Bullfighting draws excitement and tourism to a recovering Cd. Juárez

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CIUDAD JUÁREZ – It had been eight years since the great Spanish bullfighter Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza – one of the best in the world – set foot in Ciudad Juárez. Thousands of people gathered on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in April to cheer him on as he charged the bull on horseback, holding a rejón, a type of pike. So much had changed here since his last appearance. He now rode in the Plaza de Toros Balderas instead of the old Plaza de Toros Monumental, which was demolished and turned into a shopping center. During that eight-year period, thousands of people were murdered here in drug related violence transforming Cd.

Child-abuse prevention month celebrated in Imperial Valley

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EL CENTRO, Calif.–An estimated 15,000 people packed Bucklin Park throughout the day on Saturday April 13, to celebrate Child Abuse Prevention Month at the 34th Annual Children’s Fair. “We hope that families were able to enjoy a beautiful day outside with their children and learn about the resources available to strengthen their families in Imperial County,” said Yvette Garcia, executive director of the Imperial County Child Abuse Prevention Council, the organization that co-sponsored the event with the Imperial County Office of Education. More than 70 businesses and organizations helped entertain and inform attendees young and old alike. Imperial Valley College journalism students spent the day recording the festivities. The following slideshow is a compilation of their work.

Estudian las comunidades judías, musulmanas y cristianas de la Edad Media en Andalucía

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EL PASO – Un grupo de 29 estudiantes y tres instructores de la Universidad de Texas en El Paso viajaron a España en mayo para explorar de manera directa la historia y la cultura españolas. Educadores y estudiantes desarrollaron un proyecto interdisciplinario original que evalúa la importancia de la tolerancia religiosa en la construcción de una sociedad líder en Europa en los campos de arte y ciencia durante la Edad Media. El grupo viajó por Andalucía durante tres semanas, realizando investigaciones sobre la historia de las comunidades judías, musulmanas, y cristianas en el sur de España. Los resultados de este viaje e investigaciones están cristalizadas en el documental, antología, y exhibición fotográfica titulada Andalucía: Fusión de tres culturas. “Ha sido la más hermosa experiencia de mi vida”, dijo Héctor Enríquez, director del proyecto, en la premier privada del documental en presentada en el Quinn Hall de UTEP aquí el 17 de abril.

Creosote bush (Creosote Larrea Tridentata) found in El Paso contain polyphenols that help intervene in the process of protein misfolding.

Everyday foods may prevent Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, say UTEP researchers

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EL PASO – Imagine a place where drinking a glass of milk and munching on cheese and crackers is all you need to prevent Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. According to Dr. Mahesh Narayan’s, associate professor of chemistry at The University of Texas at El Paso, this fairy tale scenario could soon be a reality. In recent studies, Narayan has shown that everyday spices such as turmeric, most commonly found in Indian food, neem, almond oil and the creosote bush hold the potential for unlocking the key ingredients in the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases. “The long term prospect for us is to actually lace everyday food, such as potato chips, milk, cheese, etc., with these ethno-pharmaceuticals, and then have them neuro-protect you without you even knowing,” said Narayan, a native of India. Experiments with curcumin, a polyphenol in turmeric, show the potential of these kitchen table ingredients in the intervention of a brain process called “protein misfolding” (see video for explanation) that is most commonly known to cause many neurodegenerative diseases.

Former MLB player gives back to Imperial Valley

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IMPERIAL, Calif.- After playing 24 years of professional baseball for nine different teams and 13 major organizations and being a 2008 World Series champion for the Philadelphia Phillies, Imperial Valley native Rudy Seanez returned to his home to help inspire young and old alike. “I’ve always lived here. This is home. I grew up in Brawley. My family is here, so that was factor number one,” said Seanez in an interview at his Seanez Sports Academy.

Protestors wore red and white shirts or masks at an April 6 protest. (Sarah A. Duenas/Borderzine.com)

Protesters make last-ditch effort to save El Paso’s ASARCO smokestacks

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EL PASO – A large red and white striped flag waved in the wind as protestors made last-ditch efforts to stop the demolition of the ASARCO smokestack, which was erected in 1966 by the bankrupt copper smelting company. After the plant was closed, the City Council decided on December 5, 2012 to take it and a second smaller chimney down. Because of environmental concerns and the company’s more than 100-year history in El Paso, protests ensued. The stacks are scheduled for demolition on April 13 at 6:30 a.m., but two groups – Save the Stacks and El Paso AWARE – are making last minute efforts to save the two structures. Geoffrey Wright, president of the Save the Stacks, said that the group has received support from various sources.

