Movie and protest bring Hutto to forefront this month

CCA: "We are not in the business of making moral decisions on U.S. public policy"

"We said no initially"

There's a new movie out - and also a protest later this month - about the federal government's detention of children at the T. Don Hutto Residential Center ("Hutto"), which is operated by Nashville-based Corrections Corporation of America ("CCA").

The movie is called The Least of These and will be screened at the Capitol in Washington D.C. tomorrow. [Update 6/10/2009: The Least of These can be previewed on YouTube, viewed in full for free at SnagFilms, and is also available on DVD. Details at www.theleastofthese-film.com]

The protest is scheduled for June 20, the third consecutive World Refugee Day on which a protest will be held at Hutto.

Overview of child detention controversy and Hutto facility

The complaints against Hutto center around these two issues: (1) whether the federal government (and its contractors like CCA) should be detaining children at all, and (2) if so, under what conditions should children be detained.

In regard to the first issue - whether children should be detained at all - everyone agrees on one point: families should not be separated. The question is how to keep track of them once a parent has been apprehended by immigration authorities. The federal government argues that keeping track of families requires detention of parents along with their children. Opponents argue that families can be successfully monitored through methods other than detention.

In regard to the second issue - if children are to be detained, under what conditions - was the subject of a federal lawsuit brought by the ACLU in 2006, which resulted in a settlement. After the judge ruled that ACLU was highly likely to succeed, the federal government agreed to specific changes, and the Hutto facility was subjected to monitoring by a court magistrate through 2009. No violations of that settlement have been reported.

Opponents of child detention in general have targeted at least three entities:

• the federal government;
• Williamson County, Texas, where Hutto is located; and
• Corrections Corporation of America, based in Nashville, which operates Hutto.

The decision about whether to detain children, or participate in their detention, is made by all three: Uncle Sam, Williamson County commissioners and their constituents, and CCA and its constituents.

Because of CCA's role, it is one of the targets of the anti-Hutto protests. Prior to Hutto, however, CCA was seen as friendly to Hispanics and Latin Americans, who make up the majority of those held at Hutto. The company...

• ...boasts Donna Alvarado among its directors;
  
• ...has a history of contributions to the League of United Latin American Citizens;
  
• ...has been praised for its cooperation with the Mexican government to provide a Mexican GED program to prisoners from that country; and
  
• ...was even fined in February 2007 for hiring too many Hispanic employees.

Because of Hutto, however, LULAC is returning the CCA donations it has received.

Comments by Louise Grant of CCA

The Hispanic Nashville Notebook asked CCA how the company views the detention of children and families, or allegations of overincarceration - and whether the board or the company wrestles with the moral issues raised by opponents, or whether there is a limit to the kind of policies the company is willing to help implement. Here is the response of CCA VP of Marketing and Communications Louise Grant:

Our government customers don't ask us our opinions on the moral implications. ... They make public policy decisions. ... Once those decisions have been made, they decide "Is the public government sector going to manage these individuals, or is the private sector?" ... We are not in the business of making moral decisions on U.S. public policy. ... Where we can have an influence is in our own facilities.

When describing the moment when ICE approached CCA to turn Hutto into a family facility, Grant said that CCA initially turned the government down:

Grant: Specifically in regard to Hutto, I can say our customer - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, again, they have been our customer for 25 years, they trust us - they came to us and asked us to operate a family detention center. We said no initially.

Hispanic Nashville Notebook: Why was that?

Grant: We said we have not had that expertise before - you know, we've managed adults. We've had a few juvenile facilities, but we have not managed a family detention center. Obviously, there was only one at the time in the country, in Pennsylvania, and we said no. And ICE came back to us and said, we've made the public policy decision that we are going to do this, and we want to partner who we trust; you've been a good partner for 25 years; we know you have high standards, you have integrity and strong ethics, and we would like you to do this. And we knew it was going to be an evolutionary process, because it was new for ICE and it was new for us, but we said OK we will do this. And we knew that there would be scrutiny. There was obviously the concern about safety and security to say, how can we ensure the absolute safest, most humane environment for these individuals. And our staff, who already goes through very rigorous training, went through a great deal more specialized training, and all of our counselors. And it has been an evolutionary process.

I've been to that facility several times. The warden Evelyn Hernandez is a wonderful woman from Puerto Rico who has the greatest sensitivity, and her staff has the greatest sensitivity to the mothers and the children and the fathers. We do believe that keeping those children with their families is something we're proud of. Again, we've worked extremely hard not to get involved in the public policy decisions...

Hutto Timeline

July 2005
CCA issues press release announcing Hutto closure

December 2005
CCA announces agreement with ICE that will keep Hutto open

May 2006
Hutto re-opens as facility for families, including children; Tennessean reports that federal immigration policy of family detention helps company's bottom line

December 2006
Protest against housing children at Hutto
BBCmundo.com covers Hutto controversy

January 2007
Texas Civil Rights Project says Hutto children not getting schooling required by Texas state law
ICE releases residential standards, mentions Hutto

February 2007
First media tour of Hutto
Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children issues a report condemning certain conditions at Hutto


February 2007 photos of HuttoMarch 2007
CCA makes statement to Congress about how good Hutto is
Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children makes statement to Congress about its concerns

April 2007
ICE describes good conditions at Hutto
Federal judge rules that ACLU is "highly likely to prevail" in its litigation alleging that ICE has abused its discretion because conditions of child detention at Hutto are not in compliance with federal law
Alibi.com interview with ACLU-TX legal director (H/T Aunt B)

May 2007
U.N. inspector Jorge Bustamante is turned away from scheduled inspection at Hutto
U.S. says Bustamante turned away because of pending litigation with ACLU
Bustamante issues statement
Bustamante's full report
Salon.com writes Hutto story called "Kiddie prisons"

June 2007
Houston Chronicle blog says Hutto will never be appropriate place for children
Amnesty International urges DHS not to detain children in advance of World Refugee Day rally at Hutto

August 2007
ICE settles with ACLU over conditions at Hutto
Text of the settlement agreement
CCA says that reforms were not the result of litigation - development process "still ongoing"

October 2007
Williamson County TX officials start planning termination of Hutto contract with CCA due to liability concerns

December 2007
Movie release: T. Don Hutto: America's Family Prison
Another Hutto protest

March 2008
New Yorker story: "Lost Children"
U.S. responds to U.N. report on Hutto:
ACLU says conditions at Hutto are "greatly improved"

April 2008
ICE says Hutto is a model; ACLU wants no more children in prison

June 2008
World Refugee Day vigil at Hutto ("to protest the use of Hutto, a former prison, to detain migrants and asylum seekers, including families with children")

Nashville Scene cover story on CCA and Hutto ("Locked and Loaded")

July 2008
Davidson County Chancellor Claudia Bonnyman rules CCA is subject to TN open records law

August 2008
CCA launches "CCA360" PR site (with a section on children at Hutto)
Matt Pulle at Nashville Scene blogs about CCA360; CCA VP of Marketing and Communications Louise Grant responds in comments and also publishes a reply post on CCA360

December 2008
Williamson County, TX votes 4-1 to renew Hutto contract
Dissenting Commissioner Birkman: "It's still a prison"
Commissioner Covey: "I haven't seen any of the things you [opponents] are talking about that endanger a child's life, because if there was, I'd be out of it"

January 2009
Austin Chronicle: "Lipstick on a Doberman"

February 2009
American Prospect: The Big Business of Family Detention
ImpactNews.com says no violations of the settlement agreement have been reported; runs down Williamson County's role

March 2009
The Economist blogs Hutto and Least of These documentary (H/T T. Don Hutto blog)
AP story on Least of These documentary
Austinist interview with Least of These Directors/Producers ("We chose not to interview CCA officials because we chose to focus the film narrowly on the issue of family detention and not on the failings of CCA...")

April 2009
Bill against family detention introduced in Texas legislature, names CCA
Houston's El Dia coverage on Hutto (H/T T. Don Hutto blog)
Business of Detention gets Webby nod (H/T T. Don Hutto blog)
Father John Rausch of Stanton, KY speaks out against child detention (H/T T. Don Hutto blog)

May 2009
Maryland immigration attorney on Least of These (condemning U.S. but not CCA)

June 2009
CCA donates to LULAC - which has had favorable opinions of CCA in the past - but LULAC is returning CCA donations now because of Hutto
June 20 vigil at Hutto for World Refugee Day

Thanks to Louise Grant of CCA for the interview.

Labels: business, events, immigrants, justice

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Monitoring airwaves with a "portable people meter," Arbitron's methodology questioned

Are there more Hispanic country music fans out there than previously thought?

The Federal Communications Commission is investigating whether minority radio listeners are undercounted by the tracking firm Arbitron, according to this story in the Washington Post.

The investigation centers around the use of a new tracking system employed by Arbitron (and covered by Wired in 2007), which requires the listener being tracked to wear a device that constantly monitors the airwaves:

Arbitron has recently replaced its diary-based rating system in certain markets with the PPM [portable people meter] system. According to Arbitron, the PPM is a mobile-phone-sized device that consumers wear throughout the day. The PPM detects inaudible identification codes that are embedded in the audio of certain programming to which the consumer is exposed. An encoder at the programming or distribution source inserts the inaudible identification codes. In addition, a station monitor is installed at the programming source to ensure audio content is encoded properly. At the end of each day, each survey participant places the PPM device in a base station to recharge the battery and to send collected codes to a household collection device known as a “hub.” The household hub collects the codes from all the base stations in the survey household and transmits them to Arbitron.

The concerns of the coalition, now made more formal by the FCC, are that Arbitron uses the PPMs in a way that underrepresents minorities, with the consequence that "undercounting could particularly affect the ratings of local, urban-formatted radio stations that broadcast programming of interest to African-American and Hispanic audiences."

Arbitron's response is that "samples effectively represent Blacks and Hispanics in the 18-34 age group, and across other factors such as geographic location and language preferences." Arbitron published this "Hispanic Radio Today" report in 2008.

Read the FCC's official Notice of Inquiry here.

From the comments of FCC officials at fcc.gov, it appears the investigation does not presume that the concerns raised are in fact correct, but are serious enough to flesh out until they are confirmed or rebutted.

Nashville's country music industry has been trying to attract Hispanic audiences to country music (see this story for background, or see the Country Music page on this site). The FCC investigation could reveal that the numbers of Hispanic listeners have been undercounted.

Here are the reasons why minority radio representatives think the Auditron PPM methods are flawed:

[O]nly five to six percent of the PPM sample is comprised of cell-phone-only households, while a significant and growing percentage of young adults and Hispanics and African-Americans live in cell-phone-only households.8 PPMC asserts that 19.3 percent of Hispanic households and 18.3 percent of African-American households are cell-phone-only, whereas 12.9 percent of non-Hispanic white households are cell-phone-only.9 Among other things, PPMC also complains that: (1) PPM has a 66 percent smaller sample size than the diary, often making it impossible to target age or gender subsets of minority audiences because standard industry metrics require at least 30 respondents in a cell to run ratings data; (2) PPM samples are not built using street addresses, and therefore fail to ensure statistically representative inclusion of cell-phone-only households; (3) young minorities are reluctant to carry visible PPMs; (4) Hispanic PPM recruitment methods skew toward English-dominant persons because potential panelists are identified by origin rather than by language; (5) PPM response and compliance rates fall below industry norms; (6) PPMs record exposure to radio signals, but they do not capture listener loyalty, which is high among minorities; (7) PPM reports provide less granular data in terms of geography; (8) PPM reports do not contain income data, country of origin data, or data that accounts sufficiently for language preferences;and (9) PPM panelists may be corrupted more easily by radio personnel because the PPM device often visibly identifies them and their expected participation is two years instead of the usual one-week participation in the diary system.

Photo by Fabrizio Sciami. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Labels: business, country music, music

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Manny Cuevas in-store appearance 1-2pm tomorrow

Doors opened last Thursday at Opry Originals: The Shop On Broadway

"Indelible mark on country music fashion for more than four decades"

"They're not going to let me go wild"

Nashville's legendary clothier Manuel was at the launch of a new Opry retail store in downtown Nashville yesterday. Not only did Manuel introduce a new clothing line designed exclusively for the Opry, but Channel 5 reports here that he also designed the ribbon that was cut at the ceremony, "complete with rhinestones."

Manuel told NewsChannel5 that his Opry designs are toned down from what he regularly produces (maybe because what he regular produces are museum quality):

"You will find similar things, but not exactly the other, the classic Manuel garb. ... We're doing it with the Grand Ole Opry, and we have to adjust to that. Yes. They're not gonna let me go wild, I'm telling you."

Nonetheless, the Opry folks are calling the new line "exciting." Here is the press release from Opry.com:

Opry Originals: The Shop On Broadway opened in the heart of downtown Nashville’s famed Lower Broadway area at 300 Broadway Thursday, April 16. An official rhinestone-studded ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Monday, April 20 (video here) and is being followed by a week of grand opening events.

Inspired by a design concept the designers deem “Country Archeology,” the free-standing, 5,000 square-foot store brings together the iconic roots of the Grand Ole Opry and country music’s contemporary culture in an eclectic collection of old and new, brought to life through media, graphic imagery, and re-claimed materials and finishes. Reminiscent of a market, the space encourages hands-on interaction and invite guests to discover and take home their own piece of the Opry lifestyle.

The store showcases an extensive line of lifestyle products including Opry-branded jeans, tops, and boots; gifts; local artisan merchandise; a new Opry Country Kitchen line of food products; dinnerware and home furnishings. The store also features entertainment including artist appearances and book/record signings as well as listening stations, photo opportunities, and a select food and beverage offering.

Included among the store’s apparel offerings is an “Opry by Manuel” collection of jackets, shirts, and jeans designed exclusively for the Opry by legendary clothier Manuel, who has made an indelible mark on country music fashion for more than four decades.

“Opry Originals allows us to fully celebrate the country lifestyle,” said Steve Buchanan, Gaylord Entertainment senior vice president of media and entertainment. “We will be able to offer a wide range of apparel including the exciting new ‘Opry by Manuel’ line and introduce new merchandise categories for the Opry including artisan/craft products and home décor items.”

“We expect the new store, with its one-of-kind merchandise offerings and uniquely-Nashville experiences to become one of downtown Nashville’s premier destinations,” Buchanan said. More than half a million guests visited the Opry’s store located within the Grand Ole Opry House in 2008.

“Opry Originals is the ultimate marriage of heritage and hip-factor, a celebration of both the history and future of country music in a style we call ‘Country Cool,’” said Paul Lechleiter, Chief Creative Officer of FRCH Design Worldwide, Cincinnati, Ohio, designer of the new store.

The 300 Broadway structure was built circa 1911 as the home of the Broadway National Bank. It housed banking institutions until 1987 and has been occupied by R.C. Mathews and The Mathews Co. since 1991.

Grand Opening Week Celebration Schedule for the remainder of the week

Grand Opening Week Hours:
Tuesday – Wednesday: 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Thursday: 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Friday – Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Sunday: 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Tuesday, April 21
5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Point of Grace In-Store Appearance
Dove Award-nominees Point of Grace celebrate GMA Music Week by signing copies of the group’s CD How Do You Live (Deluxe Edition) at Opry Originals before an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry’s Songs Of Faith Signature Show at the historic Ryman Auditorium.

Wednesday, April 22
1:00 - 2:00 p.m. Manny Cuevas In-Store Appearance
Manny Cuevas, designer of Opry Originals’ new Opry by Manuel clothing line, will be in store signing items from the collection.

Thursday, April 23
9:00 p.m. Lorrie Morgan In-Store Appearance
Opry Originals extends it regular Thursday night hours to welcome Lorrie Morgan signing copies of her latest CD I Walk Alone following her appearance at Opry Country Classics at the Ryman Auditorium.

Friday, April 24
10:00 a.m. Opry Originals welcomes Country Music Marathon participants to town with a free headband to the first 200 persons who race in showing their marathon registration.
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. 650 WSM Live Broadcast

Labels: business, country music, events, fashion

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Skanska sent this in about a diversity networking event today:

What: Skanska USA Building Inc. Diversity Networking Event

Skanska is pursuing construction management services for the Museum of African American Music, Art & Culture project and is inviting contractors in the area to network.

Who: Interested local minority- and women-owned companies

When: Wednesday, April 15 from 4 to 6 p.m.

Where: Skanska USA Building – Ryman Room
30 Burton Hills Blvd., Suite 400
Nashville, TN 37215

R.S.V.P.: Please R.S.V.P. to Maritza Burgos at (615) 238-6754 or e-mail her at Maritza.burgos@skanska.com

About Skanska:

Skanska USA Building Inc. is a leading national and local provider of construction, pre-construction consulting, general contracting and design-build services to a broad range of U.S. industries including science and technology, healthcare, education, high-tech, aviation, transportation and sports and entertainment. Skanska USA Building also provides pharmaceutical validation services to clients. The company, part of the Skanska AB global group of companies, is headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, and has approximately 4,700 employees.

Skanska is one of the world’s leading project development and construction groups with expertise in construction, development of commercial and residential projects and public-private partnerships. The Group currently has 60,000 employees in selected home markets in Europe, in the US and Latin America. Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden and listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange, Skanska's sales in 2007 totaled SEK 139 billion.

Labels: business, events

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"We will be flying on commercial airlines in 100 years, but they will be much different"

"Nearly 27 percent of supervisors at the Authority are female, and more than 20 percent are non-Caucasian"

Raul Regalado is President & CEO of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority. The Hispanic Nashville Notebook interviewed Regalado about a variety of topics including his background, challenges facing the aviation industry, and the diversity of the Authority's workforce:

Q: Before you moved to Nashville, you had studied in Florida and worked in California, Texas, and Oregon. Was your family from one of those coastal states? Where else have you spent significant time?

What convinced you that Nashville was the right move for you?

A: I’m originally from California. I have also lived in Florida, Alabama, Washington, and Germany. Middle Tennessee offers a good quality of life and a reasonable cost of living. It’s a great place to live.

I have also consulted on airports in Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica.

The Airport Authority structure was attractive to me. I found the objectives outlined by the Board of Commissioners to be challenging, yet reasonable and attainable.

Q: In your more than 40 years in aviation, you have amassed quite a record in both flight experience and in airport management. To what do you attribute your passion for aviation?

A: I started flying and building powered model airplanes as a young boy. I also started reading about flying and about some of the early aviation pioneers. Tony LaVier, a test pilot for Lockheed, was my idol. I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet him later in my career.

Q: Tell us about the new tax-exempt bond offering made possible by the Obama stimulus package, by which Nashville became the first airport authority in the country to take advantage of the new rules exempting your investors from the federal AMT. Was that driven by your office, and would you have been unable to do certain work at the airport without it?

A: To clarify, the bond offering was “enhanced” by the stimulus bill. These bonds will help reduce the cost of the next phase of our ongoing terminal renovation project, which is part of our board-approved capital plan. We could have proceeded anyway, but it would have been at a higher cost.

Q: The Nashville International Airport just won honors from Airport Revenue News including Best Concessions Management, Airport with the Best Customer Service, and Airport with the Most Unique Services. Was it all due to the recently added local and national-brand eateries, like Tootsie’s and La Hacienda? If there was more to it than that, what else earned you those honors, and what was the genesis of those efforts?

A: Yes our concessions program can be used as a model for a local concessions program. The selection of highly regarded and experienced concessionaires and the placement of top-notch management staff at the airport also contributed to earning these honors.

