Cincinnati--The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) of Ohio calls for the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles to implement a policy regarding the validity of Puerto Rican Birth Certificates that parallels that of the USCIS (United States Immigration and Naturalization Services) and the government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rican.  The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles is refusing to issue driver’s licenses and other rights to U.S. citizens born in Puerto Rico because the certified copy of their birth certificate was issued prior to July 1, 2010.  As a consequence, the Ohio BMV’s current policy is placing an unwarranted burden upon U.S. citizens born in Puerto Rico. 

After September 30, 2010, all certified copies of birth certificates reporting births in Puerto Rico issued prior to July 1, 2010, will not by accepted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.  In the interim, the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles should continue to accept all certified copies of Puerto Rican birth certificates as they are considered legally valid.  Under the current policy of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Ohio is unconstitutionally providing fewer rights than that given under Federal Laws.

LULAC and Tyson Foods Join Forces to Feed Families in Ohio
Shared Harvest Foodbank to receive and distribute 15 tons of protein 

WHO:  Representatives of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Tyson Foods, Shared Harvest Foodbank and community leaders will be available for photo opportunities.

WHAT: An association between Tyson Foods and LULAC will donate more than 31,500 pounds of much-needed protein to Shared Harvest Foodbank. The foodbank will then distribute the donated protein to its partner agencies in five Ohio counties.

WHEN: Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010, 10 a.m.                                    

WHERE:Shared Harvest Foodbank, 5901 Dixie Highway, Fairfield, Ohio

WHY:  The event is significant because:

• Hunger in Ohio is a growing concern. Since 2006, the state has seen an increase of 18 percent in people seeking emergency food assistance with an average of 224,700 people seeking assistance each week.
• Shared Harvest Foodbank collects, warehouses, transports and distributes contributions of wholesome surplus food and other grocery style products to more than 120 partner agencies and nonprofits in Butler, Warren, Preble, Darke and Miami counties. The Foodbank distributes an average of twelve million pounds of groceries each year though its charitable network.
• The USDA reported in November that 49 million Americans, including nearly 17 million children, are food insecure. This is an increase of 36 percent over the previous year.
• For the past 10 years, Tyson has been actively engaged in hunger relief. Since 2000, the company has donated more than 76 million pounds of protein products to more than 950 hunger-relief agencies nationwide.
• The 15-ton donation is part of Tyson and LULAC’s one-million-pound, three-year commitment to fight hunger together. Visit http://hungerrelief.tyson.com or www.LULAC.org for more information.

CONTACT: 

Gary Mickelson, Tyson Foods, Inc., 479-290-6111, gary.mickelson@tyson.com            
Jason Riveiro, LULAC, 513-482-1814, jriveiro@lulacohio.org
Bob Long, Shared Harvest Foodbank, 513-260-8425, PandBlong@aol.com  
Meredith Adams, Mitchell Communications Group, 479-443-4673,   meredith@mitchcommgroup.co

On Friday, August 13th, Leo Pierson, LULAC Ohio's Director of Civil Righs was participating on the Scott Sloan 700AM show at 10am. The general discussion was on immigration. Specifically, about what happened 2 days ago in NKY, where Boone and Kenton Co.s both passed anti-immigration resolutions in support of AZ Sb1070.

Listen to it here

And Jason Riveiro, the LULAC Ohio State Director, will be going Monday on 700AM WLW with Bill Cunningham at 1pm for a parallel discussion. The main topic is "anchor babies". 

LULAC Members Jason Riveiro, Jorge Martinez, Leo Pierson, and Karen Dabdoub from CAIR, organized on July 29th a Press Conference to address rising crimes against Hispanics.

Read the press coverage:

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20 ... gration-stance-fuels-hate

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20 ... imes-up-against-Hispanics

http://www.wlwt.com/news/24436408/detail.html

The 2010 LULAC Ohio Convention was a total success. 

Several members and friends of LULAC participated in this event full of educational workshops and honored by presence of many elected officials and government representatives. Among them, Congressman Steve Driehaus, Dr. Venita Kelley, Special Representative for the Governor for Closing the Achievement Gap, State of Ohio, Ohio Chief Justice Eric Brown. The keynote speaker was Judge Keila Cosme.

   

More pictures are in our Photo Gallery

2010 LULAC Ohio State Convention

Presented by Procter & Gamble

Saturday, June 26, 2010

8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Marriott Cincinnati RiverCenter                                                                                                       

The annual LULAC Ohio State Convention convenes the LULAC Ohio membership and community leaders from across the state in a day long event consisting of workshops, training and a Women's Empowerment luncheon with Ohio Sixth District Court of Appeals, Justice Keile Cosme as Keynote Speaker.  Topics at the convention include cover a broad range of social-economic issues including:

• Immigration 101 for Social Workers & Community Leaders (training session)
• Youth Empowerment
• Legislative Issues in Ohio: "Moving from Reactionary to Preventive"
• The Future of Health Care for Latinos
• Current Issues in Education
• Civil Rights for Civil Rights Leaders
• Reform Immigration for American Campaign: "Next Steps"

Speakers Confirmed:

