Fort Wayne Lauded for Immigrant Integration

Recognizing that local governments play a central role in developing and implementing immigrant integration programs, a new report from the National League of Cities (NLC) showcases 20 city programs for promoting social cohesion within the community.

The report, Municipal Innovations in Immigrant Integration: 20 Cities, 20 Good Practices, is produced by NLC’s Municipal Action for Immigrant Integration (MAII) program and focuses on public safety, immigrant outreach, civic engagement and city services.

The 20 city programs featured in the report are:

· Fort Wayne Indiana (Hispanic Immigrant Liaison)
· Austin, Texas (Immigrant Outreach Program)
· Seattle, Washington (Latino Advisory Council)
· El Paso, Texas (Victim Services-Immigration)
· Durham, North Carolina (Mayor’s Hispanic Latino Initiative)
· Louisville, Kentucky (Office of International Affairs)
· Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Mayor’s Commission on African and Caribbean Immigrant Affairs)
· Columbus, Ohio (New American Initiative)
· Chattanooga, Tennessee (HANDS Across Chattanooga)
· Skokie, Illinois (Immigrant Services)
· Los Angeles, California (Immigrant Integration Partnership)
· Boulder, Colo. (Immigrant Advisory Committee)
· Santa Clara Co./San Jose, Calif. (Immigrant Relations and Integration Services)
· Littleton, Colorado (Littleton Immigrant Integration Initiative)
· San Francisco, California (Office of Civic Engagement & Immigrant Affairs)
· New York City, New York (Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs)
· Washington, District of Columbia (Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs)
· Princeton, New Jersey (The Princeton Community ID Card)
· Richmond, Virginia (Hispanic Liaison Office)
· Houston, Texas (Mayor’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs)

“Immigrants strengthen our communities by bringing cultural and educational resources which help create economic opportunities. Local governments must provide necessary services to ensure a smooth transition for both the immigrants and the communities,” said Ricardo Gambetta (pictured), NLC’s manager for immigrant integration (and former Indianapolis resident). “Through this report, we hope that the 20 programs highlighted can be used as models for other successful integration programs.”

In addition to outlining these programs, the report also makes a number of suggestions for local, state and federal officials in how to better integrate the immigrant community. Examples of these suggestions include developing a nationwide strategy for immigrant integration; cooperating with municipal agencies; addressing local demographics, issues and challenges; establishing mayoral advisory boards and immigrant affairs offices; and recognizing immigrant contributions to the economy.

Compiled after several months of research, on-site visits, policy discussions and consultations with city officials, the programs featured in this report exemplify successful public-private partnerships, advisory initiatives and action-oriented programs to help immigrants successfully acclimate to their new homes.

As part of NLC’s Center for Research and Innovation, MAII promotes civic engagement and naturalization among immigrant communities. MAII is a resource for NLC members, fostering a knowledge-sharing network to help cities learn from the experiences of their counterparts across the country. The MAII project is supported by the Knight Foundation.

For more information on the Municipal Action for Immigrant Integration program, go online.

The National League of Cities is the nation’s oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.

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Localizando Food

"Localizando Food", an innovative documentary and a stop-motion animation film, both created by local youth, explore the social implications of insufficient food choices.

Part of "Spirit & Place", the films showcase local projects challenging the status quo and changing the way Indianapolis eats. Dialogue with local filmmakers and residents, facilitated by youth, will follow the screening, set for 1 p.m. 7 November in the Indianapolis Art Center, 820 East 67th Street, Indianapolis.

It's presented by the Latino/a Youth Collective, Indianapolis Art Center, Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianap-olis Center for Urban and Multicultural Education, IUPUI Common Theme Project, IUPUI Multicultural Center, and the IUPUI Office of International Affairs.

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Today is Fiesta Time in Indy

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Latinos Discuss the New Wishard Project

On 27 July, some of the city’s Latino leaders gathered with the business community to network and discuss contract opportunities available to minority-, women- and veteran-owned businesses through The New Wishard project.

The networking session and panel discussion, “Hispanic/Latino Connection: Making the Contract Connection,” was co-sponsored by the Hispanic Business Council of the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, Indiana Commission of Hispanic and Latino affairs, Indiana State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Garcia Construction, Cabello Associates and OfficeWorks.

Danny Lopez, executive director of the Indiana Commission for Hispanic and Latino Affairs moderated a Latino business owner panel discussion, which included panelists Charlie Garcia, president and CEO of Garcia Construction Group and Kathy Cabello, president of Cabello Associates.

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Indy Mayor Announces Appointments

Carlos May has been named Director of Latino Affairs, and Jane Gehlhausen will serve as Director of International and Cultural Affairs for the city of Indianapolis.

