"A forum for Hispanic Americans to play an influential role in local, state, and national political activities"

Born from candidate Nixon's "Spanish Speaking Committee" and George H.W. Bush's "Spanish Speaking Advisory Committee"

Thanks to Kleinheider for pointing out the newly formed local chapter of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly.

From the press release:

The Republican National Hispanic Assembly announced the formation and slate of officers of its Tennessee Chapter at the inaugural state chapter meeting on Thursday, July 31, 2008. The mission of the chapter is to build a membership organization to foster the principles of the Republican Party in the Hispanic community, to provide a forum for Hispanic Americans to play an influential role in local, state, and national political activities, and to create and maintain a network of Hispanic Republican leaders.

“The Tennessee Chapter is excited about spreading the core principles of the Republican Party throughout the Hispanic community in our state,” said Chapter President Raul Lopez. “In addition, we look forward to electing Republican candidates who represent these core values of family, faith, and freedom. As a growing voting bloc, Hispanics will play an increasingly important role in the political process in Tennessee and across the country.”

Guests at the inaugural meeting included Republican officials from across the state including Governor Winfield Dunn, State Senators Jack Johnson, Jim Tracy, and Bill Ketron, and State Representatives Debra Maggart, Beth Harwell, Glen Casada, Susan Lynn, and Dolores Gresham.

According to the national web site, the RNHA's origins date back to the 1972 Republican presidential campaign, which included a "Spanish Speaking Committee":

The 1972 Presidential campaign, for the first time in U.S. history, created an outreach committee to involve Hispanic American voters in politics. The Spanish Speaking Committee for the Re-Election of President Nixon was instrumental in the acquisition of 60% of the Hispanic vote.

In 1972 President Nixon appointed George Bush as Chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC). Reviewing the substantial gains scored by GOP candidates among voters of Hispanic background during the past election, Bush believed there was a need to keep all those Hispanic Americans who participated in President Nixon’s presidential election in the ranks of the Republican Party.

In April of 1973, Chairman Bush announced the formation of the Spanish Speaking Advisory Committee to the RNC to expand and improve the participation of Spanish surnamed persons in the Party.

Under the leadership of the national members of the Spanish Speaking Advisory Committee the RNHA was officially born...

Labels: justice, spanish

Conexion Americas will host its annual AVANCE Spanish-language seminar at Belmont University tomorrow, July 26, from 9:30am to 3:30pm. The seminar will cover topics designed with Conexion Americas' mission in mind - "Promoting the social, economic and civic integration of Latino families in Middle Tennessee" - and will specifically include personal finances, insurance, homeownership, and consumer protection, as well as "creating a family plan in case of deportation or detention, and rights and responsibilities in the United States," according to this announcement:

Dear Community Organizations,

Attached you will find an invitation and information about a free educational conference for the Latino community this Saturday, July 26 from 9:30am-3:30pm at Belmont University.

“Avance 2008: Infórmate Hoy para Lograr un Mejor Mañana!” - Information Today for a Better Tomorrow – is a seminar on topics such as immigration, legal education, creating a family plan in case of deportation or detention, and rights and responsibilities in the United States. The event will also include a motivational keynote speaker with information about how to be successful in the United States. AVANCE is completely free of charge. We will provide breakfast, lunch and childcare. Interested participants can register for the event by calling (615) 269-6900.

Please inform any Spanish-speaking clients which your organization serves about this event. Feel free to print the attached invitation to distribute or let us know if you need additional information!

Gracias!

Labels: education, events, justice, spanish

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, spanish

"To bring the members of Hispanic Churches of Christ in Nashville together into one community"

Classes, activities for kids, food, fireworks

From Lipscomb University:

Lipscomb University’s 2008 Summer Celebration lecture series, July 2-4, will feature a track of classes held completely in Spanish. Local Hispanic church leaders hope the July gathering can serve as a catalyst to bring the members of Hispanic Churches of Christ in Nashville together into one community.

The Spanish-language classes will follow the same theme as the overall lecture series: “Bringing Stones to Life: Nehemiah’s Call for Courage, Passion and Revival.” The keynote speakers for the event will include Jose Gregorio Nieto, minister at Brewer Road Iglesia de Cristo (Church of Christ) in Winston Salem, N.C., and Carlos Preciado, a full-time missionary for the past three and a half years.

The daily programs are not just for adults. Fun children and teen activities such as devotionals, classes, games and service projects will keep the kids busy all day, and a professional fireworks display, live entertainment and plenty of family fun and food will end the annual festival of faith and fellowship.

July 4 activities start at 4:30 p.m. with a picnic and Kid’s Zone; a community worship begins at 6:30 p.m. and fireworks are expected to begin around 9 p.m.

Nieto’s Brewer Road Iglesia de Cristo is one of the fastest growing congregations in North Carolina. He is part of a team of preachers that travels throughout the U.S. and Latin America, strengthening congregations by presenting leadership seminars, gospel meetings, and in-depth Bible studies to prepare men and women to be better equipped to serve their local congregations.

Nieto has been a full-time minister for eleven years. He graduated from the Harding School of Biblical Studies and received a bachelor’s degree in Bible and Ministry. He has been involved in mission trips to establish new congregations in Spain and Mexico.

Preciado has been a full-time missionary for the past three and a half years. They have been working with the Griffin Road Church of Christ in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.. His focus is personal evangelism, and he frequently leads Bible studies with families, young adults and teenagers during the week.

