRC is seeking a Director of Development to manage its current grants and coordinate efforts to diversify the organization' s funding base. The Director of Development will be responsible for writing proposals, preparing reports to grantors, developing the membership, and identifying new sources of funding, particularly among individual and corporate donors. In addition, he/she will work with the Events Specialist to plan fundraising events, with the Operations Director to provide budgets and financial reports to grantors, and with the State Director and Board to develop an annual fundraising strategy and long-term fundraising plan. This position will be based in Nashville and will require occasional evening and weekend hours. Immigrants and refugees are strongly encouraged to apply. Bachelor's degree required. Salary Negotiable, plus health benefits. send a cover letter, résumé and writing sample to Sara Jane Saliba at sara@tnimmigrant. org

EXPERIENCED HOUSEKEEPING EMPLOYEES
Must have a vehicle. Must speak some English. Start right away. Part time to full-time. Kristine 615-440-2083.

CENSUS TAKERS (TEMPORARY)
The City of Franklin has approximately 30 vacancies for Census Takers to assist with the 2008 Franklin Special Census by going door-to-door to survey Franklin residents who have not returned their census cards. Census questions are limited to name, age & race. 18 years of age, availability of car, with proof of insurance, ability to communicate with the public, ability to record data accurately & available for work in all parts of the city. $14.00/hr. Work in March & last approximately 4 weeks. Monday through Thursday from approximately 4:30 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.; Weekend hours will vary, depending on the progress of the census, most shifts will be on Saturday from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. Obtain application online at www.franklin- gov.com or from HR Dept, City of Franklin, PO Box 305, 109 3rd Ave S, Franklin, TN 37065, phone 615/791-3216, fax 615/791-3297, e-mail tracyh@franklin-gov.com.

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGER
Nashville-based company; extensive international travel, will require at least a bilingual candidate (if not more than two languages); high priority on candidates who can communicate in South America as well as Asia. Requires experience in supply chain and importation; four-year degree; Six Sigma certification. Contact Harriet, 615-591-6511, hsawyer@sawyersearch.com

LIVE IN NANNY/HOUSEKEEPER
on 65 acre property in Nashville area. May bring a family member to live with you. Call Kristy at 210- 2303. Must speak some English

ARBORIST
The City of Franklin Parks Department has a vacancy for Arborist. This position is responsible for the long-term care & management of City trees. Duties, generally, include developing, administering & monitoring programs & policies to insure industry compliance with City's tree & landscape ordinance; planning, etc. applying for grants; & supervising public tree plantings. Degree in arboriculture, horticulture, forestry, or landscaping architecture with certification as an Arborist or Horticulturist preferred; supplemented by five (5) year previous experience in tree planting & maintenance and/or training involving supervision. Valid DL required. Obtain application online at www.franklin- gov.com or from HR Dept, City of Franklin, PO Box 305, 109 3rd Ave S, Franklin, TN 37065, tel. 615/791-3216, e-mail tracyh@franklin-gov.com. EOE/ Drug-free Workplace

METER READER
The City of Franklin Water Department has a vacancy for a Meter Reader. Responsibilities generally include reading water meters to determine water usage; rechecking readings to ensure usage recorded is accurate; turning on water for newly established accounts; terminating water service to closed accounts; interrupting water service to overdue accounts. HS diploma (or GED equivalent) required with 1-2 years general maintenance experience (or related). $13.50/hr, plus excellent benefits. Obtain application online at www.franklin-gov.com or from HR Department, City of Franklin, P.O. Box 305, 109 3rd Avenue South, Franklin, TN 37065, tel. 615/791-3216, fax 615-791-3297, e-mail tracyh@franklin-gov.com.

ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY
The City of Franklin Engineering Department has a vacancy for Administrative Secretary. Responsibilities, generally, include answering multi- line telephone, dealing with public and responding to routine questions, complaints or requests for service; performing numerous secretarial duties in support of the department staff; performing general word processing assignments; etc. May be required to attend an occasional night meeting to assist with minute-taking. HS diploma or GED supplemented by vocational/technical training in PC operations (MS Word, Excel, Access) with minimum 3 yrs previous experience or training involving secretarial/clerical work (or related). $14.13 hr, plus excellent benefits. Obtain application online at www.franklin-gov.com or from HR Department, City of Franklin, PO Box 305, 109 3rd Avenue South, Franklin, TN 37065, tel. 615/791-3216, e-mail tracyh@franklin-gov.com.

FINANCIAL ANALYST
The City of Franklin has a vacancy for Financial Analyst. Major responsibilities are performing budget and financial analysis and reviews to enhance completeness and accuracy of performance measures; performing a variety of accounting tasks, which may include posting financial data, balancing accounts, tracking fund activity, and maintaining financial ledgers;, etc. Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business Administration with minimum of one year previous accounting and/or financial experience or HS Diploma with minimum five years accounting and/ or financial experience (government experience preferred). Must be experienced with Microsoft Office software applications, particularly Excel, Word, and Outlook. Obtain application online at www.franklin- gov.com or from HR Department, City of Franklin, PO Box 305, 109 3rd Avenue South, Franklin, TN 37065, tel. 615/791-3216, e-mail tracyh@franklin-gov.com.

PUBLIC SAFETY APPLICATIONS MANAGER
The City of Franklin MIT Department has a vacancy for Public Safety Applications manager. Duties, generally, include having knowledge of and sharing expertise with designated departments on Public Safety applications: Minimum 3-5 years of systems experience in MS Applications. A.S./B.S. in Computer Science or Professional Certification, MS training (MCSE) and GIS also preferred. Technical knowledge/skills should include Crystal Reports, MS Office Suite, MS Project, MS SQL Report Writer, Database and SQL familiarity. Communication, analytical and problem-solving skills required. Valid TN DL required. Obtain application online at ww.franklin-gov.com or from HR Department, City of Franklin, PO Box 305, 109 3rd Avenue South, Franklin, TN 37065, tel. 615/791-3216, e-mail tracyh@franklin-gov.com.

RN, ALIVE HOSPICE
Current TN nursing license, BSN preferred. 2 yrs exp. required. EOE. Apply online at www.alivehospice.org.

LPN, ALIVE HOSPICE
Current TN LPN license required. Minimum two years direct patient care nursing experience in Hospice, Oncology or Home Health. EOE. Apply online at www.alivehospice.org.

CNT , ALIVE HOSPICE
High school diploma or GED, minimum of one year direct patient care or related experience. TN CNT certificate, current CPR certificate. EOE. Apply online at www.alivehospice.org.

