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Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective and Emeline Michel

by Penny Zhou

Cultural archivists Andy Palacio and the Garifuna Collective bring the Afro-Caribbean soul of Belize to Stern Grove Festival. The multi-generational lineup of Garifuna musicians captivates audiences with their enchanting rhythms, powerful melodies, and a deep soulfulness that recalls the music of this unique and inspiring culture.

The concert will take place on Sunday, July 29 at 2:00 p.m., at Sigmund Stern Grove, located at 19th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard in San Francisco. Admission is free.

A pre-concert Troc Talk with Andy Palacio will take place before the concert in Stern Grove’s Trocadero Clubhouse.

Free Adult Vision Screening

Screening can help detect possible symptoms of glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetes, retinopathy, cataracts, and other conditions affecting sights. Early detection and treatment is important in preserving eyesight.

Free Adult Vision Screening for glaucoma and other vision problems will take place on Tuesday, July 17, 2007 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The screening will be held at the Prevent Blindness Office, located at 1388 Sutter Street, Suite 408 in San Francisco. It only takes about ten to fifteen minutes, and could save your sight. Appointments are required. Please call (415) 567-7500 for an appointment.

Main Library celebrates the magic of Harry Potter

On July 11, the Harry Potter Knight Bus will roll up to the Main Library. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., lucky young fans who were selected in a random drawing will be invited aboard the Knight Bus. If space allows, walk-ins may also be accommodated. A parent or guardian must be present to sign a release form for kids under age 18.

On July 21, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be released at exactly 12:01 a.m.

From July 24, the Bernal Heights Branch Library will host a Harry Potter Lunch Club. You can listen to a recording of the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows audiobook at the branch’s basement. One chapter will be played each day starting at 1 p.m.

Magician Rick Allen will perform as Myzard the Wizard in a Magic for Young Muggles show at the North Beach Branch at 2 p.m. on July 31, and at the Excelsior Branch at 3:30 p.m. on August 9.

All programs are free and open to the public. For more information, pelease call (415) 557-4277.

Son De Cali Concert

Son De Cali is regarded as one of the most promising and dynamic music groups on the music scene. The band consists of ex-Grupo Niche singers Javier Vazques and Willie Garcia.

Son De Cali delivers an explosive mix of tropical music rooted in traditional Colombian sounds. Their new album, including nine original tracks, is energetic and uplifting and they are on the top charts all over the world.

The concert will take place on Friday July 13, 2007, at 3140 Mission St. San Francisco. Tickets are on sale at all regular outlets. Doors open at 8 p.m. For more information, please call (415) 648-6611, or visit www.roccapulco.com.

Transformers comes out

by  Penny Zhou

An scene of the film, Transformers, written by Mexican screenwriter, will be released in theater nationwide on July 3.An scene of the film, Transformers, written by Mexican screenwriter, would be released in theater nationwide on July 3.

The hottest Hollywood action movie this summer, Transformers, would be coming out on July 3.

Transformers tells the story of a war between two robotic clans, the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, which takes place on the Earth, leaving the lives of mankind in serious danger.

Transformers was directed by Michael Bay (Pearl Harbor, The Island) and written by Mexican screenwriter Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, starring Shia LaBeouf (Disturbia), Tyrese Gibson (Four Brothers), Josh Duhamel (Turistas), Anthony Anderson (The Departed), John Turturro (The Good Sheperd), Jon Voight (National Treasure, Glory Road), and Latino Actor Amaury Nolasco (Prison Break, The Benchwarmers).

Transformers is expected to have a high standard of visual-effects and tensional plots. Also, the cast with young talented stars such as LaBeouf, Megan Fox and Duhamel, is quite eye-catching.

You may have seen the TV series or played with the toys decades ago, but it is still a good choice to see how transformers are in nowadays.

