Latino USA Episode 26

This is Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture. I'm Maria Hinojosa. Today on Latino USA, a historic focus on issues affecting Latinos from Washington, to San Juan, to Los Angeles.

Yes, we are different national origins. We're different partisan roots, but the truth is we have much more in common than the things that separate us.

We'll also go to Miami, home of MTV Latino, and the growing Latino entertainment industry.

In the future you'll see a lot of crossover Latin artists getting more into the Anglo market and vice versa, and also the new breed of bilingual artists.

That and more coming up on Latino USA, but first, las noticias.

This is news from Latino USA. I'm Maria Martin. New census figures say the number of Americans living in poverty has reached its highest level in 30 years, especially among Latinos. Barrie Lynn Tapia reports.

There were over 36 million poor Americans last year. According to the US Census Bureau that accounted for over 14% of the total population. The Hispanic community was especially hard hit with 29 out of every 100 Latinos living in poverty and over half of Hispanic children were among the poor. According to the Census Bureau, Black and Hispanic Americans were about three times more likely to be poor than whites. There were more than 6 million Latinos living in poverty last year than in 1991. The Bureau also found that poor Hispanics were more likely to be without health insurance than whites or blacks. For Latino USA, this is Barrie Lynn Tapia in Washington.

Puerto Ricans in New York City are going to the polls to voice their opinions on the political future of the island, now, a US commonwealth. Mandalit del Barco has more.

Like Puerto Ricans on the island, New Yorkers born in Puerto Rico, or whose parents were, are voting on whether Puerto Rico should become a state, remain a commonwealth, or choose independence. Both elections are non-binding on Congress, who will ultimately decide Puerto Rico's fate. Manny Mirabal, who heads New York City's coalition Pro Puerto Rican Participation says the outcome of the New York vote could greatly influence Congress' decision. "Depending on the outcome," he says, "Congress might be coaxed into declaring an official plebiscite."

One of the reasons we're holding this process is to ensure that there will be, to show the Congress that not only our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico are concerned about this issue and want it resolved once or for all, but also people who actually vote and elect the Congress of the United States. 143 Congresspeople whose electoral districts have significant Puerto Rican populations, I think will get a message that they better start dealing with it.

Officially, the New York York vote has no direct connection with Puerto Rico's plebiscite in November, but New York Puerto Ricans say they too should have a voice on the future of their homeland. For Latino USA, I'm Mandalit del Barco in New York.

A bill introduced by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus seeks to remedy the lack of statistical information about Latino health. The Minority Health Opportunities Act would increase funding for the National Center on Health Statistics on whose information healthcare monies are largely allocated. Democratic Congress member Lucille Roybal-Allard says the measure will be especially beneficial for the health needs of Latinas.

Latina women are more likely to have diabetes than other groups of women, and there's a whole series of diseases that impact Latino women disproportionately from other population.

Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus say their bill is not meant to compete with the administration's healthcare plan, but to compliment it. This is news from Latino USA. The leaders of the nation's environmental justice movement, organizations representing African, Asian, and Native Americans along with Latino groups gathered in the nation's capital. It's the first time all these organizations have come together. According to Richard Moore, coordinator of the Southwest Network for Environmental and Economic Justice based in Albuquerque.

One of the agenda items will very clearly be the relationships between our networks. We have been working together in the past on several issues. One of the primary pieces that will be on the agenda, for example, is a letter that was sent requesting an emergency environmental justice summit because of the urgency of the poisoning of communities of color, and in our case in the southwest Latino communities, that we called for a meeting with the president and vice president and also that a emergency, I say environmental summit take place, environmental justice summit.

The Southwest network coordinator says though many Latinos may not consciously make the environment a priority, Latinos have been involved in the movement for environmental justice for a long time.

We've been involved, for example, with pesticides issues with farm workers for many, many years. We didn't perceive that as an environmental issue, we perceived it as a labor issue. Housing and tenant organizing. Over 900,000 housing units today still have lead based pain in them with many children eating the chips off those walls and Latino housing projects and other communities in the southwest. Never perceived it as an environmental issue, we perceived it as a tenant's rights issue. And as we're all unfortunately very aware, our communities are located in and around slaughterhouses, dog food companies, industrial facilities, landfills, incinerators, whatever it may be, and that's not anything recent. Matter of fact, that's been for the last many, many years.