CLAIM TRAINEE
Nashville,TN. Allstate. Full time. Bilingual candidates encouraged to apply. Our ideal candidate has a four year college degree, excellent communication and organizational skills, as well as strong computer skills. Candidates should possess the ability to manage relationships in a fast paced environment, while demonstrating persistence and problem solving skills. http://www.allstate.com/careers.aspx

BILINGUAL FINANCIAL
We are in need of Bilingual applicants to fill Customer service and branch Managers positions. Great place to work, above average pay, great benefits, great room for advancement. Must pass a Drug test and submit to a background check. Positions opens throughout Nashville and surrounding areas. Those interested may apply directly at any of our seventeen locations or online. To obtain a directory of store locations and or apply on line please visit our web site at www.advancefinancialinc.com.

Bilingual CSR I, General Care
Full-Time Employee | Pay: $11.55 - $13.80/hour, T- mobile, Six months to one year Customer Service experience, Fluent in both Spanish and English, Call center and wireless experience a plus, High School Diploma or GED, Demonstrated competency in Windows, Keyboarding proficiency and use of automated systems, Stellar verbal and written communication skills, Strong problem solving skills, Ability to thrive in a lively working environment and multi-task, The flexibility to work weekends and other varied shifts as assigned. 615) 255-2798

PROBATION OFFICER
Supervising English and Spanish speaking probationers. Legal knowledge preferred: Computer experience required. Must pass criminal background check. Full time with benefits. Application available at 1320 W. Main St. Room 109, Franklin, TN.

BILINGUAL MEDICAL ASSISTANTS, LPNS AND MEDICAL OFFICE SPECIALISTS
Centennial Pediatrics for all locations. www.centpeds.com. Fax 615-620-5140 or jobinfo@centpeds.com.

BILINGUAL PRESCHOOL TEACHER
Active Learning Center is now hiring bilingual preschool teachers. Looking for someone with experience in early childhood. Call Chris 615-944-2350 or e-mail activelcnt@bellsouth.net

BILINGUAL COUNSELORS
Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee. Needed for the Tennessee Helpline, which serves domestic violence victims and parents. Part Time and Volunteer Daytime and PRN shifts available. Bachelor's degree in social services, education, nursing, early childhood or related field required, or equivalent experience. MUST be fluent in both English and Spanish. PCAT is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Fax resume to 615-383-6089 or email to Melissa.Sanchez@pcat.org
Que Pasa job listing reproduced with permission.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Hispanic Family Night at Vol State February 19

Information about ESOL classes, Vol State degrees and programs, local community groups

Refreshments, movies, entertainment for children

From Volunteer State Community College:
Hispanic Family Night at Vol State puts the spotlight on education

Education is a lifelong pursuit that can benefit everyone in the family. Volunteer State Community College is holding an evening especially designed for Hispanic families. The Hispanic Family Education Night will help answer questions about everything from college degree programs to English classes. It will be held on Tuesday, February 19 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on the Vol State campus in Gallatin.

“There are high school students who are ready for college, and perhaps adults who want to go back to school or improve their English skills,” said Eric Melcher, Communications Coordinator at Vol State. “We’ll have several of the college offices on hand, including Admissions and Advising. We’ll have bilingual staff available for advising and translating in Spanish.”

“We’re seeing a growing need for information about the college in Spanish and English,” said Volunteer State Advisor-Counselor Terry Bubb. “We know that many Hispanic families have members who have different English skill levels. This event will have something for everyone. We’ll have information about our ESOL classes, for people who want to improve their English skills, and also information about our degrees and programs for those whose English is already at the college level.”

ESOL stands for English for Speakers of Other Languages. The classes provide a stepping stone for Spanish speaking people to build their skills in conversation, writing and reading.

Families will be able to see the support services Volunteer State has for students, including the award-winning NewSkills Center, which provides help with developmental needs in areas, such as math, reading and writing. The Language Center, with resources for people who speak foreign languages, will be part of the campus tour. The TRIO Student Support Services program will also be represented. It provides a wide array of help for first-generation college students, those with low family incomes, or those with certain disabilities.

The Sumner Hispanic Alliance will have information about events and opportunities for the Hispanic community. Local community groups, who provide educational support in a number of different areas, will also be on hand at the event.

“It’s not just for people who want to go to Vol State,” said Melcher. “We’re trying to provide resources to help families get more information about higher education. It can get complicated and it helps to talk to someone, one-on-one and in a relaxed atmosphere.”

Refreshments will be served and there will be movies and fun to keep the kids entertained, so parents can have time to ask questions. Everyone is invited to attend. The Hispanic Family Education Night will run from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and people can stop by whenever it’s convenient. It will be held on Tuesday, February 19 at the Thigpen Library on the Vol State campus at 1480 Nashville Pike in Gallatin. For more information call 615-230-3570 or in Spanish 615-230-4846.
Photo: Vol State instructors (left to right) Ruth McKinzie, Karen Hutson and Cindy Chanin answer questions at the 2007 Vol State Hispanic Family Night. Source: Volunteer State Community College. Used with permission.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Tickets on sale at noon Wednesday for Olympic soccer qualifying games at LP Field

Road to Beijing 2008 requires win in Nashville

Two spots up for grabs by eight neighboring American countries: USA, Mexico, Canada, Cuba, Haiti, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama

Four teams will arrive in Nashville after field narrowed in L.A., Tampa

May 20 semis and May 23 finals here

Seats available from $18 to $65 for each doubleheader

Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) and U.S. Soccer have announced that individual tickets for 2008 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying in Los Angeles, Tampa and Nashville will go on sale Wednesday, Jan. 30, at 12 p.m. local time in each market.

The eight-team event, which includes national teams at the Under-23 age level, will be played as eight doubleheaders from March 11-23, 2008, and will send two finalists to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Group A, which includes the United States, Honduras, Cuba and Panama, will play at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. on March 11, 13 and 15. Group B features Canada, Guatemala, Haiti and Mexico facing off on March 12, 14 and 16 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. LP Field in Nashville will host the semifinals on Thursday, March 20, and the championship match and third-place game on Sunday, March 23.

Tickets priced from $18 to $65 for each of the eight doubleheaders in the tournament go on sale beginning Wednesday (January 30) at 12 p.m. local time in each venue through ussoccer.com, by phone at 813-287-8844 (Tampa), 213-480-3232 (Los Angeles) or 615-255-9600 (Nashville) and at local Ticketmaster ticket centers in the venue cities.

In Tampa and Los Angeles (where first round doubleheaders are scheduled), teams competing at those sites will have seats at every price level set aside for their fans, allowing supporters of the same country to sit together. Fans must order online to choose from this allotment.

