The First Latina US Military Pilot

     With her 3 year-old daughter and husband at her side, 26 year-old Olga Custodio told the military sergeant, “You can write down anything you want on that form, but I’m going to be a pilot, a pilot or a pilot.”

     She then became the first Latina to complete U.S. Air Force military pilot training. Custodio served for 24 years in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a Lt. Colonel.  She then became the first Latina commercial airline captain.  She flew for American Airlines. She has flown for 11,000 hours and still enjoys flying.  “Everything I did was for me and my family. I was not out to prove anything. I didn’t even know I was the first anything.” 
    Her advice to young Latinas: “I tell them that this is what I love to do. I assure the girls that women do indeed fly jets.  But most importantly, I tell them they must each find for themselves what they love to do. My mantra is ‘Querer es poder.’  I believe everyone has the potential to do it. They just have to believe in themselves enough to actually do it.”

 By Graciela Tiscareño-Sato Fox News

“I’ll have another” wins Kentucky Derby

   The horse was ridden by 25 year-old Venezuelan Mario Gutierrez.

 "He's an amazing horse. I kept telling everybody, from the first time I met him, I knew he was the one. I knew he was good," Gutierrez said. “even if they allowed me to pick from the whole rest of the field, I would have stayed with him, 100 percent, no doubt about it."

Arizona Sheriff Investigated by Feds

    

     An Arizona police officer followed a Latina woman home.  She pulled into her driveway and got out of her car.  The officer demanded she sit on the hood of her car.  She refused.  She had no idea what she did wrong.  The officer grabbed her arms, pulled them behind her back and slammed her stomach-first into the vehicle three times.  She was 5 months pregnant.  He ticketed her with failure to produce identification.  She is a US citizen.  She was stopped because she is a Latina in Maricopa County, Arizona.

     Maricopa County police officers entered a house where there were “coyotes” and undocumented immigrants.  They arrested them.  Then they noticed the house across from it was also occupied by Latinos.  They entered it, searched it, and tied the hands of a Latino man and his 12 year-old-son and made them sit on the sidewalk with the coyotes in front of all their neighbors.  The father and son were legal permanent US residents.  They had committed no crime and the police had no warrant to enter their house.

     These civil rights complaints and others came from the US Department of Justice which is investigating Arizona Sheriff Joseph Arpaio. Arpaio, who comes from Springfield Massachusetts, is an elected official supervising the Maricopa Police and prisons.  In the past, he was investigated for misspending $99.5 million of taxpayer money, election campaign violations, and using police investigations to intimidate his political adversaries.  This year, he started an unofficial “Cold Case Posse” that claims President Obama faked his birth certificate.  Arpaio is a supporter of SB 1070, which is an Arizona law that allows police officers more power to stop anyone who looks Latino.  The US Supreme Court is in the process of deciding if SB 1070 is constitutional.  President Obama is against SB 1070.   

    While the Maricopa police force under Arpaio has been arresting Latinos where they work, where they live, and where they drive, the violent crime rate in the county has increased.  The Department of Justice says they have not adequately responded to reports of sexual violence. Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice wrote this legal complaint:

    “The police are supposed to protect and serve our communities, not divide them. At its core, this is an abuse of power case involving a sheriff and sheriff's office that disregarded the Constitution, ignored sound police practices, comprised public safety, and did not hesitate to retaliate against perceived critics. Constitutional policing and effective policing go hand-in-hand. Our complaint alleges that the defendants' actions were neither constitutional nor effective.”

Jose Duarte Massachusetts’ Top Chef

     As a boy, Jose Duarte went to the markets in Lima, Peru with his grandmother and shopped for ingredients that his grandfather used for cooking.  Then, young Duarte’s family moved to Acarigua, Venezuela. There was a big Italian community in Acarigua and Duarte grew up with a love of Italian food.  He went to a University in Caracas and then came to the US to get better at speaking English and to learn how to become a master chef.

