Kmart recently announced the names of 2011 Latina Smart Fund scholarship recipients. The Latina Smart Fund was created in 2011 as a means to make higher education more accessible to Hispanic youth. Winners announced March 2 were chosen amongst nearly 200 students across the nation who submitted applications through the Latina Smart Facebook page.

Applicants uploaded written essays and video submissions to the Latina Smart Facebook page describing what it means to be “Latina Smart.” The top 50 entries with the greatest number of  ”likes” advanced to a second round of reviews. Latina Smart brand ambassadors then selected 20 entries to advance to the final round where a committee of experts in the areas of business and education selected one $10,000 first-prize winner and three $5,000 runners up.

For Latinos, the hope for a brighter future and greater opportunities in the US is fueled by placing high importance on higher education. According to survey data from the Pew Hispanic Center, nearly 88 percent of Hispanics feel that a college degree is vital for getting ahead in life. [i]

“Kmart recognizes the importance of education within the Latino community as well as the need for college funding,” saidAndrew Stein, acting chief marketing officer, Kmart. “Through our Latina Smart Fund we are able to provide a total of $25,000 in financial support to four scholarship recipients.”

Odalis Lopez, a freshman and communications major at the University of Maryland at College Park, was awarded the $10,000 first-prize scholarship. “I am the first high school graduate in my family and my tenacity led me to become the first Hispanic valedictorian in my high school – never let anything hinder your success,” said Lopez.

$5,000 scholarship recipients included Gabriela Ruiz-Colon (Woodbury, Minn.), Bertsie Cantu (Charlotte, N.C.), and Rebecca Vences (Wake Forest, N.C.).

For more information on the Latina Smart Fund scholarship please visit http://www.facebook.com/latinasmart.

[i] Latinos and Education: Explaining the Attainment Gap Pew Hispanic Center, October 7, 2009

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America’s Wire released a story about undocumented immigrant parents, usually Latinos, who are losing custody of their children.  It cites data from an alarming study by the Applied Research Center and details the case of Encarnacion Bail, an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala, who is in a prolonged fight to regain custody of her son, Carlos.

Award-winning reporter, Marjorie Valbrun, reports that more than 5,000 children of immigrants are languishing in state foster care nationwide because their parents were living in the United States illegally and were detained or deported by federal immigration authorities.

“These children can spend years in foster homes, and some are put up for adoption after termination of their parents’ custody rights,” she writes. “With neither state nor federal officials addressing the problem, thousands more are poised to enter the child welfare system every year.”

This story, as well as others, are available free of charge from America’s Wire.  The story is also available in Spanish.  Go to www.Americaswire.org  and click the “Download” button in the right column.

“Our story exemplifies what is wrong with America’s immigration policy,” said Michael K. Frisby, president of America’s Wire. “Ms. Valbrun details the impact on immigrant children and how parents who came to America in search of a better life are losing custody of their children. I urge media outlets and websites to publish this story to help the public better understand the consequences of our nation’s failed immigration policy.”

America’s Wire is an independent journalism outlet that provides newspapers, community papers, websites, ethnic publications and wire services with stories that report on structural inequalities, and the communities impacted by it. This week, we also highlight a story on the abysmal academic performance of Latino and African-American high school students.

They are performing at the same level as 30 years ago; on average, black and Latino high school seniors read and do math at the same level as 13-year old white students.  This story is also available free at www.americaswire.org.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/longislandwins/

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The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) issued the following statement regarding the State of the Union address by President Barack Obama:

“We applaud the President for expressing his strong commitment to building a 21st century immigration system and providing young people with the chance to earn their citizenship in his address to the American public last night.  While these words ring true to our community and the mission of our organization, we know they must be followed by concrete and swift action.

We call on the President and Congress to work together in the coming year to pass bipartisan legislation that will provide millions of Americans with the opportunity to become full members of this great nation.