In Nashville, where the participating teams won’t be known until several days before the semifinal round, seating until the end of the first round will be allocated (based on the local population) for U.S.A., Mexico, and mixed/neutral fan sections at each price level.

Series ticket sales will end on 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 29, for fans looking to buy tickets to all three match dates in each venue.

The U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team is led by head coach Peter Nowak, who is also an assistant on Bob Bradley’s staff with the full team. The team is currently holding a training camp that features top young professionals based both in the U.S. and abroad in Bradenton, Fla., through Feb. 3.

2008 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying

– Details –

Event: Eight-team qualifying event to decide two CONCACAF positions at 2008 Olympics
Dates: March 11-23, 2008
Venues: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Fla.), The Home Depot Center (Carson, Calif.); LP Field (Nashville, Tenn.)
Teams: USA, Mexico, Canada; Cuba, Haiti; Guatemala, Honduras, Panama

– Schedule –

Group A (Tampa, Florida; Raymond James Stadium)
Date Home Visitor Kickoff (local)
March 11 Panama Honduras 5:30 p.m. ET
March 11 USA Cuba 8 p.m. ET

March 13 Honduras Cuba 5:30 p.m. ET
March 13 USA Panama 8 p.m. ET

March 15 Cuba Panama 4:30 p.m. ET
March 15 USA Honduras 7 p.m. ET

Group B (Carson, California; The Home Depot Center)
Date Home Visitor Kickoff (local)
March 12 Haiti Guatemala 5:30 p.m. PT
March 12 Canada Mexico 8 p.m. PT

March 14 Canada Haiti 5:30 p.m. PT
March 14 Mexico Guatemala 8 p.m. PT

March 16 Guatemala Canada 3:30 p.m. PT
March 16 Mexico Haiti 6 p.m. PT

Final Stage (Nashville, Tennessee; LP Field)
Date Matchup Kickoff (local)
March 20 Semifinal 1 * 5 p.m. CT
March 20 Semifinal 2 * 8 p.m. CT

March 23 Third-Place Match 1 p.m. CT
March 23 Final 4 p.m. CT

* Winner advances to 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing

Source: USSoccer.com

Monday, January 28, 2008

Bilingual in the Boonies: a Cuban-American Nashville diary

Carrie Ferguson-Weir, an entrepreneur, mother, and former newspaper reporter, writes the Nashville-based online diary Bilingual in the Boonies. Channeling her Cuban heritage, Ferguson-Weir writes about topics as diverse as her approach to speaking Spanish with her little girl (see "How we do the Spanish thing") and running her Los Pollitos Dicen clothing line (see "Hen House").

Here is how Ferguson-Weir describes herself on her profile at bilingualintheboonies.com:
I am a former newspaper reporter who now hangs with her bilingual-in-the-making chiquitica, when I am not selling my line of Spanish children's T-shirts. I live in Tennessee, far from the Cuban-American homeland that is Miami, so for Spanish comfort I stalk Latina moms at the park, grocery store and gym. I often dream of pastelitos and old men in crisp guayaberas. Me llamo Carrie.
There are other Hispanic bloggers in Nashville; one who immediately comes to mind is Mack of Coyote Chronicles, who is coincidentally rumored to have some big news out today (keep an eye out at MusicCityBloggers.com to see if the rumors are true). If you know of any Latin-blooded locals with an online presence, let us know in the comments below or contact the editor.

Both Bilingual in the Boonies and Coyote Chronicles are written in English.

Photo: Carrie Ferguson-Weir, used with permission.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Hispanic truancy at 11% after Springfield raids

Public schools educate all students regardless of visa or citizenship status

"We're still accountable for their test scores"

U.S. citizen children among the "vanished"

Students described as scared and distrustful

Unfinished gingerbread house

Update July 2008: Most of the students returned (story here).

Enforcement of immigration law is encouraging citizen and immigrant absences from school, according to this article in the Tennessean. The resulting truancy problem among Hispanic children - regardless of visa or citizenship status - who may have remained in the area and may to return to school at a later date, has been identified by officials in Springfield, Robertson County.

The article quotes Joyce McAllister, a Spanish interpreter at Cheatham Park Elementary, who decribes her Hispanic students as "scared" and "distrustful." She also recounts the story of a child whisked away by her parents while she was building a gingerbread house. Excerpts from the article:

Nearly 11 percent of its Hispanic students have vanished since December, and school officials worry that if they don't return soon, they will be too far behind to succeed on upcoming achievement tests. The 10,500-student district is in under state watch for failing to educate pockets of children, including non-English speakers.

Of the district's 768 Hispanic students, about 60 have formally withdrawn since before winter break, and administrators can't account for an additional 25 to 30, school officials said.

"Thus far, I'm not aware of anyone who has left and re-enrolled," said Danny Weeks, assistant director of Robertson County schools. "We are very concerned about what would happen if these students were to stay away and, assuming they didn't have any education, come back. We're still accountable for their test scores."

Public schools are required by a U.S Supreme Court decision to educate all students regardless of their immigration status, and they don't report that status to law enforcement.

Border Guard Bear

Springfield pastor Guadalupe Ramirez, who leads La Iglesia del Fuente de Redencion congregation (The Fountain of Redemption Church), said many of the children who moved are U.S. citizens because they were born here. He doesn't think they will be back anytime soon.

"If the parents have no work, they have no reason to stay," he said. "If they take these kids back to Mexico, they're going to grow up there, and when they're the right age to come back, they'll miss their whole education that America provides to all kids."

Maury County experienced a similar crackdown on illegal immigration last year that led to at least two dozen arrests, but school officials there say they haven't seen a dramatic drop among Hispanic students.
Classroom photo by Melinda Taber. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Whisky and Hijos de la Guerra - free screenings of Latin American films at Vanderbilt

Whisky: 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes

Hijos de la Guerra: window into MS-13

“We want to reach out to members of the community who take an interest in foreign films, including immigrants to Middle Tennessee.”

Whisky and Hijos de la Guerra are two Latin American works among 14 foreign films to be screened for free during a foreign film series at Vanderbilt University every Wednesday evening until April 16 except for spring break. Two bonus screenings will occur on Mondays.

The International Lens series begins Wednesday, Jan. 23, with Milano Calibro 9, an Italian crime caper from 1972.

All films begin at 7 p.m. in Sarratt Cinema in the Sarratt Student Center on the Vanderbilt campus and are free and open to the public. Most will feature introductions by experts from Vanderbilt and other universities, and some will have discussion periods after the screenings.

“One of Vanderbilt’s missions is to make our students true global citizens,” said Sherif Barsoum, director of international student and scholar services. “One way to do that is through the lens of film.