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After all, it shows how inhumane can the Senate be

by Marvin J Ramirez

Marvin RamirezMarvin Ramirez

While many were sad and disillusioned by the United States Senate decision to vote no to the immigration bill on June 28, others were rejoiced that this particular bill did not pass after all.

The largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), expressed profound disappointment after the Senate voted 53-46, defeating the bill.

The “action is a victory for the status quo, and no one should be happy about that. But the Senate vote is a setback, not the death knell, for comprehensive immigration reform. We are not giving up on getting a real, effective, and fair solution to the immigration issue,” stated Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO, in a statement to the press.

“Despite today’s vote, the country still needs leadership on this issue. There is bipartisan immigration reform legislation awaiting action in the U.S. House of Representatives, and supporters of comprehensive immigration reform will be looking to the House to take action as soon as possible,” continued Murguía.

Here in San Francisco, meanwhile, the decision was received with glee.

Renée Saucedo, director of the Day Labor Program in San Francisco, called the bill inflexible and propose a bill that truly protects the rights of workers and immigrants.

According to a written statement, Chuck Mack, president of Joint Council 7 of the International  Brotherhood of Teamsters, the proposed guest worker programs in the Senate bill were an invitation to the abuse of immigrants themselves.

“These programs have historically been used by large corporations to attack the conditions our unions have fought to achieve. We need a way for people to come to this country legally that does not force them to become guest workers,” said Mack.

“Twelve million people in this country desperately need legal status. The Senate bill was a false promise – most undocumented people would never have been able to achieve it,” said Saucedo.

“We need a real legalization program that will offer people rights and residence status, in the same way people were legalized by the bill signed by Ronald Reagan in 1986.  We intend to keep fighting until we achieve this goal.”

It’s been so unfair for so many people that is hard to believe how heartless these senators can be, despite of the obvious that these undocumented people have been a significant force to push the country’s economy forward, and that the country can’t sustain itself without their `illegal’ work.

Young people want jobs

Students from Youth Making a Change (YMAC), ask San Francisco City Hall on June 19 to provide more funds for the schools to provide them with jobs.: Photo by Penny ZhouStudents from Youth Making a Change (YMAC), ask San Francisco City Hall on June 19 to provide more funds for the schools to provide them with jobs.: Photo by Penny Zhou

Taco Bell, McDonald’s set pace among fast food giants to help tomato pickers

by Dick Meister

Taco Bell did it. McDonald’s did it. Now it’s time for Burger King and the rest of the country’s other fast food chains to join the drive to guarantee decent pay and working conditions to the tomato pickers whose back-breaking work is essential to their hugely profitable industry.

The pickers work in the Immokalee area of southern Florida where more than half of the country’s tomatoes are grown. Most are undocumented Latinos who have had little choice but to accept the truly miserable conditions imposed on them.

They work under the blazing sun in open air sweatshops, usually dawn to dusk, for up to seven days a week, rarely for more than $10,000 a year. They have no paid holidays or vacations, no overtime pay, no health insurance, sick leave, pensions or other benefits, no union rights. Most live in dilapidated trailers or other substandard rental housing.

Some workers are held in virtual slavery by the sometimes physically abusive labor contractors who hire them for the tomato growers. They make deductions from the workers’ wages for transportation, food, housing and other services that can force them to turn over their entire paychecks and continue working against their will until the debts to the contractors are paid off.

Pressures from animal rights activists have led most fast-food chains to insist on humane treatment for the farm animals that provide their main ingredients.

But only Taco Bell and McDonald’s have acted to ensure that the farmworkers employed by their suppliers also are treated humanely.

It took years of hard work by a coalition of workers, student and labor activists, religious leaders and others to get the two chains to act and for tomato pickers to win the significant improvements in pay and working conditions that have been the result.

The first victory came in 2005, after a four year-long boycott against Taco Bell, one of several outlets owned by Yum Brands. The others include Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut, A& W, Long John Silver’s and All America Food restaurants.