Q: In 2007, a CMT column suggested renaming the airport the Johnny Cash Nashville International Airport. Did that suggestion ever reach you? What do you think about the general idea of naming the airport after a famous local icon, and in what circumstance would that be appropriate? If it was your pick, whose name would it be?

A: No, the Johnny Cash renaming suggestion never reached me. A number of years ago, a proposal to consider renaming the airport to Music City Airport was submitted to the Board of Commissioners. The board considered it, but felt that it was important to keep the city name in the title. This is Nashville’s airport.

Q: How international is Nashville International Airport? If I recall correctly, the renaming came in 1988 when one flight to Europe was added, and that flight was eventually dropped. How much more “international” is our airport today than in 1988?

A: BNA offers flights to Canada and Mexico. The term “international” really means we have full federal inspection services (FIS) available at the airport for both commercial airline and general aviation passengers. The Airport is a designated port of entry.

Q: Changing gears for a second, do you mind telling us where you were on September 11, 2001 and describing some of the challenges you faced - both on that same day and in the immediate aftermath?

A: I was in Montreal attending the Airports Council International Conference with my counterparts from around the world. The challenges that day included attempting to get back to Nashville and trying to monitor the situation at BNA and communicate with staff until I was able to return. BNA was one of the very first airports to re-open after September 11. I did manage to return within 2 days after 9/11.

After that, the challenge was to recover from the economic effects facing the air transportation industry, which we did.

Aviation continues to be an economically challenged industry and environment because of the continuing security concerns, and other factors, including high fuel costs, which have contributed to this situation. We’ve had to adjust accordingly to remain financially solvent and to maintain a high level of customer service.

Q: Aside from security issues, how different is your job now than the same job before 9/11?

A: The down cycles between business recovery and growth periods are much more compressed. Therefore, there is much more focus on the bottom line every day. Our planning horizon has been and continues to be 20 years. Our major strategic partners, the airlines, are focused on a much shorter timeframe.

Q: The airlines have had struggles in spurts for a long time, most recently with the 2008 spike in oil prices and the sharp downturn in the economy in 2009. Are the airlines on the ropes again? When headlines report that only one or two airlines are making money on a regular basis over the course of several years, is there a sustainability problem in the industry?

A: Airlines are still facing a challenging environment, some more so than others. The airline and airport industries have changed in response to those challenges and will continue to do so until we have a stronger and more stable airline industry to face the continuing challenges that will certainly occur in the future.

Q: Speaking of oil prices, what does the theory of "peak oil" mean to you and to others in your industry? Will we be flying on commercial airliners in 100 years, when the oil supply won't last that long by some estimates?

A: I think we’ll have to see changes in technology like we are starting to see in the automotive industry. We will see more fuel-efficient engines,” hybrid aircraft” for taxing efficiencies, more efficient routing of aircraft and approaches, as well and the development of alternative fuels.

Yes, we will be flying on commercial airlines in 100 years, but they will be much different than they are today.

Q: You were recently elected to the Board of Directors of Airports Council International - North America. What interests you the most in the context of that group's mission "to advocate policies and provide services that strengthen the ability of airports to serve their passengers, customers and communities."? Can you tell us about any of your committee assignments and personal goals for your involvement in that group?

A: The ongoing effort to influence the legislative process for the benefit of airports and our passengers and communities is what interests me most. I currently serve on the government affairs committee and as the Board’s liaison to the Legal Committee. This is my third time to serve on the board of directors; previous roles included serving as the Board’s liaison to the Economic Committee and as a member of the Government Affairs committee. I like to serve where I can be most effective.

Q: You serve on the Technical Coordinating Committee of the Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. Does your role on that committee contemplate long-term travel patters by and through Nashville? What do you see as the future of transportation traffic for our city, and how does your aviation experience influence your opinion?

A: Yes. That planning agency should always have a long-term perspective of the transportation needs for this region.

I see future growth in the counties surrounding Nashville within our air service market area. We have commuters from as far away as Knoxville, Chattanooga and Jackson. A future challenge is to ensure that our customers from surrounding counties have an expectation of a reasonable commute time to and from the airport.

In addition, many are looking at other modes of transportation. We need to continue to encourage the use of other forms of transportation, such as high-speed rail and multi-occupant vehicles, as alternatives to single-passenger automobiles.

Q: You celebrated your 60th birthday in 2005; what are your hopes in the run-up to the next birthday milestone in 2010?

A: I hope the world and national economies will be settled down and headed in the right direction; and that the airport will have completed the identified additional improvements for the safety and convenience of our customers.

Q: Are you thinking you will eventually retire here, or are there more aviation career moves in your future?

A: Yes. Although I may continue to be involved in aviation, it will be from Middle Tennessee. I also plan to become more involved in the community.

Q: What else can you tell us about yourself or about the airport that would be of interest to or relate to the Hispanic members of the Nashville community?

A: The Airport Authority works very hard to ensure it maintains a diverse workforce - that the staff is representative of the composition of the community it serves. Today nearly 25 percent of the Airport Authority team is female, and nearly 22 percent are non-Caucasian. Nearly 27 percent of supervisors at the Authority are female, and more than 20 percent are non-Caucasian.

The Airport Authority is also committed to providing the maximum opportunities for large and small companies to participate in contracting with the Authority’s two airports. Implementation of Small, Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise (SMWBE) participation levels for procurement projects have been implemented, and have garnered more than $6.5 million in contracted services in fiscal year 2008, nearly double the amount of money the MNAA spent with SMWBEs in 2007. More than 90 SMWBE firms were added to the MNAA register in 2008.

The Office of Business Diversity Development administers the organization’s federally mandated disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) program and its voluntary local SMWBE program. To learn more about certifying small businesses and contracting opportunities with our airports, please visit us online at http://flynashville.com/business/minority.aspx.

Labels: business

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Humor helps, too; see the four funny commercials below

"Reaching Latino consumers can successfully be done in both English and Spanish, not either or"

Sentimental, bilingual Toyota Camry ad
Bilingual in the Boonies' Carrie Ferguson Weir recently published this article about Marketing to Latinos, in which she mentions a recent Nashville seminar on the importance of ethnic media and marketing (see also this Hispanic Nashville Notebook story about the economy's impact on ethnic media in Music City).

Weir expresses a preference for relevant, bilingual advertising (probably not surprising, considering the title of her blog):

[A] few days ago I read a story online that basically said reaching Latino consumers can successfully be done in both English and Spanish, not either or.
...
What language are Latinos speaking most? What language do we want to be addressed in by media and marketers?
...
For me -- a bicultural, bilingual consumer -- as long as the message is culturally relevant, it doesn't really matter what language is used. Just don't show me a stereotype or I shut you out. But, I do prefer English ads, marketing and web sites; it is the language of the academic side of my brain. Spanish is the language of my spirit. Reach them both and you win me.

Many of the comments below Weir's article echo the same preference:

Latin Grammys? Am all over it. I like the ads they play during it - the bit of spanish in them & people that look like me - totally wins me over.
...
I think we need a "Chicana" channel that caters to those of us who are bi-cultural. It could run shows/ads in either/both languages and be very effective.
...
I prefer my ads in English with a hint of Spanish.

(The sentimental Toyota Camry ad above is bilingual, but doesn't it sound like the "Mira" part of the ad is a voiceover? I wonder if it's as noticeable as I think, and if that impairs its impact.)

Since humor is a frequent element in successful advertising, I've included below a few funny commercials targeting Hispanic consumers, except these are primarily in Spanish. The first one (which I dub "Mis Amigas Mexicanos") has a high "relevant" quotient, playing on the U.S. stereotype that everyone south of the Rio Grande is Mexican; the fourth one gets extra points for its Titans/Jaguars highlights:









Finally, to round out the humor, The Onion had this funny take on how "empowering" ads can be if they celebrate Latino culture.

If you want to comment on the commercials above (are they relevant?) or if you want to suggest a different one (maybe another primarily English commercial peppered with Spanish), let me know what you think in the comments below, via the contact link above, on Facebook or on Twitter.

Labels: argentina, business, english, spanish, uruguay, venezuela

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Flashback: Tennessee Staatszeitung was the official newspaper of the Fifth Congressional District

Third in a series

New America Media reports here on the twenty ethnic media outlets in Nashville and on the struggles they face in the difficult economy:

On a Friday morning, in a small house outside downtown Nashville, La Sabrosita, a Spanish-language AM radio station, was airing its shows in full swing. Immigration was the most pressing topic.
...
"Many are unaware of what immigrants are facing here," said Ramón Cisneros, whose Franklin City-based publication, La Campaña, includes a section for immigrants to share their experiences and information with one another.
...
Abdul Farah, social adjustment director of Nashville’s Somali Community Center, lamented a local Somali television producer who gave up running a syndicated network due to budget constraints. Now he’s driving a truck for a living.

Read the entire story on New America Media here (h/t: Post Politics).

The ethnic media used to have official status in Middle Tennessee. According to Robert Donald Rogers' M.A. thesis The Tennessee Staatszeitung (1975), the German-language Tennessee Staatszeitung was the official newspaper of the Fifth Congressional District - including Davidson County - in the 1860's (p. 12). Tennessee Governor Brownlow "praised the newspaper as the organ of the loyal Germans" (p. 47). In fact, Governor Brownlow "began the practice of having his messages to the legislature printed in German and distributed throughout the state. Fifteen thousand English copies and six thousand German copies of Brownlow's 1865 address were printed, but of a later report one thousand English copies and two thousand German copies were issues" (pp. 53-54).

In the 1890's, German American Day was one of the celebrations at the Tennessee Centennial Exposition in Nashville's newly inaugurated Centennial Park, and the role of German-language newspapers as an integration tool was lauded in a speech that wound up in the New York Times (partial excerpt here).

This story is the third in a series about the history of the Staatszeitung newspaper and German history in Tennessee (click the following links for the first and second installments in the series).

Labels: business, german, immigrants, spanish

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Job opportunities remain amid challenging economic environment

I got this from a few sources, including Jonathan CamCam, Marcela Gomez, and Sheyla Paz-Hicks:

NEW YORK LIFE SPONSORS NASHVILLE INTERNATIONAL CAREER EXPO March 19, 2009 from 4-8 PM at the Bethel World Outreach Center

In an effort to connect area employers with Nashville's global professionals, area organizations have united to sponsor the first annual job fair and networking event.

The International Career Expo is presented by the Festival of the Nations and ProLingua Inc. in partnership with the TN Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, WSFK 88.1 FM, Nashville Association of Asian-American Professionals, SPANISH-TV and the Imagen Latina Show on Radio Activa. The event is sponsored by New York Life.

The event gives employers a chance to connect with jobseekers and also to build relationships with Nashville's many international community organizations.

"This unprecedented event brings together the area's global talent and top employers to build relationships, which is the key not only to job-hunting but also to becoming an employer of choice in multicultural communities. Effective branding is all about grassroots events like this one," says Jonathan Camcam, executive Director of the Festival of the Nations.

The event is open and free to the public. Jobseekers, whether currently looking for a job or those just interested in learning about career opportunities, are encouraged to dress professionally and to bring their resumes.

For more information, visit the website at www.internationalcareerexpo.com. Join us March 19 from 4-8 PM at the Bethel World Outreach Center.

What: International Career Expo
When: Thursday, March 19, 2009 from 4-8 PM
Where: Bethel World Outreach Center (5670 Granny White Pike, Brentwood, TN 37027)
FREE ADMISSION to Job Seekers
Food Vendors available

We are still accepting Employer Applications. Please see web site for more info.

Labels: business, events, jobs

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Tennessee Governor Brownlow created state-level commission in 1869 and published handbook to attract immigrants in 1870

"Workers were sorely needed to rebuild the state, and outside capital was necessary to stimulate a sluggish economy."

Greg Siskind: "Immigration as stimulus"

A lot of people have been calling for a leveraging of immigration policy to address the current economic crisis, including the following:

• Memphis' Greg Siskind ("Immigration As Stimulus - 10 Ideas for Using Migration Policy to Jump Start the Economy and Create Jobs");
• The Center for Global Development ("Solve the Crisis by...Kicking Out the World's Best and Brightest?"); and
• MTSU's Martin Kennedy (pointing to Alex Tabarrok's "Buy a House, Get a Visa") (hat tip: Post Politics)

Although the crises created by the Civil War and the one we find ourselves in at the start of the 21st century are worlds apart, there is Reconstruction-era precedent for attracting immigrants to the State of Tennessee in a time of economic crisis. Tennessee Governor William Brownlow created a state-level Immigration Commission for this purpose in 1868, which in turn published The Tennessee Handbook and Immigrant's Guide in 1869. Robert Donald Rogers, in his M.A. thesis The Tennessee Staatszeitung, writes that Governor Brownlow's personal view of immigrants was quite negative, but the practical reality was that "[w]orkers were sorely needed to rebuild the state, and outside capital was necessary to stimulate a sluggish economy."

Despite the suggestions of Tennesseans Greg Siskind and Martin Kennedy, the prospect of using immigration as stimulus does not appear to be incorporated into any of the state-level proposals on immigration that are described in today's article in the Tennessean.

Labels: business, history, immigrants, justice

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Spanish TV celebrates its 5th season with a free mixer this Thursday, February 19, from 6:30-8:30 pm at Bethel World Outreach Center, 5670 Granny White Pike in Brentwood (see flyer above).


The Tennessee Minority Supplier Diversity Council and the MBEIC will also host an event that same night from 5:30-7:00 pm at the Blackstone Brewery, 1918 West End Avenue in Nashville. RSVP information is here.

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Goodwill manager lands jobs for immigrant clients

Native of Colombia

From Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee:

Idalba Tabares, Career Solutions manager at the Berry Road location, has been named one of Nashville Business Journal’s Women of Influence in the Community Supporter category. Idalba was chosen because of her tireless efforts to help her clients, many of whom are immigrants.

When she first started working with Goodwill three years ago, most of Idalba’s clients came from Nashville’s Hispanic community. Today, she is also working with the area’s growing Somali and Sudanese population. As a native of Colombia, Idalba understands and empathizes with the immigrants she works with and the numbers speak for themselves. In the last two years she has placed 493 clients in jobs, most of them outside of Goodwill. Of the clients she has placed, 93 percent remained on the job 90 days or more.

Idalba’s success is due in large part to her networking with employers. She is challenged to find businesses willing to hire legal immigrants. In addition, she looks for jobs where the employees will not only feel comfortable, but will also thrive. Her success is apparent because many of the employees she has placed return to her as long as a year later hoping to find even more challenging work.

A luncheon to honor Idalba, and all the Women of Influence, will be hosted by the Nashville Business Journal on Friday, February 6, 2009 at the Renaissance Hotel in Nashville. The honor from the Nashville Business Journal is the second this year for Idalba. In October, she was awarded Goodwill’s Career Solutions Employee of the Year.

More information about the Women of Influence awards is available at the Nashville Business Journal.

Labels: awards, business, colombia, immigrants

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Vazquez takes reins from Ramon Cisneros

First woman president of any local Hispanic chamber

The Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce* has announced its 2009 leadership, including the first woman president of any local Hispanic chamber, including the two existing chambers:

The Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce announces the election of its new officers for the 2009 calendar year.

Elected are:

Tera Vazquez (photo at right), Board President
Ms. Vazquez is president of Guy Brown Products

Nelson Remus, Board Vice President
Mr. Remus is president of Media Mail, Inc.

Kimberly Taylor, Board Treasurer
Mrs. Taylor is president of Tailored Business

Ralph Levy, Board Secretary
Mr. Levy is an attorney with Frost Brown Todd

Non-officer board members elected and their terms are:

One Year Term
Ramon Cisneros, Past President
Eduardo Gumucio
J.C. Mendez
Shane Merrill-Facio
Peter Woolfolk
Adrian Cota

Two Year Term
Tatia Cummings
Sylvia Marcela Gómez

Photo: Tera Vazquez

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With roots in the Tennessean's newsroom, Chíchí & Flaco launched a culture-loving clothing line for "Latinos and Latinos-at-heart" of all ages:

¡Hola! Meet ChíChí&Flaco, a modern t-shirt line savoring the flavor of Latino and Hispanic culture in the United States.

Created by the founders of Los Pollitos Dicen (The Little Chicks Say), the premier line of Spanish children's gift tees, ChíChí&Flaco offers the same wonderful quality and cultural celebration for babies, big kids and adults... niños of all ages! Expect fun, bold and super-fabuloso color and designs for everyone.

Who are Chíchí & Flaco?
Ever since Cuban-American co-workers Carrie (reporter) and Oscar (artist) first met in a newsroom in Tennessee, they called each other ChíChí and Flaco. They used these common nicknames to nurture their Cuban-American heritage in a VERY different land. Thirteen years later, they're still ChíChí and Flaco spreading their love of culture with fabulous t-shirt design and onto the backs of Latinos and Latinos-at-heart.

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The Knoxville News Sentinel conducted a roundtable interview with local Hispanic business leaders in that city - the article is worth a read.

Some excerpts:

Mother unaware her daughter was in the infirmary

I do think that the state governments have certain measures to care for the community. Public schools do a great job of taking kids. They don't ask. They don't care if your parents are legal - if a kid was born here or not. If you live in the area, you come to school no matter what. So that's great. However, there are like three or four translators for the whole county. That's not enough. I've been as a mom in meetings at the school where all the parents are there and the principal of the school has asked me to translate? And he sits me in a corner with all the Hispanic parents, and me a parent, is translating the meeting. So, yes, they're taking the kids, but it doesn't stop there. A lot of these parents don't speak English. I'm just using public schools as an example because that's what I see every day. A Hispanic lady called me and said "can you please call school. They are calling me. I don't know what's happening. And they just tell me OK, OK." She didn't know what they were saying. I called. Her daughter was throwing up in the infirmary and they wanted her to pick her up. If you're going to take the kids, you need to care for that community.

FBI apologizes

I was at the Citizens Academy of the FBI and one of the agents mentioned that the Hispanic community was growing and with the growth of the Hispanic community they also brought their problems, which is gangs. So I raised my hand because I thought, well I'm part of that community. I don't think I bring my problems like a gang. So I make the correction that the problems follow all these gangsters, they follow the community because we are a target of them. Then they made the correction and apologized.

Photo by Timothy Wisniewski. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Labels: business, education, english, justice, language, spanish

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Co-sponsored by both local Hispanic chambers of commerce

The Tennessee Minority Supplier Development Council will host, and the Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce* and Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce* will co-sponsor, a Holiday Celebration on Friday, December 5, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00p.m. The event is free and offers refreshments and prizes. RSVP to 615-259-4699.

The Tennessee Minority Supplier Development Council is located at 220 Athens Way, Suite 105, Nashville, TN 37228.

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There are two new names among the ranks of Nashville's Hispanic professionals: Lymari Martinez and Eric Alvarez. Nashville law firm Bass, Berry & Sims announced that it has hired attorney Lymari Martinez, who is fluent in Spanish, to join its labor and employment practice. Telefutura Channel 42 announced that it has hired Eric Alvarez as General Manager.

Lymari Martinez

From Ms. Martinez's profile page:

Lymari Martinez joined Bass, Berry & Sims in September 2008 in the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice.