He graduated from East Tennessee State University. In 2001 he and his wife Maribel enrolled in the Atlantic International Bible Institute, a branch of Sunset International Bible Institute, where they graduated in December 2004. During that time, the couple were serving their home church in Hialeah, Fla., working with the youth, and with a new Spanish ministry in Naples, Fla.

Labels: education, events, faith, spanish

This is one of the most frequently asked questions of HispanicNashville.com: Are there Spanish conversation groups in Nashville?

The answer is, yes.

There are at least three Spanish conversation groups in Nashville. For more information, see the summaries and the links to each program below:

Charlemos Spanish

Charlemos Spanish, a conversation group for all ages, meets at the Palette Gallery 'n' Café (2119 Belcourt Ave. in Hillsboro Village) the second and fourth Thursday of each month from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. There is no cost to attend or join. Each meeting begins with a presentation, in Spanish, by a guest speaker. For more about speakers, see our Program Speakers page. For a schedule of upcoming meetings, visit the Sister Cities Calendar. Please contact Elizabeth Worrell Braswell (elizworrell@comcast.net) for more information.

Nashville Spanish Language Meetup Group

Bienvenidos, amigos! If you're interested in the Spanish language and Latin culture, come to our meetups and get to know other folks with the same interests. We come from many different Latin American countries, Spain, and of course the U.S. With weekly meetups, regular salsa parties (with our own DJs), and the occasional movie or other activity, there are plenty of opportunities to practice your dusty old high school Spanish. Don't be shy! Come hang out with us. Questions? Send us an email. Everybody welcome.

Conexion Americas' Conversemos Language Exchange Program

Sign up for the Conversemos Language Exchange Program! We have openings available for English speakers who need to improve their ability to communicate in Spanish (particularly conversation skills). Volunteer language mentors are willing to help you with Spanish, while you help them practice and improve their English.

Illustration of multilingual conversation by Markus Koljonen. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Labels: english, events, faq, spanish

"Nothing in their life to look forward to ... until now"

From Mick Antanaitis, in the Belmont Church "Plog":

Triqui Indians in the state of Oaxaca have the reputation of being an ornery, reclusive, emotionally explosive, and, even violent, people. They fight. They fight with each other—other Triqui clans, villages, and political parties. They fight with other indigenous tribes. They fight with the police and the authorities. They fight with machetes, knives, arson fires, and guns. Just a few weeks ago, two young female Triqui political activists were killed nearby in cold blood. Many other killings are long unsolved. No one talks to outsiders. There is no need. They take care of their own business in their own ways.

“Outsiders” and their influences are generally not tolerated for long. It is not just Christian missionaries who have been run out of their areas, but all kinds of “outsiders.” The gospel has not penetrated very far into the Triqui culture—not from a lack of great trying on the part of some heroic missionaries from all kinds of places and over a long period of time. But it has been tough for the gospel to find the fertile soil that we know exists somewhere among the Triqui people.

However, something new, and incredible, is afoot. At least these 20-25 Triquis are defying the conventional notion that the Triquis will likely remain unresponsive to the message of God found in the Bible for all people. When asked why they come 45 minutes before the 8:00 start time, the elderly couple who arrive first say that for so many, many years they had nothing in their lives that they looked forward to—nothing. But now, they can’t wait for Sunday morning to come. They start thinking about and preparing for the journey on Friday. They can’t wait to fellowship with the others, to enjoy a hot breakfast together provided by their parent Mixteco Indian congregation, to sing songs in their Triqui language, to have the Bible read aloud in Triqui, to have the word taught and explained, to have a safe place to encounter Jesus, to meet other members of the family of God who speak Mixteco, Spanish, and, today, English.

From InTheseTimes.com:

For centuries, the small Triqui indigenous region — a 300 square-mile green oasis situated in the middle of the dry and eroded indigenous Mixteca region of western Oaxaca — has been known for endemic violence. The Triquis resisted Spanish colonial incursions and, in 1823, were the first indigenous people to rise up against the independent Mexican state, successfully beating back an attempt to evict them from their land.

After the Triquis were victorious in defending their territory in two wars — one in 1823, the other in 1843 — the Mexican government decided to shift its approach from direct, armed confrontation to a divide-and-conquer strategy, says Francisco L — pez Bárcenas, a Mixtec indigenous lawyer, historian and author of the forthcoming, San Juan Copala: Political Domination and Popular Resistance.

From the late 19th century to the present, internal divisions in the Triqui region, fomented by the state government, have led to cycles of political killings and massacres.

Labels: english, faith, mexico, spain, spanish

Overbrook student and columnist's late mother among donors

$400,000 loan from diocese keeps doors open, donations still needed

"More than a church ... a refuge"

"My friend goes to that church and I wanted her to be able to keep going there"

By TIM CHÁVEZ
for HispanicNashville.com

For 6-year-old Elizabeth, the answer to the question about giving to save Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Nashville was simple:

I wanted to send money because I wanted to help the church. I had saved money from the tooth fairy and from cleaning out the car so I wanted to help the people at the church. I know God would appreciate that. My friend goes to that church and I wanted her to be able to keep going there.

For 81-year-old Vita Hernandez Chávez, the answer was a matter of honoring a central figure of her faith and culture.

Mary the Mother of God, in her only appearance in this hemisphere, blessed this world with her presence over four days in December 1531 to an Indian man, Juan Diego. He had been widowed from his wife, cared for his sick uncle and survived the Spanish Conquest that butchered tens of thousands of indigenous people. St. Juan Diego also survived the local Aztecs, who sacrificed hundreds of thousands of lives for years in worship of a serpent God.