“During his address, the President also emphasized the importance of job creation and policies that will help the nation fulfill ‘the basic American promise that if you work hard, you can do well enough to raise a family, own a home, and put a little away for retirement.’  Like all Americans, Latinos want the opportunity to pursue the American dream.

In recent years, our community has been one of those hit hardest by the economic crisis, experiencing job loss and foreclosure rates higher than most Americans.  With Latinos now numbering more than 50 million or 1 out of every 6 Americans today, our community’s economic progress will play a critical role in determining the future of this country.  We urge the President and Congress to implement policies that will foster economic opportunity for Latinos and all Americans.

“In addition, we were encouraged by the President’s call for a return to American values built around ‘fairness for all.’  As the nation’s second largest population group, this theme is fundamental to many of the pressing issues facing our community today, including the Latino electorate’s ability to participate in the political process and elect the representatives of their choice this year.

We ask the nation’s leadership to carefully monitor all efforts to weaken the electoral voice of Latino and minority voters, including implementation of unfair voting requirements and illegal redistricting plans across the country.  We also call on the President and the Department of Justice to vigorously enforce the Voting Rights Act (VRA) so that all U.S. citizens, regardless of race or linguistic ability, can fully and fairly participate in the American electoral process.

“In the coming year, we urge the President and Congress to honor the American people by working together to ensure that our country’s journey ‘moves forward’ and that ‘our future is hopeful.’  Our nation’s more than 6,000 Latino elected officials are ready to do their part, working with the President, Administration and Congress to promote policies that will foster the economic and political progress of the Latino community and all Americans.”

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Reinforcing its commitment to the wellbeing of New York’s Latino community, The Mount Sinai Hospital proudly premieres ¡A tu salud! (www.mountsinai.org/latino), the first ever weekly health and wellness TV series created by Mount Sinai, debuting Saturday, January 7th at 11AM on Telemundo, Channel 47.

The series will re-air Mondays and Tuesdays at 5 am. ¡ A tu salud! spotlights the key health issues plaguing the Latino community and teaches viewers how to overcome illness and take charge of their health through inspirational, informative and uplifting stories.

“Only by giving the knowledge and providing the right tools to our Latino families will we be able to engage and empower Latinos for a healthier tomorrow; and ¡A tu salud! allows us to do just that,” says Wayne Keathley, President and COO of The Mount Sinai Hospital.  “This series was inspired by the three strategic goals that support Mount Sinai’s Latino approach: Educate, Engage and Empower,” concludes Keathley.

¡A tu salud!  stems from Mount Sinai’s continued commitment to expand its outreach to the Hispanic community, which is disproportionately affected by serious diseases and conditions such as diabetes, HIV/AIDS, Cardiovascular and other diseases.

Each episode of ¡A tu salud! will feature the following 5 distinct medical segments:

1) La Consulta, which includes interviews with specialists, patients and other experts;

2)  Caso clinico, in which inspirational human interest stories are told in the voices of real patients and their families;

3) Pregunte al Dr. Guzman , in which the series’ Executive Medical Consultant and a leading cardiologist shares with viewers useful information to improve their health;

4)  Noticias medicas, which features the latest news from the medical field; and

5) Salud a tu alcance , in which  resources, services and tools are provided to viewers.

“As a trusted broadcast partner to the Latino viewers, Telemundo 47 is proud to be a part of this unprecedented initiative to bring quality inspiring, educational and engaging content to the Latino community,” says Carlos Sanchez President and General Manager, Telemundo 47.   ”Mount Sinai’s innovative approach marks a new milestone in our mission to offer Latinos culturally relevant local content that makes a difference in their lives,” concludes Mr. Sanchez.

Mount Sinai will support the series with a comprehensive communications and community outreach plan which includes microsites on Mount Sinai’s and Telemundo websites, radios spots, online banners, print ads and public relations outreach.

To see clips of the first episode go to: http://www.mountsinai.org/about-us/hispanic-initiatives/a-tu-saAlud

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