The environment and its impact on Latino communities from Bayamon Puerto Rico, to El Paso, to the South Bronx was one of the issues addressed in Washington recently during the Latino Issues Forum sponsored by members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. I'm Maria Martin, you're listening to Latino USA.

I'm Maria Hinojosa. In El Paso, Texas, the border patrol continues its increased presence on a 20 mile stretch of the US border with Mexico. The border patrol says its so-called "Operation Blockade" is cutting down on illegal entries into the United States, but some in the border cities of Juarez and El Paso say the operation is also deterring many people from coming into the United States legally, either from fear or because they're heeding the call for a boycott on US businesses. And as Luis Saenz reports, Operation Blockade is taking a heavy toll on El Paso's downtown merchants, many of whom depend heavily on shoppers from Mexico.

The music in this downtown storm might be festive, but for downtown merchants, the mood is anything but. They say their business is dropped by as much as 90% and they're blaming the blockade conducted by the border patrol.

It's a ghost town. It's a ghost town. It's very bad. We've been like this for almost what? Three weeks? Yeah. This is our third week, so it is affecting everybody in downtown. All the merchants here are very upset right now. I don't know what's going to happen.

¿Cómo está-(unintelligble 0:07:32) ¿Qué estilo busca? No se olvide que aquí le ponemos iniciales gratis. Tenemos especial de ‘blockade.’ (laughter)

Jaime Advice has been selling sunglasses in downtown El Paso for the last five years. He depends heavily on people from Juarez who come across to buy his glasses, but today even browsers are scarce. He says the government should take a closer look at what the blockade is doing to the border economy.

Pues debe haver un poquito más de calidad humana en estas cosas. Se pierde mucho la confianza de las dos cuidades hermanas que siempre se ha dicho es Cuidad Juarez y El Paso.

There should be a little bit more human quality in these things, he says, "You lose a lot of confidence. Juarez and El Paso have always been sister cities. It doesn't appear that we're part of the same family."

As the blockade entered its third week, some community leaders on both sides of the border are realizing how much the two cities depend on each other and are calling for a meeting to talk things out. Adrian Gonzalez Chavez is the director of tourism in Juarez.

Estamos tratando de abrir el diágolo-

She says, "People should not say, 'Don't go to El Paso,' or, 'Don't go to Juarez,' but rather see what can be done to treat American and Mexican citizens justly."

Para dar un trato justo tanto para la cuidadana americana como al mexicana.

The director of the Juarez Chamber of Commerce says, "People need to recognize the interdependence both cities and jointly seek solutions to problems including that of illegal immigration and the border's economic viability."

Tenemos este librito con todas las especiales y tenemos cupones-

Meanwhile, merchants are doing what they can to attract customers, but even on a good day, some say businesses down about 70% from what it used to be. One Mexican shopper told us, "Many people are staying away because they think they may have their passports confiscated at the border crossing. If you have all your documents, you have nothing to worry about," She says.

Meanwhile, border patrol agents are continuing a massive show of force along a 20 mile stretch of the US Mexico border. Border Patrol Chiefs Sylvester Reyes says, "Operation Blockade is accomplishing what it's sent out to do: cut down on the number of arrests of undocumented immigrants." Since the blockade began, the arrest of illegal immigrants have fallen 80%. Chief Reyes says, "Operation Blockade will go on indefinitely." That's bad news for some merchants who say if business continues to drop, they can't go on indefinitely. For Latino USA, I'm Luis Saenz in El Paso, Texas.

As the Census Bureau issued new figures showing the Latino population growing at a faster rate than previously projected, dozens of Latino leaders from across the country met to focus on the issues which most affect this growing population. Among them, education, health, and how to make Latino communities viable. Organized by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the three day meeting culminated with an electronic town hall meeting linking together San Juan, Miami, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Antonio. Latino USA's Maria Martin reports.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute presents threads of diversity, the fabric of unity.