“We also want to reach out to members of the community who take an interest in foreign films, including immigrants to Middle Tennessee.”

The series is sponsored by the Office of the Dean of Students and various departments at Vanderbilt collaborated to select the films and line up guest commentators. In some cases, the films are coordinated with the syllabuses of Vanderbilt courses and incorporated into classroom work.

“We hope these screenings complement the strong offerings at the Belcourt Theatre near Vanderbilt, with whom we continue to have a partnership,” said JoEl Logiudice, director of the office of arts and creative engagement.

The Latin American lineup for the International Lens series:

Wednesday, March 12, Hijos de la Guerra (2007) from the United Kingdom, directed by Alexandre Fuchs. Presented by the Center for Latin American and Iberian Studies. A documentary about the violent gang Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13.

Wednesday, April 16, Whiskey (2004) from Uruguay, directed by Juan Pablo Rebella and Pablo Stoll. Presented by the Spanish and Portuguese Department. One reviewer called it "one of the ten best South American movies in recent years" and "a film about Uruguay, represented here in Jacobo's character. This once prosperous country, nicknamed "the Switzerland of South America", is now a country in dire need of technological updating, of restoration of its architectural treasures, and of serious political planning and execution of its economic and social future, and is paying high stakes for decades of unrealistic labor legislation." -IMDB. As of January 23, Whisky's Rotten Tomatoes rating is a perfect 100%.

The full lineup is here.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Ethnicity, visa status are not cost concerns, say Vanderbilt and St. Thomas hospitals

"The more expensive patients in the Hispanic community are the same as the ones in the Caucasian community"

St. Thomas Hospital and Vanderbilt University Medical Center spokesmen bucked the implication that Hispanic Nashvillians and/or visaless Nashvillians hurt their overall missions of healing, according to this Tennessean article on the intersection of immigration and health care:
A patient's legal status doesn't matter at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville, where spokesman Paul Lindsley said the main mission is to care for the poor. "We treat all persons, regardless of their situations," he said.

For five years, the hospital has operated the St. Thomas Family Health Center South in south Nashville, and Lindsley said about 80 percent of the clients there are Hispanic.

On payments, "we have a sliding scale," he said. "We serve those who are uninsured and underinsured."

At Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, the concern isn't illegal immigrants. It's uninsured patients, regardless of their citizenship.

"I would say the more expensive patients (to VUMC) in the Hispanic community are the same as the ones in the Caucasian community," hospital spokesman John Howser said. "Those are the ones that are uninsured and critically injured."

Article cites "hate group" report without further comment

A cite of questionable origin slipped into the article, raising the issue of a broader problem not raised by the Tennessean: the influence of extremism in the nation's immigration policy debate. One sentence after describing as "sketchy" the available data on health care costs to underground expatriates, a report is cited on the subject without any mention by the Tennessean that the sponsor of the report was recently added to a list of hate groups.

Denouncing scapegoat approach to health care

In a previous Tennessean report in August 2006 TennCare director Dr. Darin P. Gordon is said to have testified before a Congressional hearing that a small percentage (an estimated 0.2%) of the TennCare budget is spent on underground internationals. The Tennessean said that Gordon "rejected the idea that illegal immigrants are sneaking onto the TennCare rolls for regular medical care, saying the program has always required various types of documentation for enrollment." Shortly after the hearing in which Gordon appeared, the Tennessean published an editorial denouncing legislators' finger-pointing at illegal immigrants and their failure to propose broader health care solutions. The editorial tracked the sentiment of a 8/16/06 letter to the editor from Nashville ER emergency physician Michael Hasty.

Legislative attempts to inject visa status and citizenship checks into the hospital setting have been rejected by various Middle Tennessee health care providers, even when it would cost them federal funds. The providers and their associations who have come out on record against immigration-based health care decisions are HCA, Vanderbilt (story here), the Tennessee Hospital Association, and the Bedford County Medical Center in Shelbyville (story here).

Rather than constricting its pocketbook to shy away from health care for underinsured and international patients, HCA and the HCA Foundation donated $1.5 million (story here) to the Siloam Family Health Center, which serves primarily refugees and immigrants. The Memorial Foundation, the Cal Turner family foundation and other local organizations have given substantial support to Siloam (story here).

Monday, January 21, 2008

Love: Martin Luther King, Jr.'s call for a worldwide fellowship

From the acceptance speech of Martin Luther King, Jr., for the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize:

This call for a worldwide fellowship that lifts neighborly concern beyond one's tribe, race, class, and nation is in reality a call for an all-embracing and unconditional love for all men. This oft misunderstood and misinterpreted concept so readily dismissed by the Nietzsches of the world as a weak and cowardly force, has now become an absolute necessity for the survival of man. When I speak of love I am not speaking of some sentimental and weak response which is little more than emotional bosh. I am speaking of that force which all of the great religions have seen as the supreme unifying principle of life. Love is somehow the key that unlocks the door which leads to ultimate reality. This Hindu-Moslem-Christian-Jewish-Buddhist belief about ultimate reality is beautifully summed up in the First Epistle of Saint John:
Let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone
that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His
love is perfected in us.
Full text here

Photo by C.K. Koay. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Friday, January 18, 2008

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day March - Monday, January 21

The Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition sent out this invitation to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day March on Monday, January 21:

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day March - January 21, 2008

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Join us as we march from Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church to TSU’s Gentry Center to honor Dr. King’s Dream.
Monday, January 21th at 10:00a.m.

Marchers should arrive at the church no later than 9:30am.

Missionary Baptist Church
2708 Jefferson Street
Nashville, TN 37208

Following the march, Derek Young, Nashville's Mayor Karl Dean and Rep. Jim Cooper will speak at TSU's Gentry Center.

To register click here.

Don't forget to visit our new and improved website at: www.tnimmigrant.org
Photo by Bo Hughins. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Megan Volz romance tests fairness of Nashville courts after brother Eric's trial raised same question in Nicaragua

Eric Volz vindicated on same day Megan goes to Nashville police

Visaless Uruguayan ex-boyfriend had five-year employment record in high-end Nashville restaurant scene: Park Cafe, Watermark, PM, Bound’ry, others

Relationship doomed after pregnancy and subsequent abortion

After assault charges, premature deportation would prevent defense at trial

"The sheriff is talking to local judges about whether such cases should be properly adjudicated."

The Nicaragua murder trial of Nashvillian Eric Volz, who has since been exonerated in the death of his former girlfriend Doris Jiménez, led HispanicNashville.com to wonder aloud (see stories here and here) whether the anti-American sentiment that was whipped up against Volz in that Central American country was truly a foreign concept to Nashville, in light of the negative emotions that have raged against visaless internationals in this city.