William Beaumont Army Medical Center (WBAMC) on Ft. Bliss. (Joshua Gutierrez/Borderzine.com)

Many soldiers return from war only to face post-traumatic stress

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EL PASO — When Marine Sgt. Miguel Marquez returned home from fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan he realized that post-traumatic stress disorder was preventing him from adjusting to civilian life. “I started drinking heavily to help deal with life back at home because I didn’t know what else to do,” said Marquez, 28. Thousands of soldiers coming home with mental and physical injuries from the wars of the last decade suffer from PTSD. According to the United States Army Medical Department about 10 percent to 15 percent of soldiers returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) suffer from PTSD.

Arroyos like the one at UTEP are home to a wide variety of vegetation and wildlife such as the Yucca plants and skunks. (Paul Reynoso/Borderzine.com)

UTEP arroyo to benefit from campus transformation project

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EL PASO — Major changes are well under way at the University of Texas El Paso as the campus two-year pedestrian and environmental friendly transformation project takes shape. The landscape of the campus features an arroyo that runs primarily from the northeast side of campus near Miner Village down to the southwestern side by the Business Administration Building. This arroyo will be one of the focus points of change during the project. The project falls under UTEP’s master plan to dramatically improve the campus for the UTEP community and the students. There are seven segments of the transformation project such as pedestrian friendly pathways and additional green spaces.

Thousands gather on Capitol grounds to rally for immigration reform

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WASHINGTON – Rosa Murguia couldn’t help but cry Wednesday as she recounted how she missed her last chance to see her brother alive because she didn’t have the proper documentation to return to the United States if she visited her native Dominican Republic. Murguia, 62, of Sterling, Va., is one of thousands of people who stood in 90 degree heat on the West Lawn of the Capitol to rally for immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship. “I think this reform should be to protect people,” Murguia said. “Too many people have been cheated and hurt, I’m one of them, it’s not right for hard workers to live in shadows.” Gustavo Torres, rally organizer and executive director of CASA in Action, said the rally was three months in the making, and he was happy with the turnout.

Al Día editor Carbajal – Journalism today must consider language, culture, identity

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EL PASO – As a reporter prepares to write an article, he tweets his audiences informing them how the story is going to develop and then rushes to write a short-short piece for online publication. That’s not your old man’s journalism – that’s today’s reporting. “That’s a story, short story, kind of what we call an AP lede. They are just telling us what happened right away. That’s all we need to know,” said Alfredo Carbajal, Editor of Al Día, a weekly Spanish language newspaper in Dallas.

Entrada el hotel París (izquierda) en el centro de Ciudad Juárez. (José Abraham Rubio Zamora/Borderzine.com)

La otra cara del trabajo sexual en Ciudad Juárez

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CD JUAREZ – A la entrada del Hotel París, un establecimiento situado en la parte alta de la calle La Paz, a unos cuantos metros del bullicioso Mercado Cuauhtémoc, a plena luz del día, se aposta Norma, una trabajadora sexual acompañada de Nancy. Un estrecho pasillo localizado entre la vieja cantina “El Puerto” y una tienda de ropa, sirve de acceso a los clientes que se dejan conducir hasta un conjunto de gastadas y derruidas habitaciones, siempre ocultas a la vista de los transeúntes y marchantas que diariamente recorren ese sitio en busca de algo. Confundidas entre el ruido propio del lugar y el anonimato que los puestos y tenderetes les brindan, ambas mujeres esperan que un hombre solicite sus servicios. Las dos son también madres de familia que necesitan por lo menos de un cliente para poder llevar algo de dinero a casa. “Qué más quisiera yo que trabajar en otra cosa.

El Paso, Texas, judge testifies at border subcommittee hearing

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WASHINGTON – El Paso County Judge Veronica Escobar told a House subcommittee Wednesday that undocumented immigrants should get legal status without so much debate over whether U.S. borders are secure. Her opinion runs counter to what most Republicans and many Democrats have been saying in the debate over immigration reform. Escobar was invited to testify by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, the senior Democrat on the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security, because of Escobar’s outspoken push for immigration reform. The subcommittee also heard from three witnesses from the Department of Homeland Security. The purpose of the hearing was to understand how border security should be measured.