Into this evil, Our Lady of Guadalupe with her dark skin appeared at a hilltop wasteland five miles north of Mexico City.

She promised to be a protectress. And as Pope John Paul II noted almost five centuries later, her appearance was meant to unite the European and indigenous people. The Spaniards came to Mexico and the New World at the direction of Spain's Queen Isabella. And Vita as a Mexican-American was descended from Juan Diego and the indigenous people.

So within weeks of one another, Elizabeth from Overbrook School gave all she had, $7, and Vita from her Oklahoma City nursing home bed gave $7,000 -- both sums to keep open Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Nashville. One inspired the other. And Europe and Mexico were united by Our Lady of Guadalupe according to John Paul's vision.

For the past 45 days, raising funds to save Our Lady's has been difficult approaching a June 30 deadline to pay off the church's debt in an economic recession. But the miraculous acts of giving like those of Elizabeth and Vita have inspired advocates onward.

Sunday, Father Fernando Garcia and parishoners of Our Lady's hosted Nashville, opening their doors Sunday afternoon to give tours and cook food for more than 100 Anglo brothers and sisters united by a love for Our Lady of Guadalupe and her son, Jesus Christ. One set of people had given and one set had of people received, and they showed off the marvelous things they have done with this investment. With their own sweat, they've refurbished the former Baptist church and molded young minds in the faith of generations since St. Juan Diego. Incredible.

And to see the pride on these Hispanic faces was priceless and worth so much more to the heart than the despair in fearful faces being deported and harrassed.

Sadly, Nashville's Big Three TV news media weren't present, at least from what I could see, and from watching early evening newscasts. How sad and telling. If an undocumented worker been arrested, or immigration officials had conducted another raid of a worpklace, or some fool in Spring Hill was protesting his son's class singing a national hymn in Spanish as a class project, or some silly politician and his narrow-minded friends propose a ridiculous referendum about the obvious of speaking English but the unnecessary hate of a mandate or someone had complained about Electrolux in Springfield hiring undocumented workers, then the stories would have led the newscasts..

Ironically, NewsChannel 5's anchor on Sunday was reporter Scott Arnold, who used several days of airtime to chronicle the wrongs of Electrolux and undocumented workers and their families on the pitiful souls of native folks in Springfield. Yet Arnold apparently couldn't bother to drive only a few miles to Our Lady's and bring a camera for a few seconds of Hispanics in a positive light on Sunday evening's newscast.

Positive news about Hispanics and amazing stories of giving across ethnicities aren't considered newsworthy. Instead, we have to hear about a Titan player being arrested for DUI and people being killed on a railroad and a Goodlettsville man stabbing his roommates.

God help us. No wonder people are deserting the mainstream news media. Mr. Arnold, people want stories of hope, and you and your colleagues missed a big story of hope -- and achievement over adversity -- Sunday afternoon. Don't complain that you didn't know. If you didn't know, then you are either not trusted by the Hispanic community to be fair or you're not interested in being connected to a people who live just a few miles from your station.

It is your viewers' great loss, because Elizabeth inspired Vita and vice versa. Elizabeth's Spanish teacher told her students about the plight of Our Lady's and Hispanic families in Nashville from reading my column on John Lamb's provocative website, the Hispanic Nashville Notebook. The column included mention of Vita's initial gift of $3,000 to Our Lady in honor of her marriage to Natalio Chavez more than five decades ago at a church of the same name in a Topeka, KS, barrio.

So on the last day of school, Elizabeth brought $7 from her piggybank and gave it to her teacher. Elizabeth left a lot of adults on the Dominican Campus in tears with the purity of her gift. In honoring Our Lady, she also answered Pope Benedict's appeal to Americans to protect our immigrant brothers and sisters.

Our Lady's in Nashville is the largest Catholic church in the diocese and Tennessee, says the Rev. Joe Pat Breen, pastor of nearby St. Edward Catholic Church. The good people of Our Lady's have contributed to save their church -- almost $75,000 -- while still supporting daily operations, staff and services to the community.

Parishoners at nearby St. Edward keep giving $3,000 to $4,000 per week for a total of more than $300,000 over the past year.

The effort to create Our Lady's is the dream of Father Breen. It was made possible through the generosity of the late Rev. Paul Durham's family that offered the land and buildings for less a third of their appraised value. Breen and Durham were good friends. Finally, it took the generosity of three local Catholics who put up the $1.5 million a year ago to allow time for fundraising. They've also paid an additional $70,000 in interest costs over the past 12 months. Those three Catholics come from St. Henry's, The Cathedral and Christ the King. They're being repaid so they can spread their giving to others in need.

Our Lady's is more than a church, or a "temple" as to the Holy Mother's wishes almost five centuries ago. It is a place of refuge for a people beset by politics and demonization from the heinous 287(g) deportation program enacted by Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall and supported by U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, Rep. Marsha Blackburn and Sen. Lamar Alexander.

Within Our Lady's walls, no one is a stranger and love and compassion are unconditional. As the greatest American in our history -- the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. -- said: "Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds."

I realize my African-American brothers and sisters in Nashville know what it is like to mistreated and persecuted and your good news ignored by the mainstream news media. Let us join in our suffering and support one another in pursuit of justice for all. Perhaps we can do it in the upcoming general election. We'll come to your churches or host you in ours; we're united by the same God and cause.