        In 2000, after many years of studying and working, Duarte opened Taranta restaurant in Boston’s North End. 

       “I love food and always had a strong interest in ethnic cuisine, especially food that is associated with culture and history,” Duarte explains.  “I spent pretty much my whole life in the restaurant and hospitality industry and have traveled the world. My wife is from Boston and an opportunity came up for me to start a business here and the rest is history!”  

     

      Chef Duarte's menu is a combination of southern Italian and Peruvian cooking such as:

Cassava root gnocchi with chica de jora green lamb ragu with spicy shaved parmesan cheese.

Macadamia crusted Atlantic salmon fillet over herbed risotto cake.

Peruvian asparagus and a pisco-sicilian blood orange with an organic Incan golden berries sauce.

Guava and ricotta mini cannolis with pistachio brittle.

     

      In 2011, he became the first Latino to be named Chef of the Year by the Massachusetts Restaurant Association.  The international Zagat Guide book named Taranta as one of the five best Peruvian restaurants in the United States.  Jose Duarte was also voted one of the top 100 most influential Latinos in Massachusetts. 

-Sources: Chefs.com, Financefoodie.com

Healthy Pupusas Recipe

1 lb. chicken breast, ground
1 Tablespoon lite vegetable oil
1/2 lb. lowfat mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 small onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium green pepper, seeded, minced
1 small tomato, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 cups instant corn flour (masa harina)
6 cups water

    Sauté chicken in oil over low heat until it turns white. Stir chicken constantly to keep it from sticking.. Add onion, garlic, green pepper, and tomato. Cook chicken mixture completely. Cool in refrigerator. When chicken mixture has cooled, mix in cheese

    Place flour in large mixing bowl and stir in enough water to make stiff, tortilla-like dough..  Divide dough into 24 portions. Roll dough into balls and flatten each into 1/2–inch thick circle. Put spoonful of chicken mixture in middle of each circle of dough and bring edges to center. Flatten ball of dough again until it is 1/2–inch thick.

    In very hot iron pan, cook pupusas on each side until golden brown. Serve hot.

Source: MomsWhoThink.com

Latino Moms Could Decide 2012 Election

     “Latina moms are to the 2012 election what Soccer moms were in 2008: potential king-makers,” said Mamiverse Founder and CEO Rene Alegria. “Latina moms hold great influence over…a Latino home. Connecting with them has never been more important.”

     According to 2010 US Census figures, one out of every four babies born in the US is Latino. When Mamiverse asked 1,000 Latina moms what issue facing the Latino community was the most important for the President and Congress to work on, there was much agreement. 49% of all respondents identified the economy and jobs, 32% said immigration and the Dream Act, 24% identified education and schools. 

      The Dream Act, is a way to make it easier for undocumented young people who serve in the military or go to college to become citizens.  Mamiverse discovered 71% of Latino moms want to vote for a candidate who is for the Dream Act, compared with only 7% who want a candidate who is against the Dream Act.

Victoria M. DeFrancesco Soto, ImpreMedia

Should you read to your children in Spanish?

   Will reading to children in Spanish confuse them and make it harder for them to read in English?  The answer is no.  While it is important for them to learn English, research shows that children who are read to in Spanish will have an easier time learning to read in English than children who are not read to at all.  Read books to your child on a daily basis, talk about the stories, play rhyming games, and teach them new words.  A love of reading and words is a valuable gift to children in all languages.

Source: Colorín Colorado

Latina Super Model fights for Mothers

     A woman dies from childbirth complications every 90 seconds. Pregnancy is also the leading killer of women ages 15-19 in poor countries all over the world.

     "Once I learned the global statistics, I had to do what I could to help to improve maternal health and reduce preventable maternal deaths," Christy Turlington Burns explains.