Bomb threat empties the University of Texas at El Paso campus

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EL PASO—More than 15,000 students and faculty members were evacuated today from the University of Texas at El Paso as a result of an anonymous bomb threat. At 1:58 p.m. the UTEP Police Department issued a text message and an e-mail alerting everyone enrolled in the Miner Alert System to evacuate the campus. UTEP Police Chief Cliff Walsh would not disclose any details about the ongoing investigation, except that it was initiated by a phone call and the proper precautionary steps were taken as a response to the threat. “The campus is safe. We are going to check the campus out and we will engage in other activities to make sure the campus is safe and we are working with our state, local and federal partners on this as well,” said Walsh during a press conference at Mundy Park, just outside of campus.

Xeriscaping at Imperial Valley College

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IMPERIAL, Calif.—Imperial Valley College had a growth spurt in the last three years with a techno-new science building, expanded parking facilities, updated classrooms, and water-friendly landscaping. While the science building is impressive, parking is now abundant, and learning in 21st century classrooms is a reality, it’s the often-overlooked things like one small, bright desert flower, a lush green lawn, or a 40-foot tree providing relief from the heat that might help to nurture pride and performance in study-weary students, faculty and staff. With this facelift came the new philosophy of landscaping the campus with a more “green-friendly,” energy-efficient technology—xeriscaping. Here is a closer look:

The barrier that divides: One city, dos lenguas

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EL PASO – Blue-eyed, brunette, and light-complexioned Michael Alden has called El Paso his home for nearly all his life. Alden, 24, was born and raised in El Paso, graduated from Franklin High in 2007 and attended UTEP before leaving to live in California. Although El Paso is recognized as a bilingual and bicultural community, Alden does not speak fluent Spanish, the language that many of us hear on a daily basis. While he is not Hispanic, he has on more than one occasion been in a situation where Spanish speakers assumed he spoke Spanish. “It is difficult sometimes,” Alden said.

El grupo de baile y percusión africana, Patambores, animó el ambiente en El Mercado Mayapán. (Yuritzy Ramos/Borderzine.com)

La Mujer Obrera celebra Día Internacional de la Mujer

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EL PASO – En El Día Internacional de la Mujer se celebra la lucha de la mujer en pie por la igualdad con el hombre. Este año La Mujer Obrera se vistió de fiesta para conmemorar a las miles de mujeres inmigrantes y trabajadoras del país. “Esta es una lucha de más de 100 años que llevamos para defender nuestros derechos en el empleo,” dijo Lorena Andrade, directora ejecutiva de La Mujer Obrera. La Mujer Obrera es una organización no lucrativa creada hace más de 30 años, cuyo liderazgo esta conformado por mujeres. “Esta organización fue creada para apoyar a todas aquellas mujeres obreras con sus derechos, como aquellas que perdieron la vida en aquel terrible incendio,” agregó Andrade.

New twist in international case involves ex-Mexican President now at Yale

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By Robert Cyr

A new ruling has been issued in an intriguing international human rights case unfolding in Hartford federal court. It involves a former Mexican president and the court has jurisdiction because he is now a professor at Yale University and a resident of Connecticut. The court must decide on a decision last week  by a Mexican court that may possibly prevent former President Ernesto Zedillo from claiming he has immunity as a former head of state, forcing him to face the charges against him. Matthew D. Gordon, a West Hartford lawyer representing the plaintiffs, said they are still analyzing the Mexican court ruling that states that since the lawsuit against Zedillo is personal and not against Mexico and he is no longer in an official capacity, the Mexican constitution does not provide him with immunity protection. The local federal court had not yet ruled on granting Zedillo’s request for immunity, which was recommended by the U.S. State Department after receiving a request from the U.S. Mexican Ambassador, who the Mexican court decision also says overstepped his authority.

Cleaning up a neighborhood in Calexico, Calif.