• Congressman Steve Driehaus, US Representative, OH-1
• Venita Kelley, PhD, Special Representative for the Governor for Closing the Achievement Gap, State of Ohio
• Mireika "Marie" Kobayashi, ESL/Foreign Language Manager, Cincinnati Public Schools
• Richard Sombrano, Chair, LULAC National Civil Rights Commission
• Ruben Castilla Herrera, State Director, Reform Immigration for American Campaign
• Iris Chavez, Education Policy Coordinator, LULAC National
• Jonathan Tolentino, MD, Chief Resident, Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital
• Florentina Staigers, Policy Coordinator, Ohio Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs

Cost (includes breakfast & lunch):

• $10 for members
• $15 for non-members
• $5 for students

Please RSVP before June 18th via http://lulacohio.eventbrite.com

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) of Ohio is calling on the Columbus community to join together in rejecting ClearChannel's WTVN 600 Radio Station for its racially insensitive, anti-immigrant promotion. The advertisement depicts Mayor Coleman on a Green Card in a trip giveaway to Phoenix, Arizona. This image is meant to be cute; except it's not. The promo states that the winner is invited to "spend the weekend chasing aliens and spend a few pesos in the desert." The message of this promotion is clear and concise. It reads: "win a trip to hunt human beings" ClearChannel and its WTVN 600 Radio Station have broadcast a call toward open violence against Latinos, and this is completely unacceptable! The undersigned stand in solidarity and support of the Latino/Hispanic community in Columbus, Cental Ohio and every peace loving community. LULAC is calling on people of all faiths, races, ethnicities, cultures, socio-economic backgrounds, genders and age groups to stand as one voice, one faith and one community with justice for all.

“We believe that our community must respect and protect all people, send forth a message of compassion and dignity and engage all citizens of good will and affirming actions”

Community members will turn in hundreds of letters to Brian Dytko, General Manager of Clear Channel in Columbus, Ohio. By making this statement as a community, we declare that we are committed to work together to hold accountable those cynical few who would see Ohio's residents weakened and divided. Columbus is a multicultural and extremely diverse city. We must hold this fact up, not as a call to violence against others, but as a beacon of pride around which we all gather as one interconnected community.

Therefore, we request ClearChannel's WTVN610 Radio Station to immediately remove the promotion and to release a public written apology (half page size) written by those who created & approved the ad. Finally, this apology should be signed by WTVN’s General Manager.

LULAC Ohio
LULAC-Columbus Councils
Reform Immigration for America-Ohio
Casa de La Cultura Hispana
Empleos & Employment
DJVU Latin Fusion
Colombians In Ohio
Ohio Hispanic Coalition
The Horn of Africa Rescue Committee (Somali Organization)
Victoria Motors
University Area Enrichment Association

Dear community leaders,

As many of you know, the City of Columbus, under the direction of Mayor Coleman issued a ban on city travel to Arizona.  Unfortunately, his stance has caused an overwhelming negative response and we, who are supportive of his actions need to call or email TODAY.  Join me in applauding Mayor Coleman for standing up for immigrant rights!

614-645-7671

or

MAC@columbus.gov

Jason Riveiro

Ohio State Director

Latino Leaders from around Ohio meet at Statehouse

The Ohio Commission on Latino Affairs (OCHLA,) in partnership with the Hispanic Roundtable, Ohio Hispanic Chambers of Commerce (OHCC)  and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Ohio, will host a statewide Latino Legislative Visit Day on May 18, 2010 in Columbus.

WHO:              Latino leaders and citizens from all across Ohio

WHAT:            Latino Legislative Visit day

WHERE:         Riffe Building, 77 South High Street, Columbus, OH 43215

WHEN :           May 18, 2010

                        9:00 am – 11:00 – Workshops (Location: Riffe Building)

11:30 am – 1:00 pm  - Community Expo and Legislators/Community Leaders Networking time (Location Studio, One, Riffe Building, 3^rd floor)

WHY:               This full day event will bring Latino leaders from across the state to meet Ohio legislators to discuss important public policy issues, and dialogue about needs and opportunities faced by Hispanic Ohioans 

For additional information about this event, please contact 614-466-8333 or email: lair.marin@ohio.gov

Dear colleagues & LULAC Cincy members,

The following blog, established by some associates and me, is now up and running: blog here  So far as we know, this is the first research based, immigration blog in the state.

We want this to become a reliable e-source for Ohioans; with facts, substantive expert opinions and relevant stories. We also need the word to get out that the blog exists: if nobody reads it, it won't matter how substantive the blog is. So please begin sending the blog information out to your contacts (including family, friends and colleagues) - and start asking them to send the blog out to their contacts as well.

I recommend sending the link out via email and facebook, of course. But I also recommend that you tell people (in passing or not) in a face-to-face way (or by phone); make the ask directly. People are more likely to do as you request if you do so in person.

This should be sent out to politicians (or aids) who we know to be hungry for a counter-narrative on the immigration debate, but who feel like they don't have access to the data or don't exactly know how to articulate findings and opinions. They need those tools and besides our direct interactions with them, this needs to become part of that tool kit.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you everyone,

Leo Pierson
Acting VP
LULAC Cincinnati