In an incredible coincidence, as the Nashville Scene reports here less than one year after Volz's conviction, Volz's sister Megan has started what may be short-circuited criminal and immigration proceeding against her Uruguayan ex-boyfriend and his brother, both five-year Nashville residents without long-term visas:

Megan Volz and the Diemarch brothers

[O]n the same day a court was vindicating her brother, 24-year-old Megan went to Nashville police to report that she’d been assaulted by her then-boyfriend Guillermo Diemarch and his brother Juan Carlos Diemarch.
....
The brothers came to the U.S. legally five years ago on a 90-day visa from their native Uruguay. They never left and never reconciled their immigration status.
...
Volz and Guillermo met in 2006 while both were working at one of Nashville’s best restaurants, the tony Park Café in Sylvan Park. Volz worked in the dining room, Guillermo in the kitchen. Park Cafe was not his only employer.
...
In the five years that the brothers lived in Nashville, they worked at some of Nashville’s best culinary establishments—Watermark, PM, Bound’ry, Batter’d & Fried, Park Café and the now defunct Chu, to name a few.
...
Three months into the relationship, however, Volz got pregnant, Guillermo says. She had an abortion, and Guillermo says that it was extremely hard on both of them. “It was after that,” he says, “that we started fighting…. She was upset by that, and so was I. I understand that.”

Case sent to the grand jury, but no criminal trial, no immigration judge

Jailkeeper and judges make decisions together

Judge Turner then decided that this was in fact an incident of domestic abuse and ruled that the case be bound over to a grand jury.
...
“The computer for some reason did not read that there was a pending charge,” [Sheriff’s department spokeswoman Karla] Crocker says. As a result, Juan Carlos was picked up by ICE and transported out of Tennessee to a federal holding facility, even though he still faces charges in Nashville.
...
Crocker also says that the sheriff is worried about immigrants gaming the system by using all of their constitutionally protected rights. ... She says that the appeals can take months and the sheriff is talking to local judges about whether such cases should be properly adjudicated or if the immigrant defendants should just be deported.
...
Elliot Ozment, a Nashville immigration attorney who sits on Sheriff Hall’s 287g citizen review board, is aghast that the city’s jail keeper has such a cavalier attitude toward the appeals process.
...
The attorney says that he was unaware that the sheriff was consulting with judges about the disposition of criminal cases. ... "I don’t know why Metro’s jail keeper would have any standing to talk to a criminal judge about the adjudication of a criminal case or criminal cases in general unless it impacted jail conditions."

Ozment is concerned that such moves could be a signal of a larger trend in Metro’s legal system when it comes to immigrants. “I have some serious concerns about attempts by local officials to tilt our judicial system against the foreign born,” says Ozment. “I think it would call into question serious constitutional implications.”
...
No matter how the criminal charges are adjudicated, the brothers will be sent back to Uruguay without a hearing before an immigration judge.
Photo: Residents of de San Juan del Sur tried to lynch Eric Volz, one of the accused in the murder of Doris Jiménez. Source of photo and caption: La Prensa, Nicaragua

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Moises Caballero promotes integration through Sumner Hispanic Alliance

Moises Caballero and the Sumner Hispanic Alliance are featured in this article in the Tennessean about the work of locals who plan to "make a difference" in 2008. The Sumner Hispanic Alliance was created last fall (story here) to focus businesses, educators, and government on the Hispanic residents of Sumner County.

From the Tennessean story:
Moisés Caballero took on the reins of the relatively new Sumner Hispanic Alliance as its chairman this past fall, and he'll be spending 2008 building metaphorical bridges.

The growing Hispanic population and existing Sumner County community benefit if they learn from each other, said Caballero, 42 and assistant vice president at Regions Bank in Gallatin.

Caballero will visit Hispanic businesses to raise awareness of and involvement in the alliance, which is sponsored by Volunteer State Community College, and he'll encourage school and government officials to meet with the Hispanic community.

"It's a community that's here to stay," he said. "It's to our benefit as a larger community . . . to have those folks integrated, to be educated in our educational system, our business system, governmental system. You prevent problems down the road if people understand and work within the system and grow within the system."
Other difference-makers featured in the article are Judith Biondo Meeker, who uses quilts to teach children compassion for people in other countries, and Win Myint, who wants to use the Nashville Buddhist Meditation Center to offer Christian immigrants and refugees "a place where they feel at home."

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Full text of Tim Chavez editorial - Our Lady of Guadalupe

"This is our home, too. Our Lady is always with us. We also are children of God."

Nashville has a new church named after Our Lady of Guadalupe. Yesterday's story featured excerpts of Tim Chavez's editorial on the welcoming role of the church. Today, thanks to the generousity of Hispanic Link, we publish the editorial in its entirety, below.

My mother married my father more than a half century ago in a church dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe. It was located in a Topeka, Kansas, barrio populated with a growing number of Latinos recruited to fill meat-packing jobs and keep the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad running across this nation.

The barrio’s most famous citizen, Mike Tórrez, pitched the New York Yankees to victory in the 1977 World Series, winning two games,

Every U.S. city that realizes a critical mass of Hispanics, especially mexicanos, will be home to a Catholic church dedicated to La Virgen de Guadalupe. Venerated as a protector, she appeared in 1531 near Mexico City to an Indian boy, Juan Diego. A great cathedral stands there now.

In the United States, a church dedicated to her signifies the maturation of the local Hispanic population as merchants and homeowners and leaders and taxpayers. A church dedicated to her means “This is our home, too. Our Lady is always with us. We also are children of God.”

Such deep faith has always been a defining characteristic of Hispanics. That faith has been recognized now in Nashville with the opening of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church. Amid the ongoing onslaught against immigrants – particularly in the South – this bodes well for more sane discourse and decision-making in 2008.

A spectacular dedication mass spotlighted our rich culture and history in this city. Our children clutched bouquets of roses to put before a giant painting of the Mother of God. Our families showcased the youthfulness of a workforce that will increasingly serve this country’s welfare and defense as Baby Boomers retire. I sat in the pews with my brothers and sisters from another country who risked so much to come here and put their futures in God’s hands. At no time has this kind of faith been more needed.

In the South, Hispanics are being targeted physically. There is a 1-in-11 chance they’ll be pulled over on Tennessee state highways and interstates. That compares to a 1-in-19 chance for whites and blacks, a Nashville TV station reported.

Some county sheriffs are making a priority of rousting job sites of undocumented workers. Once the lack of needed documents is discovered, immigrants are held for federal authorities.