For Our Lady's, we're still $400,000 short of the goal of $1.5 million to pay off the church's debt by June 30. Just to get to this point, besides the giving of Elizabeth and Vita, we have been very blessed. A stunning $100,000 donation came from St. Philip Catholic Church in Franklin and the good Father Kirk. Holy Family Catholic Church and the good Father Alberts in Brentwood gave $25,000 despite being in the middle of their own building project. God bless both congregations.

How that's for crossing county and ethnic lines as Our Lady of Guadalupe promised?

The good sisters at the Dominican Campus in Nashville have given $500. And they are the ones who are educating Elizabeth, besides her fine parents.

In these last seven days, we will be saying more prayers and asking for more miracles of giving. And we will remember Our Lady's words, as taken from the website www.guadalupeshrine.org:

Am I not here, I who am your mother? Are you not in my shadow, under my protection? Am I not the fountain of your joy? Are you not in the fold of my mantle, in my crossed arms? Is there anything else you need?

Father Breen has successfully talked with the diocese to make a loan available to Our Lady's after June 30. Technically, Our Lady's is now saved. But it is not the best situation. The good people at Our Lady's really do not earn enough for the church to pay for its operations and social services -- and pay off a $400,000 loan each month. That's why we are praying over these last seven days for more gifts from $7 to $7,000 to make the loan payment more affordable.

Catholic Charities under the leadership of Nashville attorney Gregg Ramos will be opening an office at Our Lady's. That's positive news to start these last seven days. In the coming week, we must not fail extraordinary people of faith such as Elizabeth, 6, and Vita, 81.

In the early morning hours of June 7, on her mother's birthday, Vita Hernandez Chavez slipped away in her sleep under the watch of Our Lady to be reunited with her three sisters and Mama in heaven. Her devotion was rewarded.

She is missed desperately by those who adored her, including me, her son. She remains a marvelous mother and friend, who got me involved in political writing.

Her faith and devotion to Our Lady also remain alive in Elizabeth, who by God's grace and loving parents has many more decades of giving to inspire.

With Vita gone on to her eternal reward, Elizabeth now looks to us and how we will respond to their gifts from the heart. For these two marvelous souls from different cultures but one love of God, please consider giving to Our Lady's and build on the miracles of hope and faith for a better Nashville and world.

(Tim Chávez was a political columnist for 10 years with The Tennnessean newspaper in Nashville. For the past five years, he has been a regular contributor of political commentary to Hispanic Link News Service in Washington, D.C. and distributed over the Scripps-Howard News Service. He publishes a new political blog, Political Salsa, at politicalsalsa.com)

FOR OUR LADY's and ELIZABETH and VITA:

* Go to www.stedward.org. On the left side of the home page is a box labeled "Our Lady's". Click there and you can view a presentation about the church. Or you can go directly to a credit card form to donate.

* If you want to use mail, send your contributions to St. Edward Catholic Church, 188 Thompson Lane, Nashville, TN 37211. On a bottom corner of the envelope, write "For Our Lady's".

* Checks should be made out to St. Edward Catholic Church but put "Our Lady of Guadalupe" in the "memo" part of the check.

* If you would like someone to come to your organization or place of worship to speak about Our Lady's and answer questions, please e-mail me at timchavez787@yahoo.com. I'll be there at any time, day or place, for Catholics or non-Catholics, believers or non-believers. All are good people.

* If you can't give, you have our prayers that God will bless you in your difficult times. Remember, Our Lady of Guadalupe is there for you, too.

Photo of Virgin by Chris Short. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Photo of Elizabeth courtesy of her mother Carolyn and also of Overbrook School; Photo of Vita Chávez courtesy of Tim Chávez

Labels: 287g, faith, spanish, statistics

Nashville-based Musico a Musico, which conducts musician training for Spanish-speaking Christians around the world, will be starting a Spanish-language Worshiping Arts Academy in Nashville in conjunction with the Allegro Institute.

From the Musico a Musico blog:

The registration started for the Allegro Institute in Nashville, TN, the classes are Schedule to start Saturday July 12. There are many already signed up, and many interested and planning on registering. In Nashville, Allegro Institute will start this with a very important partnership with Músico a Músico in the city of Nashville. MaM is a ministry dedicated to have Congresos of praise, worship, and arts in different cities in the Latin world. The Allegro Institute is joining efforts with MaM to start this program in Nashville. We believe that this union and the classes from Allegro Institute/Músico a Músico in the city of Nashville, TN will be the beginning of a long project for both institutions.

The Director of Instituto Allegro/Músico a Músico in Nashville is Rachel Vasquez who has been working hard to have every detail ready for the start of the classes.

Labels: arts, faith, spanish

SPANISH-TV and the Nashville Zoo will host "Latino Day at the Zoo" on Sunday, June 1 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This is one of two events at the Zoo this year that will cater to Nashville's Hispanic fans of fauna. The other event is called Dia Familiar at Nashville Zoo and will be part of Conexion Americas' Hispanic Heritage Month celebration in September.

Here is the "Latino Day at the Zoo" press release:

SPANISH-TV Presents Latino Day at the Zoo

Nashville Zoo and SPANISH-TV present the first Latino Day at the Zoo on Sunday, June 1. Activities will run from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., and SPANISH-TV hosts Sheyla Paz Hicks, Raul López, Karina Camilo and Alexis Martinez will be at the Zoo meeting guests.