Yum Brands agreed to increase by a penny what Taco Bell and its other outlets had been paying growers per pound for tomatoes, with the understanding that the extra penny would go directly to workers. That nearly doubled their pay of just a little over one cent per pound picked, a piece rate that hadn’t been increased since the 1970s. It added as much as $7,000 a year to the average worker’s pay, enough finally to provide a living wage.

What’s more, the coalition won rights unheard of among most farmworkers of any kind. It has the right, for instance, to monitor the payment and treatment of the workers, investigate complaints of poor treatment and join with them to confer with growers on improving working conditions. They also have joined to develop a code of conduct for growers and to create a system for resolving disputes.

The agreement warns that growers who might nevertheless continue to abuse workers risk having the fast-food chains quit buying tomatoes from them.

The coalition reached a similar agreement with McDonald’s early in April of this year, just as it was about to launch a threatened nationwide boycott of McDonald’s. The chain had been insisting for two years that responsibility for improving the pickers’ pay and working conditions rested solely with the tomato growers who employed them.

The growers, however, had adamantly refused—then, as now— to act on their own, in part because McDonald’s and other chains have consistently pressured them to keep their prices and labor costs as low as possible.

McDonald’s agreement with the workers’ coalition seems very likely to lead to agreements with other holdout chains, given McDonald’s standing as the largest and most influential entity in the $100-billion-ayear fast-food industry. It has almost 14,000 outlets nationally, using about 15 million tons of tomatoes a year.

The coalition has picked another major chain, Burger King, as the next target. It already has served notice that Burger King must sign an agreement similar to those signed by McDonald’s and Yum Brands by the end of the year or face a nationwide boycott. New targets also may include Subway, as well as super markets and others outside the fast-food industry that buy tomatoes from Florida growers.

As before, the coalition is relying heavily on students and other young people, the fast-food chains’ main sales targets, to deliver the message at rallies and demonstrations and on picket lines nationwide with the conspicuous backing of major labor, church and political leaders.

The strong commitment of the young people and their prominent elders, their genuine concern for some of our most vulnerable and mistreated workers and their effective action in the workers’ behalf is rare and inspiring. Hispanic Link.

(Dick Meister is co-author of “A Long Time Coming: The Struggle to Unionize America’s Farm Workers~ (Macmillan). Contact him through his website, www.dickmeister.com.)

Governor Schwarzenegger releases statement on new fuel measure

by Elisabeth Pinio

Arnold Schwarzenegger­Arnold Schwarzenegger

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement on June 14, regarding the Air Resources Board’s adoption of a measure that will allow refiners to add up to 10 percent ethanol in transportation fuels while maintaining California’s air quality standards.

Schwarzenegger expressed strong support for the measure, recognizing the use of ethanol as a positive, economical step towards renewable fuel sources.

“It is critical that government continue reducing barriers so that alternative fuels can increasingly penetrate our transportation fuels markets.  Only then can we reduce dependency on oil and give our consumers a weapon against gas price increases while maintaining air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” Schwarzenegger said in his statement.

Californians trapped in their jobs by health care coverageGovernor Schwarzenegger met with California business owners and employees June 21, who are afraid to leave their jobs because they will lose health care coverage.

Thousands of California residents disregard new employment opportunities, delay retirement, or decide against starting their own business to avoid being without medical coverage.

“[Some Californians] end up making life decisions based on whether they can get health insurance because they are afraid of being without coverage and literally one sickness away from financial ruin,” said Governor Schwarzenegger.

The governor has proposed a “guaranteed issue” health care plan to be carried out later this year, which will enable all California residents to obtain health insurance individually. In addition, the proposal includes funding for low-income workers and an individual mandate which will require all Californians to be insured.

Green Party opposes prison expansion

The Green Party of California (GPCA) has announced its opposition of the prison expansion plan introduced by Governor Schwarzenegger and the California Legislature.

