Thread: Commission urging Hispanic parents to get involved

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2007/a ... ts-to-get/

Evansville schools need to find ways to get Hispanic parents more involved in their children's school activities, and the city should organize a festival to celebrate the Hispanic culture, local leaders told a representative of a state commission on Hispanic and Latino Affairs recently.

Those were among the ideas discussed Friday at the Indiana Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs' regional meeting. Executive Director Amy Mendoza said the state's Hispanic population is continuing to grow, especially in rural areas surrounding Indianapolis. Evansville's Hispanic population is estimated at 1,665, according to the commission.

Alfonso Vidal, president of the Evansville-based Hospitality and Outreach for Latin Americans (HOLA), said that number is much greater. He believes there may be as many as 8,000 Hispanics living in Vanderburgh County. Vidal is also the governor's appointee for the commission.

The commission studies economic, educational and social issues affecting the Hispanic community. Their research and studies are presented to state leaders and the public.

One problem area in the Hispanic community is the high school dropout rate. More than 50 percent of Hispanics statewide don't finish high school, Mendoza said.

"The achievement gap is such a complex issue," she said.

The commission is also trying to find ways to increase the number of Hispanic-owned businesses. Mendoza said there are only 64 state-certified Hispanic-owned businesses. Vidal said there is only one in Evansville.

The state has also pushed for an increase in the number of Spanish-speaking government employees at government offices.

The Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corp. recently hired a bilingual social worker who is Hispanic, said Cathlin Gray, executive director of strategic planning and school community council. Gray said she hopes the social worker will help identify issues among Hispanic students in Evansville schools.

Gray said parents of Hispanic children are very interested in their children's education. But Vidal said some parents may not know how to get involved because of the language barrier. Vidal said he was hopeful the city could organize a Hispanic festival to celebrate their heritage. Gray said those are the kind of events that help keep Hispanic families in Evansville.

A statewide conference on Hispanic/Latino issues is slated for Oct. 16 at the Sheraton Hotel & Suites in Indianapolis. Titled "Empowering Hispanic/Latino Hoosiers for a Stronger Indiana," the conference will focus on leadership, immigration issues, education, health, business, economic development and social issues. For more information, call (317) 233-5048


What a crock of bull!
Our local govt. knows full well what our citizens want, and yet, they keep pushing these parasites down our throats.

I can't tell you how much this makes me want to hurl. Why should I celebrate the Hispanic culture? I live in the United States, for heaven's sake!!!

Should I go to a Chinese restaurant and order pizza? Should I go to a shoe store to buy a TV? Should I buy a lawn mower to vacuum my carpet? Should I read the New Testament to learn about Hinduism? Should I launch a boat to climb Mt. Everest?

This is the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. We celebrate the American culture here...apple pie, baseball, the English language, and the 4th of July. Screw Cinco de Mayo. Screw the Spanish language. Screw mariachi music and pinatas.

I will NOT celebrate the Hispanic culture in the United States, any more than I would hold a wet t-shirt contest in Iran.

I totally agree!!! It's outrageous. What happened to celebrating all cultures?? I'm so sick of this and "NO, I don't want to press #2 for Spanish". Should be ENGLISH only!

Teach them English and Ameican History and stop the damn sob stories . There goes another state Indiana, I was just counting the states affected by illegal immigration and I am telling you this is through out the whole United States, I would bet my life there is 50 million Illegals we are catering to a paying for in our own country!! We have got to STOP IT!!!

Originally Posted by SOSADFORUS

Teach them English and Ameican History and stop the damn sob stories . There goes another state Indiana, I was just counting the states affected by illegal immigration and I am telling you this is through out the whole United States, I would bet my life there is 50 million Illegals we are catering to a paying for in our own country!! We have got to STOP IT!!!

50 million is a good guess. It may well be higher.

The commission is also trying to find ways to increase the number of Hispanic-owned businesses.

WHY are they or do they care about INCREASING Hispanic-owned business???? What about black owned? Chinese owned? .......There seems to be a Mexican restaurant on every block in most towns and cities! What's the point of all this pandering??? They concerned about the Hispanic drop-out??? Why about other drop-outs? ITS THE CULTURE, STUPID!!!!!

They are all worked up because there is only ONE Hispanic owned business in Evansville!!!!! Did I miss something? Is there now affirmative action for businesses?? I'm sure if there was a need and someone with the resources, more would open it! STOP THE PANDERING and it's about time we went back to celebrating our own culture!!

It's not hard to see that these are some guilt-ridden white elites who are looking down on Hispanics and pretending to want to help them with their "dilemmas"!

Originally Posted by gofer

The commission is also trying to find ways to increase the number of Hispanic-owned businesses.

WHY are they or do they care about INCREASING Hispanic-owned business???? What about black owned? Chinese owned? .......There seems to be a Mexican restaurant on every block in most towns and cities! What's the point of all this pandering??? They concerned about the Hispanic drop-out??? Why about other drop-outs? ITS THE CULTURE, STUPID!!!!!

Because "gofer" it is all for the "Race" and nothing for anyone else!!! Our damn government!!!

Originally Posted by gofer

The commission is also trying to find ways to increase the number of Hispanic-owned businesses.

WHY are they or do they care about INCREASING Hispanic-owned business???? What about black owned? Chinese owned? .......There seems to be a Mexican restaurant on every block in most towns and cities! What's the point of all this pandering??? They concerned about the Hispanic drop-out??? Why about other drop-outs? ITS THE CULTURE, STUPID!!!!!

How is having more taco stands going to encourage Hispanics to stay in high school???

They're too preoccupied with finding ways to circumvent our laws, steal identities, forge documents, and scam welfare to be concerned with their children and school activities.

They don't value education because they expect to have everything handed to them on a silver platter. Their parasitic mentally is ingrained.

HOLA is just try to "farm" some money from the taxpayers to fund pseudo Hispanic "outreach" programs that nobody seems to know what they do and there is never any accountability. These idiot politicians just cough it up because they don't want to be seen as being discriminatory or racist. It's downright sickening to watch all this happening. These gutless wonders just give our Country away, a piece at at time.