Translators will be stationed throughout the Zoo, and Spanish language
maps and map inserts outlining the day's activities will be available. The Zoo’s award-winning animal shows and Historic Home tours will be offered in Spanish. Zoo staff and docents will also work with translators to deliver educational presentations and answer guests’ questions about:

Hyacinth Macaws: 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Giraffes: 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Clouded Leopards: 10 a.m. – Noon
Gibbons: Noon – 1 p.m.
Bengal Tigers: 2 – 3 p.m.

Discounted admission coupons for Latino Day can be picked up at La Reyna Supermercado 1 & 2, Las Cazuelas Mexican Grill, La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant, Azeca Restaurant, Los Arcos, Jalisco Market, Periodico Latino Newspaper, La Campana Newspaper, Latina 900 AM and La Ley 1380 AM.

Latino Day at the Zoo is the result of a partnership between Nashville Zoo and SPANISH-TV. SPANISH-TV launched in 2006 and airs on Telemundo Nashville, Middle Tennessee’s sole Spanish-speaking network. For more information about SPANISH-TV, visit spanish-tvtucanal.com.

Nashville Zoo is accredited by the prestigious Association of Zoos and Aquariums, assuring the highest standards of animal care and husbandry. The Zoo is a non-profit organization located at 3777 Nolensville Road and is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. The mission of the Nashville Zoo is to inspire a culture of understanding and discovery of our natural world through conservation, innovation and leadership. For more information about Nashville Zoo, please call 833-1534 or visit our website at nashvillezoo.org

Photo by Jeffrey Peeden. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Labels: events, spanish

Torres: son of Peruvian immigrants, 3.9 GPA at Austin Peay, Purple Heart and Bronze Star

Espaillat: came to Maury County from Dominican Republic, honors at Spring Hill HS, enlisted week before 9/11

This Memorial Day, the Hispanic Nashville Notebook remembers two Hispanic servicemen who came to Tennessee before their names were added to the lists of the fallen:

Army Lt. Richard Torres was the first Austin Peay ROTC graduate killed in combat since the school began the program in 1971. ... Torres grew up in Passaic, New Jersey, the son of Peruvian immigrants Dora and Gulian Torres, and during his childhood he discovered his interest in military service. ... The Rev. Antonio Rodriguez, pastor at Holy Trinity Church, performed the liturgy in both English and Spanish for those who had traveled from Tennessee, Texas and Peru to pay their final respects. ... entered the Reserve Officers' Training Corps program at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn., where Torres got a three-year scholarship and maintained a 3.9 grade-point average. ... "His dream was to retire in the military and get his master's and teach at West Point. He said he wasn't going to stop until he got his doctorate. He said, 'Watch, one day, I'll be the president of the United States.' " ... Richard Torres was posthumously honored with a Purple Heart and the Bronze Star

Air Force Senior Airman Pedro I. Espaillat Jr. came to Maury County in 1993 with his mother and two brothers from the Dominican Republic. His father, an assembly worker at Saturn Corp., had arrived about three years earlier. ... a 2001 honors graduate at Spring Hill High School ... chose to enlist ... one week before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Labels: dominican republic, english, faith, immigrants, peru, spanish

Surgery, Spanish majors, call to missions result from visits to Central American nation

The Nashville City Paper reported here about Escarleth Betancourt-Gutierrez, a 15-year-old Honduran girl, and her spinal surgery in Nashville courtesy of support from Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, Dr. James Netterville, Dr. Greg Mencio, and Harpeth Hills Church of Christ:

Netterville discovered Escarleth’s condition two years ago and pulled strings to bring her to Nashville. Dr. Greg Mencio performed the spinal surgery for free and Netterville’s congregation donated the $5,000 for materials needed to perform the procedure.

Young members of the Harpeth Hills congregation have been inspired by their trips to Honduras, according to this report by proud grandfather Bailey McBride:

Savanna and her brother, Luke, have gone to Honduras since he was 16 and she was 13. They immediately made a connection with the children of Jovenes en Camino, an orphanage near Tegucigalpa. Through the years, they have strengthened their connections in Honduras. Both have studied Spanish in high school. Luke has recently returned from a Spanish immersion program in Costa Rica and will graduate from college with a Spanish major. Savanna will go to college this fall with five years of high school Spanish and plans to major in Spanish and prepare for a life of missions.

Photo: Escarleth Betancourt-Gutierrez and her mother (source: Vanderbilt Children's Hospital)

Labels: costa rica, faith, health, honduras, spanish

Contribution by Cesar A. Muedas

The Tennessean reports today on the award and ceremony as reproduced below.

Three Nashville-area public school principals were among 18 in Tennessee whom an education-focused organization recognized this week for excellence.
In a ceremony Monday at the state Capitol, the Education Consumers Foundation honored principals whom it called "the best of the best" in advancing students academically. Among them are:
• Mary Lou Del Rio of Paragon Mills Elementary in Metro Nashville.
• Brian Bass of Fairview Middle School in Williamson County.
• Johnny Chandler of Dickson Middle School in Dickson County.
The winners were selected from the more than 1,300 public elementary and middle schools statewide, based on year-to-year gains in reading and math. Schools whose students make the greatest annual achievement gains earn the highest value-added scores.

Mrs. Mary Lou Del Rio, an educator with more than 30 years of experience, is the wife of Mr. Luis del Rio, a retired coach, bilingual interpreter, and a prominent Cuban-American in the advisory board of COPLA (Comite de Padres Latinos, the council of Hispanic parents with children in Metro schools).