Lymari received her J.D. with honors in May 2008 from Emory University School of Law where she served as an articles editor on the Emory Law Journal and was a member of the Hispanic Law Society. She was a recipient of the Atlanta Law Scholarship and the AmeriCorps Equal Justice Works Grant. Lymari was also named a 2006-2007 Womble Carlyle Minority Scholar and was a recipient of the 2008 ABA-BNA Award for Excellence in the study of Labor and Employment Law.

In 2005, she graduated summa cum laude from the University of Georgia with a B.A. in political science/legal theory. Lymari is fluent in Spanish and enjoys various forms of community service.

h/t: Nashville Post

Eric Alvarez

From Eric Alvarez's press release:

WLLC-Telefutura, Channel 42, Nashville's premier Spanish language TV station has announced Eric Alvarez as General Manager. Alvarez, a Vanderbilt graduate, has relocated from Los Angeles where he earned his Master's degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Southern California. He most recently worked as a producer at L.A.'s flagship station, KNBC-TV.

Jim Baumann, President of WLLC-Telefutura 42 is excited at this appointment. "This is a great opportunity for Telefutura 42. Eric Alvarez not only has the skills to manage the day to day operations of the station but he has the vision to take us to the next level as a community driven local television station."

Eric Alvarez is delighted to be back in Nashville. "As the new general manager of Telefutura, I am in a truly exciting place where I can contribute to Nashville's vibrant and growing Hispanic community. The best thing about operating a Spanish-language station in Nashville is that we give a voice to the Hispanic community. News outlets have a responsibility, protected by the First Amendment, to inform the public of the issues that affect their daily lives. This is what we intend to accomplish through our growing news presence. All of us at Telefutura are striving to put into practice Edward R. Murrow's message of teaching, illuminating and inspiring."

WLLC first began broadcasting as a Telefutura Network affiliate in February 2004 and is the only Spanish language TV station in Nashville with local news. Telefutura 42 features first-class family entertainment programming that includes original Latin American talk shows, news briefs, variety shows, soap operas, movies, sports, and local programming. For more information about programming visit www.solonashville.com.

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Solo Nashville, which has been broadcasting local news in Spanish since 2004 (story here), has relaunched its website on the WordPress blog platform and is posting its video content on YouTube. This is not the only locally produced YouTube content in Spanish, last week, the Hispanic Nashville Notebook reported here on Spanish-language appeals by the a Republican group in Tennessee.

Eva Melo presents the local news for Solo Nashville (and has been doing so since January 2007 - story here), and local events are announced by Sheyla Hicks and Karina Camilo.

Labels: business, spanish

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Few aware that compensation for injury available to all workers despite immigration status

The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports here on the fear among unvisaed Hispanic workers when it comes to reporting injuries on the job, even though Tennessee law requires payment of workers compensation claims regardless of immigration status.

One young Chattanooga woman is reported to have had her scalp literally ripped off on the job, but she will not report it because she is afraid of being deported out of the U.S.:

Joe Wolverton, a worker’s compensation attorney reaching out to the Hispanic community, opened his office in the Highland Park neighborhood about three months ago and says he’s heard about people who are afraid to speak out.

“We had a girl that had her hair caught in a machine and had her scalp ripped off,” he said. “This young lady was about 23, her whole life in front of her, but now she is disfigured. But she didn’t want to pursue the worker’s (compensation) case because she said she was here without papers, hadn’t used her real name and was afraid immigration would come get her.”

Mr. Wolverton said he explains to immigrants that in Tennessee the immigration status of someone injured at work doesn’t matter.

“In Tennessee, regardless of one’s immigration status, if one is injured at work, then he has every right to receive compensation during his disability,” he said.

The article states that the non-Hispanic White population makes up 72% of reported work-related injuries in Tennessee; 14% are Black non-Hispanic; 19% are Hispanic; and 3% are Asian. The number of fatal occupational injuries in Tennessee are 118 White; 17 Black; 8 Hispanic; and 3 Asian.

Photo by Annie Reid. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Labels: business, immigrants, justice

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Negative tone has been rejected by some Christians, but continues nonetheless

Less than one month after the Hispanic Nashville Notebook called for evangelicals to get it right on Hispanics and immigration (see here), Bob DeMoss and Mark Whitlock, two well-known Christian writers from the Nashville suburb of Franklin, Tennessee, are selling a product they call "Obama Waffles," in which Barack Obama appears in caricature in a Mexican sombrero, and references are made in jest to multiculturalism, foreign languages, and "illegal aliens."

Also this month, advocates of the proposed English Only foreign language ban superimposed the faces of their perceived political enemies onto a poster of the movie The Three Amigos, in which the characters are wearing Mexican mariachi uniforms (story on the Nashville Scene blog here).

Why would these caricatures be of concern for a Christian? Here's what I said last time:

In an environment in which Hispanics and/or immigrants are the subject of politically generated suspicion and scorn, it certainly isn't right for Southern Baptists and other evangelicals to gin up more suspicion and scorn.

Put another way, you don't use in a political barb the imagery of Mexicans and/or immigrants (even unvisaed immigrants), when mere association with them is the joke, if you are a Christian hell-bent on loving your neighbor as yourself. The negativity of it is wrong, and good conservatives have both warned against this kind of tone in the past (see Leslie Sanchez quotes here) and also asked for forgiveness for it in Nashville's LP Field (see Sam Brownback quote here).

At the Values Voters Summit where the Obama Waffles were sold, the organizers eventually ejected DeMoss' and Whitlock's booth and condemned their product as having improper "tone and content" and having "crosse[d] the line into coarseness and bias":

Family Research Council Action executive director David Nammo released the following statement:

"We strongly condemn the tone and content of materials that were exhibited by one of the vendors at this weekend's Values Voter Summit. The materials represent an attempt at parody that crosses the line into coarseness and bias."

"The exhibitor contacted our reviewer just days before the Summit by email and described material that sounded like it was devoted to political flip-flops on policy issues. When the content of the materials was brought to the attention of FRC Action senior officials today, they were removed and the exhibit was dismantled by the vendor at our insistence. It is our responsibility to fully vet materials that are offered at any event we cosponsor, but we are deeply dismayed that this vendor violated the spirit, message and tone of our event in such an offensive manner."

"The Values Voter Summit represents a coming together of many long-established organizations that work across denominational and ethnic lines to celebrate and promote the family and a culture of life. We reject any communications that divide and distract us and frustrate these principles. Bishop Harry Jackson's High Impact Leadership Coalition, Gary Bauer's American Values, and Alliance Defense Fund join us in rejecting this material."

Source: Christianity Today

Explanation

When asked why Obama was pictured in a sombrero, DeMoss and Whitlock gave the following explanation to the American News Project (video here):

"Positions on the, the border... We're havin' th-, him, erase the line between the U.S. and Mex-"

As of September 25, neither DeMoss nor Whitlock had responded to a Tuesday, September 16 e-mail request for an interview (sent to interviewrequests@obamawaffles.com)

Apology to Lou Dobbs

DeMoss and Whitlock have repeatedly defended their Obama Waffles product as "humor." To the extent that they have apologized for anything, it has been not for the box itself but for something else: having posted a picture of Lou Dobbs on their web site without Dobbs' permission. According to the story on ObamaWaffles.com (here), "the caption of the [since removed] post read:

"Lou Dobbs: 'My Wife Will Love This!'"

Images of Obama Waffles box: American News Project; Image of "Three Amigos": Nashville Scene

Labels: business, english, faith, justice, mexico, negativity

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From the San Diego Union-Tribune:

“I signed Lalo Schifrin to Verve Records,” boasted [Mike] Curb by phone from his home in Nashville, Tenn.

“I merged my company with MGM and Verve in 1969 and became president. We continued to operate those combined labels. I had been a fan of Lalo Schifrin's scores, and we wrote 'Burning Bridges,' the theme for 'Kelly's Heroes,' together. I recorded it with my group, the Mike Curb Congregation, and I had a hit. It created a long friendship.”

The article says that Schifrin's compositions have appeared in hundreds of movies and TV shows, including “The Cincinnati Kid,” “Dirty Harry,” “Cool Hand Luke,” “The Amityville Horror” and “Mission: Impossible.”

Labels: argentina, arts, business

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Nashville City Paper story here:

[Austin] Ray, meanwhile, is opening a bar called The Melrose on Franklin Pike and developing a resort in Nicaragua with his father Norm Ray, formerly an industrial real estate broker in Nashville with Colliers Turley Martin Tucker.

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I'd like to know what's being done to advance the proactive immigration plank of Nashville's Agenda, a 2007 plan for Music City:

IMMIGRATION

To make Nashville the best it can be…

Identify ways to encourage understanding of immigration issues – including the problems associated with illegal immigrants – in a broader context of valuing cultural diversity and encouraging appreciation for new Nashvillians.

* Create more positive image of immigration in the city. Encourage corporate and political leaders to educate city on value of diversity and immigration. Find ways to increase cultural awareness in Nashville through more city-wide celebrations like the Celebration of Cultures festival. Educate public about differences between immigrants and illegal immigrants with a focus on the total immigrant population.
* Expand diversity training to identify cultural differences provided in the workplace, school, religious institution and govt.
* Encourage local corporations to “adopt” at-risk or immigrant neighborhoods for civic training and job placement.
* Provide a database and services that are multi-lingual to address specific newcomer needs.
* Convene a group of policy-makers to develop a special driver’s license for undocumented immigrants that, at a minimum, allows them to drive to and from work.
* Create an Office of Immigrant Integration that provides education, information services and forums that encourage civil conversation
* Hold “civics” classes at schools and libraries for new Nashvillians on local laws, government processes and services available.
* Create a leadership academy which partners immigrant leaders with native Nashvillians to expand partnerships and create stronger leaders.

Hat tip: Nashville Post

Photo by Joel Meulemans. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Labels: business, education, english, immigrants, justice, spanish

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Homage to Emilio and Rick Trevino, Freddy Fender and Johnny Rodriguez

Melissa Lawson takes top slot

Gabe Garcia finished as runner-up in this season's Nashville Star, becoming the second Hispanic contestant to do so in the history of the show, after John Arthur Martinez was runner-up in Season 2. Melissa Lawson took the top slot this year, edging out Garcia.

Garcia talked with RealityTVWorld.com about what it means for him to be a Hispanic artist in the country music business:

"It's great. It's just an honor to be a representative and be among the few Hispanic artists of the world," Garcia told reporters. "Emilio and Rick Trevino, Freddy Fender and Johnny Rodriguez -- I have some big shoes to fill there with these guys. But it's just great. I'm just here to represent all our country fans, too."

Despite being proud of his roots, Garcia said he doesn't expect to be a crossover artist.

"I don't think I would do a crossover thing but I would definitely throw maybe like a bilingual song in an album or something," he said. "I'm really going to keep it country and as best as possible."

Labels: arts, awards, business, country music

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"Part of Delta's ongoing international expansion, of which Latin America is a key component"

Delta issued this press release announcing nonstop service from Nashville to Cancun:

Delta Air Lines plans to offer a nonstop flight between Nashville and Cancun beginning December 20.

According to a news release from the company, as an introductory offer the Saturday flights will cost $159 one-way.

Pam Elledge, senior vice president-Global Sales and Distribution, said Cancun is a favorite destination for U.S. travelers.

The new flight between Nashville and Cancun is part of Delta's ongoing international expansion, of which Latin America is a key component.

Delta currently serves Cancun from Atlanta, Boston, Cincinnati, Hartford, Conn., Los Angeles, Orlando, Fla., Raleigh-Durham, N.C., Salt Lake City, and Washington, D.C.

Labels: business, mexico

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Nashville-based Corrections Corporation of America has launched The CCA 360, a PR site dedicated to various explanations about company-related issues that have attracted national attention and criticism:

Unlike many blogs, "so-called" informational Web sites or news outlets that purport to cover or report objectively on the private prison industry and Corrections Corporation of America, the content here does not reflect a narrow agenda or view point. Instead, TheCCA360.com offers a more complete 360-degree perspective, citing official government records, official documents and respected experts and sources on issues and happenings that impact the company and its industry.

Immigrant detention is the primary focus of the site's Resources page. Elsewhere on the site, the company's spokesperson and company executives defend the company on other issues.

Previous CCA-related stories on HispanicNashville.com can be found here.

Labels: business, immigrants, justice

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Putting the "buena" in BNA

When the Nashville airport invited legendary local eateries like Noshville, Tootsies and Whitt's to open up shop in the city's major transportation hub, they included La Hacienda as one of the great Nashville gastronomical landmarks. See the Nashville Business Journal story here.

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"We are proud of our language and culture and revel in celebrating it with little kids all over the country"

Nashville-based baby clothier Los Pollitos Dicen announced its new Spanish-language line in this press release:

Los Pollitos Dicen, the premier line of children's Spanish tee shirts, debuts new gift items: bilingual baby hats, bibs and tank tops.

The company also introduces its first embroidered design, a cheerful "Los Pollitos Dicen Pio Pio Pio'' on vibrantly colored red and yellow infant onesies.

The new items in the apparel company's offerings are, like the rest of the line, boutique quality and 100% cotton, made in the U.S.A. The items join a selection of bright and festive onesies and tees screen-printed with funny and popular Latino colloquialisms like Gordito, Pachanga and Candela (Chubalicious, Par-TAY! and Spitfire.)

Los Pollitos Dicen (The Little Chicks Say) sells many of its t-shirts and onesies packaged in a wooden, egg-shaped gift box with a beautiful illustration and story in English. The box can be decorated and cherished as a keepsake or fun box for toddler treasures.

All the t-shirts and onesies, like the company's tag line, are "Vibrant Threads for Colorful Babes.'' Prices range from $6 to $24. All items are available on-line and at select boutiques across the country.

Los Pollitos Dicen launched in 2005 and has been featured in national newspapers and magazines such as Working Mother, The Miami Herald and the Dallas Morning News. Los Pollitos Dicen also was a Target.com Hispanic Heritage Month Red Hot Shop vendor in 2007.

The founders, Carrie Ferguson Weir and Oscar Alonso, are South Florida-born Cuban-Americans who created the line to celebrate and promote la cultura to all -- regardless of Mother Tongue. Weir is a former newspaper reporter who blogs about "life on the hyphen'' at Bilingual in the Boonies. She also writes for the popular site, Parenting.com. Alonso is a Philadelphia-based artist and graphic designer.

"We are proud of our language and culture and revel in celebrating it with little kids all over the country,'' Weir said. "Our loyal customers appreciate our originality and our quality, so we always are working to expand our line. We know the new offerings will be a hit.''

For more information visit Los Pollitos Dicen at www.piopio.biz
Use the code PACHANGA to receive 20% off your next purchase.

# # #

Los Pollitos Dicen, the premier line of Spanish baby gift t-shirts and onesies, has been making familias happy since 2005. Our designs are bold in color and rich in Latino heritage.

Image source: Los Pollitos Dicen

Labels: business, cuba, spanish

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Immigration bureaucracy is "one of the more consistent customers"

Facility in Georgia is "all-ICE"

National press picks up problems

In an interview with the Tennessean here, Damon Hininger, newly appointed President and COO of Nashville-based Corrections Corporation of America, identifies the immigration bureaucracy as one of the company's bedrock businesses and points to greater integration with the federal enforcement arm.

So far this year, problems with CCA's performance in the area of immigration have been brought to life with vivid stories in the New Yorker ("The Lost Children"), the front page of the New York Times ("Few Details on Immigrants Who Died in U.S. Custody"), and a cover story in the Nashville Scene ("Locked and Loaded").

From Hininger's interview in the Tennessean:

On the federal side, our main customers are the U.S. Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Prisons and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. We have a new (federal) contract out in Las Vegas, and we are getting ready to start construction of a 1,072-bed facility there — the Nevada Southern Detention Center.

If you look at the last eight years, the Federal Bureau of Prisons has probably been one of the more consistent customers we've had. They have two potential procurements for another 4,000 beds that we think they'll take some type of action on next year. It would be beds for criminal aliens — non-U.S. citizens, low security.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, our very first contract with them goes back to our company's founding in 1983. We continue to work with them and in pretty creative ways. Our facility down in Lumpkin, Georgia, in Stewart County has turned into an all-ICE facility.

It has courtrooms for immigration judges and other space for about 60 federal caseworkers who work on deportation issues. We put services on site so there's no transport required to a federal courthouse or to a federal immigration office in Atlanta. Everybody is under one roof and detainees can go through the system very quickly.

ICE is challenged on bed space all over the country, but that picture improves if you have detainees going through the system in 30 days, let's say, instead of on average 60 days.

Photo: Corrections Corporation of America

Labels: business, immigrants, justice, reputation

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"Our part to help ensure the success of the next generation of Latino leaders"

Automaker's local YMCA support reaches six figures in two years

From a Nissan North America press release:

Nissan North America, Inc. announced July 30 that it has contributed $50,000 to the Hispanic Achievers -- a program of the YMCA of Middle Tennessee. This will mark the second year Nissan has partnered with the local non-profit contributing a total of $100,000 to date.

"Nissan is proud to support the Hispanic Achievers Program in its efforts to help the Hispanic community reach educational success," said Stephanie Valdez Streaty, senior manager, Philanthropy and Diversity Communications, Nissan North America, Inc. "It provides us an opportunity do our part to help ensure the success of the next generation of Latino leaders who will positively impact and improve our communities."

The Y-Hispanic Achievers Programs help children, youth, and adults in the Hispanic community achieve their educational goals and better their lives. The program has achieved much success with its high school program, which has a 100% graduation rate with half of its participants moving on to college.

"Receiving support from a company of Nissan's stature speaks volumes about its commitment to the community. Nissan's generous contribution will help the Y-Hispanic Achievers Program make a greater impact on Hispanics' lives," said Jessie Van de Griek, Harding Place YMCA Community & Volunteer Development Coordinator. "We're thrilled that Nissan shares our commitment to education, and this partnership will have a lasting impact in Hispanic communities across Nashville. We deeply value the support that the Nissan family has provided our efforts."

The Y-Hispanic Achievers Program also seeks to direct families on the right path, looking for ways to develop strong academic and educational foundations, to discover their cultural identity, and to establish leadership roles among its participants. Nissan recognizes the numerous strides that the Y-Hispanic Achievers Program has made since its inception in 1992.

Nissan has long been a major contributor of other Hispanic organizations across the country including the National Hispana Institute, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the League of United Latin American Citizens, and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund; and is a proud long-time sponsor of the Copa Nissan Sudamerica.

In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010, whose key priorities are reducing CO2 emissions, cutting other emissions and increasing recycling. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.infiniti.com.

The Hispanic Achievers Program is part of the YMCA of Middle Tennessee, YMCA of Middle Tennessee, a not-for-profit, worldwide charitable fellowship united by a common loyalty to Jesus Christ for the purpose of helping persons grow in spirit, mind and body. With 30 centers and 253 program locations, the YMCA reaches 278,328 lives-1 of every 6 people in the 12-county area it serves-through membership, program participation, volunteerism and philanthropy. The YMCA builds strong kids, strong families, and strong communities.

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Nissan Americas opened its new headquarters south of Nashville yesterday, cementing the company's already significant role in the Hispanic identity of Music City.