        She was a world famous American fashion model with a Salvadoran mother. But Christy Turlington Burns is more than a pretty face on the cover of a fashion magazine.  In the 1990’s she became an activist and joined the Salvadoran American Humanitarian Foundation.  After her own difficult pregnancy, she became an advocate for maternal health and worked for CARE.  She went back to college to get a Master’s Degree in Public Health.  She started an organization called “Every Mother Counts” and spent two years making a documentary movie called “No Woman, No Cry”.  The movie shows how women suffer giving birth in poor conditions in Guatemala, Tanzania, and Bangladesh.

    Christy Turlington Burns travels between the world of the rich and famous and the poor and powerless working for change that will save mother’s lives. 

Source: Women’s health site Empowher.

Happy 100th anniversary to the Oreo cookie!

     There’s nothing more delicious, or more peculiar than an Oreo. For starters, how in the world are you supposed to eat the thing? Do you bite right into the middle of the cookie or do you twist it and lick the crèam first? 

     The Oreo was created 100 years ago at a Nabisco factory in New York City. And honestly, not all that much as changed. The chocolate wafers still feature twelve flowers surrounding the Nabisco logo. The Oreo is 29 percent cream, 71 percent cookie. And more than 345 billion wafers later, it is still the nation’s favorite cookie. 

     According to Fox Business Network, the Oreo's owner, Kraft Foods, says the cookie brings in $2 billion a year in sales from around the world. Oreos are sold in 100 different countries and are most popular here in the U.S., followed by China and Venezuela.

-Todd Starnes

Published March 06, 2012| FoxNews.com

US/Colombia relations made dirty over $47 argument

     President Obama’s trip to Colombia to a pan-American summit meeting may have been successful, except that members of the U.S. Secret Service and Military behaved like “ugly American tourists” before his visit.  Secret Service agents are responsible for protecting the President.  They arrived in Cartagena a week early to make security plans. They went drinking at the “Pley Club,” reportedly talked loudly about “working for Obama” and brought 21 prostitutes back to the Caribe Hotel. 

     The evening ended with a hostile argument when an agent refused to pay $47 to one of the prostitutes.  Obama blasted the agents, saying: “We are representing the people of the United States, and when we travel to another country, I expect us to observe the highest standards.”  11 agents and 10

U.S. Military personnel are being investigated in the incident.

-Daily Mail Reporter

1,000 at annual Immigrants Day

     Approximately 1,000 people came to the 16th annual Immigrants Day at the State House in Boston on Monday April 12th. 

     “Together, our voices are stronger than they are alone,” said Veronica Turner-Biggs, Executive Vice-President of the largest union in Massachusetts. “You are what keeps the Commonwealth working. And our legislators need to know that they cannot take your vote for granted. Brothers and sisters, we are the New America — and a new America that votes.”

     Other speakers included MC Cheryl Clyburn Crawford, of MassVote, and State Senator Sal DiDomenico, who spoke of his grandfather’s immigrant history, and State Treasurer Steve Grossman, who said, “the story of immigrant entrepreneurship is the story of Massachusetts’ success.” Three immigrants shared their stories.  Seema spoke about her recovery from domestic violence. Manny Reynoso talked about the importance of English classes for immigrants. Nicole Sammarco spoke about becoming a citizen.

-Ric Oliveria, Community News

Hundreds of Tornados rip through the U.S.

The stories from tornado survivors across the U.S. South and Midwest are incredible: schoolchildren took cover under desks, people escaped death in church basements and bank vaults. One of the saddest stories was of a three-year old girl found alone in a field near her Indiana home. Her four immediate family members were among at least 36 people killed by tornadoes that destroyed communities across Oklahoma, Texas, Indiana and Alabama.

Jim Suhr Bruce Schreiner AP

This telenovela may save your life

…Alicia's entire life has been building to this heart-breaking moment at the breakfast table. She finally realizes that the colon cancer will take everything ... everything…her successful psychiatric practice, a comfortable home, and....her new romance with Don Juancho.

