‘Dreamers’ fear deportation, family separation as local advocates take up their cause

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El Paso County has approximately 2000 immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents when they were children who are temporarily protected from deportation by a federal program, known as DACA, approved by former President Obama.  

Following the election of President Donald Trump two years ago and his pledge to end the program, the future of these young immigrants, known as Dreamers who now total 11 million, remains in legal limbo as Congress refuses to act on legislation that would provide them with permanent status. They remain in a state of constant fear that the protection from deportation they now enjoy will end in permanent separation from the U.S. family members. Members of the El Paso-area immigration advocacy organization, Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR), say they are committed to continue to help local Dreamers win the right to remain permanently in the country. Based in El Paso, Texas, BNHR has a membership of more than 700 families, in parts of West Texas and southern New Mexico.

El Paso mental health agency assists those in need with hot line, phone app

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An estimated one in four adults suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year, according to El Paso mental health provider Emergence Health Network, which also runs a crisis hotline. Also, says EHN, 90 percent of people who die by suicide are also believed to have had a mental disorder. However, either because of fear or lack of information only 60 percent of those suffering from a mental health condition seeks treatment. One helpful resource EHN provides to the community is its 24-hour Crisis Hotline, which consists of of qualified mental health professionals, as well as on-call professionals who are available to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Crisis Line specialists are prepared through education and training to assist distressed callers in verbal de-escalation of any situation.

Festival gives El Paso a taste of the Middle East

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EL PASO – The annual Feast of the Middle East is an opportunity for border residents to sample great food and learn more about the culture of their neighbors who trace their roots back to the Mideast. Parishioners of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, 120 Festival, work for months to prepare authentic specialty dishes and arrange live Arabic music and folk dance for the weekend festival. Guided tours of the church will be available. The 2018 festival will run from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday, June 2 and from noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday, June 3 on the church grounds at 120 Festival Dr. Tickets are $2.

Neon Desert Music Festival caters to local talent

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EL PASO – When Neon Desert Music Festival kicked off for its eighth time this weekend, many local bands in the lineup represent the Sun City. From the festival’s inception in 2009, Neon Desert Music Festival has continuously strived to be a yearly music event catering to its host city as a creative outlet “for El Pasoans by El Pasoans”. Cumulatively, NDMF has hosted over 170,000 attendees, with over 40,000 music fans joining last year’s two-day celebration. By reserving 15 city blocks in downtown El Paso, this west Texas music festival is one of the largest venues for a street festival in the state, according to the organizers. This year’s lineup features a mix of well-known artists such as Cardi B, Martin Garrix, Café Tacvba, GTA, and local groups such as SleepSpent, The Swell Kids, Fat Camp, and Gila Monster.

How studying journalism helped my business career

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When starting college we have one goal, and that is to graduate. We all dream of the day we walk across the stage with our name being called and feeling that satisfaction of “I did it!” I went into the field of business marketing because I have always wanted to own my own business and knew that marketing knowledge is a huge asset for any business. Unfortunately, I found the classes I took in math and accounting to be dry and I couldn’t relate to them. When I saw that more were required for the degree, I ran away as fast as I could!

If stricter gun laws aren’t widely adopted, some say children need gun safety courses in school

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In the past five years, four of the five largest mass shootings in the American history have taken place – 58 people dead in the 2017 Las Vegas shooting; 49 killed at an Orlando nightclub shooting; 20 children and six adults killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting and 25 people gunned down in Sutherland Springs, TX. We’re only five months into 2018 and there have already been 79 recorded shootings in the United States, according to the Gun Violence Archive. In addition, as of May 1 196 children age 11 and younger were killed or injured by guns. With 42 percent of U.S. residents living in households containing guns, some gun advocates believe it’s time to bring gun safety education to the schools. Firearm safety classes in grade schools aren’t unprecedented.

El Paso students uneasy after campus shootings nationwide

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Students, teachers and family members are concerned for their safety after several school campus shootings during the past few years, including a campus shooting in Texas that killed 10 and another in Florida that killed nearly 20 people. Ten people were killed in a high school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas, on May 18. In February, in Parkland, Florida, 17 people – students and teachers – were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Another 17 people suffered injuries when they were shot with a variety of weapons in the Feb. 14 shooting.