Labels: cuba, education, english, spanish

This Tennessean article contains its own roundup of Cinco de Mayo events at Agave Tequila Lounge, Lot 7, Sam's Place Sports Bar and Grill, The French Quarter Cafe, Lime, and Alleycat Lounge.

Then there's these other events:

The Fiesta Belmont on May 3, which the Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce* is sponsoring:

FIESTA BELMONT is a one day event that will be held at the campus of Belmont University on Saturday May 3 from 11 AM to 7 PM. This family oriented event will have food stands as well as LIVE MUSIC interpreted by several of our most prominent Hispanic performers including Belmont Salsa All-Stars, San Rafael Band, Ocho Treinta, Carlos Negron & Trabuko as well as our local Mexican Folkloric Dance Group. There will be games for children and most of all a wonderful opportunity to meet new friends and celebrate together our Cinco de Mayo.

There is a Cinco de Mayo Fair running now through Sunday May 4 at the Nashville Fairgrounds.

The Middle TN Hispanic Democrats (MTHD) are hosting a Cinco de Mayo Celebration and Fundraiser ($25 donation appreciated) on May 5 at 5:30pm. Contact info@mtnhd.org for details.

The Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce* sent more details about the French Quarter event listed in the Tennessean article above:

Every year on the fifth of May, party-goers look for the most unique venues to commemorate Mexican heritage and pride with festive music, décor, and drinks. This year, Nashvillians are in for a treat when Cerrito takes the stage at the French Quarter Café at 7:30 PM for his celebratory Spanish-English performance, and they can feel great about supporting the event as all proceeds from tickets will be donated to the "Make A Wish Foundation" in the hopes of fulfilling the dreams of terminally ill children.

"Cinco de Mayo is such a great time of year to show appreciation for Spanish-influenced music, and we are really looking forward to putting on a great show," says Cerrito.

"We are so delighted to celebrate Cinco De Mayo with Cerrito, and help grant a wish in the process.

Events like this are a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness and support for wish kids in the 38 counties that we serve," says Michelle Rosen with Make a Wish Foundation of Middle Tennessee.Make a Wish will have a child on-site that will personally benefit from the donations and share the story behind their wish.

Cerrito became immersed in the Spanish-English music scene while performing for years with legendary flamenco guitarist Charo. Cerrito then moved on to San Antonio, TX where he headlined his own show at the Arneson River Theatre on the river performing traditional country music (in English and Spanish) in front of ravenous audiences who seemed to want more. Cerrito found his place in the Country Music scene.

Cerrito's interest and success in learning to translate traditional country music to the Spanish language opened doors to a number of opportunities. Renowned Nashville producer Byron Gallimore approached Cerrito with the request to translate Tim McGraw's hit record "Re-fried Dreams," and the Country Music Association, Nashville, solicited him to perform on stage at the first "Fiesta Nashville" show--Fan Fair 2001.

Fans are guaranteed an evening full of entertainment, some culture, as well as some great prizes for their donation at the door!

For more information, please visit
www.cerritomusic.com

Labels: country music, english, events, spanish

In the City of Sylvia sells out quickly

The Nashville Scene's recap of the first few days of the Nashville Film Festival ("NaFF") mentioned the popularity of a (barely) Spanish-language film:

It was a good sign when a near-wordless art film, Jose Luis Guerin’s gorgeous Spanish-language reverie In the City of Sylvia, sold out its one screening so fast it had to be moved to a larger auditorium.

Labels: arts, spanish

San Antonio headline says "a haven for refugees, immigrants, but tune may be changing"

National columnist ponders bans of taco carts, Spanish-language books

"Americans in name only"

Karl Dean: "There should be no question that we are a welcoming city"

The San Antonio Express-News web site MySA.com and nationally syndicated columnist Ruben Navarette both refer to Nashville in recent pieces about immigration. The immigration issue, which is purportedly about the borders, has repeatedly (here, here and here, to name a few) affected the image that Nashville tries to paint for individuals and business looking to visit or relocate to Music City.

The Express-News story points out Nashville's welcoming reputation but wonders aloud if that reputation is at risk with the weaponization of the immigration debate. A Nashville shopowner is quoted as saying that learning the language and following the law will insulate immigrants from animosity, but columnist Navarrette is not so sure. Navarrette focuses on the impact of the immigration debate on Hispanics in general, many of whom are not immigrants. In his column, Navarrette cites at least one and maybe two Tennessee incidents targeting Hispanics in general. The Hispanic Nashville Notebook has documented similar troubling incidents in and around Nashville, in which immigration status is not the sole focus of animosity (see stories here and here).

From MySA.com:

Many foreign newcomers still find Nashville more open to them than other U.S. cities polarized by immigration controversies — but the honeymoon seems to be coming to an abrupt end.
...
In Nashville, it's the opening of places such as Super Mercado Latino, Coco Loco restaurant or Salón de Belleza Internacional that's sparking animosity.
...
One is the Cyber Café, opened four years ago by Gerardo Mendoza. The Mexico City native has lived in Nashville for 14 years — and can't remember a single Hispanic-owned shop when he moved here. He considers it a much better place for immigrants than Houston, where he previously lived.

"Now that there's lots of us, they don't want us here anymore," said Mendoza, 34. "But I don't think it's racism as much as wanting things done right. If you follow the law and learn English, you're fine."