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CALEXICO, Calif.– “This city has been on a tight budget lately, but we can’t just stay here and wait for a miracle, we have

to do something about it because this is where our children are going to grow up,” said Saul Garcia during the Kennedy Gardens neighborhood clean-up on Saturday March 9, 2013. Garcia joined forces with Javier Gonzalez, the KG Neighborhood Watch leader, to organize a cleanup for the Kennedy Gardens neighborhood and park in Calexico. Gonzalez wanted to organize an event where residents of the neighborhood and volunteers from the community got together to fix, paint, and clean up their parks and streets. Gonzalez and Garcia worked hard to get permission from the city as well as garnering donations for supplies. The City of Calexico and the Imperial Irrigation District provided paint and tools for the event.

Read Across America

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CALEXICO, Calif.–The Camarena Memorial Library held its Read Across America Family Night on Tuesday Feb. 26, 2013. Children as young as toddlers and their families participated in the various activities designed to foster a love of reading. They rotated from arts and crafts to story time, games, and snack time. “It’s a program we offer for children to implement reading from an early age, so we invite all families to come by and take advantage of the program,” said Veronica Torreros, an administrator at the library.

A “Lesser” Latino? The question of who counts

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By Wayne Jebian

State Rep. Matt Lesser (D-Middletown) with his fair skin, brown hair and blue eyes, does not “look Latino” in the stereotypical way and his last name is not Spanish. Last month, when Lesser asked to join the Black & Latino caucus, there was some quiet head scratching in some corners of the State Capitol. As it turns out, Lesser’s mother came from Argentina. State Sen. Art Linares (R-Westbrook) has a Cuban father, and as the recipient of his father’s name and some telltale genetic features, his “Latino-ness” preceded him. As the freshman senator met some of his fellow Latino lawmakers for the first time in January, he asked, “How do I join the caucus?” and was told, “You’re already in it.”

The question of who is a Latino is one the U.S. Census is grappling with.

Stringing music for young people in the Imperial Valley

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IMPERIAL, Calif. – “Strings in general, even at schools, aren’t a big thing but we kinda need it if we’re going to have any future in the orchestral music,” said Dr. Matthew Busse, instructor for Beginning Strings Orchestra and Southwest High School Orchestra teacher. Two years ago Busse started an orchestra program at Corfman Middle School in El Centro, but recently moving from El Centro to Imperial, he said his wife suggested that he start the program for orchestra lessons in Imperial, after she saw flyers about guitar lessons and other lessons that the City of Imperial has to offer. Busse thought about it and decided to expand it to see what happens. So far, the turnout of students is fairly small with two students from Ballington Academy and a few from Imperial, but  Busse wants to invite anyone who hasn’t had any kind of experience in orchestral music and students who don’t have the opportunity to perform in their schools orchestra to join the program.

(Gustavo Aguirre/Borderzine.com)

Actor Steven Seagal stars in a new role as a Doña Ana County Deputy Sheriff

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EL PASO – Speeding west on Interstate 10 with the radio at full blast through the foul smelling dusty air shed by the New Mexican dairy farms, you could be pulled over by a Doña Ana County Sheriff’s cruiser carrying Hollywood tough guy Steven Seagal. In the county where Sheriff Pat Garrett once strutted around after gaining fame for gunning down Billy the Kid, Seagal is the new lawman in town. The 60-year-old, 7th-dan black belt in Aikido was sworn in on January 24 by County Sheriff Todd Garrison at the sheriff’s headquarters in a small ceremony. “When I first heard about this I didn’t believe it. I thought it was a joke,” said Isel Martinez, a graphic design major at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces.

Local church deacon leads UTEP’s Catholic Campus Ministry

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EL PASO ­– The UTEP Catholic Ministry is a well-known student organization serving and spreading the good news and serving the needs of young Catholic students. It was started in 2005 by the Rev. Father Henry Beck in the basement of St. Anthony Catholic Church in Sunset Heights until moving in 2007 to its current location at the Newman Center building on Oregon Drive, next door to the Baptist Student Ministry building. In December 2011 Beck resigned his role as Catholic campus minister, after he was transferred to serve a local Catholic diocese in Wisconsin. During the spring of 2012 the campus ministry placed a temporary minister in charge until the Catholic campus ministry was able to find a permanent minister.

