Spanish, Spanglish, English
A recent PEW survey finds that Latinos who speak little to no Spanish often find themselves the target of ridicule or bullying by other Latinos, reports Peninsula 360 Press. In the survey, 75% of respondents said they spoke at least some Spanish, enough to carry on a conversation. Of those who do not speak the language, 54% said they often hear jokes being made about them, either to their face or behind their backs. A majority of respondents (85%), meanwhile, said maintaining the language is important for preserving cultural identity. Estimates predict that by 2060, the US will have the second highest population of Spanish speakers in the world after Mexico.
Future in doubt for Haitians in US under humanitarian parole
In Haiti, the US parole process for Cubans, Haitian, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans (CHNV) is simply known as “Biden,” a moniker that stuck after US President Joe Biden added the troubled Caribbean nation to the Humanitarian Parole Program in January. The program allows Haitians to reside and work in the US for up to two years. What comes after that is less clear, reports the news site, Documented, noting that since taking office Biden has in fact deported 20,000 Haitian asylum seekers back to the violence-plagued country, almost as many as the last three presidents combined. Some 107,697 Haitians have been granted parole under the program since October of this year. One source told the paper that if the program is reversed under an anti-immigrant president in ’24 many of those here now can expect possible removal orders.
Asian American groups push back against GOP governors
Leading Asian American groups are denouncing a letter sent from 17 GOP governors to President Biden calling on the US Congress to limit land purchases by “adversarial foreign governments and entities,” reports AsAm News. The letter, instigated by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, is being described as a blatant attempt to discriminate against Chinese and other Asian Americans. “If such restrictions become law,” said Charles Zinkowski of the Committee of 100, which advocates on behalf of Chinese Americans, they are “likely to lead to direct discrimination against any individuals of Chinese American or AAPI descent.” Florida has already enacted laws banning land ownership by Chinese citizens, with 14 other states having passed similar laws and 20 more considering the same.
Challenging the ’Model Minority’ stereotype
An op-ed from California Black Media via the Sacramento Observer challenges the “Model Minority” myth surrounding Asian Americans, arguing the stereotype – which emerged in the mid-20th Century as a way of highlighting the economic ascent of Japanese Americans and other Asian groups – obscures the economic, cultural and political diversity of the Asian American community as a whole and has too often served as a wedge issue dividing the Asian and African American communities. “Understanding the interconnected struggles faced by different minority communities is vital to fostering unity and dismantling divisive narratives that deepen racial divisions,” the author writes.
Houston bids farewell to veteran activist, church leader
Laurence J. “Larry” Payne, a longtime leader in church and civic affairs in Texas and on the national Black Catholic stage, passed away after an extended battle with cancer, reports Black Catholic Messenger. Payne, the first layperson and first African American to hold the title of vicar in the U.S. Catholic Church, played a major role in the Black Catholic Movement, helping in the formation of the National Black Catholic Congress (NBCC) in 1987. The news of Payne’s death was first announced by Houston mayor Sylvester Turner, who worked with Payne on police reform in the city during the national unrest following the murder of George Floyd. “This City will be forever indebted to Larry Payne for his unselfish service and his wife and family for sharing him with us. On a personal note, I shall miss my friend who left it all on the field.”
Celebrating art at 107
From our friends at Ding Ding TV, a story about 107-year-old artist Paul Beiren Hau, whose work was featured at a recent exhibition in Silicon Valley. The artist, born in 1917 in Liaoning Province, China, established the American Society for the Advancement of Chinese Art in 1979, more than 20 years after moving to the US from Hong Kong. His work has been exhibited in and collected by major museums and universities in the United States. Hau painted some of the works featured during this latest exhibition when he was 105 years old. He told Ding Ding TV that he changed his style of painting in his 90’s, an age he said is a good time for change.
Poetry to stop hate
Finally, this poem from Richmond Pulse, serves as a reminder of the power of art to combat the rising tide of hate, inspiring us to envision a time when “hugs will be scripture.”
when we no longer
back bite or treat our tongues
like lynch ropes, or guns
keep ears from the cries,
’nd wipe the salt from side eyes
we give dear brothers
sure health will spring forth
restoring withered hands, feet,
’nd blind hearts seeking
the narrow pathway
to healing place is impressed
between the ribcage
our front pockets
kitchen tables ’nd closets
will end poverty
hugs will be scripture
‘nd our shoulders will free
itself from long nights
chasing after smoke’
nd political fires
soon to be quenched, cooled
we vote by sharings
pending more time on laughter
’nd nothing on bombs
then we’d be the sun
rising ’nd setting in love
moved to stop the hate