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National Hispanic Institute Program at DePauw

DePauw University in Greencastle served as the host of the Great Lakes Great Debate, a program for high school freshmen presented by the National Hispanic Institute 20-25 June, reports the DePauw news bureau. The Great Debate allows high school freshmen the opportunity to test and improve their written and verbal communication skills through organized discussions and debates about issues that impact today's Latino community.

The program is coordinated by the National Hispanic Institute, which aims to cultivate leadership for the 21st century U.S. Latino community.

The event is presented through a grant from the Lumina Foundation for Education. The Lumina Foundation for Education is an Indianapolis-based, private foundation dedicated to expanding access and success in education beyond high school.

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El Día de los Niños

There's free admission to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, 3000 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, next Sunday (25 April). The day will celebrate Hispanic and Latino culture with live musical performances, hands-on art activities and storytelling during El Día de los Niños.

On the schedule:
* Join in bilingual story time with special guest storyteller Marianne Tobias.
* Make a maraca or create your own work of art using tissue paper.
* Dance along with the roaming Marachi band, Zalaya.
* Make your own Guatemalan Worry Doll and tell it your troubles and fears.
* Learn how to create a self-portrait like Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.
* Get your picture taken with Maya and Miguel, characters from PBS Kids Go!
* Make Glow-in-the-Dark art with local artist Orlando Pelaez.
* Help advocate literacy among children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

There's free admission to the museum from 10 a.m.–5 p.m., but the activities take place just from 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

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Indiana Latino Conference

More than 250 high school and college students are expected to attend the Indiana Latino Leadership Conference next month in Valparaiso, reports Inside INdiana Business. La Casa, the Latino Culture Center at Indiana University in Bloomington and Ivy Tech Community College are co-sponsoring the event, which is designed to cultivate leadership among Latino students.

The 11th annual conference take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 27 February at Ivy Tech's Valparaiso Campus (3100 Ivy Tech Drive, Valparaiso). For more information about the conference go online. The fee for students is $10.

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Commission on Hispanic, Latino Affairs is Leaderless

The state agency devoted to Hispanic and Latino issues no longer has an executive director, reports The Indianapolis Star.

Pat Sanchez, the agency's third executive director since 2003, was terminated from the top job at the Indiana Commission on Hispanic and Latino Affairs, but no reasons were given.

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Aragón to Receive National Latino Literary Award

Francisco Aragón (pictured), director of Letras Latinas, the literary program of the University of Notre Dame’s Institute for Latino Studies, has been selected to receive the Outstanding Latino/a Cultural Arts, Literary Arts and Publications Award, reports the Notre Dame news bureau. The award is given by the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education, and Aragón will receive it in March during the association’s national conference to be held in Costa Mesa, Calif.

The award recognizes Latinos who have contributed significantly to increasing understanding of the Hispanic community and/or culture through literary arts, scholarship and publications.

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Spanish Courses & Cursos de Inglés

If you're an English-speaker looking for a Spanish class, or a Spanish-speaker looking for instruction in English, Language School and Services, part of Latino Advocacy in Community Affairs (LACA) at the Urban League, 777 Indiana Avenue, Indianapolis, may have what you seek. Registration for winter classes ends 11 December, and classes begin 4 January 2010.

LACA uses Total Physical Response (TPR). Students learn Spanish through interactive lessons that replicate real situations. Focus is given to comprehension and conversation, supplemented by grammar, reading, and writing. Home study and personal improvement are encouraged, but no homework or tests are required. LACA offers five intermediate and five advanced level classes at $175.

Classes require a minimum of five students and are held once a week only, most in the evenings from 6-8 p.m., for 10 weeks. The winter term is January-March, the spring term is March-May, the summer term is June-August and the fall term is September-November. Most classes are in the Urban League offices.

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Fiesta! and the Irish Fest This Weekend in Indy

Fiesta! takes place tomorrow (19 Saturday) on the American Legion Mall in downtown Indianapolis. The annual event showcasing Indiana's Hispanic heritage is noon 'til 11:45 p.m. It's sponsored by La Plaza.

And, on the other side of downtown Indy, check out the annual Irish Fest, open today (18 September) through Sunday (20 September) in Military Park. The whole schedule is here.

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September is Ethnic Festival Month!

The glorious weather of September means more ethnic festivals than there's time to attend!

Some of those on the calendar are:

Oktoberfest sponsored by the German-American Klub, on Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis: 4, 5, 6, 11, 12 September

Little Italy Festival in Clinton: 4, 5, 6, 7 September

Kenya Festival at Second Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis: 5 September

Greek Festival at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Carmel: 11-12 September

Chinese Festival in Military Park, Indianapolis: 12 September

French Market at St. Joan of Arc Roman Catholic Church, Indianapolis: 12 September

Scottish Festival at Bartholomew County Fairgrounds, Columbus: 12-13 September

Andersontown Powwow in Athletic Park, Anderson: 12-13 September

Irish Fest in Military Park, Indianapolis: 18-20 September

(Hispanic) Fiesta on the American Legion Mall, Indianapolis: 19 September

Scottish Highlander Festival in Trafalgar: 26-27 September

There are more details on these (and many other events) at the Nationalities Council's calendar: click here. (And, don't forget that Indy's International Festival is coming up in November!)