Hispanic employees in the news

The Tennessean's photo gallery of the new building included this picture of Jaime Ortiz working on the fourth floor, just a small reminder to Nashville that our newest corporate neighbor employs a number of new Hispanic Nashvillians. Other Nissan employees in the news recently are Pedro Quiterio, engineer, who attended the Committee of Latino Parents' sendoff of former Metro schools director Pedro Garcia (story here), and Stephanie Valdez Streaty, originally from Colorado, who was recognized in the "Corporate Executive" category of the Nashville Business Journal's 2008 Women of Influence Awards (story here)

Other examples of Nissan's Hispanic identity in Nashville:

Importance of diversity

When the Japanese automaker announced its relocation to Middle Tennessee from California in 2005, Nashville city promoters found out that diversity in Tennessee was a top concern among employees considering whether to relocate (story here). In June 2006, Nissan announced that it was "committed to pursuing and encouraging minority, women-owned, and local businesses to participate in the project" and invited a local Hispanic chamber of commerce to attend a Diversity Subcontractor and Vendor Project Informational Meeting (story here).

History of Hispanic marketing

In November 2006, Nissan launched a marketing campaign called Shift_musica, which was designed to attract Hispanic customers through music (story here). In March 2007, Nissan announced its newest Hispanic PR partner (story here), and in May 2006, Nissan launched a pan-regional Latin America media campaign with Fox Sports (story here).

Cross-cultural business

In December 2006, Dominique Thormann, Nissan senior vice president, discussed "Working Across Cultures in a Global Company" at Vanderbilt (story here).

Philanthropic support of Hispanic non-profits

In July 2007, Nissan made a $35,000 contribution to the civil rights efforts of the National Council of La Raza (story here), and in September 2007 Stephanie Valdez Streaty, Sr. Manager of Philanthropy and Diversity Communications, announced a $50,000 donation to the Harding Place YMCA's Hispanic Achievers program (story here). In May 2008, it was reported that Nissan joined the League of Latin American Citizens with a $25,000 donation and would also be supporting a scholarship program with Nashville-based Conexion Americas. (story here).

Welcome

To Nashville's newest "Hispanic neighbor" (even though you've been in your temporary HQ in downtown Nashville for a while now, so you're not so "new" anymore), we say welcome!


Image source: Nissan

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The Tennessean published this list of the board members of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, and among the names are Ramon Cisneros and Marcela Gomez.

Cisneros is the publisher of the Spanish-language La Campana newspaper and is also the President of the Board of the Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce*.

Gomez is the President of Diversity Brands and the Hispanic Marketing Group.

According to the article, Cisneros and Gomez are returning members of the board. The changes, the Tennessean says, are as follows:

Bank executive Ron Samuels has been named the new chairman of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce's board of directors, the organization said Wednesday.

Samuels, the president and chief executive of Avenue Bank, replaces Darrell S. Freeman Sr., the chairman and chief executive of Zycron Inc., an information technology company.


Bert Mathews, president of The Mathews Co., a real estate firm, was named vice chairman, and Bob Grimes, marketing manager for Turner Universal Construction Co., will be secretary.

Ralph Schulz remains president, and Freeman becomes the group's immediate past chairman.

The chamber also announced seven new board members for the 2008-2009 term: Dennis Alpert, senior manager of public affairs/government relations for Wal-Mart Stores Inc.; David Fox, a partner in the public relations firm McNeely Pigott & Fox; Kate Herman, president and publisher of Nashville Business Journal; Dr. Melvin N. Johnson, president of Tennessee State University; Larry Kloess, president of HCA Tri-Star Health Systems; Tom Oreck, executive chairman of Oreck Corp., a vacuum cleaner manufacturer; and Nick Zeppos, chancellor of Vanderbilt University.

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Yesterday, the State of Tennessee welcomed Volkswagen to the growing list of major automobile manufacturers located here (Saturn and Nissan also have major operations in the state), as the German automaker announced that it will locate one of its manufacturing operations in Chattanooga (story here).

To communicate the cementing of the bond between Tennessee and the German company, a backdrop offering a welcome in the German language appeared behind Governor Phil Bredesen of Tennessee and Stefan Jacoby of Volkswagen Group of America.

As said here by Nashvillian elderj in 2006:

To greet Koreans in Korean as a non-Korean is always a sure fire way to elicit surprise and a bit of cultural cool points. It doesn’t matter how much I mangle the pronunciation or use the improper honorific or fail to conjugate the verb, it never fails to please at some level.

Trying to speak someone’s language is a sign of respect... It indicates that you value them, or at least care enough to recognize that they are not altogether like you, and that this is a good thing.

Photo by Chattanooga Times Free Press

Labels: business, english, german, spanish

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The current incarnation of VisitMusicCity.com, the home page of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau, prominently features a hair-wild Jaci Velasquez in mid-dance. The Christian/ Latin/ Pop crooner has been the face of the city's online efforts to welcome visitors for a few weeks now.

Jaci's 13th studio album, entitled Love Out Loud, was released in March. A recent interview with Jaci and her husband Nic is here.

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"How would this facility have been if no one found out about it?"

HQ's inner musings still a mystery

"Mommy, where is God that he doesn’t want to help us? Mommy, tell God to come and take us out of here and take us to our house"

With its cover story this week, the Nashville Scene becomes the first member of the local media to take Nashville-based Corrections Corporation of America to task for its failings related to the imprisonment of immigrants.

HispanicNashville.com, in this story about the Hutto immigrant family detention center in Texas, and in this story about deaths of immigrants in CCA custody, followed extensive news coverage of CCA from various media outlets outside Nashville. The established Nashville media, however, have been noticeably absent from the coverage of their hometown corporation, until now.

The Scene story chronicles the pattern of CCA's "controversies" related to treatment of people in its facilities, including one incident that hadn't been reported before. Unfortunately, the Scene did not leverage its proximity to the company to give readers any insight as to how CCA is facing these issues (Have the executive team, the board, or the shareholders considered big-picture questions regarding the detainment of families and children in general? Has anyone at CCA headquarters asked whether, as Amnesty International asserts, child detention itself is improper? Was there a point when CCA's top attorney should have advised against the contracts to detain children at Hutto, as one letter to President Bush asserts?). Neither CCA nor its corporate insiders are quoted in the article; they refused to comment, and the Scene wasn't able to get anyone at the Burton Hills headquarters to talk about the big picture.

From the story:

In the last 18 months alone, CCA has been the target of several stinging lawsuits supported by detailed affidavits and third-party reports alleging dangerous and inhumane practices that have put inmates’ lives at risk. Whistle blowers, once in positions of trust at CCA, have emerged from the shadows to tell vivid tales of corporate misconduct. Federal authorities have castigated the publicly traded corporation for operating an immigration detention facility in Texas on the cheap. And at that CCA complex—which at one point forced children of immigrant detainees to dress in prison garb—dozens of incarcerated women and children have come forward with gut-wrenching tales of anguish and neglect.
...
Elsa and her children wore prison uniforms and spent hours in their pod, often with no toys or books for the kids. One day, Elsa and her family were in the doctor’s office, where all the kids were playing with crayons. Angelina drew a picture, but a guard grabbed the girl’s artwork. She cried a lot at Hutto, wondering what her family had done wrong.

“Mommy, where is God that he doesn’t want to help us? Mommy, tell God to come and take us out of here and take us to our house,” Elsa recalled her daughter saying. “Mommy, why do they have us as prisoners if we have never killed anybody?”
...
By all accounts, Hutto is no longer as oppressive as it was when Elsa and her family first arrived from Honduras. But why didn’t CCA get it right from the start? Or to put it more bluntly, why did a rich company—one with $388 million in revenues last quarter—have to be told by the ACLU to cease treating innocent children like criminals?

“The point I’d like to make is that none of these changes were done voluntarily,” says [Barbara] Hines, the attorney. “When you look at CCA and ICE, the question is, how would this facility have been if no one found out about it?”

Image copyright Nashville Scene. Used with permission.

Labels: business, immigrants, justice

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Opened Basante's, father from Nicaragua

The Nashville City Paper published this profile of Luis Fonseca, the executive chef of the elite Nashville City Club. Fonseca's father was born in Nicaragua.

From the profile:

“My father put me in with his chefs when I was 17,” said Fonseca, who now serves as executive chef of the venerable Nashville City Club.

But long before then, the career of Nicaraguan-born Luis Fonseca Sr. impacted an impressionable lad.

“He used to come home at about 3 o’clock in the morning, wake me up, spend time with me, get a little sleep — and then go back to work,” the younger Fonseca said. “I remember my father working 16 to 17 hours a day. He was on his feet all the time.”

The physical toil eventually sidelined the banquet manager, a respected member of San Francisco’s diverse culinary community.

About that time, in the mid-1990s, Fonseca Jr. was pondering a move to Music City, lured by the opportunity to open with a relative what would become Basante’s.

Labels: business, food, immigrants, nicaragua

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The Nashville Opera Raise Your Glasses fundraising campaign prominently features Manuel, Nashville's Mexican-American tailor to the stars, in a variety of web ads and billboards.

Manuel recently turned 76 with a birthday bash covered by the Tennessean in this story and this set of photos.

From the birthday story:

Legendary couturier Manuel celebrated his 76th birthday with one of his famous all-day fiestas atop the mountain at his Triune-area home.

The event welcomed hundreds of friends, family and well-wishers, with impromptu performances from some of his singer-songwriter pals. Rosie Florez dedicated the tune "Hot Dog" to Manuel's daughter, Morelia,who also served as hostess and emcee for the event. Joshua Black Wilkins also performed, as did Danny Salazar, Rachel Rodriquez and Pino Squillace, who together roused the audience of margarita lovers with a bit of Latin flair.

From the Nashville Opera press release:

Nashville Opera ushered in a new era of drama, spectacle and artistic distinction today as the company unveiled plans for the Noah Liff Opera Center and the Fund for Artistic Excellence. The Opera's $12 million Raise Your Glasses capital campaign will fund the visionary $6 million opera center, the first-ever permanent home for the community-supported nonprofit organization, which has established a reputation for eminence in the 400-year-old art form here in the nation's Music City.

The Raise Your Glasses campaign, which has already garnered three-fourths of its $12 million goal, will also provide for the Fund for Artistic Excellence. The Fund will augment the organization's ability to expand its education and outreach programs and enhance the artistic quality of its productions.

Labels: arts, business, fashion, immigrants, mexico

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Nashville Business Journal profile described as "advertorial"

"Tired of people making false accusations"

Iranian immigrant

On Friday, March 28, 2008, the Nashville Business Journal published this profile of a man named Anthony Lucas, identified as "the president of La Vision Advertising and publisher of El Suceso, a Hispanic weekly newspaper based in Nashville."

On May 1, the Nashville Scene followed up with this investigatory story about Lucas, starting with questions about the NBJ coverage just over a month earlier:

The [NBJ] piece also serves as an advertorial for Lucas’s company, La Vision Advertising, and his new Spanish-language newspaper, El Suceso. He is portrayed as a force to be reckoned with in the advertising community, a man with expertise in delivering the Spanish-language market to advertisers.

Unmentioned is the fact that Lucas does not speak Spanish or possess any significant Hispanic heritage. He is not from Spain, as he has led some in the Nashville business community to believe, and his real name—which police say is definitely not Anthony Lucas—has no echo or lilt of any Latin nation.

In fact, most of Anthony Lucas’ carefully constructed image is complete fiction. His name, age and address as printed in the NBJ are false, according to police reports, court documents and testimonials from those who have crossed his path. Lucas’s real name is Abbas Tehrani, and according to police records, he was born in Iran in August 1951, making him 56 years old—not 48, as reported in the NBJ.

According to the article, Lucas told the Scene he has been a U.S. citizen for 15 years, "admits he was born in Iran and uses a different name than the one his parents gave him," and says he is "tired of people making false accusations."

The Scene went sniffing after Lucas in part due to the negative reaction of local members of the Hispanic community to the NBJ piece. Scene writer P.J. Tobia, who came to Nashville two years ago as a reporter specializing in human rights and refugee immigrant rights (see story here), says his sources "approached NBJ managing editor Garrison Wells to inform him about [what they saw as] Lucas’ fraudulent claims." Wells was reportedly receptive to the concerns raised, but nothing substantive appears to have come of it, except that the businessowners then turned to the Scene.

The article in the Scene said that Lucas had been a member of the Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (TNHCC)* in the past, which prompted this letter to the editor a week later from the TNHCC disclaiming any current connection to Lucas.

Labels: business, immigrants

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"I no longer find my identity in my music anymore."

Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) artists Jaci Velasquez and Nic Gonzalez recently gave this joint interview to Christian Music Today. Velasquez is a popular CCM solo artist, and Gonzalez is the lead singer of the band Salvador.

The two married on December 17, 2006, and this interview focuses on how their relationship so far, dubbing them as "young Latin lovers." The couple lives in Nashville and gave birth to a son, Zealand David Gonzales, on November 3, 2007.

From the interview:

Jaci, you've been at the top of the charts for a long time and a favorite in Christian pop. Have the aspirations changed for you now that you're a mother?

Velasquez: My career, my ministry is all important, though I no longer find my identity in my music anymore. My identity is now in my relationship with God and my two boys. That's what I love the most, though I still love making music. And Zealand loves me making music—[I could tell when] he was in my tummy making the [latest] record. He would wake up in my stomach, and to soothe him, I would have to sing. He would also get really upset if someone was singing off key on the TV or something. So I'd sing to him and it would soothe him and he'd listen to me. Now he's still the same way—when his mommy or his daddy sing, it soothes him. It's really sweet.

It made for a different experience making a record, putting things into perspective. It used to be that I would remember what was going on in my life by the record that I was doing at the time. The reality of it was [my life] was only based around that. Making music is a big part of my life, but it's just not my life.

Nic, you're a lifelong Austin boy. What was it like making the move to Nashville?

Gonzalez: I don't want to speak ill of Nashville because it's a good city, but it's not Austin. My wife lives here, and I love my wife, so that made it easy. It was easier for us because we both have careers here and she just happens to have a couple of things going on a little bit more than I do. I was able to live in Austin to hide away from all of it, but Jaci's face is a little more identified with this area. She works more out of here, so it only made sense [to make the move].

Labels: arts, business, faith

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Bilingual in the Boonies has links here to a Talk of the Town piece on Mamamade, a group of businesses owned by Nashville-area mothers.

Los Pollitos Dicen is one of the businesses featured, via an interview of Cuban-American businessowner Carrie Ferguson Weir.

Labels: business, cuba

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Thirteen lose their lives behind CCA walls, some cases never previously made public

"Basic standards of decency and fairness... means lifting the veil"

If you have a loved one who was born outside the U.S. and is not yet a citizen here, please read the front-page Monday New York Times article about deaths in immigrant detention. If you live in Nashville, not only are your tax dollars paying to incarcerate non-criminals in some cases, but the name of your corporate neighbor Corrections Corporation of America is part of the story. And it's not the first time CCA's connection to the federal immigration bureaucracy enforcement is the subject of major media scrutiny. Just two months ago, the New Yorker put the spotlight on CCA for its former prison facilities which now house ordinary children and their families. And to my knowledge, this streak of bad press about a Nashville corporate citizen has still not been the subject of any investigative journalism in the Nashville papers, either in a story about CCA itself or in the context of the nomination of CCA in-house counsel Gus Puryear to the federal bench.

Put yourself or your loved one in the shoes of the detained immigrants and families featured in these stories.

Here are excerpts from Monday's front-page article:

Mr. Bah’s relatives never saw the internal records labeled “proprietary information — not for distribution” by the Corrections Corporation of America, which runs the New Jersey detention center for the federal government.
...
Four days after the fall, tipped off by a detainee who called Mr. Bah’s roommate in Brooklyn, relatives rushed to the detention center to ask Corrections Corporation employees where he was.

“They wouldn’t give us any information,” said Lamine Dieng, an American citizen who teaches physics at Bronx Community College and is married to Mr. Bah’s cousin Khadidiatou.
...
The Public Health Service did not respond to questions, and the Corrections Corporation said medical decisions were the responsibility of the Public Health Service.
...
Four sons in another family, in Sacramento, described trying for days to get medical care for their father, Maya Nand, a 56-year-old legal immigrant from Fiji, at a detention center run by the Corrections Corporation in Eloy, Ariz.

From an article focusing on the Nand family:

Mr. Nand, a legal immigrant from Fiji who was diabetic, had been calling his family with mounting desperation over a 10-day period, the sons said. Already ailing when he was abruptly taken into custody at the family’s home in Sacramento early in the morning of Jan. 13, 2005, he had deteriorated after a week at the Arizona detention center, which is run for the federal government by Corrections Corporation of America, a publicly traded prison company.
...
Asked about Mr. Nand’s treatment, Corrections Corporation officials said in a written statement that he had been medically screened when he arrived at the Eloy center, seen and treated “multiple times” by its medical staff, and taken to a hospital. According to a government list of deaths in immigration custody, Mr. Nand was one of five detainees to die at Eloy within a 26-month period; none of the deaths have previously been brought to public attention.

From another article in the series:

Privately run centers had 32 percent of the deaths, even though they housed only 19 percent of detainees over all, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

There are more than 300 detention centers around the country, but one private operator, the Corrections Corporation of America, had 13 deaths in its centers...

From the New York Times editorial on the series:

The government urgently needs to bring the detention system up to basic standards of decency and fairness. That means lifting the veil on detention centers — particularly the private jails and the state prisons and county jails that take detainees under federal contracts — and holding them to the same enforceable standards that apply to prisons.

Labels: business, immigrants, justice, statistics

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Buenos Aires native is looking for studio space

Juan Pont Lezica was the "Face of the Week" on page 2 of the April 30 Brentwood Journal, which is a print mailer the Tennessean distributes to mailboxes in the Brentwood area.

The feature noted that Lezica was looking at the empty storefronts and vehicle traffic in historic Nolensville, with the possibility of relocating his photography business to the former Gifts by Marishell space. He commented on "the flavor of the countryside and kind of a vintage feel."

Lezica told the Brentwood Journal that he is from Buenos Aires, Argentina and has been in Middle Tennessee for 14 years. Lezica's web site showcases his portfolio and also tells the story of how he met his wife Kimberly in Madrid.

Labels: argentina, business, immigrants

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The Associated Press interviewed Martha Pantoja, a volunteer tax preparer for the non-profit Nashville Wealth Building Coalition. According to the article, Pantoja said that illegal immigrants are among her Hispanic clients filing tax returns:

[S]ome illegal immigrants choose to file taxes and write a check come April 15, using an alternative to the Social Security number offered by the IRS so it can collect income tax from foreign workers.

"It's a mistake to think that no illegal immigrants pay taxes. They definitely do," said Martha Pantoja, who has been helping Hispanic immigrants this tax season as an IRS-certified volunteer tax preparer for the non-profit Nashville Wealth Building Coalition.

Among those she has assisted is Eric Jimenez, a self-employed handyman who has worked in Nashville for several years. He feels obliged to pay taxes — even though, as Pantoja said, "nothing would happen" to him if he did not.

"I have an idea, a mentality, that to be a good citizen you have to pay taxes," he said. "Also, I'm conscious of the fact that the money we pay in taxes supports the schools and all the public services."

Pantoja said she has helped a number of construction workers who, because they are classified as independent contractors by their employers and have no taxes withheld, owe big tax bills come April. Beyond income tax, they have to pay the full Social Security and Medicare taxes due.

The Social Security Administration estimates that about three-quarters of illegal workers pay taxes that contribute to the overall solvency of Social Security and Medicare.