In New York, Congressman Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, resident commissioner Carlos Romero Barcelo is in San Juan. We have Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Congressman Lincoln Diaz Ballard with an audience in Miami.

In their regional and national diversity, the Hispanic Congressional Caucus, its 20 members up from 14 since last November, mirrors this country's Latino community. Members don't always agree on issues, such as the embargo of Cuba and the North American Free trade Agreement. Yet at this conference, the congress members echoed the sentiment expressed by HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros.

Yes, we are different national origins and yes we are are different partisan roots, Republicans, and Democrats, and independents, and radicals, and conservatives, and every sort of breed of political roots. And yes, we live in different parts of the country and we've already talked about that, but the truth is we have much more in common than the things that separate us.

To address issues in common, a survey was taken among those invited to the seventh City Electronic Town Hall. The results indicated education is the issue of greatest concern among Latinos followed by health community viability, that is jobs, and the environment. From politicians to students to grassroots organizers, they all had questions for their congressional representatives.

My question is language minority preschool-aged children do not have to be provided with equal educational opportunities. How is this issue going to be addressed?

Responding is California Congressman Xavier Becerra.

Mrs. Maria, I can tell you one thing that in Congress you will not be satisfied by the answer because those of us in Hispanic caucus are not satisfied. We will be spending something over $200 million this coming year on bilingual education, about 20 or 30 million more if the president has his way than was spent in the past year. That 250 or $230 million provides us with the funds to reach about 10 to 15% of all the children in this country who are in need of bilingual services. The states aren't doing much better-

I would like to know how the Hispanic Congressional Caucus intends to deal with the current anti-immigrant backlash. In general, its impact on K-12 education. In particular, its impact on children enrolled in federally funded bilingual education programs.

Responding to this question from Los Angeles, LA Congressman Esteban Torres.

At this time in our history we're undergoing a tremendous onslaught by those who would wish to blame all the economic ills on this country on immigrants. The immigrants I might say, didn't have a lot to do with the SNL scandal. They didn't have a lot to do with the Cold War issue.

Those questions and responses having to do with the prevalent anti-immigrant climate seem to get the most response from those in the town hall audience, not only in the area of education but regarding the exclusion of the undocumented from the administration's healthcare plan. Illinois Congressman Luis Gutierrez.

In Chicago, in our discussions, we understand that healthcare needs to become. Given any package that we approve in the Congress of the United States, needs to be looked at as a basic and fundamental human right. A basic and fundamental human right that is guaranteed to every human being who lives in the United States regardless of the color of their skin or their economic status, regardless of whether they arrived yesterday or today or they're going to arrive tomorrow. Cancer and tuberculosis and illness does not ask for a MICA card as to whether it can visit your home or your children.

Just very briefly say that on this issue and on every other issue, it is a caucus policy to include the undocumented as part of our community.

Caucus chair, New York Congressman Jose Serrano.

We are not immigration agents. We don't get involved in how people get here. Once they're here, we feel that they have to be protected. Number two, this caucus, for the first time is also addressing the fact that people who live in American territories are part of our American community. There are questions yet to be settled about those territories, but as far as fair play from Washington, this caucus believes that the members who represent those areas and the people who live in those areas, for American citizens that they are, must get equal treatment and that's the kind of approach that the caucus has taken.

There are no easy answers to all the questions and issues facing the Latino community and addressed during the three days of sessions on Capitol Hill, but what was perceptible in Washington was a new attitude. The Hispanic caucus has been energized by new leadership and by the additional members elected in November, including its first Mexican-American and Puerto Rican congresswomen. There was serious talk of coalitions between Hispanics and African-Americans in Congress at one of the sessions, and at the same time the issues forum was taking place, the 20 members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus had an opportunity to show their new clout when they blocked a bill which would've extended unemployment insurance by cutting off benefits for blind and disabled legal immigrants. Congressman Xavier Becerra.