“Republicans and Democrats alike are seeking to spend billions of dollars building more prisons when they should be pursuing comprehensive change,” said San Francisco Green Party spokesperson, Erika McDonald.

GPCA has deemed our criminal justice system as “inhumane, ineffective, and prohibitively expensive,” and maintains that prisons should be a last resort, for violent criminals only. Those convicted of non-violent crimes should be sent to rehabilitation and reentry programs.

In addition, GPCA advocates revising the controversial three strikes law to apply only when the third offense is a serious or violent felony.

SFMTA to install pedestrian signals for blind and visually impaired

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has announced an agreement with representatives for the blind and visually impaired community to allocate at least $1.6 million over the next two and half years to install accessible pedestrian signals.

The new technology will provide safety to visually impaired pedestrians by ticking in conjunction with the “WALK” symbol displayed for sighted pedestrians. Other features include locator tones and vibrating pushbuttons to assist in locating the devices, along with the option of audible information, such as street names, when the pushbutton is pressed for one second or longer.

“We commend San Francisco for being the first public entity in the United States to voluntarily sign a comprehensive agreement regarding accessible pedestrian signals — devices that are critical for pedestrian safety,” said Anita Aaron, Executive Director of the LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired on Van Ness Avenue.

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Oaxaca Resistance and Color at Front Gallery in Oakland

by Elisabeth Pinio
The Front Gallery is currently running an exhibition called “Oaxaca Resistance and Color,” which depicts the emotional and political expression of Asamblea de Artistas Revolucionarios de Oaxaca (ASARO) and their reflection of the events surrounding the Oaxacan uprising last year.

ASARO is comprised of 16 artists dedicated to supporting the fight for justice and liberty. A variety of media is featured, including painting, printmaking, video, photography, music and sculpture.

The exhibition began June 1, and will continue through July 27. The Front Gallery is located at 35 Grand Avenue (at Broadway) in downtown Oakland. This event is free and open to the public.

Shopdropping workshop at Southern Exposure

The Anti-Advertising Agency, a group of collaborative artists, will hold an interactive workshop at Southern Exposure to teach participants about Shopdropping.

Shopdropping is the placement of information or commentary on selected products in the marketplace, without permanently damaging the goods. The workshop will illustrate examples of shopdropping practice, and launch the Anti-Advertising Agency’s latest project, People Products 1-2-3.

Participants will assist with new People Product materials, place them in stores, and discuss shopdropping tactics, the impact of marketing and advertising, and upcoming projects and events.

The workshop takes place Thursday, June 28, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Southern Exposure is located at 2901 Mission Street in San Francisco. This event is free, wheelchair accessible, and open to the public. For more information, contact Amanda Eicher, of People Products 1-2-3, at (415) 425-2636, or amandaeicher@sbcglobal.net.

Southern Exposure art symposium at de Young Museum

Southern Exposure presents a day-long art symposium to celebrate their SoEx Off-site program, a year-long series of public art projects. “Mapping the City: Artists Engage with the Urban Environment” will take place at the de Young Museum, where eight projects will be featured from a selection of over 300 submissions. Several of the projects invited audience participation through strategies such as public performances and community-oriented events, and multimedia.

The symposium takes place Saturday, June 30, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., in the Koret Auditorium of the de Young Museum. This event is free. For more information, call (415) 863-2141 or visit www.soex.org.

Tiburon Film Society presents two films in Sausalito

Tiburon Film Society will show the films “Drive-in Movie Memories” and “Dorme” at the Bay Model.

“Drive-in Movie Memories” celebrates the origins and popularity of the drive-in movie. “Dorme” is a captivating fantasy film about the magical world of dreams, and a boy’s journey through the subconscious.

The films will be shown Thursday, July 5 at 6 p.m. at the Bay Model, located at 2100 Bridgeway in Sausalito. Admission is free. For more information, call (415) 332-3871.