Photo by paul stumpr. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Labels: business, immigrants, justice

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Recognized in corporate executive, nonprofit categories

On April 11, 2008, the Nashville Business Journal will host the Women Of Influence Awards Banquet to "outstanding women who are making great contributions to Middle Tennessee."

Among the four winners in the "Corporate Executive" category was Stephanie Valdez Streaty of Nissan North America, Inc. Among the five winners in "Nonprofit Leadership" was Renata Soto of Conexion Americas.

Soto is the director of Conexion Americas. Originally from Costa Rica, Soto has lived in the United States since 1993 and in Nashville since 1996.

Valdez Streaty is the senior manager of philanthropy and diversity communications for Nissan and is originally from Colorado.

Labels: awards, business, costa rica, events

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Judge John Rich: "About half my friends were Spanish kids - Mexican kids - and their first language was Spanish"

The Canadian Press is one of many international sources to report the newly minted Latin/country crossover star that is Julio Iglesias, Jr., who earned that title with his win of the Nashville-based reality show "Gone Country." Airing on CMT, the show featured an American-Idol-style showdown of various non-country artists taking a stab at country music, including Iglesias, Jr. On his way to victory, the Madrid-born, Miami-raised crooner stopped by Manuel's Nashville shop to pick up some bona fide country duds (episode info here).

Judge John Rich of Big & Rich said in his blog that he picked Iglesias because of his "X Factor" with both male and female fans, but also because of the missing Hispanic element in modern country music:

I think, that Julio Iglesias Jr. brings an element to country music that does not exist -- and that being the Spanish-English element. I remember growing up in Texas and hearing Johnny Rodriguez on my radio station, and about half my friends were Spanish kids -- Mexican kids -- and their first language was Spanish. They were all my buddies. I remember Johnny Rodriguez turning them on to country music. They liked it, but it wasn't something they completely related to until they saw Johnny Rodriguez.

Well, I think, it's been 30 years since that, and I think it's time we pay attention to that audience again. I see Spanish-speaking people coming to Big & Rich shows by the hundreds and thousands, depending on the part of the country that we're in, and right now, there's nobody in our format speaking to that audience.

Big & Rich have included bilingual Spanish/English raps on at least one album before, and Hispanic artists have done fairly well on at least other country music reality show - see John Arthur Martinez' second place finish and Melanie Torres' top-ten spot on Nashville Star. The country music industry has commissioned reports and engaging in soul-searching and head-scratching about what Hispanic interest in country music could mean for the business.

Julio Iglesias, Jr.'s winning Gone Country video performance, which includes bilingual English/Spanish lyrics, is here.

Labels: arts, business, country music, english, immigrants, mexico, spain, spanish

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New Yorker magazine intensifies international spotlight on Nashville company

The March 3 issue of the New Yorker included this article entitled The Lost Children, about Correction Corporation of America's private-run immigrant family incarceration facility, the only one in the USA. Corrections Corporation is based in Nashville.

For additional background on this story from the Hispanic Nashville Notebook, see this December 2007 recap.

Despite media coverage in various local, national, and international outlets outside Music City, in the nearly two years since the T. Don Hutto prison was reopened to house families and children in May 2006, the media in Nashville do not appear to have covered this story about one of its most prominent corporations.*

From the New Yorker article:

Kevin, it must be said, was lucky. The plaintiffs’ lawyers soon figured out that the crayons and markers they had brought in to occupy the kids while they talked to their parents could also be politically useful. They were particularly so in the hands of articulate, indignant Kevin. One day, Kevin drew an American flag and wrote “Pleace help us” inside one of the stripes. He drew a picture of his common area, with sofas, tables, “police,” and “camra.” And he wrote a letter to Stephen Harper, the Canadian Prime Minister, in a rainbow of colors: “Dear Mr. Priminster Harper, I don’t like to stay in this jail. I’m only nine years old. I want to go to my school in Canada. I’m sleeping beside the wall. Please Mr. Priminster haper give visa for my family. This Place is not good for me. I want to get out of the cell.” One of the University of Texas law students, Matthew Pizzo, placed Kevin’s handiwork in his satchel, and Barbara Hines later mailed it to journalists in Canada. Newspapers and bloggers there started covering Kevin’s story. Sometime around then, Hines recalls, she and her students were told by Hutto officials that they could no longer bring in crayons and markers.

*Update March 5, 2008: The Tennessean published this column on Hutto, citing HispanicNashville.com

Labels: business, immigrants, justice

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Cuban-American Nashville blogger Carrie Ferguson Weir of Bilingual in the Boonies reacted to Fidel Castro's resignation here and here. Some excerpts:

When the arch enemy of your people just kinda resigns it's a little bit of a let down.
...
For those of you with kind of a passing or romanticized idea of bearded dictators, know this:
Bearded Dictator: Bad
Bearded Dictator Brother: Badder
...
Growing up, I imagined the Any Day Now really could be Any Day Now. I imagined taking to the streets, like we did when the Dolphins won in '72, honking horns, causing traffic jams, waving flags. I imagined the pachanga of a lifetime. A party to last for days, a party to end all parties. The tears of joy, the boats leaving for Havana Harbor and coming from Havana Harbor, just like during the 1980 Mariel Boat Lift.

The Any Day Now of my making would have meant these TV reporters could barely have heard themselves above the total Cuban racket, the kind only Cubans know how to make. But it was so damned calm.

According to her bio, Weir is a former newspaper reporter who now sells a line of Spanish children's T-shirts. She lives on the outskirts of Nashville, "far from the Cuban-American homeland that is Miami."

Photo by Carol Crisosto Cadiz. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Labels: business, cuba, justice, spanish

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Giancarlo Guerrero, Jose Feliciano, international "lucha libre" champion, Metro Schools among 2008 interviews

Airs on Telemundo Nashville

Episodes also available online

Nashville-based Spanish-language television show "Spanish-TV" announced its second season in this press release:

Second season of Spanish-TV

2008 brings exciting changes to Spanish-TV

Expanded segments on governments issues regarding the hispanic community, new sports segments including Spanish wrestling along with more entertainment and news segment. Airing weekly on Telemundo Nashville, Spanish-TV has become a hit in the Hispanic community.

Advertisers have been enthusiastic about the show's unique reach into our community and have committed to support our show in 2008.

The show’s Eye on Nashville segment continue its man-on-the-street interviews that feature a detailed look at our Hispanic heritage.

Episodes of Spanish-TV are thirty minutes long and are broadcast Saturday mornings at 10am via Comcast Cable Channels 246 and 611, on Charter Channel 24, or on the program's web site spanish-tvtucanal.com, under the link for "See the Show."

The Hispanic Nashville Notebook had previously reported here on a different locally-based Spanish-language TV show, Noticias Locales, aired on Telefutura and in conjunction with WTVF-Channel 5. At the time, Telemundo was looking for local content, which it appears to have found with Spanish-TV.

Labels: arts, business, costa rica, immigrants, nicaragua, spanish

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Citizens can't file complaints against companies

The Nashville City Paper reports here that the business lobby neutered Tennessee's new immigration enforcement bill, under which a business can lose its license for hiring foreign employees without a visa. Under an early draft of the bill, average citizens could file a complaint against such employers, but in the final version, only government officials can do so.

A similar effort last year on a different bill killed a $1000 fine for employers who didn't check a federal database designed to determine whether an employee has authorization to work.

At the same time, some employers were encouraging workers to get fake papers and were caught in the act by WSMV cameramen (story here).

The Hispanic Nashville Notebook has lamented the imbalance of immigration enforcement on employees more than on employers, including this post on the number of illegalized residents of Tennessee:

Workers are usually the only ones sanctioned for immigration violations - if not by deportation, by simple civic exclusion. It remains to be seen whether any real setbacks will be suffered by Tennessee employers under these new laws, but it seems as if governmental inaction will continue to have a negative effect on employees and no detrimental effect on employers.

When the WSMV expose aired, the Hispanic Nashville Notebook asked here about the fairness of skewed enforcement in favor of employers:

Are we comfortable with punishing only the outsider for his business deal with an insider? If both sides were pursued and punished equally and to the full extent of the law, would the law continue to exist in its current form?

Some Tennessee employers have even been accused of denying basic rights to both their visaed as well as their unvisaed employees (story here).

The good news is that both the executive branch and the judicial branch have at times refused to go along with tilting the scales completely in favor of employers of the unvisaed, recognizing protections that should not be visa-dependent (stories here and here).

And some credit may be due the Tennessee legislature, as well. In 2006 and 2007, our state lawmakers repelled a tide of misguided bills on the immigration issue, and in each session, the one law they passed was designed to increase enforcement against employers. Not that the laws themselves were necessarily good for the state, or that the absence of any pro-immigrant legislation was not a glaring omission, but the point here is that the imbalance of enforcement against employees was not horribly worsened, at least on the books.

Of course, stepped-up enforcement against employers also hurts employees. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) uses its raids of Springfield's Electrolux as a success story (NYT article here), but a January 6 story in the Tennessean (available here) documented the widespread concern among business, local government, and immigrant advocates about the short- and long-term impact of ICE raids that appear to have led to the departure of 1,000 residents from the city and the possible future departure of Electrolux itself.

One would hope that American businesses feeling the sting of immigration enforcement for the first time will lobby the U.S. Congress for an overhaul of the federal immigration bureaucracy and unhinge the bear trap not just from the legs of employers, but from the legs of their employees who have been in that painful position for a much longer time.

Photo by Alice. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Labels: business, justice, negativity

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At Nashville in 1871, the State Convention of the Colored Citizens of Tennessee tucks a message to newcomers inside a memo to Congress and the Presidents

"Decoyed to do faithful labor"

"If they come and voluntarily sink down deeper in oppression... we will gladly... extend a brother hand"

The Memorial to Congress and the President of the United States, Adopted at the State Convention of Colored Men

...

LABOR

As the colored citizens in Middle and West Tennessee, are largely the majority of every other class, of laborers more especially in agriculture without some means to secure to them their earnings, a sadder state of affairs awaits us. With but few exceptions this class of laborers are decoyed to do faithful labor in the rural districts, some on the promise of a share of the crop and some for wages, but so soon as the crop is made the employer frames some excuse and falls out with the laborer and he is forced to leave his crop, and abandon his wages, by the terror of Kuklux, who in all cases, sympathies with the white employers. The courts of justice yield no redress in the State. The rebel press are constantly misrepresenting the facts, and that we are cheated. While we thus have no protection, we will warn all imigrants, German, Irish and Chinese, that we are unjustly delt by and tell them promptly of our treatment and if they come and voluntarily sink down deeper in oppression, so mote it be. But we will gladly hail all voluntary free labor to elevate the laborer, whether from Europe, Asia, Africa or the West Indies, and extend a brother hand to secure him in his liberty the right to his toil and to uphold this government upon equality....

*At the time of the Colored Citizens convention in 1871, the U.S. immigration policy was still "open borders," as it had been since the country's founding. As of 1862, American vessels were prohibited from carrying Chinese immigrants to U.S. soil, but otherwise the borders were wide open, and there was no such thing as an "illegal immigrant." Only in 1875 did Congress start denying admission to people wanting to come to America - and even then, it was just the criminals and prostitutes who were blacklisted.

Sources: Proceedings of the State Convention of Colored Citizens held in Nashville, Family Research Group, Google Answers

Labels: business, history, immigrants, justice

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Debuts Spanish-language commercial

The Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce* sent out this invitation to its 2008 Annual Membership Meeting:

Annual Membership Meeting
Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
DATE: Thursday February 21st, 2008
TIME: 5:30 P.M to 7:00 P.M

RSVP: RSVP@nashvillehispanicchamber.com

Our 'Annual Membership Meeting" is held every beginning of the year as mandated by NAHCC bylaws. At this meeting our members will be presented with a report about our work during 2007 and upcoming events for 2008 and programs for members of our growing business community. Start the year with new business ideas while supporting Nashville's leading Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Your input if very important, please join us!

We will reply to your RSVP with additional details including location, parking information and agenda.

View our "TOGETHER WE CAN" television commercial:

Labels: business, chambers, events, spanish

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The Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce* announced a Valentine's-themed networking event to be held on Wednesday, February 13 at 5:30pm at Ibiza:

Labels: business, chambers, events

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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- David Quin at dsquin@gmail.com

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.

Labels: business, education, english, health, immigrants, justice, spanish

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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.

Labels: business, cuba, english, spanish

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"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).

Labels: business, health, immigrants

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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."

Labels: business, education, faith, immigrants

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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.

Labels: business, ecuador, education, immigrants

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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.

Labels: business, colombia, immigrants, spanish

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Spotlight on CCA adds to previous attention by United Nations, Amnesty International, ACLU, and Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children

T. Don Hutto facility in Taylor, Texas houses families in former prison

A Nashville issue?

In an era of family-dividing deportations, the immigration arm of the U.S. government has arranged for Nashville-based Corrections Corporation of America ("CCA") to house immigrant families together, but where and how the families are placed has been framed by some as a moral and human rights crisis.

CCA's T. Don Hutto Residential Center in Taylor, Texas, which for the past few years has housed families including pregnant women and children, has been the subject of a litigation settlement with the ACLU, a thwarted inspection by the United Nations, an investigative report by the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children, multiple vigils, petitions, and now a documentary called, "America's Family Prison."

Strong words

All of the above oppose the penal nature of the detention of families and children at Hutto, the CCA facility and former medium-security prison. The Women's Commission report says here that

ICE chose to develop a penal detention model that is fundamentally anti-family and un-American.

The ACLU maintains here that

detaining immigrant children at Hutto is inappropriate.

U.N. inspector Jorge Bustamante reported here, after his visit to the U.S., that

accompanied and unaccompanied children are temporarily detained in adult detention facilities which do not adequately protect the rights of child migrants.

The documentary calls Hutto part of the

largest trend of family internment since World War II.

Authorized by Congress, implemented by Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE")

How did the U.S. government decide to send families to repurposed prisons? The Women's Commission report offers the brief history below, saying that ICE, by using a former prison, improperly implemented a pro-family directive from Congress:

The recent increase in family detention represents a major shift in the U.S. government’s treatment of families in immigration proceedings. Prior to the opening of Hutto, the majority of families were either released together from detention or separated from each other and detained individually. Children were placed in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Division for Unaccompanied Children’s Services, and parents were detained in adult facilities.

Congress discovered this and took immediate action to rectify it, in keeping with America’s tradition of promoting family values. It directed ICE to stop separating families and either to place them in alternative programs or to detain them together in nonpenal, homelike settings. Such Congressional directives were intended to preserve and protect the role of the family as the fundamental unit in our society. However, ICE chose to develop a penal detention model that is
fundamentally anti-family and un-American.

CCA's 2007 in review: profit jumps, closure threatened, attorney nominated to federal bench

The Hispanic Nashville Notebook reported on Hutto in March (here), before some of the events described above. Other events since March include the following:

• CCA's third quarter financial report (profit jumps due in part to contracts with ICE);
• a threat by the county (since resolved) to force the facility's shutdown;
• this statement in June by Amnesty International: "Amnesty International urges DHS not to detain children. If there is ever justification to detain a child, it should be for the shortest time possible and in the least restrictive setting possible"; and
• the judicial nomination of CCA's top attorney, Gus Puryear, to a seat on the bench of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.

Who is asking the questions in Nashville?

According to most reports, Nashville-based CCA is keeping its comments on Hutto to a minimum, with the most significant response being the settlement of the ACLU litigation and improved conditions at the facility. But have the executive team, the board, or the shareholders considered big-picture questions regarding the detainment of families and children in general? Has anyone at CCA headquarters asked whether, as Amnesty International asserts, child detention itself is improper? Was there a point when CCA's top attorney should have advised against the contracts to detain children at Hutto, as one letter to President Bush asserts?

Beyond CCA itself, should Nashville be brought into the dialog about what its hometown corporation does for the federal government? The Nashville media don't appear to have reported on Hutto, despite significant coverage in Texas media. Middle Tennessee journalists (or their managers) are paid to know what their readers and viewers would find newsworthy, and that might not include the detention of families by a local company and the hubbub about it raised by groups in Texas and elsewhere. Or, maybe CCA has good answers to all of these questions, and Nashvillians would see no controversy.

Ultimately, it appears that the concerns that have been raised about a locally-owned facility located hundreds of miles away in South Texas have been, and may remain, a nonissue in Tennessee.

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Joint production of Vanderbilt Center for Nashville Studies, Nashville Public Television

Funded by HCA Foundation, Nissan Foundation, Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Nashville Public Television President and CEO announced in the Tennessean (here) a new partnership with Vanderbilt University to produce the "Next Door Neighbors" documentary series about the immigrant and refugee populations of Nashville:

Over the next several years, NPT will produce a series of documentaries exploring the immigrant and refugee communities that call Nashville home. Reaching diverse groups such as the Kurds and Somalis in Middle Tennessee could be a daunting prospect for NPT on its own, but through the extensive research and outreach already conducted by The Vanderbilt Center for Nashville Studies and its director, Dan Cornfield, preproduction is under way. Cornfield, a former member of our advisory board, will provide an invaluable introduction to, and perspective on, the challenges these communities face as they assimilate into our city.

With Vanderbilt's expertise and NPT's meticulous attention to quality, we'll present Nashville with documentaries that educate and inspire. Off the screen, our "Next Door Neighbors" series will provide a rich basis for community discussion.

Local corporate powerhouses HCA Foundation and Nissan Foundation will provide funding, according to this Vanderbilt press release:

NPT will produce, through grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the HCA Foundation, and the Nissan Foundation, a three-four year documentary series examining Nashville’s booming foreign-born population. Vanderbilt's Center for Nashville Studies will provide research assistance reaching immigrant and refugee groups, including Hispanics, Kurds and Somalis, and resources to better understand the issues they face in Nashville. This will be spearheaded by sociology professor Dan Cornfield, director of the Vanderbilt Center for Nashville Studies and a former member of NPT’s Community Advisory Board, who has conducted extensive research on foreign-born populations in Nashville.

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Hispanic Middle Tennesseans recognized for home ownership, business development and bilingual skills

From Vanderbilt News Service:

Programs promoting home ownership, business development and bilingual skills within the Middle Tennessee Hispanic community will be recognized Dec. 10 during Conexión Américas’ “Celebration of Achievements” at Vanderbilt University. The Center for the Americas at Vanderbilt will sponsor and host the event, which will take place from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the university’s Buttrick Hall.

The Center for the Americas and Conexión Américas, a Nashville nonprofit organization that promotes the integration of Hispanic families into the community, will recognize families who have bought houses through its Puertas Abiertas/Open Doors home ownership program as well as individuals enrolled in Conversemos – a Spanish/English language exchange program.

“Hispanic families value home ownership because it represents a solid commitment to their integration into the community,” said Renata Soto, executive director of Conexión Américas. “Participants in the program are required to save toward their down payment and attend a home-buying class that gives them the tools to build their credit and become savvy about their future investments,” Soto said.

The Spanish/English Language Exchange Program pairs two individuals – one who speaks Spanish and the other English – so that they can help each other improve their foreign language skills. The program also fosters intercultural exchange between Tennesseans and Hispanic immigrants. “There is a myth going around that Hispanics coming to our city don’t want to learn English. This is absolutely not true,” Soto said.