     "Encrucijada: Sin Salud No Hay Nada," the title of this American Spanish language telenovela says it all: "Crossroads: Without Health, There Is Nothing."   On “Encrucijada,” Alicia's dramatic past and horrible future are mixed with education about the importance of visiting the doctor regularly, catching cancer early and planning for end-of-life care. The TV program dramatizes everything from diabetes and melanoma to dental care.  Each story delivers public health messages to a Latino audience.                   

       As a group, Latinos remain one of the nation's most uninsured, and -- increasingly -- unhealthy segments of the population.  “Encrucijada” gets positive health information out to millions of Latinos.

      According to Dr. Michael Rodriguez, professor of medicine at UCLA, "These telenovelas are happening every day, so there's an opportunity to have numerous messages heard frequently, by different players, over a period of time." And that, he said, "translates into behavior changes."

-Jason Kane  PBS

Body found in Reservoir

      For weeks, dozens of Bostonians have held a vigil for a 21-year-old Boston College student Franco Garcia who went to a bar with some friends and then disappeared.  Now police say divers may have found the chemistry student in a reservoir near the college. The Chestnut Hill Reservoir had been searched several times since García disappeared but divers didn’t find his body. Authorities have not performed an autopsy, but say the body fits García’s description, and it was wearing the same clothing García was wearing the night he disappeared, police told The Boston Globe. García disappeared Feb. 22 after leaving a bar popular with college students.

      The reservoir is between the neighborhood the bar is in and the Boston College campus, where García planned to stay in a friend's dorm the night he went missing.

    García, who played clarinet in the school's symphony band, was "a wonderful kid," his mother, Luzmila García, told the AP. Speaking through tears, she said she couldn't comment further and wanted only to be with family.  Authorities have not yet said whether they suspect foul play.

       García had gone to the college hangout Mary Ann's with friends from Boston College's Symphonic Band but spent part of the night with friends from high school he met inside. At closing time, his college friends couldn't find him. Police got involved a day later, when his parents returned in a panic from a vacation to New York City after not being able to reach him. His Volvo station wagon was parked where he left it, his clarinet inside. There was no new activity on his credit card and no one had used his cellphone.

      García lived at home in Newton with his parents, Luzmila and José, who emigrated more than two decades ago from Lima, Peru, where worried relatives have been following the case. In addition to taking classes, he worked full-time as a pharmacy technician at CVS.

-Associated Press

Fenway Park turns 100!

     Boston’s Fenway Park opened in 1912 with the Red Sox vs the New York Highlanders.  Fenway is the oldest Major League ball park in the country.  Many classic ball parks were destroyed to make new bigger stadiums.  In 1999, the Red Sox owners wanted to destroy it, but fans, community groups, and local politicians successfully saved Fenway Park.  Every game has been sold-out since May 15^th 2003.

Border Crossing Past

      This starts like many immigrant stories.   Miles and his family worked hard to have a good life, but were threatened by religious discrimination.  In desperation, Miles made the difficult choice to leave and start a new life in another country.  They crossed the border and made a new home in a different land.  He and his family had to learn a new language and a new culture.  It was not easy.  They were outsiders.  They built a community of people who shared the same past. They worked and built their own church. Miles applied for citizenship for his family, but was not accepted. 

       His family grew.  His grandson George was born in this new country.  Time passed, politics changed and this new home was no longer safe for them.  They moved back to their native country to try again.  The family was divided between two countries and became successful in both worlds.  What makes this story unusual is that it is about Miles Romney, an Anglo Mormon who immigrated to Mexico from the United States and then returned.  His grandson George Romney was born in Chihuahua, Mexico and crossed the border as a child to live in the US.  He went to college, became the head of American Motors and Governor of the State of Michigan. George Romney’s son is Mitt Romney, the Republican candidate for President. 

        With a border crossing family, why isn’t Mitt Romney more popular with Latinos?   Perhaps it is some of the things he said early in his race to become President.  When arguing against in-state college tuition for undocumented children who grew up in the US. He said "Illegal immigrants are takers. They take advantage of in-state tuition rates. They take spots in university campuses that should go to U.S. citizens. They take, take, and take some more."  Romney opposes the Dream Act and wants to make it much harder for undocumented workers to earn money so that they will “self-deport” from the US.