Few local restaurants offer menus in braille for the vision-impaired

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EL PASO – Trying to pick from the vast number of dishes on a restaurant menu can be challenging, but imagine not being able to see the menu. Blind or vision-impaired persons must deal with that anomaly. Only a few restaurants in El Paso offer braille menus to their blind or vision-impaired customers, according to phone interviews with 21 local restaurants. The only ones were the national chains Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Applebee’s, and BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse. Some 21 million adults – about 9 percent of the U.S. population over the age of 18, reported having vision problems, according to the 2011 National Health Interview Survey prepared by the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

There were 18 accidents at speed zones in El Paso in 2012. (Joshua Gutierrez/Borderzine.com)

High number of citations issued in school zones raises concerns

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EL PASO – Five per cent of all the citations issued by El Paso police for automobile related violations ranging from parking to speeding – 11,181 tickets – were handed out here in 2012 on and near school zones according to the El Paso Municipal Court. There were 18 accidents in school zones here in 2012 according to El Paso Municipal Court records. “I take the number of citations very personally due to the fact that I have daughters and at any point your kids could be walking in a school zone,” said Gabriel Rubio, a retired 11-year veteran of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Department. The former deputy sheriff said that the blatant disregard for children’s safety as revealed by the large number of citations makes him worry about the safety of children and people in the school zones. “People these days and especially young teenagers don’t seem to care much about the school zones or the speed limit in school zones because they are too busy texting,” says Ana Ramirez, a Mountain View High School security officer.

Ken Salazar resigns; President’s cabinet is devoid of Hispanics

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Secretary of the Interior Kenneth Salazar is resigning from President Obama’s Cabinet and will return home to Colorado by the end of March. His impending departure, announced Jan. 16, follows that of Secretary of Labor Hilda Solís, who returned to her native California Jan. 23. Their decisions leave President Obama’s Cabinet bare of Hispanics.

Citizenship main topic at first immigration hearing

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WASHINGTON – A pathway to citizenship was the main topic of discussion Tuesday at a House hearing, the first to take place since proposals for immigration reform were introduced in the new Congress. San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro pushed for citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently in the United States. “I believe that is the best way and it is in our nation’s best interest,” Castro said. “We’re a nation of immigrants. We’ve progressed because we are pragmatic.

(Left to right) Senators Dick Durban, D-Ill., John McCain, R-Ariz., Charles Schumer, D-N.Y, Robert Menendez, D-N.J. and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., present comprehensive immigration reform blueprint at Monday news conference. (Jasmine Aguilera/SHFWire)

Experts: immigration plans place too much emphasis on border security

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WASHINGTON – Immigration experts who have been pushing for reform  welcome the attention to the issue but say the emphasis on border security and law enforcement are misplaced. A group of eight bipartisan senators introduced a proposal Monday that is meant to eventually give legal status to undocumented immigrants living in the United States. The proposal also aims to increase border security. Josiah Heyman, professor and chair of the department of sociology and anthropology at the University of Texas at El Paso, said the overall proposal for reform is necessary and good, but he disagrees with an increase in border security. “The border enforcement parts are very rhetorical and exaggerated,” Heyman said.

Families made a good part of the participants in the march for immigration reform. (Justin Monarez/Borderzine.com)

Rival immigration reform plans could ignite Capitol Hill fireworks

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By Basilisa Alonso

The comprehensive immigration reform proposal spread out Jan. 29 in Las Vegas by President Obama could eventually put as many as 11 million undocumented immigrants, about 80 percent of whom are Hispanic, on a path to U.S. citizenship. It is could also light up the sky with an awesome display of political fireworks by the Fourth of July. While Obama’s 25-minute televised speech was seen and heard by millions and then regurgitated and analyzed for days by print as well as broadcast  media, its message was clearly directed to those 535 members of Congress who must sign off before it reaches his desk for signature. The stakes — the President’s reputation, the future viability of the Republican Party and the welfare of the Hispanic community — are enormous.

Vanessa Hernandez is decided not to let MS control her life. (Kimberly García/Borderzine.com)

Support for persons with Multiple Sclerosis exists in El Paso despite a lack of awareness

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EL PASO — Like many 18-year-olds, Vanessa Hernandez is going to college, but unlike most students sitting in the lecture hall she has been diagnosed with a chronic and disabling disease – Multiple Sclerosis (MS). “I was diagnosed with MS when I was nine years old,” said Hernandez, who is studying to become a nurse. “January 5, 2005 is the exact date.”

Multiple Sclerosis attacks the central nervous system, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The caused is believed to be an abnormal response of the body’s immune system along with environmental, genetic, and bacterial or viral factors. Though Hernandez looks like a normal college student MS does affect her studies.