Thread: Event fires up Hispanic youths

Event fires up Hispanic youthsConference attracts nearly 500 people to Fresno State.
By John Ellis / The Fresno Bee01/12/08 22:59:36
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Andy Moreno, a junior at Parlier High, came to the United States from Mexico as a child.

He talks to his parents and still maintains contact with his native country, but felt he was getting more stories than facts.

On Saturday, he came to the 35th annual Chican@ Youth Conference at Fresno State looking for some facts. And, Andy said, he got them.

"I'm proud to be both Mexican and American," he said. "I love both countries."

The annual conference -- which drew about 500 mostly high school and middle school students -- came a few months after the Pew Hispanic Center released a study titled "Between Here and There: How Attached Are Latino Immigrants To Their Native Country?"

Among the findings were that Hispanic immigrants who have been in the United States for decades -- as well as those who came here as children -- are less connected to their native countries than those who came more recently or as adults.

Giving Hispanics a better cultural awareness -- a historical perspective of where they came from -- is one of the goals of the event, said Sarina Iniguez-De La Rosa, a senior at California State University, Fresno, and one of the event organizers.

In addition, organizers stressed the importance of education, critical thinking and finding direction as students move into adulthood.

Another Pew Hispanic Center study found Hispanics have a higher high school dropout rate and a lower level of college completion than white students.

Ernesto Saavedra, one of the event organizers, said education can empower people -- and hopefully with education, they stay socially active to make society better.

"We try to expose them to alternative ways of thinking," said the Fresno State senior majoring in psychology and sociology.

This year's theme: "Educate Your Thinking."

After last year's event drew 250 people, organizers set a goal of 350 for this year. The nearly 500 attendees exceeded expectations and used up every box lunch that was ordered. It was sponsored by El Movimiento Estudiantil Chican@ de Aztlán, also known as MEChA; University Outreach Services; and the Chicano Latin American Studies Department.

One reason for the higher attendance is that organizers opened the event to junior high students and the public, Saavedra said.

Students listened to speakers, watched dancers and attended lectures on topics such as "Identity, Labels and Revolution," "Know Your Rights" and "American Muslim Youth."

Those interested in careers such as engineering got to hear from current Fresno State engineering students. The high school students asked about salaries and hours, and they learned that internships and grade-point average are very important.

The event drew attendees from far and wide.

Brian Preble, a counselor from Harden Middle School in Salinas, brought seven students from his newly created Impact Club. The club is geared primarily toward average students, and Preble hoped the conference would help inspire his students to think beyond high school graduation.

"I think it's needed -- outreach and exposure," he said. "How else can you know about university?"
The reporter can be reached at jellis@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6320.

http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/318985.html

First, anything that MECHA does is bad news....we all know that MECHA is a ethno-supremacist, Mexican/Chicano radical communist group. I'd steer my children away from anything that MECHA sponsors. Secondly, if these high school students didn't already know that GPA and rigor of curriculum is important already, then they've most likely already condemned themselves to the lowest form of "higher education" anyway. All American students starting in middle school should be taught by parents and teachers about the requirements of curriculum and GPA that different colleges require of viable candidates. Planning a high school curriculum to make a student a good candidate for selective/competitive or even open college admissions has to start in middle-school.

One reason why we need to get these illegals out and end birthright citizenship. It is scary to see what will happen when all these anchors are in charge 15-20 years from now-if it even takes that long.

I'm of German, Irish, American Indian descent but nobody has made an effort to connect me with where I came from!? Or others like me? How racist is that?

""Identity, Labels and Revolution,"


Are you scared yet?

You better be

Part of the problem is our public education. Never do these students learn American history in the true form, never do they get lessons on civics and half of them are taught "latino" pride before American pride. We've added fuel to the fire by letting these anchor babies stay, and them failing them and ourselves for generations to come. It is truly frightening.

They are attempting to get as many of their ilk into public office and power positions as possible - the ultimate goal being to overtake and run our country. They've already started with California and Miami.