From Navarrette:

You might live in Colorado or New Mexico or Arizona and come from a family that has lived in the United States for several generations. And yet, your citizenship is being challenged by nativists who paint with a broad brush. [Commenters on the Tennessean's recent profile of Ramon Cisneros openly questioned his legal status; those comments and others were later deleted by the Tennessean. -ed.] All they see is your skin color or surname and, from this, they conclude that -- unless you go along with every harebrained scheme to combat illegal immigration -- you're, as one reader recently informed me, "an American in name only." How do you suppose Hispanics will react?
...
Part of the problem is that the right-wingers weren't content to just attack illegal immigrants. They had to attack an entire culture, which is shared by legal immigrants and U.S.-born Hispanics. And so, a discussion that should have been about exactly three things -- improving border security, smoothing the path for legal immigrants, and deciding the fate of 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States -- became about outlawing taco trucks, limiting the number of people in a home, blasting pizza parlors for taking pesos, banning Spanish language library books, and other nonsense.

When Navarrette speaks of outlawing taco trucks, he is speaking of Nashville. He mentioned Nashville specifically in this previous column on the subject. The reference to bans of Spanish-language books may or may not refer to Middle Tennessee. Nearby Marshall County rejected a local teacher's proposal to eliminate that city's foreign-language collection (story here).

The negativity against Hispanics in general that Navarrette reveals is a poisonous side effect of weaponizing the immigration debate, and it wasn't unexpected. See this earlier story in the Hispanic Nashville Notebook:

At the national and even the local level, there were warnings about the cost of a spiraling negativity towards Hispanics in general in the context of immigration. In 2005, U.S. Representative Jim Cooper (D-Nashville) called on Nashville's business community to "stand up and make a difference, otherwise the debate on this could get out of control in a hurry" (story here). That same year, former Bush White House official Leslie Sanchez warned Republicans against fanning the intensity of immigration politics "into an anti-Hispanic free-for-all" (story here). Acknowledging and apologizing for that free-for-all in Nashville last Saturday was U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Sam Brownback (R-Kansas), who "[asked] a Hispanic man onstage for forgiveness for the negative tone Washington's immigration debate has taken," and said, "'We want you in America. We love you and ask you to forgive us for these negative comments'" (story here).

Early in 2007, Governor Phil Bredesen condemned the spillover:

"Illegal immigration is bad. It is OK to fight it," he said. "But when that starts slopping over into ‘We’re opposed to anybody who speaks Spanish or we’re opposed to anybody who’s not American-born,’ I think you get into very, very bad territory. And there’s been some of that."

Nashville mayors have consistently promoted Nashville's reputation of hospitality. Former Mayor Bill Purcell said in February 2007, "The great overarching truth in our success in this still new century is that we are a welcoming, inclusive, and friendly people and place." Current Mayor Karl Dean said in October 2007, "There should be no question that we are a welcoming city."

Whether those mayoral statements register outside of Nashville appears to be subject, in part, to ongoing local behavior and speech regarding immigrants and the laws that apply to them, and regarding Hispanics in general.

May we all heed these Nashvillians' calls to resist negativity, be neighbors and love our neighbors, and speak out instead of being silent.

Photo by Nick Wheeler. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Labels: immigrants, negativity, spanish

The Chattanooga Times Free Press notes in this article that Spanish Mass was a priority in Nashville at least 20 years ago:

The Rev. George E. Schmidt, pastor of Sts. Peter & Paul Church, said the then-Diocese of Nashville recognized the influx of immigrants more than 20 years ago when it assigned a priest to hold a monthly Spanish Mass in Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga and the Tri-Cities.

Photo by Jerry "Woody". Licensed under Creative Commons.

Labels: faith, spanish

Angry listeners don't see through prank and bemoan supposed change

A Nashville radio personality tested the limits of the April Fools' art form with a fake format change supposedly designed to attract Spanish-speaking listeners. CMT's Country Music Blog describes the April Fools' joke crafted by WSIX's Gerry House this year, which was that the country music station would try to broaden its listener base by playing some Spanish-language songs in the rotation.

After issuing the phony announcement and playing some songs en español, here is what happened:

House opened his phone lines and listeners started calling in. Did they ever. And most of them were angry. Angry that another culture was being "forced" on them. Vowed to leave the station and never return. Forget the fact that Spanish-language singers and writers are a big part of country music history. I guess House waited too long to remind his listeners that it was April Fool's Day. Oh - and then he played the new single by Gone Country winner Julio Iglesias Jr. and invited listeners to vote on that song.

This particular joke comes during an increasing push to fight negativity against Hispanics, African-Americans, immigrants, and/or Spanish-speakers (see this round-up or today's Tennessean story). According to this article about April Fools Day in the Altoona (PA) Mirror, an artful prank does two things: it builds comraderie, and it doesn't hurt anyone. Reader comments on the CMT Country Music blog post criticize both House and his listeners for the negativity generated by the stunt.

As the CMT blog points out, however, the fake news at the heart of the prank was not entirely unimaginable, since Spanish-language songs are a part of country music's past and present. See previous Hispanic Nashville Notebook stories on Freddy Fender and Julio Iglesia's Gone Country win.

Labels: arts, country music, negativity, spanish

Born in Sacramento

Mexican-American family

Grew up hearing Spanish and answering in English

Eric Volz, the immigrant from Nashville to Nicaragua who was cleared of a murder conviction in that Central American country in a case that is still not over, told a group of Belmont University students about the Hispanic portions of his autobiography in the context of a media ethics lecture.

