Thread: Latino Commission Makes First Stop in Chicago

Latino Commission Makes First Stop in Chicago
By Alex Perez
NBCChicago.com NBCChicago.com
updated 11/12/2010 10:15:20 PM ET 2010-11-13T03:15:20

Chicago on Friday was the first stop in an eight city nationwide tour gathering ideas on how to best address the concerns facing the Latino community.

The American Bar Association's Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights and Responsibilities met at the Loyola University Chicago School of Law with one goal: finding a unified voice for America's Latinos.

The conference brought together political, legal and community leaders to discuss issues like access to services and immigration reform.

There are an estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States, and the president of the National Council of La Raza said she hopes people don't confused calls for reform with legal leniency.

"When we support immigration reform, we recognize and understand that security and enforcement must be part of the equation," said Janet MurguÃ*a.

The commission is the brainchild of Stephen Zach, the first Latino president of the American Bar Association. He pointed out that roughly 30,000 Hispanics will turn 18 years of age every month for the next 20 years.

Getting non-Latinos involved, he said, is an important part of the conversation.

"We're all immigrants here. And how we treat each generation of immigrants is important for the very fabric of our society," said Zach.

Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez agrees.

"It's always better to collaborate and think of new ways we can attack the problems," she said.

The opinions and ideas will all be compiled and presented to policy makers in Washington, D.C. in about a year.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40160963

"When we support immigration reform, we recognize and understand that security and enforcement must be part of the equation," said Janet MurguÃ*a.

The new "soft peddle" approach.

The "We are immigrants" won't cut it because other immigrant groups came legally and didn't live from the government trough and demaded the entire country accomodate them. They either worked and assimilated or they didn't survive JMO

Nov. 12, 2010 Midwest Hearing
Inaugural Regional Hearing
November 12, 2010 ♦ 9:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Hosted by: Loyola University Chicago Law School
Regents Hall, Lewis Tower, 16th Floor
111 East Pearson (one block west of Michigan Ave.), Chicago, IL

9:00 a.m. Hearing Called to Order

Welcome & Special Greetings

Cesar Alvarez, Chair
American Bar Association Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights & Responsibilities

David Yellen, Dean
Loyola University Chicago School of Law

Stephen N. Zack, President
American Bar Association

Presentation of Testimony
Jenny Rivera, Commissioner & Reporter
ABA Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights & Responsibilities

The State of Latinos in the U.S.
Janet Murguia, President & CEO
National Council of La Raza

The Housing Crisis: Foreclosures & Homelessness in the Latino Community
Hon. Jesse G. Reyes
Circuit Court of Cook County, Chancery Division

Dulce Quintero,
La Casa Norte

The Criminalization of Immigrants
Juan Salgado, President & CEO
Instituto del Progreso Latino

Fred Tsao, Policy Director
Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights

Access to the Courts
Anita Alvarez, Cook County State’s Attorney
Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office

Incorporation of written testimony
Cesar Alvarez, Chair
ABA Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights & Responsibilities

Witnesses, selected from on-line submissions, to be called before the Commission

Eric Berndt, Supervising Attorney, National Immigrant Justice Center, in conjunction with
Edwin Emilio Corbin-Gutierrez, Coalition Coordinator, Association of Latino Men for Action (ALMA)

Adria D. Maddaleni, President
Wisconsin Hispanic Lawyers Association

Refugio Gonzales, Directory & Community Liaison
Latino Affairs, Chicago Commission on Human Relations in conjunction with Access Living

Adela Carlin, Senior Attorney, Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago in conjunction with
Maria Pesqueira, Executive Director, Mujeres Latinas en Acción

Edie Diaz, Executive Special Assistant for Latino Affairs
Executive Office, Chicago Housing Author

Closing Remarks & Adjournment

Closing Remarks
Hon. Bill Richardson, Governor
State of New Mexico
& Honorary Co-chair, ABA Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights & Responsibilities

Hearing Adjourned
Cesar Alvarez, Chair
ABA Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights & Responsibilities

http://www.abanet.org/chlrr/

The "Latino" advocacy organizations are funded racism seeking special rights instead of equal rights and the fact that the ABA has a "commission" on such shows why Judges, Legislators, Politicians and Governors, many of whom are lawyers have collectively sold out the American People.

But guess what? When you cry wolf too many times as these Latino advocacy groups have done, the people who matter stop listening, turn their backs and walk away and aren't there when you really need their support for something real.

Wake up Americans of Hispanic and Latino descent. Don't you see that these race-based advocacy groups haven't done a thing for you except flood the labor and business markets with foreign competition you try to survive in just like every other American? Don't you see that they're exploiting your heritage to exploit you?

I am so sick of hearing about "latino" this and "latino" that

I am of the mind that if they want to be separate and apart , then they had best look for a new country , I (imo) do not want them here , legal or not if they feel they have to have special privileges just because they are latino

Your either an American , or your not

racist? , you know , I might just be getting close

Luis G. not invited?

finding a unified voice for America's Latinos.

Right there I gagged. I'm all for American Latinos having a voice but not this BS!