Bachata Rueda born in Boston

     Bachata Rueda is dancing across the United States. Bachata Rueda is a dance style created by Seemore Johnson and Cristina Pujo from Boston. Their Latin dance company is called “Hips on Fire”. They created the first Rueda de Bachata.  It’s a type of group dancing like Rueda with Bachata moves and Bachata music. They are now performing and teaching dance in Miami.  They have successfully   put Boston on the Latin dance map.  Bachata dance was born in Santo Domingo, Rueda de Casino Salsa dance was born in Havana.  Like the Red Sox and the American Revolution, Rueda Bachata was born from mixed cultures in Boston.

Please share your dancing experience?

Latina writer on domestic violence

     Sandra Guzman is the Former Latina Magazine editor-in-chief and author of The New Latina Bible.  Her book is about: dating, health, succeeding professionally, managing friendships and other things.  In an interview with Isarema Romero of Latina Magazine she was asked about her personal experience with domestic violence.

     “The experience helped me understand what women who are in a situation where there is verbal and physical violence are going through – to understand the embarrassment and the shame of it.  It was easier for me to understand what woman experience, and why they stay longer than they should. It’s about what’s happening inside their hearts and souls. I was very embarrassed for a long time. In fact, I write about (going to party) with a black eye and I was wearing a crazy patch on my eye. When I understood it had nothing to do with me, that is when I began to feel more empowered. The only thing it had to do with, is allowing myself to be in that position, and my vowing never to be in that position again. It is about self-love. Most of the violence that takes place in relationships is not physical. The extreme texting, “Where are you? Who are you with?” But, this is the truth and the fact of life for many young people. Eighty percent of the abuse that happens in relationships is verbal. We have to stop. Mujeres can be machistas too. This is a collective issue that we have to look at together, and work out together”.  

What do you think of her advice?

Live Healthy!

Before you eat, think about what goes on your plate or in your cup or bowl. Foods like vegetables, fruits, whole granins, low-fat dairy products, and lean (low-fat) protein foods contain the nutrients you need without too many calories. Try some of these:

- Half your plate should be fruits and vegetables.      
                                        

-Switch to skim or 1% milk.          
         

-Eat more whole grain rice and bread.      
          

-Mix your protein food choices.

Decrease foods high in solid fats, added sugars, and salt.  Many people eat foods with too many solid fats, added sugars, and salt (sodium). Added sugars and fats load foods with extra calories you don't need. Too much sodium may increase your blood pressure.

-Choose foods and drinks with little or no added sugars.    

- Look out for salt in foods you buy.         

-Avoid foods that are high in solid fats.

Eat the right amount of calories for you. Everyone has a personal calorie limit. People who are successful at managing their weight make a list of how much they eat, and what they eat.

- Enjoy your food, but eat less.       
                                                                          
- Cook at home, so you know what's in your food.     

- Write down what you eat and how much you eat.       

-Limit alcohol to 1 drink a day for women or to 2 drinks a day for men.

Be physically active your way Pick activities that you like and start by doing what you can, at least 10 minutes at a time. Every bit adds up, and the health benefits increase as you spend more time being active.

Note to parents: What you eat and drink and your level of physical activity are important for your own health, and also for your children's health. Your children pay attention to what you do more than what you say. You can do a lot to help your children develop healthy habits for life by providing and eating healthy meals and snacks. For example, don't just tell your children to eat their vegetables - show them that you eat and enjoy vegetables every day.

What will you do to eat healthy?