Against this backdrop, the year concluded on a hopeful note. The location of Our Lady’s church is perfect. It’s on a primary traffic artery where Hispanics have revitalized the neighborhoods and the business community after locals moved to the suburbs. The church will be more than a place to worship. It will be a visible English-language education and cultural center.

An unlikely partnership came together to make this miracle happen. The primary mover and shaker is a blue-eyed Irish-American priest who speaks barely a word of Spanish. But this Nashville native used his bully pulpit and reputation to remind members of his congregation at nearby St. Edward Catholic Church that it’s payback time.

Father Joseph Patrick Breen continually preaches about our immigrant history. He reminds his parish – and Nashville – that others were here to help the Poles, the Italians and the Irish to set up their own churches and institutions.

There has never been a Statue of Liberty on the Rio Grande to greet Hispanic newcomers. By naked conquest, migrants from the East took over the richest lands Mexicans originally inhabited from Texas to California.

For the past several years, St. Edward has opened its doors to more than 1,300 Latinos at two extra masses. But Father Breen knew more was necessary. In a matter of months in 2007, the mostly white congregation responded.

Our Lady’s church is located in a Baptist church that closed after losing much of its congregation to the suburbs. Property owners agreed to sell it and its school buildings for a third of their appraised value. Of a total $1.5 million in total costs, more than $600,000 has been raised.

My father is gone now. When he returned from World War II, Mexicans were still segregated in a roped-off section of pews in the Catholic church of his rural Kansas hometown. But an Our Lady of Guadalupe church in nearby Topeka welcomed my parents and offered them simple respect as they began their union and family.

Our Lady brings hopeful momentum into 2008 and a reminder to this nation of a moral obligation to its immigrant history.

(Tim Chávez is a political columnist who lives in Tennessee. Contact him at timchavez787@yahoo.com.)

Text copyright 2008 by Hispanic Link. Used with permission.

Image: Fiesta Mexicana, 1933, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Topeka, Kansas. Source: www.olg-parish.org

Monday, January 14, 2008

Tim Chavez: Our Lady of Guadalupe church fulfills moral obligation to immigrant past

"I sat in the pews with my brothers and sisters from another country"

"Others were here to help the Poles, the Italians and the Irish"

Tim Chavez has written about Nashville's newest Catholic church, Our Lady of Guadalupe. Chavez is a former columnist for the Tennessean who has not been able to return to that paper after a bout with leukemia (story here).

In this new column, which appeared on the Scripps News wire via Hispanic Link, Chavez focuses on the importance of Nashville's Our Lady of Guadalupe church as more than just a house of worship, but as the fulfillment of a moral duty to welcome. Chavez draws on his parents' experience at a similar church in Topeka:
My mother married my father more than a half century ago in a church dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe. It was located in a Topeka, Kansas, barrio populated with a growing number of Latinos recruited to fill meat-packing jobs and keep the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad running across this nation.
...
Such deep faith has always been a defining characteristic of Hispanics. That faith has been recognized now in Nashville with the opening of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church. Amid the ongoing onslaught against immigrants -- particularly in the South -- this bodes well for more sane discourse and decision-making in 2008.

A spectacular dedication mass spotlighted our rich culture and history in this city. Our children clutched bouquets of roses to put before a giant painting of the Mother of God. Our families showcased the youthfulness of a workforce that will increasingly serve this country's welfare and defense as Baby Boomers retire. I sat in the pews with my brothers and sisters from another country who risked so much to come here and put their futures in God's hands. At no time has this kind of faith been more needed.
...
Father Joseph Patrick Breen continually preaches about our immigrant history. He reminds his parish -- and Nashville -- that others were here to help the Poles, the Italians and the Irish to set up their own churches and institutions.
...
My father is gone now. When he returned from World War II, Mexicans were still segregated in a roped-off section of pews in the Catholic church of his rural Kansas hometown. But an Our Lady of Guadalupe church in nearby Topeka welcomed my parents and offered them simple respect as they began their union and family.
...
Our Lady brings hopeful momentum into 2008 and a reminder to this nation of a moral obligation to its immigrant history.
The Tennessean first reported here about the opening of the church, and a subsequent story focuses on the church's growth plans (story here).

Photo of the Our Lady of Guadalupe opening procession by Loraine Segovia. Used with permission.

Friday, January 11, 2008

Nashville MS-13 eviscerated by 14 arrests

Small group of vicious criminals brought down by racketeering charge

80-90% drop in activity

One percent of one percent of population

"The Latino community was very helpful"

The Nashville City Paper reported here that the arrest of fourteen MS-13 or Mara Salvatrucha gang members has nearly wiped out that group in Nashville, and that the impact of the arrests will be felt nationwide. According to this press release, the men were indicted by a federal grand jury on just one racketeering charge related to murder and other violent crimes in Nashville.

Jim Cavanaugh with the ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) told NewsChannel5 here that the MS-13 gang is not representative of the Hispanic population:
MS 13 makes up one percent of one percent of the Latino community in Nashville.
Cavanaugh said in another Nashville City Paper story that cooperation from the Hispanic members of the Nashville community helped the ATF and the Nashville police with the investigation:
The Latino community was very helpful ... The gang members certainly weren’t helpful, but they are a very, very small percentage of the Latino community in this city. Now, those who stepped forward can see the results.
More from the City Paper:
Almost a year ago, 14 members of the brutally violent El Salvadorian gang La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, were indicted on racketeering charges stemming from at least three murders, seven attempted murders and a rash of violence in Nashville.

Three of the 14 have been sentenced in the last two months, receiving 19- and 20-year sentences for their involvement in the attempted murders of rival gang members and a confidential informant.

Special Agent Jim Cavanaugh with the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) said this is a significant step for Nashville, and more importantly, for the country.

“It’s significant that we got these long sentences for these violent gang members,” Cavanaugh said. “It’s very significant for Nashville and really for the country that we got these long sentences on these gangs members.”
...
This case in Nashville is only one of two cases nationally that’s slowed down the gang’s criminal activity.
...
One Metro Police gang expert said the indictment has curbed the criminal activity in Nashville among the Hispanic population, mainly because almost all members of the group here were included in the indictment.

“As far as the crime within the Hispanic gangs, it’s cut down, I’d say, 80 to 90 percent,” said Sgt. Gary Kemper of the Metro Police Gang unit.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's office, with the Criminal Division’s Gang Squad of the Department of Justice. Assistance was provided by agents and prosecutors from the National Gang Targeting, Enforcement and Coordination Center (GangTECC). GangTECC is led by the Criminal Division, and is comprised of representatives from the ATF, Bureau of Prisons, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and ICE, among others.