“In working with the Latino immigrant community every day, we witness that one of its top priorities is to learn the language. They understand that this is of great importance to their success in building a life in this country.” Soto also said that a growing number of Tennesseans who realize the competitive advantage of bilingual skills and the importance of becoming familiar with Hispanic American cultures are interested in learning Spanish. This helps build bridges between the non-Hispanic local communities and their Hispanic neighbors.

“The Language Exchange Program, in particular, has forged close links between Nashville’s growing Hispanic-American community and Vanderbilt’s students and faculty,” said Vera M. Kutzinski, the Martha Rivers Ingram Professor of English and Comparative Literature and director of the Center for the Americas. This program is possible thanks to Vanderbilt student and Nashville professional volunteers who are interested in improving their ability to speak Spanish and are committed to helping newcomers improve their language skills.

Soto emphasized that speaking the language is a crucial step in the integration of Hispanic families into Tennessee, while starting a business and owning a home are crucial to fulfilling their goals. “We are thankful to have recipients of numerous grants and awards, including the 2007 Bank of America Community Award, and sponsorship of our programs and events,” she said. “The Nashville community and corporations that support us have been very generous with us, and this event is recognition of where their support is going – helping these families take one more step toward their integration and building their American dream.”

The Center for the Americas is an institute devoted to collaborative, interdisciplinary research for the benefit of the Americas. It brings together a variety of scholars and innovators to investigate the cultural, economic and political interactions among the countries and territories of the Western Hemisphere and between the region and other parts of the world. Using its research, the center develops and helps sustain lasting partnerships that solve problems of importance to the Americas. In the process, the center reshapes ways in which the academy conducts research, evaluates research results and trains future generations of scholars. For more information on the Center for the Americas, visit www.Vanderbilt.edu/americas or call 615-343-2818.

Editor’s note: The “Celebration of Achievements” is by invitation only, but media are welcome to attend. Please email maitane@conamericas.com to RSVP

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Did unvisaed men and women do the "amazing work" at Schermerhorn?

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports here that Spectrum Interiors will forfeit $2 million in earnings from jobs in which unvisaed labor was used, with the nearby Kentucky councilman and head of Spectrum pleading guilty to a felony.

From the Enquirer:

Fort Wright [Kentucky] Councilman Jeff Wolnitzek has pleaded guilty to using illegal immigrant labor at his Crescent Springs-based construction company.

He will forfeit $2 million earned from employing illegal immigrants, according to a statement released by Wolnitzek's company, Spectrum Interiors.

...

He pleaded guilty on Nov. 21 to one felony count of conspiracy to harbor aliens for commercial advantage for personal financial gain.

The crime Wolnitzek pleaded to is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine for each illegal immigrant employed.

...

Besides the Ascent project, Spectrum's 265 employees have worked on other major construction projects, including Schermerhorn Symphony Hall and Vanderbilt University Children's Hospital, both in Nashville, Tenn.

The construction work at the Nashville Symphony's Schermerhorn Center was described as "amazing" in the 2007 Annual Report of the Nashville Symphony, according to a tribute to "everyone" who built it:

Just after the final notes of our Hard Hat Concert on June 28, 2006, composer Joan Tower, conductor Leonard Slatkin and orchestra members tipped their hats in a spontaneous gesture of appreciation to everyone who helped construct Schermerhorn Symphony Center. It signaled a genuine thank-you for the amazing work that delivered our wonderful building, in all its architectural detail and state-of-the-art technology, on budget and on time.

Photo: Nashville Symphony 2007 Annual Report

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Two active Hispanic chambers of commerce attract their respective followings in Middle Tennessee

Information current as of November 2007

The most basic thing to know about "the Hispanic chamber" is that there is often more than one.

As of November 2007, there are two active Hispanic chambers of commerce in Middle Tennessee: the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Two other chambers are now defunct. The Franklin Area Hispanic Chamber was disbanded earlier this year by its founder Eva Melo, who continues to organize events in town (like this holiday party, also December 4 but not at the same time as the Nashville chamber luncheon). The incorporation of the Middle Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce lasted only a year - from June 15, 2006 to its administrative dissolution by the State of Tennessee on August 27, 2007.

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The Nashville Business Journal published this story announcing the holiday luncheon of the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce*, to be held December 4 at Scarritt-Bennett:

The luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Susie Gray Dining Hall at the Scarritt-Bennett Center, 1008 19th Ave. S. in Nashville.

The menu will include turkey and the all the trimmings and attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable food to donations for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.

Cost to attend is $18.95 per person plus tax. For more information contact the Hispanic Chamber at 615-216-5737.

*Hispanic Chamber 101: There are two active Hispanic chambers of commerce in Middle Tennessee: the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Two other chambers are now defunct. The Franklin Area Hispanic Chamber was disbanded earlier this year by its founder Eva Melo, who continues to organize events in town (like this holiday party, also December 4 but not at the same time as the Nashville chamber luncheon). The incorporation of the Middle Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce lasted only a year - from June 15, 2006 to its administrative dissolution by the State of Tennessee on August 27, 2007.

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The Nashville City Paper reports here that a free bilingual magazine called "eSpanglish" will appear soon in Middle Tennessee businesses like Kroger supermarkets. The City Paper does not mention Que Pasa, another bilingual magazine that was to be distributed in Kroger stores (story here).

Excerpts from the City Paper article:

A new magazine eSpanglish will be launched this month by recently formed company eSpanglish Magazine LLC.

The partners include Gloria Bishop and Lynne Caples, who will serve the magazine as editor and co-editor, respectively, as well as Elisa Hinger and Huey Newberry. Investments from two silent partners contributed to initial funding. All articles will be printed in English and in Spanish.

eSpanglish will start out as a free publication, Bishop said, with the printing of 15,000 issues to be distributed at outlets including Kroger grocery stores and public libraries. It will initially be printed every other month, though Bishop said intentions are to scale up to a monthly.

...

In addition to local stalwart La Noticia — that is edited and published by Hispanic Area Chamber of Commerce head Yuri Cunza and distributes 7,000 to 10,000 issues bi-weekly — at least six newspapers currently exist in Middle Tennessee. At least one more paper and one magazine are in development, according to Bishop, though the eSpanglish team says their publication is the area’s only bilingual magazine.

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The Columbia Daily Herald published this AP story about the Tennessee Department of Tourism's decision to advertise in Spanish-language newspapers and translate its web site into Spanish. A German version of the site already exists. An incomplete draft of the Spanish version is here.

According to the story:

“The idea is to be all inclusive,” said Phyllis Qualls-Brooks, a spokeswoman for the department. “We have multiple cultures — the census tells us that — and we know (Hispanic) culture is part of our potential market.” ...

The department is advertising in four Spanish-language newspapers that have a combined circulation of about 85,500 in Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville.

But the ads, which feature a Hispanic family on an outing to an aquarium, will also run in rotation with other ads in national magazines that are not part of the ethnic press, Qualls-Brooks said.

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Cuban-American entrepreneurs Carrie Ferguson Weir and Oscar Alonso land distribution deal

The Tennessean reported here that locally-owned children's clothing line Los Pollitos Dicen is being sold on the web site of national retail giant Target (here):

Kingston Springs-based baby and toddler clothing retailer Los Pollitos Dicen has had a good run of initial sales of its Hispanic heritage clothing items on the Web site of Target, the huge national retailer.

Target sells clothes printed with endearing phrases in Spanish made by the local company. There are T-shirts with "Pio, Pio, Pio" — the sound of baby chicks chirping in Spanish — printed on the front. Or sleepers with terms of endearment for mother and child such as "gordito," which means chubby, usually spoken as the mother kisses a baby's cheeks.

Co-owners Carrie Ferguson Weir and Oscar Alonso are Cuban-Americans who knew each other through their work for the Tennessean - Ferguson Weir as a reporter, and Alonso as a graphic designer.

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The Tennessean reports here that Nashville Mayor Karl Dean unveiled three initiatives to increase the number of city contracts awarded to minority-owned businesses. The article also mentions the Nashville International Airport's separate efforts, announced earlier this year.

Last year, Memphis declared that Hispanics are not "minorities" for the purpose of minority contract consideration (story here). Which would be fine, according to Tennessean columnist Dwight Lewis, if neither Hispanics nor African-Americans were called "minorities" anymore, in light of their combined majority status in many states (story here).

From the Tennessean:

Dean's first three steps toward leveling contract distribution:

• He appointed Nashville businesswoman Pam Martin to lead a new Mayor's Minority Business Advisory Council. The group will be charged with creating other measures to help small and minority-owned businesses in Nashville to develop.

• He promoted Michelle Lane from overseeing small and minority business participation in local and federal contracts to special assistant to the mayor. She will advise him directly on small and minority business development.

• He hired the Atlanta-based consulting firm that examined contract awards and business conditions in the Nashville area to help the city's legal department develop new contracting and procurement policies.

Photo by Simon Pais-Thomas

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From the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce*:

NAHCC 2007 Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration and Awards Ceremony
Tuesday October 9th from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm Country Music Hall of Fame
~ 222 Fifth Ave. S. Nashville, TN 37203 ~

We cordially invite you to participate of our Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration and Awards Ceremony to take place Tuesday October 9th from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15th-October 15th) recognizes and celebrates the rich cultural, economic, artistic, political, scientific, social and educational influences and contributions of Hispanics throughout the United States. This celebration was sanctioned by a U.S Congress joint resolution on September 17th, 1968. Twenty years later, on August 17th, 1988, President Ronald Reagan extended it to a month long celebration from September 15th to October 15th.

This year our event will take place at the Country Music Hall of Fame on October 9th and will have outstanding guests and other Hispanic business and community leaders as well as the recipients of our 2007 Hispanic Recognition Awards for outstanding work and achievements in business, education, art, cultures and community.

Please celebrate together with us as a united community in Nashville. Your support is very important.

Live music, silent auction, h'orderves, cocktails and more!

For more information about this upcoming event and to reserve your tickets please contact Alejandra Peña Rodriguez at : info@nashvillehispanicchamber.com

www.nashvillehispanicchamber.com

The Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is a 501 6 non-profit business organization. The NAHCC keeps the highest level of accountability on sponsorship funds received or other corporate contributions. The mission of the NAHCC is to help Nashville become a better place to live, work and visit by creating positive environments conducive to business growth, education, integration, and cultural appreciation. Partnerships with corporate members wishing to fund NAHCC programs and events are subjected to Board of Director's approval and are primarily to support educational causes and/or empower entrepreneurship opportunities as well as mainstream business member initiatives not restricted to the Hispanic entrepreneur or market.

*Hispanic Chamber 101: There are two active Hispanic chambers of commerce in Middle Tennessee: the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Photo by Chris Wage

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Harding Place YMCA program develops academic and educational foundations, reinforces cultural identity, and cultivates leadership

Nissan North America, Inc. announced in August that it had contributed $50,000 to the Hispanic Achievers – a program of the YMCA of Middle Tennessee.

“Nissan is proud to support the Hispanic Achievers Program in its efforts to help the Hispanic community reach educational success,” said Stephanie Valdez Streaty, Sr. Manager of Philanthropy and Diversity Communications, Nissan North America, Co. “It provides us an opportunity to make a difference in the very neighborhoods we serve.”

The Hispanic Achievers Program’s purpose is to help children, youth, and adults in the Hispanic community achieve their educational goals and better their lives.

“Receiving support from a company of Nissan’s stature speaks volumes about its commitment to the community. Nissan’s generous contribution will help the Hispanic Achievers Program make a greater impact on Hispanics’ lives,” said Josias Arteaga, Director, YMCA Hispanic Achievers Program. “We’re thrilled that Nissan shares our commitment to education and this partnership will have a lasting impact in Hispanic communities across Nashville. We deeply value the support that the Nissan family has provided our efforts.”

The Hispanic Achievers Program also seeks to direct families on the right path, looking for ways to develop strong academic and educational foundations, to discover their cultural identity, and to establish leadership roles among its participants. Nissan recognizes the numerous strides that the Hispanic Achievers Program has made since its inception in 1992.

Nissan has long been a major contributor of other Hispanic organizations across the country including the National Hispana Institute, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the League of United Latin American Citizens, and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund; and is a proud long-time sponsor of the Copa Nissan Sudamerica.

In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, design, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. More information about Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.infiniti.com.

Pictured, from left, are: Lucia Munoz, Hispanic Achiever; Karla Munoz, Hispanic Achiever; Josias Arteaga, Hispanic Achievers Director; Jim Barr, Harding Place YMCA Board Chair; Amy Kerr, Harding Place YMCA Executive Director; Dennis Bermudez, Hispanic Achiever; Stephanie Valdez Streaty (Nissan), Alexandra Amelang (Nissan), Stewart Bronaugh, YMCA of Middle Tennessee We Build People Co-Chair; Senora Munoz, Hispanic Achiever; and Jan Berry, YMCA of Middle TN Sr. Regional Development Director.

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"Most prestigious national award presented by SHPE to a SHPE member"

At Visteon in Nashville, employee since 1998

Won Visteon Summit Award in 2004

West Point Class of '89

The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) issued this press release announcing the individual and corporate winners for the 2007 SHPE Technical Achievement Recognition (STAR) Awards, one of which is Christella ("Chriss") Chavez of Nashville:

Christella J. Chavez of Visteon/Ford Motor Company in Nashville was selected to receive the Jaime Oaxaca Award, the most prestigious national award presented by SHPE to a SHPE member. Chavez is being honored for her unselfish and outstanding contributions to the fields of engineering and science and to the Hispanic community. Chavez has established two new professional chapters in Oklahoma and Tennessee and was instrumental in establishing SHPE student chapters at the University of Tulsa, Tulsa Community College, Oral Roberts University and Tennessee Technological University. She has served in the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserves for the past 18 years and is dedicated to SHPE and a number of other Hispanic initiatives.

“On behalf of SHPE, I would like to extend my congratulations to all of our STAR Award winners and thank them for the excellence they bring to the engineering field and to the Hispanic community. As the source for quality Hispanic engineers and technical talent, SHPE is committed to increasing the pipeline of Hispanic talent in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It is so rewarding to honor outstanding Hispanic achievement in these disciplines each year,” said Diana Gomez, National President of SHPE. All awards

The annual awards recognize the year’s highest level of achievement in Hispanic engineering in several different categories and will be presented at the 2007 SHPE Conference in Philadelphia on Oct. 31-Nov. 4.

Chavez was the previous recipient of Visteon's Summit Award in 2004:

Chriss Chavez, a manufacturing superintendent with Visteon Corporation's (NYSE: VC) Nashville (Tennessee) Glass Plant, has been honored with the company's Summit Award for her outstanding commitment and dedication to the community, as well as her leadership abilities.

An employee since 1998, Chavez has been helping the local community through such activities as the United Way, the Corporate Challenge program, Executive Women International, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Formerly an employee of the Tulsa Glass Plant, Chavez works as a manufacturing superintendent in the Gravity Sag windshield manufacturing area of Visteon's Nashville Plant.

"Chriss' dedication and passion for reaching out and helping the community is a great example of the kind of spirited, enthusiastic employees we have at Visteon," said Mike Johnston, president and chief operating officer. "Through the Leading the Way program, we are focused on identifying those individuals and teams that go above-and-beyond, and then recognizing them for their efforts."

Chavez's passion for participating and dedicating her time to local organizations not only earned her a Leading the Way award, she is also one of six individuals and/or teams being recognized with a 2003 Leading the Way Summit Award. "I feel it's critically important to give of your time and talent to make the world a better place," said Chavez. "Each of us was provided with certain skills and abilities and it's up to each one of us to put them to good use."

Putting her talents to work is what Chavez has been doing for the past five years supporting the Tulsa Glass Plant's United Way fund-raising campaigns, coordinating the United Way Day of Caring activities and other philanthropic events sponsored by the plant.

During her time at the Tulsa Glass Plant, Chavez's passion to support local organizations didn't end at the four walls of the plant. She was also active in sponsoring the Corporate Challenge program in 2000 (a city wide corporate physical fitness competition), and earned a Gold Medal in the Most Physically Fit category for the Tulsa Glass Plant. Chavez also represented the Tulsa Glass Plant in the local chapter of Executive Women International for three years, serving as the Public Relations committee chair and volunteering on several other committees.

In 2000, she helped found the Oklahoma Professional Chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE-OK), where she served the first year as president. She later held the role of treasurer of SHPE-OK. In 2003, she was recognized by the SHPE regional organization with a leadership award for her work in the local and national organizations. Chavez volunteered at the Tulsa Engineering Challenge, where local engineering groups provide an opportunity for children in grades 6-9 to compete in engineering build competitions at the Tulsa Technology Center.

Chavez brought the plant into the Greater Tulsa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and helped plant management recognize the business value in understanding Hispanic culture and language, which is especially important since Visteon continues to conduct business in many Latin American countries. In 2003, she was selected to the position of vice-chairperson of the Board of Directors and was slated to be the next chair. In addition to working closely with the Greater Tulsa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Chavez served on the Hispanic American Foundation's Board of Trustees, which provides scholarships and educational awareness to Hispanic students. She acted as chair of several community fund-raising projects that benefited local Hispanic charities and also served on the Board of Directors for the YWCA in Tulsa.

As a single mother of two boys, it might seem that carrying out her job at Visteon while participating, supporting, coordinating and sponsoring so many community activities would leave Chavez with little time for herself. Although she admits it was a challenge to juggle her schedule and her two son's schedules, she managed to further her education by completing a master's degree in business administration from the University of Tulsa in August 2002. Chavez earned her undergraduate degree in engineering and political science from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1989. She is also a military police officer in the United States Army Reserves, holding the rank of major.

"My maternal grandmother went to college and raised her three young daughters by herself after her husband passed away," said Chavez. "She believed in hard work and a good education to get ahead in life … she truly was an inspiration."

Chavez's enthusiasm for helping people extends to her job at the glass plant.

"Working out on the floor with the teams is a terrific experience," said Chavez. " Helping them realize they can make a difference is what makes me most proud. It's very rewarding for me to be able to work side-by-side with the employees in an effort to bring about positive changes in processes and in helping to contribute to the bottom line."

Launched in 2003, the Leading the Way recognition program honors employees who demonstrate exemplary performance, accomplishments or behavior that is significantly above-and-beyond expectations, or results that produce noticeable improvement in areas such as quality, value to the customer, speed and people. The Summit Award is granted annually and is the most prestigious award associated with the Leading the Way program.

Visteon Corporation is a leading full-service supplier that delivers consumer-driven technology solutions to automotive manufacturers worldwide and through multiple channels within the global automotive aftermarket. Visteon has approximately 72,000 employees and a global delivery system of more than 200 technical, manufacturing, sales and service facilities located in 25 countries.

Chavez is a 1989 graduate of West Point.

Photo by Zickie

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Mario Ramos reports here that "notario" business Ceja Enterprises has been enjoined from offering legal services. A copy of the court order is here (PDF).

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The Nashville Scene reported here on the shutdown of one of Nashville's "notario" businesses, Ceja Enterprises, for workers compensation law violations.

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Miguel Torres announced the resignation of Viviana Milam as president of the Board of the Middle Tennessee branch of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP). The Board has appointed Torres as interim president and chair of an effort to reorganize the group.

Torres was fundamental in bringing the group together in 2004 (story here).