Chilean musicians Schwenke and Nilo to play at La Peña

La Peña is proud to present Schwenke and Nilo in concert. Nelson Schwenke and Marcelo Nilo are talented Chilean artists whose music has inspired generations of Chileans in their political struggles since 1979. With empathy and humor, their songs center on human nature and their reactions to problems in a conflicted socio-ecological environment.

The concert will be held Saturday, July 7 at 8:30 p.m. Admission is $20. La Peña is located at 3105 Shattuck Avenue, in Berkeley. For more information, call (510) 849-2568 or visit www.lapena.org.

Magazine chooses most good looking latinos, Thalía’s baby girl on the way

by Tracie Morales

INSPIRATIONAL MEN: Choosing the ideal man is tough. That’s why the magazine Siempre mujer chose the seven most inspirational Latinos embodying good looks, talent and charisma in its June/July issue. Singer Chayanne was chosen along with music powerhouse Emilio Estefan and comedian Julio Sabala. Communication skills are a plus, making the Primer Impacto host Fernando del Rincón an easy choice. Singer Ricky Martin’s career is impressive, but his outreach work stands out most, garnering this Puerto Rican kudos. News warrior Pedro Sevcec and singer Ricardo Montaner capped the list.

For more information visit www.siempremujer.com.

UPLIFTING LATINOS: A partnership between the Mexican band :leik and Alltel Wireless will usher a renovated wing for an El Paso-based child protection center during a June 26 event. The Child Crisis Center of El Paso, a non-profit organization aimed at ending child abuse, will have a remodeled wing renovated by Alltel employees and will receive a $10,000 check. The award-winning rockers will perform during the event.

For more information visit www.childcrisiselp.org.

FELICIDADES: Singer Enrique Iglesias released his latest album Insomniac on June 12…Actress and singer Thalía officially confirmed that she and her music mogul husband Tommy Mottola are expecting a baby girl in the fall…The marriage bells are ringing louder for Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria and basketball player fiancée Tony Parker as their July 7 wedding draws near.

LATINO LAUGH FEST: Make room for the Latino kings of comedy as they hit the Los Angeles night scene during a three-day event starting June 22. The 2007 SiTV Latino Laugh Festival sponsored by Time Warner, will feature more than 25 emerging comedians in various Los Angeles hotspots. Heavyweights such as Carlos Mencia and Gabriel Iglesias have performed at the Laugh Festival in the past. Established comedians such as Cheech Marín, Debi Gutiérrez, Joey Medina and Rick Nájera are scheduled to appear this year. Event proceeds will benefit First Star, a non-profit organization targeting greater protection of children under the U.S. child welfare system. Tickets available through Ticketmaster.

For more information visit www.latinolaughfestival.com. Hispanic Link.

Hispanic author holds book release party in the Mission District

by Roberto Daza

Under the sunny skies of San Francisco’s Mission district, friends, family, and longtime fans of author Malin Alegria piled into the festively decorated barbershop, The Hair Place & More, to catch a glimpse of the author and discuss the release of her newest literary endeavor at her book release party on June 10.

Wearing a cowboy-style hat with the word AUTHOR taped above the brim and a beaded necklace fashioned with Mexican flags, Alegria introduced the audience to her newest book, “Sofi Mendoza’s Guide to Getting Lost in Mexico,” and its teenage protagonist–Sofi Mendoza.

The story follows Sofi, who while having been born in Mexico, lacks any real connection to her heritage. But this changes upon her return from one last adventure to Mexico before her high school graduation, when she learns a startling truth about her migratory status–a truth that postpones her return to the U.S. indefinitely.

Forced to live on the farm of distant relatives in rural Mexico, Sofi learns to adapt to her unfamiliar surroundings and appreciate the culture she had long ago distanced herself from.

Through her rich and developed characters, Alegria touches upon topics such as immigration, racial prejudice, love, teenage angst, and the difficulty of having to reconcile the expectations of two cultures. These elements will surely resonate with readers, especially Hispanic teenagers, who will find Sofi and the issues she deals with all too familiar.