A siete meses de la destrucción del huracán María, los puertorriqueños sienten su ciudadanía a medias

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El año pasado nuestra isla del encanto, caracterizada por sus montañas vestidas de verde, su cielo azul y sus hermosas playas, se convirtió en lugar de escombros luego del paso del huracán María. María me enseñó que los huracanes no solo poseen la fuerza para arrasar ceibas y arrancar techos, sino que también tienen el poder de desenmascarar narrativas como las que he venido escuchando de mis colegas no-puertorriqueños aquí en los Estados Unidos. Narrativas que, al igual que el huracán María, han logrado exponer las raíces de un problema que lleva toda una vida presente en el territorio puertorriqueño. “But, Puerto Ricans are American citizens”, han repetido hasta el cansancio. Lo he oído tanto o quizá más que la canción “Despacito” cuando pegó en la radio el año pasado. Mientras muchos en la isla siguen en la oscuridad, del mismo modo le sigue tomando meses a mis colegas en comprender el significado de esa situación. Son mis colegas periodistas los que en realidad continúan a oscuras, sin entender las ramificaciones que tiene esta frase.

¿Me caso y me quedo? El dilema de Berta

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En silencio nos sentamos en el muelle mientras el sol nos azotaba, el viento nos volaba el cabello en la cara mientras los turistas se tomaban, ningún reparo, sus selfies teniendo de fondo a la costa de California. El álgido tema de la conversación que yo y mi mejor amiga Berta* manteníamos nos hundió en la nostalgia, mientras contemplábamos la incertidumbre del futuro. “No sé qué va a pasar”, dijo Berta. “Pero voy a resolverlo, siempre lo hago”. Berta es una estudiante auspiciada por DACA.

House packed with books makes for unique Airbnb getaway on the border

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EL PASO – Airbnb customers have more than 300 houses to choose from in this city on the edge of Texas. Some may pick a place to stay based on location. Others may select a spot for its price or amenities. And book lovers may find themselves drawn to a cozy bungalow just to the east of Downtown that has stacks of quality reading material. “I have books hiding in some of the kitchen cabinets.

12 Journalism professors selected for Dow Jones Multimedia Training Academy 2018

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Twelve journalism instructors from U.S. Hispanic Serving Institutions will travel to the U.S., Mexico border region to participate in the ninth annual Dow Jones News Fund Multimedia Training Academy in June at the University of Texas in El Paso. Thanks to a grant provided by the Dow Jones News Fund, Borderzine organizes this annual workshop training geared to multimedia journalism instructors who teach in institutions with a large minority population. Here is a list of the 12 instructors who were chosen and their institutions:

Daniel Evans, Florida International University
Mary Jo Shafer, Northern Essex Community College
Lillian Agosto-Maldonado, Universidad del Sagrado Corazon
Julie Patel Liss, Fullerton College
Nicole Perez Morris, Texas A&M-Kingsville
Kelly Kauffhold, Texas State University
Sara V. Platt, University of Puerto Rico
Geoffrey Campbell, UT Arlington
Jesus Ayala, Cal State Fullerton
Lorena Figueroa, El Paso Community College
Darren Phillips, New Mexico State University
Dino Chiecchi, UT El Paso

The week-long multimedia-journalism academy has a proven track record of eight successful years helping journalism educators acquire a new skills in digital storytelling that they can use to help prepare prepare the next generation of Latino college journalists. “The trainers at the academy understand what educators need to learn about new and emerging technologies to better prepare their students for the fast-changing future” said Linda Shockley, Deputy Director of Dow Jones News Fund. “This quality of instruction at absolutely no cost to participants and their universities is priceless.”
The goal of this experience is to learn and practice news reporting using a variety of digital equipment, software programs and platforms. Participating instructors are expected to translate this learning into training for their students, making them more competitive in the media industry.

UTEP’s 1st Social Justice Pioneer Award honors leaders in Positive Deviance movement

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EL PASO -When Monique and Jerry Sternin took on the challenge in 1990 of reducing childhood malnutrition in rural Vietnam, they didn’t show up with their own notions of what should be done. Instead, the Save the Children workers went in search of the “deviants,” the families where children were thriving despite having the same resources as those whose children were undernourished.  

The couple was applying the concept of “Positive Deviance,” which initially appeared in nutrition research literature in the 1960s, according to positivedeviance.org. They observed the families that had healthy children and then led these mothers to pass their methods on to the rest of the families, and within two years reported a dramatic reduction in malnourishment. “We had met ordinary people who had been more successful than others.

More women encouraged to run for office in El Paso

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EL PASO – Currently, 80 percent of lawmakers in the Texas Legislature are men, as well as 80 percent in the U.S. Congress. But that may change as movements for more women in politics grow. In El Paso, more than a dozen women turned out to a recent Candidate 101 forum hosted by Annie’s List—a statewide organization whose purpose is to get more progressive, pro-choice women to run for and win office. “I’m really encouraged that they would be willing to lend their gifts and talents to our community,” said former El Paso City Council representative and current EPISD trustee Susie Byrd. “I think it’s so important and so necessary that courageous people with a vision for our community step up to lead.”