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Nashville Scene cover story finds loneliness, indulgence

"For many patrons, these hours are the bright spot of the week"

"She loves to dance with these Mexican men"

For its June 28 cover story, the Nashville Scene published Thirsty for Company. The feature by P.J. Tobia paints a fascinating picture of a seedy Murfreesboro bar, where U.S. men and women offer cheap companionship to Mexican and Central American men:

The vast majority of laborers who come to the U.S. from places like Mexico, El Salvador and Guatemala are men. These laborers live with men, work with men and drink with men. Walk into any Mexican restaurant in South Nashville, and you’ll see tables of six, eight, even 12 men dining together on a Saturday night. While it is true that many foreign-born Latina women live in Nashville, most have come with their children to join men who were already here. In short, there is a shortage of female companionship for Nashville’s immigrant labor pool.

Except at El Dos de Oros. Crystal and her two sisters come because the men will give them money just to flirt with them. Rita and Carla, two large middle-aged women, come because they say Mexican men know how to treat a woman and haven’t been softened by middle-class living. Gracia and Ashley, who visit El Dos de Oros with friends every weekend, keep coming back because the hard-drinking patrons don’t seem to realize—or care—that they, too, are men.

These women are of varied ages and fit many descriptions. Yet the most surprising thing about them, perhaps, is the one thing that they have in common. Of the dozens of women who come to El Dos de Oros each weekend, aside from the transvestites, almost every one is white and American-born. What’s more, they speak virtually zero Spanish. What everybody looks for, at El Dos de Oros, can be found with few words.

Read the whole article here.

Photo by Curtis Perry

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Ashland City, Tennessee-based State Water Heaters recently announced plans to launch an integrated marketing effort aimed at Spanish-speaking contractors in key U.S. markets. Campaign initiatives include new Hispanic-themed print advertisements, Web enhancements, and a television sponsorship, all designed to raise State brand awareness among Hispanic communities.

“There are a growing number of plumbing and HVAC contractors in the U.S. who are Spanish speaking,” said Jeff Storie, State Water Heaters brand manager. “We are increasing our Hispanic marketing in order to partner with these professionals and to have a larger presence in the southwestern United States.”

A dedicated section on State’s Web site, www.statewaterheaters.com, provides an opportunity to view the new Spanish print advertisement and a link to the Web site of "De Casa a Hogar," a new home improvement show on Spanish language television.

The new print advertisements will help engage Hispanic viewers by featuring Spanish messaging, and are expected to grow advertising recall and State brand visibility among this rapidly growing audience. The ads will also appear in English versions to attract English dominant Hispanics.

State’s broadcast efforts include a Latino home show sponsorship with “De Casa a Hogar,” scheduled to air on a major Latino network in early fall. The show will provide viewers with home improvement segments, technology tips, and a peak into Hispanic celebrity homes. State’s sponsorship includes opportunity for product demonstration in addition to Web site, print, and broadcast sponsor recognition.

“The show will have tremendous impact among Latino communities, as there is currently no programming specifically speaking to Latinos about home improvement brands and services," said the show’s executive producer Juan Escano. “By nature, many Latinos have these building and construction skills, and want to expand their knowledge base. The show offers “how to” advice, empowering Latinos to improve their homes, their neighborhoods, and their communities.”

About State Water Heaters

For more than 60 years, State Water Heaters has built dependable, long-lasting water heaters for commercial and residential applications. State remains focused on manufacturing durable products that last longer. For more information, visit www.statewaterheaters.com and www.stateracing.com.

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Bridgestone Firestone Latin American Tire Operations (BFLA), an operating unit of Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. (BSAH) has announced the following appointments effective August 1, 2007. Oscar Rodriguez, currently President, Bridgestone Firestone Venezolana, C.A. (BFVZ), will be appointed President, Bridgestone Firestone de Costa Rica, S.A. (BFCR). Rodriguez succeeds Humberto Gomez, who was appointed President, Bridgestone Firestone do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda. earlier this year. Alfredo A. Orán, will be appointed President, BFVZ. In making the announcement, Eduardo Minardi, President of BFLA, said “Our Costa Rican operations are a critical link in Bridgestone Americas’ successful manufacturing and sales strategy, and I am confident that Oscar is the right person at the right time to build on the accomplishments and momentum we are experiencing at BFCR.” In describing Orán, Minardi said, “Alfredo is an experienced manufacturing executive with an understanding of both the importance of a global focus and the ability to work effectively in a local environment. He will be a great asset to the company."

According to the company, "Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. is an international manufacturer with 38 production facilities throughout the Americas. The Nashville, Tennessee-based company was formed in 1990 when Bridgestone U.S.A. merged with The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company. We are a subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation."

"We trace our roots to the establishment of The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company in 1900. It was then that 31-year-old Harvey S. Firestone started tire production with 12 employees in Akron, Ohio."

"On the other side of the globe in 1931, Shojiro Ishibashi created Bridgestone Tire Company Ltd. He created the company name by reversing the English translation of his own; 'Ishibashi,' which literally means 'stone bridge' in Japanese."

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South American natives recognized in nonprofit, entrepreneur categories

Last month, the Nashville Business Journal hosted the Women Of Influence Awards Banquet to "honor thirty amazing women who have led, inspired and influenced the lives of many people in Middle Tennessee."

Among the three winners in "Nonprofit Leadership" was Diana Holland of Tango Nashville. Among the five winners in the "Entrepreneur" category was Marcela Gomez of Hispanic Marketing Group/Diversity Brands.

Gomez is a native of Bogota, Colombia. Holland was born in Argentina and is a self-proclaimed “porteña” (native of the port city of Buenos Aires).

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"We're helping these corporations recognize that leadership can come in many forms"

A few thousand young minorities were in Nashville in July, asking questions about navigating corporate America and corporate culture, according to this article in the Tennessean:

"What was happening in side the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center Friday was, in fact, part of the answer, said Charles Cornelius, president and CEO of Inroads Inc., a St. Louis-based group sponsoring a three-day training and networking event for minority students.

"Our internships help to acclimate our students to the cultures of the organizations where they work," he said. "And because we recruit the best and the brightest and give them some of the skills they need at events like this, we like to think we're helping these corporations recognize that leadership can come in many forms."

"Inroads is the nation's largest source of salaried corporate internships for minority students. Its national meeting ... drew about 3,500 students from across the country..."

"Inroads identifies minority college students with high grade-point averages, an interest in working inside corporate America and a lack of the personal connections, networks and comfort with big-business culture that it often takes to secure more than entry-level corporate work."

"LaVinia Tribble, who'll be a senior this fall at the University of Memphis, has spent the past three summers as an Inroads intern working in branches of Regions Bank in Nashville."

Photo by Sven Seiler

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"Having drivers from all walks of life is likely very critical"

The same week that a Mexican driver won a NASCAR Busch East Series event in Nashville (story here), this article from Fox Sports examined NASCAR's efforts to attract minority drivers:

...NASCAR, the most popular auto racing series in America, is still searching for ethnic diversity among its ranks.

But it's been a painstakingly slow process. Racers aren't developed overnight, especially racers who aren't spawned from racing families...

In a country that is considered the world's melting pot, a concerted effort to produce a racing roster more representative of society has been in motion since the Drive for Diversity was launched in 2004...

"The development of professional athletes takes time," said Marcus Jadotte, NASCAR's Managing Director of Public Affairs. "NASCAR has consistently said we would be patient and continue to support this process; that we'd start at the developmental level and be committed for the long haul. We have a talented group of young minority drivers in NASCAR (both in and outside Drive for Diversity), and we are looking forward to their continued development...

Pat Suhy, GM's NASCAR field director, expresses a lot of pride in the Chevrolet teams that have stepped up to help the cause. Joe Gibbs Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing and Ginn Racing have all opened doors to aspiring minorities, from local tracks to the NASCAR Grand National Series.

...

"In the past, there might have been fewer opportunities for minority drivers to gain that experience behind the wheel of a race car and that's what we're trying to help change. It's important that our sport appeals to people of all types and that everyone feels welcome at NASCAR races. Having drivers from all walks of life is likely very critical to achieving that goal."

The Hispanic Nashville Notebook has covered NASCAR's minority and Hispanic-focused efforts in the following stories that span the past four years:

• NASCAR: slow but sincere in diversity march


• Former Vandy linebacker has Hispanic dreams for NASCAR


• Mexican NASCAR driver will race at Music City Motorplex


• Mexico City embraces NASCAR race, attracts Nashville speedway's attention


• Sunday race brings NASCAR to Mexico


• NASCAR detours through Mexico City to build Hispanic fan base


• NASCAR creates program to find Hispanic drivers and crew


• NASCAR courts growing Hispanic fan base


• NASCAR to market to Hispanics

Photo by Roger Smith

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The Tennessean reported here that Country Radio Broadcasters Inc. is presenting the results of a landmark study about attracting Hispanic listeners to the country music genre. The event is today at 4pm; details below.

More about the study can be found in this March 2007 story on the Hispanic Nashville Notebook.

WHAT: Presentation: "The Hispanic American Relationship to Country Radio and Music"

WHEN: Wednesday, August 1st, 2007 - 4:00 PM

WHERE: Massey Performing Arts Center Belmont University 1900 Belmont Blvd Nashville, TN 37212

COST: $20 at the door or online at www.crb.org

EVENT: The study of 600 Hispanics nationwide, age 12-49, and their relationship with Country music was commissioned by Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc. and conducted by Edison to examine the growth potential of the format among America's most rapidly expanding demographic group, Hispanics. It shows the tremendous potential for growth in attracting "the newest Americans" to the Country format. There will be a panel discussion following the presentation. Panelists include Mike Dungan, President Capitol/Nashville (Record Industry); Kevin King, Program Director, 95.5 The Wolf WSM-FM (Radio); Gary Overton, Executive VP/GM EMI Music Publishing Nashville (Music Publishing); Bobby Roberts, CEO The Bobby Roberts Company (Talent Agency); Rick Trevino, Warner Brothers Records (Recording Artist). The moderator is Ed Salamon, Country Radio Broadcasters' Executive Director.

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Relaunch of Tennessee Hispanic Chamber

The Hispanic Nashville Notebook has free tickets to a preview screening of El Cantante, the story of salsa singer Hector Lavoe, starring Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony (official movie site here, review here). The preview screening is at 7pm Wednesday, August 1, at Green Hills Regal Cinemas and is also being used as a kickoff event of the "new" Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce*, according to chamber President Ramon Cisneros.

For tickets, e-mail the editor of the Hispanic Nashville Notebook. The only information required is your name, your occupation, and your contact information, but extra consideration will go to submissions attaching original photos of anything related to Hispanic life in Nashville (for inclusion in the Hispanic Nashville Scrapbook).

*Hispanic Chamber 101: There are at least two active Hispanic chambers of commerce in Middle Tennessee: the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, which is redefining itself after the ouster of its former President (story here).

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NCLR has "a rich history of helping to further the Hispanic community - a community that is very important to our company"

Nashville-based Nissan North America announced in this press release that it was a "Gold" sponsor at this year's annual conference of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and that it would contribute $35,000 "to help the nation's largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization that works to improve opportunities for Hispanic-Americans."

"Nissan values NCLR's mission of helping Hispanics achieve the American dream," said Stephanie Valdez Streaty, Sr. Manager of Philanthropy and Diversity Communications, Nissan North America, Inc. "The National Council of La Raza has a rich history of helping to further the Hispanic community - a community that is very important to our company. Nissan has always recognized the value and contributions of the Hispanic community."

Nissan has long been a major contributor of other Hispanic organizations across the country including the National Hispana Institute, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the League of United Latin American Citizens, and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund; and is a proud long-time sponsor of the Copa Nissan Sudamerica.

"NCLR is pleased to partner with Nissan. We are proud that such a prestigious American institution like Nissan has joined the ranks of our wonderful partners," said Janet Murguia, President and CEO of NCLR. "Nissan's generous support will help us continue to develop and implement programs that make an impact on the Hispanic community across the nation."

Nissan is not NCLR's only high-profile corporate partner. The Verizon Foundation used the NCLR annual conference to announce a $1 million grant to the Latino child literacy program Lee y serás® (story here).

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Fresh Link could bring food from Latin America to Middle Tennessee twice as fast

From the Nashville City Paper: a perishables facility is being contemplated for the Nashville International Airport that would cut in half the time it takes for Latin American food to reach Middle Tennessee shelves. The effort is being led by the new company "Fresh Link" - which is a reincarnation of "Perishable Link" (see May 2004 story here). The effort to create this facility has been underway since before the 9/11/2001 attacks, according to the 2004 story.

From the Nashville City Paper article today:

It’s needed, Russell said, to break the bottleneck Miami has on much of the perishable air freight business in the Southeast, particularly imports from Central and South America. Miami is currently ranked No. 1 among all U.S. airports in international freight, according to preliminary 2006 figures.

Fresh South American seafood arriving through Fresh Link in Nashville, for instance, could arrive in front of Middle Tennessee customers up to five days faster than seafood imports going through Miami gateways, Russell said.

Tommy Jones, director of business development for NIA, says the airport is currently negotiating the lease price with Fresh Link, and would work closely with Fresh Link to build the facility.

Both the City Paper article today and the 2004 article from the Tennessean reference China Air's existing international cargo flights into and out of Nashville, at a rate of six per month.

Photo credit: Darwin Bell

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Hispanic population estimated to be 38,000

The Nashville Business Journal reports here on the efforts of Nashville banks to get Hispanic customers:

Middle Tennessee's growing Hispanic population brings both challenges and opportunities for area banks.

On one hand, the group that's estimated to be 38,000 strong and growing, presents an opportunity for banks to gain new customers to increase deposits and grow loan portfolios.

The online article is restricted to print subscribers. It features SunTrust's Tatia Cummings, who is often cited in stories about Hispanic banking in Nashville (see earlier stories mentioning Cummings in February 2007, December 2006, and November 2005).

Photo by Jen Jen

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Equity Broadcasting Corporation ("EBC") has plans to broadcast local Nashville news from Little Rock, Arkansas, as it does for other cities, according to this article. Equity announced 13 months ago (here) that it planned on moving into the Nashville TV market as an affiliate of national Spanish-language network Univision.

As reported here, Nashville has only one local news anchor in Spanish, and that is on Telefutura/Channel 42, in partnership with WTVF/Channel 5.

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We are not to lose the hope that maintaining the interest on the issue and expressing our views to our representatives in Congress will lead to workable legislation that respects the rights of immigrant workers and their families. This is a time in which we all, concerned citizens should exercise our right to tell our government about the need for real and immediate solutions to an immigration problem that can not longer wait.

Let your voice be heard! Call your Senators today

Express your views about how they voted. Our representatives from Tennessee both Corker and Alexander voted against cloture. Ask them to no longer delay a final vote to resolve this problem. And ask them to keep working to achieve a comprehensive reform this year that will keep families united, protect workers rights and respect due process. Ask them to pass an immigration reform that is just and fair.

Many controversial amendments have both passed and failed, and this in turn has complicated the negotiations over the immigration bill. We need you to tell Congress to work past the problems and to not give up on immigration reform.

Please call your Senators by using these TOLL FREE telephone numbers:

For instructions in English: 1-800-417-7666
For instructions in Spanish: 1-800-882-2005.

TENNESSEE SENATORS:

Lamar Alexander
202-224-4944

Bob Corker
202-224-3344

You could also give the operator your zip code. Click on the names above to visit your senator web page.

Tell your Senators:

We need immigration reform for our businesses, economy and communities. Please work past the problems, vote for cloture, and keep the process moving forward.

This reform needs to improve the guest worker and employee verification requirements. As a Hispanic business owner, I will judge Members of Congress for years to come on whether they genuinely helped reform succeed or fail.

This is a Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce announcement based in part on a "Call to Action" received from the USHCC. The NAHCC has obtained permission from the USHCC to edit and redistribute this message. The NAHCC is a member of the USHCC.

For additional information about the NAHCC please contact Loraine Segovia or Alejandra Peña Rodriguez by telephone at 615-216-5737 or via e-mail at: info@nashvillehispanicchamber.com

The Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is a 501(c)6 non-profit business organization. The NAHCC keeps the highest level of accountability on sponsorship funds received or other corporate contributions. The mission of the NAHCC is to help Nashville become a better place to live, work and visit by creating positive environments conducive to business growth, education, integration, and cultural appreciation. Partnerships with corporate members wishing to fund NAHCC programs and events are subjected to Board of Director's approval and are primarily to support educational causes and/or empower entrepreneurship opportunities as well as mainstream business member initiatives not restricted to the Hispanic enterpreneur or market.

To learn more about NAHCC programs, events and initiatives please visit us online at: www.nashvillehispanicchamber.com

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The Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce* announced its participation in the traditional intercity tourist oriented visit organized by the joint efforts of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce (NACC) and the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau. This year's delegation visited the Baltimore and Washington D.C. region. The Tennessean reported on the trip here.

NAHCC President Yuri Cunza joined a powerful and diverse group of delegates in a very strategic community and regional development initiative that focused on showcasing best practices and lessons learned in a variety of timely issues and projects.

The attendees this year included Mayor Bill Purcell, Vice Mayor Gentry, Congressman Jim Cooper, former Congressman Bob Clement, Orrin Ingram (Ingram Industries), Tammy Geneovese (CMA), Butch Spyridon (Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau), Dr. Pedro Garcia and others.

The leadership of the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is determined to lead with the example by joining in support of initiatives that will advance our community as a whole. "In an effort to be more prepared as we become active participants in shaping the future of our growing community, attending this year's study mission trip will definitely help us position the issues of relevance to our growing Latino population in Nashville as well as the city at large," says NAHCC President Yuri Cunza.

The Nashville delegation of more that 147 business and community leaders returned to Nashville on Tuesday, May 8, 2007.

Highlights and topics considered**:

* A visit to the Washington, D.C. Convention Center for a panel with hospitality and neighborhood leaders;
* A reception for our federal legislative leaders and other D.C. guests, coupled with a unique focus on the importance of our music industry with a "behind the scenes" tour and songwriter's performance at XM Satellite Radio;
* A look at Washington's emphasis on branding;
* Discussions with Washington museum leadership about the creation of a museum for today' visitors; in addition, a session at Baltimore's newly opened Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture;
* The role of higher education in a community with a focus on economic development;
* Community support for sports venues and entities;
* Public education, including charter schools;
* Arts, history and culture as an economic engine; and
* Waterfront development.

*Hispanic Chamber 101: There are four Hispanic chambers of commerce in Middle Tennessee: in alphabetical order, the first three are the Franklin Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The Tennessean profiled these three chambers in this article in June 2006. A fourth chamber was incorporated in 2006 (the Middle Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce) but no activities have been announced.

**Source: Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce

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Copa Sudamericana sponsorship negotiated simultaneously across region instead of country-by-country

Deal spans two continents, 25 countries and three content delivery platforms

TV: 30 million viewers via Fox Sports en Español in the United States and across the Spanish-speaking Americas on Fox Sports Latin America

Inaugural El Reto Final Nissan won "Best Foreign Language Program" honors at the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications’ (NAMIC) 13th Annual Vision Awards this year

From Nashville-based Nissan North America, the following press release:

Elevating the Hispanic Upfront dialogue from multiplatform content delivery to multinational brand integration, Fox Pan American Sports today announced that it has signed a three-year, multiplatform integrated sponsorship deal with Nissan that nets the car manufacturer exclusive title sponsorship rights to the prestigious Copa Sudamericana across the United States on Fox Sports en Español, and in Latin America and the Caribbean via Fox Sports Latin America. Spanning television, print and online, the first of its kind deal was conceived in collaboration with Nissan’s strategic Hispanic media planning and buying agencies The Vidal Partnership and OMD, respectively.