“It comes through so strong [Alegria’s work] … she feels it, eats it, she sleeps it, she is culturally aware and strong,” said Annita Madrigal, a longtime friend and fan, “It’s nice to bring our kids something that they can relate to.”

Drawing from real life experiences for inspiration, Alegria, a Mexican-American immigrant, provides a true-to-life illustration of the Hispanic American Experience that separates her from other authors and allow for effective storytelling.

“I try to be as authentic as I can to the culture,” remarked Alegria during an audience Q & A.

As for future projects, Alegria remains unsure, but has not ruled out revisiting a mystery detective novel that she, at one point, had been working on.

For more information about author Malin Alegria and her books, visit her website www.malinalegria.com.

Former U.S. Army general to discuss Iraqi prisoner abuse

The Commonwealth Club has announced a forum led by former U.S. Army Major General Antonio Taguba, who will speak about his examination of Abu Ghraib prison that led to extensive research of Iraqi prisoner abuse by U.S. Army personnel. He will discuss his experience at the prison and the conduct of military personnel.

Taguba was assigned to Abu Ghraib in January 2004 to investigate the alleged abuse. His report was widely publicized in the media, both domestically and internationally.

The forum will take place Monday, June 25 at 6 p.m. at the Commonwealth Club Office, located at 595 Market Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco. Wine and cheese will be served at 5:30 p.m. Admission is free for members, $18 for nonmembers. For tickets, call (415) 597-6705, or visit www.commonwealthclub.org.

San Mateo County Election Candidate Seminar

The San Mateo County Elections Office has announced a seminar for prospective candidates. “Election Candidates 101 Seminar” will provide information for those interested in running for office, or simply the election process. Key elections staff will advise on election rules, deadlines, and procedures applicable to local candidates and campaigns.

The seminar will be held Thursday, June 26 at 6 p.m., at the Elections Office at

40 Tower Road in San Mateo. For more information, visit www.shapethefuture.org. To RSVP for the seminar, contact Steve Dennison at (650) 312.5370 or sdennison@smcare.org with candidate’s name, office they are running for, and the number of persons in their party.

KQED to air “Immigration Calculations” documentary

KQED Public Television 9 will air “Immigration Calculations: Does Immigration Help or Hurt the Bay Area Economy,” a 30-minute documentary exploring the economic impact of immigration in the San Francisco Bay area. Topics include misconceptions about immigrants in the labor market, and methods used by Bay Area economists to calculate economic costs and benefits of immigration.

The documentary follows four immigrants of various socio-economic levels, from a small business owner to a software engineer, each of whom are analyzed by economists.

The documentary premieres Friday, June 29 at 8:30 p.m. on KQED.

Roccapulco pre 4th of July party

Roccapulco Supper Club invites you to a pre-4th of July celebration Tuesday, July 3. From Diana Bowen, who brought us Salsacrazy, comes an exciting evening of live salsa with “Orq Umbria” as well as a salsa lesson with Ricardo Tellez. Also featured are a salsa floor show, CD giveaway, and much more.

Roccapulco is located at 3140 Mission Street. Doors open at 8pm, admission is $10. For more information, call (415) 648-6611.

Maestros de Bomba en la Bahía Encuentro 2007

The Bomba y Plena Workshop, with Bay Area Boricuas and La Peña Cultural Center, present Maestros de Bomba en la Bahía Encuentro 2007. This month-long series of workshops will teach various styles of Bomba music and dance, as well as Plena drumming, dancing, singing, and composition.

Featuring the Cepeda family, and dancers, drummers and teachers Oxil Febles, Angel Luis Reyes, and Otoquí Reyes Pizarro from Puerto Rico, the program will teach beginner, intermediate and advanced levels for many disciplines.

The workshop will take place from July 9 to August 5. For details, email bombayplena@sbcglobal.net.

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