7 things that change when you become pregnant as an undergrad

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There are so many things that change when you go from being a regular student with two jobs, a social life and family life, to being a pregnant student with two jobs, a social life and family life. I would have never expected this to happen to me in my last semester of college but here I am, 32 weeks into my pregnancy and three weeks from graduation. Here are just a few things that change when you try to juggle pregnancy and college. 1. Fatigue

You think you’re a tired college student before you get pregnant?

Traveling shows extend showcase opportunities for tattoo artists

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Stephanie “Chilindrina” Simon spends her time expressing herself through tattoos in her Lakewood, Colo., studio and placing her works of art on people’s bodies. She began her art as a hobby, eventually earned an internship and now expresses herself with tattoos. “I saw the opportunity for an apprenticeship and took it,” she said from her home. “Since then it really has become my world completely. The apprenticeship was difficult but once I had established a clientele base things started taking off and it became smoother as a profession to me.”

Simon, who is heavily tattooed, was one of 150 tattoo artists at the recent Star City Tattoo And Arts Expo at the El Paso Convention and Performing Arts Center.

EPFD provides free smoke alarms

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One week after a woman lost her life in a house fire on Caballo Lake Drive in East El Paso in March,firefighters were knocking on doors in the neighborhood. A crew of representatives from El Paso Fire Department’s Community Risk Reduction Division dropped off flyers and pamphlets detailing fire safety tips, as well as information regarding the city’s smoke alarm program. “Smoke alarms are a tool and they play a big part in that they are a first-line of defense to alarm residents that something is happening in the home, especially when they’re asleep,” said Lt. James Schaerfl with the Community Risk Reduction section of EPFD. The effort was part of a program called Return to the Scene, where firefighters return to residential areas after a fire to raise awareness on prevention and safety measures. They offer to perform inspections of homes and install smoke alarms.

“The best smoke alarms in the world don’t put out any fires, so we want no fires to take place in the first place, which is why prevention is always first,” Schaerfl said.

United Way helps millennials give back to the Borderland through RISE

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When Hollie Jacobson accepted the job of marketing and communications manager for United Way’s Rise program six months ago, she was so excited about the program’s mission of engaging millennials in community volunteer activities that she recruited her boyfriend, Saul Williams.

The 25-year-old intern for the CEO of the El Paso Children’s Hospital says he didn’t think twice.  

 

“I was raised in El Paso and really care about the city so being able to give back to the community that helped mold me into the young man I am today is a great opportunity,” said Williams, who joined four months ago. “The volunteer projects and speaker series are a great way to get involved as well as stay updated with the growth of El Paso,” he added. The United Way’s extension program called RISE is a unique way for millennials to connect with the El Paso community through hands-on volunteer projects such as RISE for Hunger and informal hangouts. The program took off September 2017 when Stephanie Gorman was hired to run RISE.

Mexican Gray Wolf slowly making its way back to Texas

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Four decades ago, Rick LoBello discovered his life’s passion as he watched several wildlife experts capture an endangered Mexican wolf in South Texas for a preservation project. “When I saw one of the last wild Mexican wolves in 1978 I began my quest to help save the species and to help return it to the wilds of Texas,” said LoBello, educational curator at the El Paso Zoo. At the height of its time, the Mexican Gray Wolf could be seen in abundant numbers. According to the Gray Wolf Conservation, between 250,000 and 500,000 wild wolves lived in harmony with Native Americans. “Not many people know this, but the last Mexican wolf in Texas was actually killed near Big Bend National Park which was near where I lived.”

(©iStockphoto)

What you need to do before graduating from college

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College graduation is right around the corner. Right about now, graduating seniors like myself are either excited to start a new chapter in their life or scared of what life is bringing next but nonetheless it should be something to look forward to.  

Finding a job is at the top of the list for many students when thinking abut graduation, so it is definitely one of the most important things. However, there are other things that soon-to-be graduates should do professionally and things to simply enjoy in the final weeks. So before you head out, here are five things to do before graduating:

1) Make connections and land a job

 

Start reaching out.

Push to speed up immigration courts undercuts justice, lawyers say

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EL PASO – The pressure to curb the growing backlog in immigration courts threatens the rights of detained immigrants, especially those seeking asylum, lawyers and immigration judges say. The Executive Office of Immigration Review recently established completed case quotas for immigration judges to decrease the backlog, but immigration judges say the move will increase the backlog due to potential appeals. Immigration attorneys said this is an effort to speed up the deportation of hundreds of thousands of people. “Make no mistake, the outcome this administration truly desires from mandating quotas on an understaffed adjudicatory agency with a needlessly overstuffed docket is to transform it into a deportation machine,” said Jeremy McKinney, a North Carolina immigration attorney who is secretary of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. The move calls for immigration judges to complete at least 700 cases per year, a number that was called unreasonable by immigration judges.