Iraheta joins silent protest against hate

     Teenage pop idol Allison Iraheta joins the “NOH8” (no hate) protest.   NOH8 is a photographic silent protest created by celebrity photographer Adam Bouska and Jeff Parshley against Proposition H8 which made gay marriage illegal in California. They have taken thousands of photos of famous people with duct tape over their mouths, to show that their political voices are silenced by the unfair laws. 
     Allison Iraheta was born in Glendale, California.  Her parents came from El Salvador to the United States before she was born.  According to her family, she has been singing since she was a toddler. In 2007, Iraheta won the reality show, Telemundo’s “Quinceanera: Mama Quiero Ser Artista”.  Next, Iraheta came in 4^th place in the 2009 American Idol competition.  She has performed internationally and been a guest on the Tonight Show and the Ellen Degeneres Show. 

Have you heard of Allison Iraheta?

Super Heroes battle the MBTA

     An MBTA Finance Committee meeting was disrupted by “The Fast Five” superheroes.  The heroes took control of the meeting and transformed it into a “People’s Board” meeting.  They passed resolutions to protect all people who need public transit, a refusal to increase fares and cut services, and a discount for youths and seniors.

     “Thousands of riders have spoken against fare hikes and service cuts, yet the board, governor and Legislature have refused to take this burden off riders,” said one of the Heroes. “It’s time for us, as riders and superheroes, to step in and pass immediate solutions to save the T.  There’s still time for our officials and elected representatives to become heroes and save the T.”  Activist organization Alternatives for Community & Environment of Roxbury, has created the five “superheroes” to call attention to injustice of the MBTA’s budget plan.

Do you think these activists will be successful or are they ridiculous?

-Kasey Hariman, Back Bay Patch

Supreme Court hears arguments on health care law

Is President Obama’s health care reform law constitutional?  The Supreme Court has heard legal arguments and will make a decision in June.  The plan requires all Americans to be insured.  It will become illegal to not have health insurance. The defenders of the law say that in order to keep healthcare insurance affordable, all people, including (low-risk) young and healthy people need to pay, especially because they never know when they may become ill or get in an accident.  Currently, hospitals must provide emergency service to everyone, even if they don’t have insurance and the cost of providing service to the uninsured has been paid by the insured.  The biggest question the Supreme Court must decide is: Can the government force citizens to buy a private product (health insurance)?  

Fair or unfair? What’s your argument?

The trouble with 'stand your ground' law

     Trayvon Martin, a seventeen- year-old from Miami Gardens with no criminal history, was visiting family when he was killed. He was walking back from a convenience store carrying nothing more than iced tea and Skittles when George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old neighborhood watch volunteer armed with a 9mm gun, called police to report someone suspicious in the private community. Police warned Zimmerman not to follow the teenager — advice he ignored. What happened next was a confrontation, a fight, yells for help and a gunshot.

     Zimmerman is claiming self-defense after shooting and killing Martin. Zimmerman was not arrested or immediately investigated because of Florida’s "stand your ground" law. The Florida Legislature passed the law in 2005. The law allows a person to fight back (and kill) if they feel they are in danger, even if they can get away. The problem in this event and many others in Florida is that there were only two people who knew what really happened. One of them is dead and the other one says he had to shoot because his life was in danger. 20 states have passed similar “Stand your ground” laws. People who argue against the law call it a “Shoot first” law and say that it’s a defense lawyer’s dream.

What’s your opinion? Do you think “stand your ground” laws make the community a safer place or a more dangerous place?

-Tampa Bay Times Editorial

2012 Spring Fashion

Baby’s First Bling

     Last week we pierced our 6-month-old daughter’s ears. In most of the U.S. people would ask, “Why?” But in Miami the question is: “Why did you wait for so long?”

     I never pictured myself piercing my baby’s ears. I am not Latino.  I grew up in Massachusetts, where I had to wait until I was 10 to get my ears pierced at a salon. My mother didn’t pierce her ears until she was well into her 40s, having been told by my grandmother that only gypsies had pierced ears. But my daughter Amalía is half Nicaraguan. Nicaraguans pierce the ears of female infants in the hospital.  It is traditional for a baby girl’s godparents and family to give her earrings to show how adored she is. In Miami, a baby can be dressed up in pink, but if she doesn’t have earrings, people will still call her a beautiful baby boy. Was I wrong to deny my daughter something that the community around her thinks is a God-given right for a female? I wanted her to embrace Nicaraguan and Miami culture, but I was worried about what my mother would say.