Photo by Eylem Başak Ekinci. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Charlemos Spanish tonight, bilingual health volunteer Scarlett Martin to speak

Spanish conversation group meets across from Belcourt Theatre in Palette Gallery

Twice-monthly Spanish conversation group Charlemos Spanish announced tonight's meeting with speaker Scarlett Martin:
Volunteer interpreter of Spanish, Scarlett Martin, will talk about her work with Siloam Family Health Center at the Thursday 10 January meeting of Charlemos Spanish.

Sister Cities of Nashville’s Spanish conversation group, Charlemos Spanish, meets the second and fourth Thursday of the month from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Palette Gallery and Cafe at 2119 Belcourt Avenue in Hillsboro Village. All levels of Spanish-speakers, from beginner to native, are invited. The event is free and open to the public.

Scarlett Martin is a bilingual mom and volunteer interpreter at Siloam Family Health Center (www.siloamhealth.org). In addition to having studied Spanish, Mrs. Martin and her family have spent one month per year in a Spanish-speaking country for the past ten years. Mrs. Martin became interpreting at Siloam in January 2006.

Siloam is a clinic for the uninsured whose purpose is to provide affordable, high-quality health care to those who slip through the cracks in the health care system because of time, money and language barriers. More than 79% of Siloam’s patients are refugees and immigrants representing 100 different homelands, and over 50% of the patients speak Spanish as their first language. All of the interpreters at Siloam, like Scarlett, are volunteers that donate their time and ability to serve the underserved of our community. Siloam’s mission is to share the love of Christ by serving those in need through health care. (See related stories here and here.)

“As many of the Spanish interpreters are students there is a constant turnover; volunteer coordinator, Beth Eichelberger, is always looking for volunteers”, said Elizabeth Worrell Braswell, president of Charlemos Spanish.

Charlemos Spanish was created in December 2006 by the Spanish Committee of Sister Cities of Nashville, a nonprofit organization, founded in 1990, dedicated to the promotion of global understanding through educational, professional and cultural exchanges.

Sister Cities of Nashville has selected two Spanish-speaking sister cities: Mendoza, Argentina, in the wine country of Argentina, and Girona, Spain, thirty minutes north of Barcelona. Nashville has developed successful student exchanges with both cities. Sister Cities is currently exploring a relationship with Chihuahua, Mexico.

Mayor Karl Dean is the Honorary Chair for Sister Cities of Nashville.

Charlemos Spanish is for persons who wish to:

* Speak Spanish on a regular basis
* Make bilingual friends
* Learn more about Hispanic culture.

The founder and president of Charlemos Spanish is Elizabeth Worrell Braswell. Ms. Braswell is an online Spanish instructor for Austin Peay State University and a board member of Sister Cities of Nashville.

For directions and more information on the gallery go to: www.palettegallerycafe.com

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Miss Ecuador Andrea Jacome working towards Vanderbilt MBA in 2008

Leadership in Global Business Association, Latin Business Association

Interned at Dollar General

"I already have a life here"

Andrea Jacome, MBA '08 candidate at Vanderbilt's Owen School of Business and former Miss Ecuador, describes her transition to U.S. study in the Fall 2007 issue of Vanderbilt Business (on pages 16-17 and page 62). Since coming to Owen, Jacome has been a member of the Latin Business Association, was elected a student government representative and also executive president of the Global Business Association, interned in the Strategic Operations Department of Dollar General, and partnered with Kalamata's to open a student-run café.

Some excerpts of the Vanderbilt Business article:
I came to Owen ready for a new chapter in my life. I knew it was going to be challenging, given the cultural and language differences. Just reading cases and developing write-ups in a language that was not my first took hours.

After the first three months I started to feel better. I was elected a first-year students’ representative for the Owen Student Government Association; I invited some peers to participate in the Innovation Challenge and we did very well; as a member of the Latin Business Association, I took the initiative in bringing Latin guest speakers to school, including Eduardo Castro-Wright, CEO of WalMart U.S. Stores; and right now I am helping the CMC Pillar of the Owen Student Government on the design of a special program for international students.

I focused my efforts on finding a summer internship program where I could gain experience, one that would allow me to stay in Nashville after graduation. By the end of Mod III, I accepted a job offer from Dollar General, turning down a couple others. I think I have found what I wanted, where I wanted it.

When I returned from Ecuador to Nashville after December’s break, I had a weird feeling. Somehow I felt that I was coming back home. I already have a life here, filled with school activities and the time I share with my fiance. Still, during the first three Mods, I flew back to Ecuador five times. And when I wake up in the morning here in Nashville, before picking up the Wall Street Journal I read the Ecuadorian newspapers on the Web.
Photo by Daniel Dubois for Vanderbilt Business. Used with permission.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

USN says goodbye to Guatemalan exchange students

Guatemalan exchange students Cynthia Fuentes and Pili Ceballos have finished their semester at the University School of Nashville. From the USN News Archive:
Cynthia and Pili quickly became a part of the class, collaborating with the teacher to help students feel more comfortable using their Spanish. They worked with students one-on-one during class time, and they added their knowledge of the Spanish language and the Latin American culture to the class discussions. When students learn a language, sometimes they have a hard time making the connection between learning a language and actually using it. With Cynthia and Pili as part of their class, the students were able to see this connection immediately.

On Friday, November 30, both of the girls gave presentations on Guatemala to the three sections of Spanish IV. The students learned in Spanish about the country's fauna, flora, geographical regions, typical clothing, food and traditions. After their presentation, Pili and Cynthia taught the students a typical dance and shared a dish. The Spanish students wish the girls the best of luck as they prepare to go back home. They will be missed! Buena suerte y ojala nos encontremos de nuevo!
Photo of Halyconia plant in the highlands of Guatemala by Ana María. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Monday, January 7, 2008

Reliant Bank hires Tatia Cummings

Cummings developed over $15 million in Hispanic business for SunTrust

To attract diverse, small business clients through new Lenox Village branch

CEO: Nolensville Road area "not well served"

According to this December 2007 article in the Nashville Business Journal, prominent Nashville banker Tatia Cummings has been hired by locally-based Reliant Bank:
Tatia Cummings, former assistant vice president/emerging market coordinator for SunTrust Bank, has accepted a new role as business development officer for Brentwood-based Reliant Bank.

Cummings was hired to generate business for a 4,000-square-foot branch Reliant plans to open on Nolensville Road in the third quarter of next year.

Cummings is credited with leading an effort that attracted more than $15 million in business from Hispanic customers to SunTrust.

