Annotations for Subject-headings: Police Brutality

This is news from Latino USA. I am Maria Martin. Several congressional house members led by Democratic representative Xavier Becerra of California are calling for legislation to investigate human rights abuses by federal agencies along the US-Mexico border. From Washington, Franc Contreras reports.

Widespread allegations of abuses by the US Border Patrol, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and Customs have prompted this legislation. It would create a commission with the power to recommend, not mandate disciplinary actions against those three agencies. Currently, people with complaints must either go through the agency they're complaining against or go through the Inspector General's office. The problem is that most complainants are not familiar enough with the system to use it. This proposed bill would address those problems, say congressional supporters. The panel would have seven members appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. This legislation has support from Representative Jose Serrano, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and representative John Conyers, chairman of the Government Operations Committee. Since the commission would have no enforcement powers, the legislation is expected to pass easily. For Latino USA, I'm Franc Contreras in Washington.

Everybody out here keep the strength going because we need all the support for all of our brothers and sisters. There's about 90 of them in jail.

Mexican-American students at the University of California at Los Angeles continue to demand a Chicano Studies department, one demonstration protesting budget cuts for the Chicano Resource Center. And UCLA Chancellor Charles Young's opposition to an independent Chicano Studies department resulted in over 90 arrests as students occupied the campus faculty center and allegedly caused over $50,000 in damages. UCLA student Benny Madera was among those joining the protests. He spoke with Latino USA's Alberto Aguillar.

It's been too long that they've kept our history from us. It's 1993 and they're still trying to keep our history from us. They don't want to give us a Chicano Studies program. We've been asking for it for years.

What does it do for you, Chicano Studies?

First of all, it tells me who I am, where I came from. It gets rid of that low self-esteem that the gabacho puts us through. You know that gabacho grinder system were put through growing up in this society, but without finding out who we are, where we came from, we don't have that amor proprio.

UCLA Chancellor Young has said keeping Chicano Studies an interdisciplinary program gives it intellectual vitality. Young was in Japan and unavailable for comment, but Vice Chancellor Andrea Rich says the protest would not make the chancellor change his mind.

You're listening to Latino USA.

In Orlando, proceedings are underway in the retrial of Miami policeman William Lozano, whose shooting of an African American in 1989 sparked three days of disturbances in Miami. Losano was convicted of two counts of manslaughter in an earlier trial, but that verdict was overturned when an appeals court ruled it may have been influenced by fears of inciting racial violence. The volatile case was moved from Miami to Orlando, then to Tallahassee and then back to Orlando, which has a larger percentage of Latinos than Tallahassee. A recent national survey says Hispanic parents differ from other ethnic groups in their support for the public schools. From Washington, Patricia Guadalupe reports.

According to a survey released May 11th in Washington DC by the National Parent Teachers Association, Hispanic parents are more confident than Anglo parents at the quality of public schools will improve. The survey, commissioned by Newsweek Magazine for the PTA, found that close to half of the Hispanic parents surveyed believe schools will improve over the next five years as compared to a third of Anglo parents. Carlos Sarsed, Director of News Stats in Austin, Texas compiled and analyzed the survey's Hispanic data.

Hispanic parents are feeling very responsible for the education of their kids, and interestingly, even Hispanic parents who were interviewed in Spanish who are primarily Spanish speakers, help their kids a lot in school. In many respects, the parents are learning themselves.

The survey also found that Hispanic parents, more than others, believe funding for schools is inadequate. For Latino USA. I'm Patricia Guadalupe in Washington.

According to the US census, more than 4 million Latinos voted in last year's presidential elections. Analysis of the data by NALEO, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, indicates Latino voter registration increased by 12%, nearly double the national average. Latino voter turnout is still well below the national average. I'm Maria Martin. You're listening to Latino USA.