Chairman Serrano came into the discussions and it was through the efforts of the caucus, the name of the caucus, that we were able to say that Congressman Pastor who also came in, we were able to say that we as members of the Hispanic caucus, could not support this particular bill even though we knew we had many people in our districts who were unemployed, but this was not the way to do it. You don't rob Peter to give to Paul and we would not let it happen, and fortunately we had a leadership with the foresight to know that they should not do it either.

We have shown great progress and the fact that this caucus is being held here today is proved that the Mexican-American, the Hispanic can go forward. My question to you-

This new visibility and increasing political power for Latinos on Capitol Hill led one elderly participant to ask what those outside of Congress could do to help the members of the caucus be more effective. The answer came from representative Becerra.

Three important words Vote, vote, vote.

Finding an agenda which can unite the many diverse and regionally scattered Latino communities is what brought together some 800 invited guests and the Hispanic members of Congress for an electronic town hall meeting joining together seven cities.

The town hall session of the Issues forum sponsored by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus was broadcast over public television stations in New York, Washington, San Antonio, Los Angeles, and Chicago. For Latino USA, I'm Maria Martin.

Transitional Salsa Music

Diez. Nueve. Ocho. Siete. Seis. Cinco, cinco cinco. Cuatro. Tres. Dos. Uno.

The MTV Cable Network has just launched MTV Latino, a new 24 hours Spanish language music network distributed throughout Latin America and to some US cities.

[unintelligible 0:18:49] caballeros. Rock and roll.

Somos Aerosmith.

For years, the entertainment industry serving the Latino market was based either in Latin America or in Los Angeles, where non-Latinos controlled much of the business. But now the bulk of the Latino entertainment industry, like the new MTV Latino network, is based in Miami where Latinos are establishing their own turf. Melissa Mancini reports.

Miami ranked 16th in US media markets, but it's the number one location for the Latin entertainment industry, headquartering, Latin television, music and print trades. The reasons are simple. Nearly 60% of Miami's population is Hispanic and the city's location is convenient to Central and South America. In addition, Miami has more reliable air transportation and telephone service than its southern neighbors. With the whole of the Hispanic media located here, entertainment attorney David Bercuson says, "Miami is the premier stop for Latin recording artists and other entertainment figures promoting their current projects."

In addition to television, it's a center hub for a lot of Spanish media, print media. So with all those things working for it and the record companies, there's a lot of symbiotic relationship. The record companies are here, they send them right over to whatever magazine it is for interviews, and then they send them right over, it could be even be the same day, to one of the major networks for television exposure where they can do 3, 4, 5 shows at one network, and the next day do a number of shows at the other network.

As the US city with the Latin American flair, Miami offers another big payoff. The amount of money pumped into the national economy via Telemundo and Univision, the two major Hispanic television networks. A recent industry study shows that TV advertisements spurred Hispanics to spend $200 billion annually on consumer goods and services, and it's estimated that number will increase 40% by the year 2000. In addition to the television and print media, Miami is inundated with Hispanic radio stations, and it's here that other Latin stations throughout the US look to when they're charting music trends. David Bercuson says, "Miami's Betty Pino is one of the most important radio programmers for Spanish pop music."

And when she programs things on her lists, those lists are carefully watched throughout the country by other Spanish radio programmers. And even if their format is not totally pop, and they only play four or five or six songs that are pop, they'll look at these lists that are put out by this one station, this one program in particular, as persuasive and controlling.

Sony Discos. No, ¿quisiera- [unintelligible 0:21:48]

Sony Discos Is the Latin music heavyweight of record labels. Established about 10 years ago in Miami, Sony Discos was the first Latin label to sign artists such as Julio Iglesias and Gloria Estefan, allowing it to corner the market. Sony Discos vice President Angel Carrasco.

The record business for us, in the last five years, has been very profitable. We have grown a lot and we feel that Latin music now is getting recognition from other audiences. Europe, tropical music is very big, and then artists like Julio Iglesias and Gloria Estefan have helped us improve our image as far as [inaudible 0:22:30] is concerned. And that has opened up a lot different markets and different audiences that are buying our records.