    When I took Amalía in for a checkup and asked our pediatrician about infant earrings, she told me that she refused doing piercing for years, but she knew of a baby whose aunt pierced her ears in the hospital right after she was born, when nobody was looking.  Because desperate relatives were performing secret piercings in hospital rooms and risking infection, the doctor decided to make a “Miami Compromise”. She began offering “beauty visits”; no medical tests or examinations were performed, but she would pierce the baby’s ears, only if she was vaccinated and at least 3 months old, and the earrings used were one of the sterilized infant pairs her office provides.

    The doctor shot the gold studs we had picked out into our baby’s ears. Amalía cried for a minute — less than she did for the flu shot. Then she smiled as we started taking pictures.

   “She looks great,” the doctor said before leaving the room. “But I can tell you guys aren’t from Miami — everyone here goes with the fake diamonds.”


The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests that parents wait until their daughter is old enough to care for the ear piercing herself because infants are at higher risk of infections and may accidentally put the tiny earrings in their mouths.  If you decide to pierce your baby’s ears, the AAP recommends that your baby gets a tetanus shot at two months, and you  wait another two weeks before piercing. Some doctors recommend waiting until all regular vaccinations are completed (15 months)

- Eleni N. Gage, New York Times

Hispanics more likely to get Diabetes

         According to the World Health Organization, there are 346 million people worldwide who have diabetes and 10% of all adults are expected to have it by 2030, making it the seventh biggest cause of death. Diabetes affects many Hispanics in the U.S. disproportionately. The Center of Disease Control (CDC) examined Hispanics with diabetes in California, Florida, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Texas, and Puerto Rico-- from 1998 to 2002. The CDC investigation discovered that Hispanics have double the risk of getting diabetes compared with non-Hispanic whites, Hispanics get diabetes at a younger age, but the possibility of getting diabetes decreases for college-educated Hispanics.  Diabetes is a  genetic and socioeconomic problem.

    Early testing can reduce the risk of problems. Dr. Steven Edelman, of the San Diego School of Medicine told NBC News, "If you don't treat it, your blood sugar gets too high, and blood sugar circulating in your body for years and years that's too high can lead to complications: Eye, kidney and nerve disease." Keeping a healthy body weight, exercising at least 30 minutes a day, eating balanced meals and avoiding tobacco can prevent the start of Type 2 Diabetes.

   "It's all about changing behavior, which is especially difficult with language and cultural barriers," said Hilda Rivera of PinnacleHealth Organization,"Often I'll hear, 'my dad or grandma had diabetes, so I knew I was going to get it.' People need to understand (by) staying active and eating healthy, you (can) control your diabetes so you don't have to lose your leg or go blind."

-Huffington Post

No escaping cuts, fare hikes on T

BOSTON—There will be no stopping fare hikes and service cuts on the MBTA.  According to Secretary of Transportation Richard Davey and Jonathan Davis, General Manager of the MBTA "Our final proposal will include both cuts and a fare increase."   They said they would make a final recommendation before its April 4 meeting on how to close the T’s $159 million budget deficit. They did not say what the final fare increase would be. Many bus routes in the Boston area, all weekend commuter rail service and all  Harbor ferries may be eliminated. Even with service cuts and fare increases, the T may have the same budget problems next year.  Some riders and advocates have suggested different ideas for funding the T, such as increasing the gasoline tax, to help pay for the T.