Excerpts from the Tennessean:

Volz was born and raised in Sacramento and considers himself a Californian. He was 13 when his father, a musician, decided to move to Nashville to pursue a musical career.

Growing up, family members spoke to Volz in Spanish and he would answer in English.

His Mexican grandfather was the catalyst for his immersion.

"It was because of him that I really learned the language," Volz said in Spanish. "I learned about the culture, how to read it, write it and talk with the accent."

Volz's Mexican-American family lived in border towns. His mother, Maggie Anthony, was raised in Nogales, Ariz.

He went to several high schools and remained interested in Latin America and added another hobby — photography. He went to school at the University of California, San Diego, and majored in Latin American cultural studies.

Photo source: Friends of Eric Volz

Labels: english, immigrants, mexico, nicaragua, spanish

Goodpasture Christian graduate with Cuban heritage, founded Nashville law firm

Nashville attorney Marc Walwyn is in his last year as chairman of the board of directors of the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce*, which is more commonly associated with its President, Yuri Cunza. Walwyn addressed the group in its recent annual meeting (text of address below), highlighting increased influence and interaction with other local and national groups. Profiles of the full board are available here, including one of Walwyn:

Marc Walwyn is an attorney of Cuban heritage and the founder of the only certified minority owned law firm in Tennessee. Marc is very proud that his lawyers and staff speak to clients in their own language which include Portuguese, Korean and Spanish. While serving large American companies, Walwyn takes pride on serving families and those who need an advocate. He served as an Administrative Law Judge in Chicago before returning to his home town of Nashville. Marc graduated from Goodpasture Christian High School, obtained his B.A. from Carleton College in Minnesota, and graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School where he served as Administrative Editor of the Wisconsin Law Review.

Walwyn's address to members of the chamber:

Dear members,

Last year has been both challenging and exciting for the NAHCC. Re energized by our successes we at the NAHCC will continue the work that will strengthen our Hispanic businesses and aggressively move the NAHCC forward.

This work cannot be done unless we all team up JUNTOS, because TOGETHER we can make a difference.

Serving as NAHCC Chairman has given me the opportunity to work with our Board of Directors to move the organization towards financial self-sufficiency.

This is a hard task for any volunteer board; I am very appreciative to those who have invested time and effort to advance the work of the NAHCC.

To our Board, President, staff and volunteers: THANK YOU for your determination and hard work.

Highlights from last year include our increased our influence and participation with the mainstream business community and government. We are here to serve our members, but to serve our members we are to work diligently, creating opportunities, building the much needed trust, creating a bridge between communities. In order to move forward the PARTICIPATION of all of us is needed.

To our members and supporters who helped us this past year, we THANK YOU for your time and commitment. JUNTOS we are creating a better Nashville for all.

Gracias
Marc Walwyn
NAHCC Chair 2006-2008

Upcoming events and announcements can be found on the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber's web site.

Labels: chambers, cuba, events, spanish

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

Murfreesboro to give all PD employees "survival Spanish" by end of year

The Tennessean reported here about a program for Hendersonville employees that "gives them the chance to earn $2,500 if they get credentialed as Spanish court interpreters and an additional $2,500 if they stay with the city for two years."

The article also said that half of Murfreesboro's 271-employee police department was trained in "survival Spanish" last year, and "the rest are expected to train this year." There is no mention of any financial compensation for the Murfreesboro employees.

Photo by TW Collins. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Labels: education, justice, spanish

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

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

Partnership between MADD, Governor’s Highway Safety Office, and Conexión Américas

Story-based ads appeal to identity as provider

MADD held a press conference last Friday to announce a new campaign to educate Spanish-speaking men in Middle Tennessee about the dangers of drunk driving. Funded by federal money administered through a grant from the Governor's Highway Safety Office ("GHSO"), the campaign furthers the GHSO's bottom-line goal of saving lives by closing a gap in messaging, according to Kendell Poole, GHSO Director.

Some materials for the new initiative are borrowed from a similar effort by El Pueblo of North Carolina, which has images of the print ads on its web site here.

The press release is as follows:

MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) is pleased to announce the launch of the 2008 Spanish Language Drunk driving prevention campaign funded by the Governor's Highway Safety Office and conducted with the aid of Conexión Américas. The slogan for this campaign is:

¿Manejar Borracho? !No seas tonto Muchacho!

Roughly translated this means, "Drive Drunk? Don’t be crazy man!" The campaign is geared toward providing Spanish language, culturally relevant education about the dangers and consequences of driving drunk with a goal of preventing drunk driving in the Hispanic community. The campaign will include television, radio and newspaper public service announcements along with educational booklets, posters, and key chains.

As our population of Spanish-speaking individuals grows throughout our state, we must provide education and awareness programming that addresses the seriousness of driving drunk. The goal of this campaign is to reduce the incidence of drunk driving in the Hispanic community throughout Middle Tennessee.

MADD and Conexion Americas conducted a smaller campaign in Middle Tennessee during the holiday season of 2006 (story here).

Labels: spanish

Bilingual facilitators are needed for a Hispanic educational program to be conducted by Students Taking a Right Stand (STARS). According to Vanderbilt grad student and STARS intern Jacqueline DeSelms-Wolfe, STARS plans to expand its Strengthening Families Program (SFP) to the Hispanic population in Nashville, and bilingual and bicultural facilitators are needed.

SFP is an evidence- and video-based curriculum that has been shown to reduce adolescent at-risk behavior and to increase family cohesion. The 7- to 10-week series deals with family issues that may arise in relationship to disc