And because Miami is still a fledgling in the entertainment industry, the city has not yet developed the hard edges associated with New York or Los Angeles. Nicaraguan born Salsa star Luis Enrique has been with Sony Discos for five years. Enrique literally walked in off the street and was handed a recording contract. He says before that he spent years trying unsuccessfully to meet with other music executives.

I tried to do it in LA and it was hard. It was really hard to open doors, and I remember I used to go and sit down on the sidewalk at A&M recording studios and try to talk to someone.

Latin music is a $120 million a year business in the US in Puerto Rico. Although it's estimated Hispanics makeup only 10% of the total market Sony Discos' vice president Angel Carrasco says the Latin market is strong and growing.

The future is wonderful. I think in the future you'll see a lot of crossover Latin artists getting more into the Anglo market and vice versa. Also the new breed of bilingual artists, not only has Gloria made it big, but also [inaudible 00:23:53], who was also a local Cuban born guy, also produced by Emilio Estefan, has made it big. And I think the most important pop music for the Latin market is going to come out of the United States in the future.

Sony Discos is one of about a dozen Latin music labels located in Miami. At least three additional record labels are said to be considering relocating here. In addition, VH1 and Nickelodeon, both owned by MTV networks, are said to be following MTV Latinos tracks into Latin America and South Florida. For Latino USA, I'm Melissa Mancini in Miami.

Transitional Music

Pop rhythms and grungy glamour were the rule at a recent opening night party for MTV Latino. The party in Miami South Beach went late into the night as the global rock music giant MTV celebrated its move into 11 Latin American countries and the US latino market. Nina Ty Schultz was at the celebration and filed this report.

MTV Latino Americano. Wow.

MTV, la mejor música.

With hundreds of exotically dressed people crammed into one of South Beach's hottest nightclubs, MTV Latino is launched. There's as much Spanish as English in the air and as many models as musicians. It's all part of MTV's image of youth and ease and scruffy good looks. Take Daisy Fuentes, she's a model turned MTV host who will anchor the new show in Miami as the master of ceremonies here tonight, she's got the kind of bubbly, bilingual enthusiasm that MTV Latino wants to project.

Now we're really going to be in your face. I am talking Central America, South America, the Caribbean, and even in the USA in Español.

MTV will literally be in the face of 2 million viewers with another million predicted by the year's end. MTV's, CEO Tom Preston explained why it's all possible now.

We see that cable television industry exploding. As the media is deregulated, huge demand for alternative types of television services like an MTV.

That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.

He expects the business to be lucrative, not just for MTV, but for Latin American rock and pop stars as well. Gonzalo Morales from Mexico is one of the video jockeys for the show.

They're going to for sure promote their selves all over Latin America. I mean, 10 years ago it was impossible to think that they would be signing to into an international record company and selling the number of records they sell. Nowadays, rock and roll in Mexico, it's really huge now.

The rock groups here tonight come from all over. Maldita Vencidad from Mexico, Los Prisoneros from Chile, Ole Ole from Spain. But oddly enough, the first artist to perform is the not so Latin Phil Collins. That's no mistake. Over three quarters of the music on MTV Latino will in fact be from so-called "Anglo musicians". "That's what Latin teens want to hear," say MTV execs who feel they know the market after running a year long pilot show. Though they say programming may change depending on audience demand. For Latino USA, this is Nina Ty Schultz in Miami.

Transitional Music

And for this week, y por esta semana, this has been Latino USA. The Radio Journal of News and Culture. Latino USA is produced and edited by Maria Emilia Martin. The associate producer is Angelica Luévano. We had help this week from Vidal Guzman and Karyl Wheeler. Latino USA is produced at the studios of KUT in Austin, Texas. The technical producer is Walter Morgan. Theme music by Ben Tavera King. Why don't you call us with your comments or questions? Our number is 1-800-535-5533. That's 1-800-535-5533. Major funding for Latino USA comes from the Ford Foundation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and the University of Texas at Austin. Contributors include the Estrada Communications Group and the Hispanic Link News Service. Y hasta la próxima. Until next time, I'm Maria Hinojosa for Latino USA.

For now, in this country, MTV Latino can be seen in Miami, Tucson, Boston, Fresno, and Sacramento, California.