At Reliant, Cummings will not work exclusively with Hispanics. Her role is to work with the many different small business owners from diverse backgrounds in the Nolensville Road area.
One of Cummings' strength is her knowledge of the Spanish language. Cummings was born in Colombia, in South America.

The Nashville Business Journal article quotes Reliant President and CEO DeVan Ard as saying the Nolensville Road area "is not well served because of the language barrier." According to Cummings, the new branch will be located in the Lenox Village neighborhood on Nolensville Road.

See more stories about Nashville banks reaching out to Hispanic customers here. See more stories about Tatia Cummings here.

Also notable about the article is that it includes quotes from the two Hispanic chambers of commerce in Nashville. Most news reports cite only one chamber.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Must register by Monday January 7 to vote Feb. 5

There is an important deadline coming up this Monday, people that want to influence the primaries, that want to help choose the next candidates for the Republican or Democratic party need to register to vote no latter than January 7.

You may have become a Citizen recently or just turned 18th, or you may know somebody who meets this criteria, if you do please urge them to register to vote.

Some deadlines below;

Voter Registration Deadline (In Person)
Monday, January 07, 2008

Voter Registration Deadline (By Mail)
Monday, January 07, 2008

First Day to request Absentee Ballot
Wednesday, November 07, 2007

First EV Day
Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Last EV Day
Thursday, January 31, 2008

This is a link to the election commission with more information,

http://www.nashville.gov/vote/voter_reg.htm


Here is a link to a downloadable registration card.

ftp://ftp.nashville.gov/web/vote/Voter_registration_application_revised.pdf


Thanks

Fabian Bedne
fbedne@gmail.com

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Free tickets: The Orphanage

January 10 advance screening passes available to Hispanic Nashville Notebook readers

Opens at Belcourt January 11

The Orphanage, a Spanish film by Juan Antonio Bayona and presented by Guillermo del Toro, opens at the Belcourt Theatre on January 11, 2008. Free tickets are available for an advance screening on January 10.

For your tickets, e-mail the editor of the Hispanic Nashville Notebook.

The official synopsis of the film:
A woman discovers dark secrets hidden within her cherished childhood home in the supernatural drama THE ORPHANAGE, the feature film debut of acclaimed young Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona. A superbly atmospheric and emotionally powerful tale of love, loss and guilt, The Orphanage is the first film ever to be presented by Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, who also produced. Bayona and the gifted first-time screenwriter Sergio Sánchez deliver an elegant, shivery ghost story in the tradition of such classics as The Innocents, The Haunting and The Others as they explore the shadowy places where human longing meets the unknown and unknowable. Anchoring the film is the fearless performance by its star, award-winning Spanish actress Belén Rueda (The Sea Inside), portraying a mother desperate to rescue her family from the nightmare into which she has unwittingly led them. The Orphanage is a film about the fragility of life, the agony of loss and the depth of a mother's love.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Músico a Músico announces Nashville Conference of Praise and Worshiping Arts

Nashville-based Músico a Músico announced a three-day Conference of Praise and Worshiping Arts, scheduled for April 24-26, 2008 at the Iglesia Una Esperanza Viva on Nolensville Road:
For the first time in over three years, Músico a Músico is again presenting a conference for worship musicians and artists in Nashville.

We will be presenting over sixty classes in two days. Classes on all worship instruments, voice, music theory, theology of worship, and worshiping arts including: mime, dance, drama and visual arts.

In the last several years Músico a Músico has presented over 18 international Congresos in six countries. Our conferences are always open to musicians from all churches. This event is endorsed by pastor’s organizations like The Operation Andrew Group and Uno en Cristo (Hispanic Pastor's Association) and Compañerismo Bautista Hispano de TN. (Hispanic Baptist Group)

Please see that your worship leaders, musicians and artists are encouraged to attend this conference, you’ll be glad you did!!

Dates: 24th to the 26 of April, 2008
Place: Iglesia Una Esperanza Viva
2417 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN 37211 map

COST:
$25-before (payment must be received by 4 / 21.
$35-after the 21st and at the door.

G E N E R A L P R O G R A M :

Thursday 24, Opening Celebration, 7pm

Friday 25, Classes from 9am to 5pm
Celebration Concert 7pm (open to the public)

Saturday 26, Classes from 9am to 5pm & Breakfast for pastors at 8:00am & Closing Concert and impartation time 7pm

Músico’s Statement of Purpose:
“Our purpose is to train and inspire Latino worship musicians and artists to excel at their craft and to aid them to achieve a lifestyle of worship.”

For More Information:
Phone: 615.207.8800
Email: info@musicoamusico.org
or "Músico a Músico"
P.O. Box 158026
Nashville, TN 37215

www.MuSiCoAmUsIcO.org

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

StoryCorps wants Nashville voices from different cultures, demographics

"The fabric of America"

If you know of a Hispanic Nashvillian who has participated in StoryCorps or plans to participate, please send a story tip to the editor.

This fall, the Nashville Public Library became only the second institution in the nation to host a "StoryBooth," an outpost of StoryCorps, the award-winning national project that encourages Americans to listen to each other by sharing the stories of their lives in sound. Select interviews gathered at StoryBooths — small freestanding recording studios placed in public spaces across the country — are broadcast on National Public Radio (NPR). The interviews also added to the StoryCorps archive at American Folklife Center (AFC) at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., building an oral history of America.

According to this Nashville Scene story, StoryCorps is looking for personal tales from different demographics:
Jim Havron, the Nashville Public Library’s liaison with StoryCorps, is keenly aware of the need to record stories from outside the typically white, affluent public radio demographic: “We very much wish to include all groups of people. We’re making a special effort through community outreach to involve minorities, low-income folks and the elderly.”
There is a specific community outreach effort named The Griot Initiative, for example, to capture the stories of African-Americans.

In a press release, Nashville Public Library director Donna Nicely described Nashville's history as one with a wide variety of stories:
“Our city is rich with human stories that cross all cultural lines, from the brave stand of local students in the Civil Rights movement to the fascinating and colorful development of the music industry to the family stories of the people who live in our city today. Nashville is a great place to explore the fabric of America.”
The Nashville StoryBooth is located in the Nashville Room on the second floor of the downtown Main Library, 615 Church St. The public can make interview reservations by visiting storycorps.net or calling 862-5800.

The StoryCorps StoryBooth will be in Nashville until September 2008.

Photo by John Lamb.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

The same divine beginning for all

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1

God created human beings in his own image.

Genesis 1:27

All men are created equal.

The Declaration of Independence



Photo by Bethany L King. Licensed under Creative Commons.
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