Fox Sports en Español will kick off its exclusive coverage of the five-month-long Copa Nissan Sudamericana in August, just in time for the prime auto buying season. “We’re proud to extend our relationship with Nissan and to continue to work closely with some of the industry’s top media agencies to create innovative solutions that not only connect with consumers in a culturally- and lifestyle-relevant manner, but also deliver on our partners’ branding and business objectives,” said Tom Maney, Senior Vice President of Advertising Sales at Fox Sports en Español.

While Nissan North America has been the title sponsor of the Copa Sudamericana for the past two years, its involvement both stateside and across Latin America had previously been negotiated by each of the regions independently of one another.

“Gone are the days when multinational brands can afford to operate in geographic silos. We wanted to own the Copa Sudamericana and to really engage consumers with a consistent message, look and feel pan-regionally we needed to change the way we approach the marketplace,” said Jan Thompson, Vice President of Marketing Communications at Nissan North America. “We saw an opportunity to harness our creativity, strategic thinking and resources across the Spanish-speaking Americas and establish a new Hispanic media paradigm that yields greater engagement and a stronger connection to our brand among this very important and growing audience.”

For The Vidal Partnership, the deal marks yet another breakthrough integrated solution on behalf of Nissan. The second installment of the award-winning El Reto Final Nissan, which airs this May and June on Fox Sports en Español and pits long-time World Cup rivals Mexico and Argentina, was also devised by The Vidal Partnership and created in collaboration with Zeal Television and Animus Group.

“At Vidal we thoroughly understand that to truly engage Hispanic consumers, we must provide them relevant value, be it entertainment, information or a useful tool,” said John-Paul Aguirre, Group Communications Director at The Vidal Partnership. “We are also mindful that the creative solutions we develop for our clients are more than just engaging, they must also maximize cost efficiencies and ROI at every step.”

“The OMD Investment team was challenged by Nissan to seek out sponsorships that help communicate the ‘Shift’ philosophy to Hispanic consumers, using our General Market and Hispanic expertise,” said Allison Klein, Group Director, Investment at OMD. “Because fútbol is the global currency among U.S. Hispanic and Latin American males, partnering with Fox Sports en Español was the perfect opportunity for Nissan to reach this group and maximize synergies by owning and entitling the Copa Nissan Sudamericana.”

To fully engage the target audience of soccer enthusiasts, the three-year deal, which includes the option to extend for a fourth year, incorporates multiple platforms, from television, digital and print to out-of-home and off-channel extensions.

The television component includes full automotive exclusivity, total tournament naming rights, player of the game features, in-game animated graphics, in-program brand integration, and in-field signage to reach more than 30 million viewers via Fox Sports en Español in the United States and across the Spanish-speaking Americas on Fox Sports Latin America.

On the Internet, Nissan will take center stage on foxsportsla.msn.com, MSN’s exclusive Spanish-language sports destination, via a dedicated Copa Nissan Sudamericana mini site that will feature customized content, a fantasy league, player and team profiles, statistics, results and highlights.

In print, Fox Sports en Español Magazine, the most widely distributed single-brand Spanish-language sports title in the United States and Latin America, will feature a series of ads promoting tune-in, as well as a Nissan-sponsored tear-out schedule designed to keep fans abreast of all the action over the five-month tournament.

The Copa Nissan Sudamericana continues to be one of soccer’s premier international club tournaments and the recent addition of Mexican teams to its roster of participating nations has helped transform the annual 34-team CONMEBOL-sanctioned tournament into one of the crown jewels of Latin American soccer.

The inaugural El Reto Final Nissan, which featured former World Cup teams from Mexico and the U.S. and aired on Fox Sports en Español in 2006, won “Best Foreign Language Program” honors at the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications’ (NAMIC) 13th Annual Vision Awards this year.

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"If anywhere in Nashville represents the American Dream it is ... Nolensville Road"

Las Cazuelas stands out

The Nashville City Paper published this article lauding the ethnic food options on Nashville's Nolensville Road:

"[I]t is easy to make the argument that if anywhere in Nashville represents the American Dream it is the often maligned and misunderstood Nolensville Road."

"There is typically not a single square foot of retail space empty. In fact, more retail space is being built with small businesses opening in every nook and cranny. And, yes, if they are not national retailers, many if not most of those small businesses appear to be owned and run by legal immigrants."

"Take a drive down Nolensville and one notices a seemingly endless array of small eateries, representing a wildly divergent and diverse menu of ethnic cuisines. For all of the claimed diversity of other areas in Nashville, those seeking real diversity and choices in ethnic cuisine might consider actually going to where the city’s immigrants live and work..."

One Mexican restaurant is featured in the article - Las Cazueles at 4114 Nolensville Road - and described as "a cut above the rest" for its "fresh ingredients, more complex menu and preparation."

Labels: business, food, immigrants, mexico

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"Church-centered, grassroots" Micro Enterprise Nashville project has made over 170 loans to entrepreneur expatriates

"Everything changed for us."

The Tennessean reports here about Yadira Santana-Torres and her husband, Edgardo Martinez, owners of Green Hills Upholstery, and their micro-loan from World Relief's Micro Enterprise Nashville project:

"A master upholsterer, Martinez was working two jobs and dreaming of the day he could own his own shop. They had a dream, and they had a business plan. What this Nashville family lacked was seed money and a bank willing to take a chance on them."

"Instead of a bank, the community reached out to them with a 'micro-loan' — $10,000 to rent a storefront, buy materials and meet payroll for the first rocky months when their shop, Green Hills Upholstery, was finding its feet."

"'I don't have words to describe what it's been like,' Santana-Torres said. 'Everything changed for us.'"

"'They helped me with the accounting part, they helped me print up fliers, helped me do the advertising. They guide you through everything,' said Santana-Torres, who received a micro-loan from World Relief, a Nashville-based nonprofit that serves the refugee population. She and her husband are from Cuba."

"Over the past four years, World Relief has made 178 small loans to newcomers to Nashville. Those loans helped launch at least 20 new businesses and helped an equal number of businesses expand, said Jeremy Crawford, World Relief's director of finance."

According to its web site, "World Relief empowers, equips and strengthens churches to serve their communities, enabling them to act as beacons of hope to their people and to spread the life-changing power of Jesus Christ. Church-centered, grassroots initiatives tackle entrenched and intertwined problems of poverty – and people experience transformation in their lives, in their families, in their churches, and in their communities."

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"They don't check over here"

$1000 fine removed from bill requiring employers to check immigrant database

WSMV Channel 4 reported here that it caught multiple Nashville employers telling a supposed job applicant that fake immigration papers, or no immigration papers at all, would not be a problem in getting hired.

A Hispanic WSMV producer approached various businesses, and this was a typical exchange:

"The producer asked the manager if fake immigration papers would be OK."

"'Yes. Everybody in here has those. They don't check over here,' the manager said."

One wonders - are employers being scrutinized for their behavior as much as their immigrant employees are?

Enforcement of immigration law against employers is on the rise, but the number of employers charged with knowingly hiring illegal immigrants is still less than 1000 per year, according to this April 23 article in the Houston Chronicle: "Criminal charges have been filed this year against 527 people, compared with 718 for all of fiscal 2006 and just 25 in fiscal 2002."

In regard to the new immigration laws winding their way through the Tennessee state legislature, employers weren't able to derail a bill to force them to check immigration status, but they did successfully knock out a provision that would punish them for breaking the law. According to this story in the Tennessean, the Tennessee State Senate passed a bill to require employers to conduct immigration status background checks, but it "was amended at the request of business interests ... to do away with fines of up to $1,000 per violation against employers who don't do the required background checks."

Are we comfortable with punishing only the outsider for his business deal with an insider? If both sides were pursued and punished equally and to the full extent of the law, would the law continue to exist in its current form?

It can't be inevitable that U.S. employers, who have a vote and influence in the legislative and executive branches, will be treated better than their voteless and uninfluential immigrant employees for an employment contract they both willingly entered into. Because visaless expatriates will never be able to vote, it is up to conscientious legislators, citizens and groups like the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition to speak for balance, fairness, and how those values apply to our employment laws and their enforcement.

Photo by Nikita Kashner

Labels: business, immigrants, justice

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Eight-year control by founders comes to a forceful close

Board Chairman Ramon Cisneros continues as acting president

Robert Chavez has been permanently removed from the presidency of the Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce*, marking the first time in the eight years since its inception that this chamber does not have a founder serving as its President. The control of the organization was tightly held by its two founders Greg Rodriguez and Robert Chavez. Rodriguez served as President until his death in June 2005 (story here), when Chavez was named his successor (story here). The way the pair obtained and maintained authority at the Tennessee Hispanic Chamber was one of the reasons the separate Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce* was formed, according to the December 9, 1999 edition of the Tennessean:

"Less than three months after the public launch of a Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a rival Hispanic chamber is vying for members and political stature. Founding members of the second organization said they were dismayed that the first chamber's founders appointed themselves to administrative positions and didn't get a consensus from the Hispanic business..."

The Nashville Scene broke the story here that the Board of Directors would let Chavez go after suspending him earlier this year (the Scene also broke the story of the suspension here and ran a cover story here describing Chavez's alleged bad behavior, which was the apparent reason for the suspension itself.)

The Tennessean reported that, with Chavez's departure, the long-running rumors of a merger between the various Nashville-based Hispanic chambers* are circulating again (story here). Some Hispanic Nashvillians believe that having two groups is unnecessarily divisive, but Yuri Cunza of the Nashville Area Hispanic chamber is quoted in the article as saying that there are legitimate reasons for separate groups.

The Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's press release is below:

The Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has decided not to restore Robert Chavez as its president. By a unanimous vote the board of directors decided it was best to move forward under new leadership.

'We thank Robert Chavez for his assistance and taking the helm during a period of transition several years ago. We want to be very clear that Robert was not guilty of any unlawful acts against the Chamber. It was a matter of philosophical differences. Ramon Cisneros, board chairman will continue as acting president until the election of another president,' said Peter Woolfolk, public relations advisor to the Chamber.

*Hispanic Chamber 101: There are four Hispanic chambers of commerce in Middle Tennessee: the three active chambers (in alphabetical order) are the Franklin Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The Tennessean profiled these three chambers in this article in June 2006. A fourth chamber was incorporated in 2006 (the Middle Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce), but no activities have been announced.

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May Celebration Networking Night

Franklin Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Invites you...

to a Chamber networking night on TUESDAY, May 1st from 5:30PM to 7PM at the WILLIAMSON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY, 1314 Columbia Ave, Franklin, TN 37064. $5. All meetings are in English. Everyone welcome.

Directions: I65 to Franklin. Take a right at the exit onto 96/ Murfreesboro Road, Go straight until you hit the Franklin Square. Go around the roundabout and take a right on Main Street. Take a left on Columbia. It will be on your right. 1314 Columbia Ave.

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Nashville is "the most successful recruiter of Japanese business and investment of any city off the West Coast of America"

80% of Japanese citizens in U.S. live in Tennessee and Kentucky

"Hundreds of thousands of jobs" brought by foreign companies

State must be careful not to "send the wrong message to potential investors from all over the world about how receptive Tennessee is"

The BusinessTN Magazine reports here that Tom Jurkovich, chief of economic development for the Nashville Office of the Mayor, is pitching Tennessee as a "dominant international player in the region." Jurkovich made the comment in the context of Japan's recent decision to locate a full-service consulate in Nashville, the first full-service consulate of any country to be located in the state.

BusinessTN points to then-governor and now-U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander's seminal trip to Japan in the early 1980s, which lauched multiple relationships between major Japanese companies and Tennessee. "[R]oughly 80% of Japan’s U.S. population now resides in Tennessee and Kentucky," according to the article.

Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell is currently in China with a delegation of Nashville businesses, according to this Nashville Business Journal article. Purcell is also honorary chair of Sister Cities of Nashville, and in 2004 he created an International Mayor's Night Out (story here),

In February, Mayor Purcell vetoed a foreign language ban passed by the Metro Council, citing in part this month's trip to China and the arrival of the Japanese consulate (story here). In an interview with the Houston Chronicle, Purcell illustrated the conflict between the language ban and Nashville's international business development, by way of his bilingual business cards:

"Purcell, a careful politician who's chosen to make this his first major veto, flips his business card onto his desk in exasperation. On the front his name and number are in English; on the back, in Japanese."

"'My business card would have been illegal,' he said. 'Why is my card in English and Japanese? It's not because I speak Japanese. It's because we are the most successful recruiter of Japanese business and investment of any city off the West Coast of America. We greet Japanese visitors in Japanese at the airport. This law would have said that was illegal. And that's wrong in every way.'"

Mayor Purcell is not the only senior Tennessee official to reach out to China in recent memory; Governor Phil Bredesen met with the Chinese ambassador to the U.S. last year (story here). One Tennessee official is concerned that the state's image abroad can be jeopardized by seemingly innocuous actions - like Nashville's language ban and even a stray comment or two in the recent U.S. Senate campaign, according to this article in the Nashville City Paper:

Matt Kisber, the commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development for the State of Tennessee, "is partly charged with recruiting businesses to come to Tennessee," according to the article. "He and the state recently swung and missed at landing a Toyota manufacturing plant in Chattanooga."

"Kisber, speaking with reporters a day after Toyota’s decision and prior to a meeting of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the state needs to be 'very careful' when considering putting driver’s license tests only in English."

"'I want to be careful that we don’t send the wrong message to potential investors from all over the world about how receptive Tennessee is to their coming and investing money and creating jobs and their company executives being able to live here and be welcome,' Kisber said."

Kisber also described a meeting with Canadian officials, who were taken aback by a campaign commercial run by now-U.S. Senator Bob Corker, in which a character "specifically referenced Canada, suggesting that the country could 'take care of North Korea' because 'they’re not busy.'"

"'They took that very personally,' Kisber said. 'And I spent the better part of half of my meeting convincing them of why we like Canada.'"

"Kisber said ... the Consular General of Japan has voiced concerns on a 'number of occasions' about measures like putting driver’s license tests in English-only."

"Kisber said the state has a very 'international economy' and has 'hundreds of thousands of jobs' as a result of investments by foreign companies... - includ[ing] about 350 European-based companies, 160 Japanese and a 'dozen or so' South American."

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Labels: business

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Free admission to Mexico and Modern Printmaking exhibit

The Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce* invites its members and guests to meet at the Frist to see the magnificent art exhibition honoring some of the most renown mexican printmakers such as Diego Rivera, Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siquieros and others, currently on display at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville.

Mexico and Modern Printmaking: A Revolution in the Graphic Arts, 1920-1950 examines the vital contributions made by Mexican and foreign-born printmakers working in Mexico. The exhibition features 125 prints and posters by 50 artists, including Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros, who, while best known for their revolutionary murals and paintings, made extraordinary contributions to the field of printmaking, which they embraced because it could reach a wide audience with their political message.

The exhibition also features works by some American artists affiliated with the Taller de Gráfica Popular, a celebrated cooperative print workshop founded in Mexico City in 1937. Playing a crucial role in sustaining the ideals of the Mexican Revolution, the workshop printed limited-edition works to capture the attention of international collectors, as well as mass-produced posters and leaflets intended for widespread distribution to the native populace.

FREE admission and complementary parking for NAHCC members and guests on April 5th, 2007 is made possible thanks to the Frist Center for the Visual Arts.

NAHCC members wishing to attend please call Loraine Segovia or Alejandra Rodriguez at 615-216-5737 or via e-mail info@nashvillehispanicchamber.com

For additional information visit us online at: http://www.nashvillehispanicchamber.com

*Hispanic Chamber 101: There are four Hispanic chambers of commerce in Middle Tennessee: the first three are the Franklin Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The Tennessean profiled these three chambers in this article in June 2006. A fourth chamber, the Middle Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, was incorporated in 2006. Earlier this year, the Tennessee Hispanic Chamber suspended its president Robert Chavez and appointed Ramon Cisneros as interim president (story here).

Labels: business, chambers, mexico

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The Nashville Business Journal published this profile of Nashville businesswoman and joint Colombia-U.S. citizen Monica Galyon. Excerpts of the story are below:

"Monica Galyon, founder and president of the Barr Group, enjoys success today but she weathered more adversity than most entrepreneurs face to get there."

"A Miami-born, Hispanic woman who left high school at age 17 to join the work force, Galyon now heads a company projected to have approximately $5 million in 2007 revenues."

"The Barr Group, established in 1999, is a national, full-service distributor of a variety of products and services - including packaging, printing, signs, electronics, promotional products, industrial and chemical supplies and power tools."

"'I used to hide the fact that I was Colombian, when I started this business,' says Galyon. 'It absolutely gets your foot in the door, but our output needs to be better than majority-owned companies. We have a black eye going in. It's a disadvantage but also an opportunity.'"

The article also mentions Galyon's work on the Music City Walk of Fame.

Read the full story here.

Labels: business, colombia

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Nissan North America has selected Cartel Impacto of the Cartel Group as its Hispanic public relations agency of record (AOR). In this press release, Nissan also named B&C Associates as its African-American AOR.

Fred Standish, director of corporate communications at Nissan North America, said the scope of the agencies' work has yet to be totally defined, but most of it will involve "non-product" matters.

The firms will also work on Infiniti, Nissan's luxury brand. "They will assist on [some] product promotions as well," he said.

B&C has handled African- American community relations for Nissan for the past six years, but this is the first time the carmaker has worked with Cartel. The IW Group handles Asian PR for Nissan, who moved its headquarters to Nashville in July 2006.

Standish would not discuss any details of the selection process.

Lagrant Communications has handled African-American national media relations for the past 11 years, and Hispanic media and community relations for the past five years.

Kim Hunter, president and CEO of Lagrant, said he was "extremely surprised" by Nissan's decision.

Nissan North America is based in Nashville, Tennessee.

Labels: business

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"Doing Business in Puerto Rico" is the topic at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel on March 27

NAHCC will represent Tennessee

U.S. Hispanic Chamber Annual Convention will be hosted by Puerto Rico in September

The Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce its participation in the 1st Summit "DOING BUSINESS IN PUERTO RICO".

Taking place March 27th, 2007 at New York City's Waldorf Astoria Hotel, this Summit organized by the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce will showcase not only the clear advantages of doing business in Puerto Rico, but also will offer an invaluable opportunity to hear from major corporations currently investing in the island.

The financial capital of the world, is the site for this first ever stateside conference to promote business investments and opportunities in Puerto Rico.

At this summit, representatives from the public and private sectors, investors, analysts, and business executives will convene to address the myriad of opportunities that Puerto Rico offers.

The NAHCC participation in support of the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce will continue to strenghten relationships in our region.

The Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will represent Tennessee at the Summit. The NAHCC is part of the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Region VI which includes the territories of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Missisipi, Tennessee and Puerto Rico.

This year the USHCC Annual Convention will take place in San Juan, Puerto Rico September 19-22, 2007

NAHCC members wishing to attend the upcoming convention are encouraged to contact Loraine Segovia or Alejandra Rodriguez by phone at 615-216-5737 or via e-mail at info@nashvillehispanicchamber.com

Labels: business, puerto rico

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