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Spanish-Language Program Back on the Airwaves

Scott Olson reports for the Indianapolis Business Journal that a local Hispanic television newscast is back on the air, less than six months after the parent of WISH-TV Channel 8 pulled the plug on him when it couldn’t reach a new agreement with Univision.

Marco Dominguez, a native of Venezuela, returned to the television airwaves on 30 April. Besides co-anchor Veronica Millan, his staff consists of three production people, an administrative assistant and two part-time sales associates.

They tape the half-hour show at 9 a.m. Monday through Friday followed by a 30-minute interview segment featuring a prominent member of the Hispanic community. Each day’s newscast is available to view on demand for the next 72 hours.

Thanks to about a dozen corporate and small business advertisers, in addition to a core group of investors, Olsen notes, Dominguez again is delivering the news in Spanish to the city’s Hispanic population.

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Partnership Inked Between School of Education at IUPUI and Indy Latino Groups

A partnership between the Indiana School of Education at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Latino community was signed last Thursday (30 April).

The memorandum of understanding formalizes the partnership and describes the creation of a unit within the School of Education's Center on Urban and Multicultural Education (CUME) at IUPUI dedicated exclusively to the study of Latino education in Indiana. Working as a federation of local neighborhood organizations, school districts, university researchers, and other key stakeholders, the unit would set and oversee implementation of a collaboratively-derived agenda built around these goals:

* Create a knowledge base on the status of Latino education in the state
* Enrich the public discourse bearing on Latino education issues
* Provide technical assistance in educational practices that work best for Latinos
* Advance policies and programs that address issues and needs.

El Día de los Niños

Celebrate El Día de los Niños — the Day of the Children — with a visit to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, 3000 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, on 26 April.

It's a free admission day 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Festivities honoring children and Latino culture are planned from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

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Indy to Broadcast First Spanish-Language Programming

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard has announced the launch of a new Spanish-language television program on WCTY-TV 16. The program is set to air weekly and will provide up-to-date information on events and issues happening in Indianapolis.

The first episode of the new program airs at 6 a.m., noon and again at 6 p.m. today (11 February). Citizens who subscribe to Brighthouse can view the program on channels 16 and 17, Comcast subscribers can view it on channels 16 and 28, and AT&T customers can view it on channel 29.

For more information, contact Jessica Higdon, Press Secretary, Office of the Mayor, 317:327-3649.

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"35 Years of Photography"

An exhibition of "35 Years of Photography" by Antonio Turok continues through 9 January in the Galería América of the Institute for Latino Studies in McKenna Hall at the University of Notre Dame, South Bend.

Hours are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. each day, and admission is free. (Pictured is his 1994 photo, "La Hormiga landscape".)

Turok is an internationally known documentary photographer who has worked in Central America, Mexico, and the United States covering the human condition of the people of Mexico.

For more information, contact Tom Davis, 574:631-3326.

It's Not Too Late to Catch Musica Latina

Dance Kaleidoscope's "Musica Latina," a family-friendly fiesta of Latin and Hispanic music and contemporary dance choreographed by artistic director David Hochoy continues at 8 p.m. tomorrow (18 October) and 2:30 p.m. Sunday (19 October) in the Indiana Repertory Theatre, 140 West Washington Street, Indianapolis.

Featured are Concierto de Aranjuez (concerto for classical Spanish guitar); Canciones (set to Mexican Mariachi-style songs); and Fire (a Cuban "salsa-style" dance variation)

Tickets are $35 -- but for the Sunday Family Matinee, all tickets are $10 each if purchased day of show. For more information, call 317:940-6555 or go online for tickets.

Campecine Film Festival

Join youth organizers and filmmakers at Campecine Film Festival from 1-4 p.m. 27 September at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, 4000 Michigan Road, Indianapolis.

More than a film festival, Campecine was founded in 2007 by youth from Thermal, Calif., and Indianapolis, who are exploring collective action, film, inquiry, research and media education.

With the theme "From Invisible to Invincible / De Invinzivlez a Invenzivlez," Campecine 2008 will present student "testimonios," film and music. Program participants will view "Issue-Mations" (animations) and "Varriomentaries" (documentaries) and engage in a community dialogue on current issues including race relations, local and national immigration policy reforms, teen pregnancy, ICE Raids, and education.

In addition to student-produced cultural products, Campecine 2008 will feature live music from composer and pianist Dr. Gabriela Lena Frank.

Campecine 2008 is a free, Spanish-English bilingual event. Copies of student work will be made available and donations will be accepted to benefit the Latino Youth Collective.