Police follow beer cans to catch robbery suspect

        Police in Manchester, N.H., say 24-year-old Peter Mackey, of Pittsfield, was charged after he allegedly robbed a convenience store with a knife shortly after midnight Saturday morning. Police told WMUR-TV that when Mackey tried to buy a 30-pack of beer cans. The clerk told him beer couldn’t be sold after midnight. Rather than leave, Mackey’s allegedly took out a knife, grabbed cash from the register and ran off with the cash and the carton of beer. He did not realize there was a hole in the carton. Police followed a trail of beer cans on the ground that brought them right to the suspect. He’s charged with armed robbery, and resisting arrest. Will he also be charged with littering? -WMUR-TV

Kids Get Pink Slime Burgers

          The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) purchase of so-called “pink slime” hamburger for school lunches makes no sense, according to two Scientists who worked for the USDA. “I have a 2-year-old son,” microbiologist Gerald Zirnstein said. “And you better believe I don’t want him eating pink slime when he starts going to school.” Zirnstein first used the name “pink slime” after visiting a Beef Products Inc. (BPI) factory in 2002 as part of an investigation into salmonella contamination in ground beef. Zirnstein said he does not “consider the stuff to be ground beef.” Made from beef scraps normally used for dog food, BPI’s Lean Beef Trimmings are treated with ammonia hydroxide, to kill pathogens such as salmonella and E. coli. The resulting pinkish slimy substance is later blended into traditional ground beef and hamburger patties.
        “We looked at the product and we objected to it because it used connective tissues instead of muscle. It was simply not nutritionally equivalent [to ground beef].” Microbiologist Carl Custer said. He first learned of the product back in the 1990s. He talked about his concerns to other officials at the USDA inspection service, but they decided Lean Beef Trimmings were safe.
       “The word in the office was that Undersecretary JoAnn Smith pushed it through, and that was that,” Custer said. JoAnn Smith was Appointed by President George H.W. Bush in 1989. She is not a scientist, her experience is in lobbying for the beef industry. “Scientists were pressured to approve this stuff with minimal safety approval,” Zirnstein added.
       A study by Zirstein and Custer classified the slime as a “high risk product.” Zirnstein says the food inspection service didn’t like their study, and started a separate study that says BPI’s Lean Beef Trimmings are safe.
        The USDA plans to buy 7 million pounds of Lean Beef Trimmings from BPI for the national school lunch program. The USDA is buying meat for school children that McDonald’s, Burger King and Taco Bell refuses to buy.
        “My objection with having it in the schools is that it’s not meat,” Custer said. It’s the lack of clear labeling that angers both Zirnstein and Custer. “It’s more like Jell-O than hamburger, plus it’s treated with ammonia, an additive that is not declared anywhere.” “They’ve taken a processed product, without labeling it, and added it to raw ground beef,” Zirnstein said. “Science is the truth, and pink slime at this point in time is a fraudulent lie.” BPI, and Smith, who is now on the board of directors at Tyson Foods, did not respond for comment.

-David Knowles, TheDaily.com

Trapped between worlds

         14 percent of Latina teens attempt suicide according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey. Dr. Luis Zayas, a psychologist at Washington University says the typical Latina teen who attempts suicide is 14 or 15, the daughter of immigrant parents, low-income and in conflict with her mother over Latino and American cultures. Zayas says the girls' parents have strict traditional Latino values, while teens who grow up in America learn "very different models about what girls should do, and can do. That's the culture that's here, teenagers have certain freedoms. They don't need to consult with their parents to make certain decisions. Inserted in that is the Latino family that says the family is much more important than the individual."
        For five years, Zayas has studied more than 200 Latina teenagers. More than half of those studied have attempted suicide, including Francisca Abreu. When she was 12, she wanted to kill herself. Francisca's mother, Isabel left the Dominican Republic to find work in the U.S. She left her three children behind. Francisca, was devastated. Four years later, Isabel went back to get Francisca and her brothers. But Francisca says life with her mother in the U.S. wasn't what she thought it would be. Her mother worked three jobs, and Francisca didn’t see her much. As she spent time with her new American friends, there were problems between Francisca and her mother. When her mother wasn't at work, they were fighting.
         Francisca says her mother wanted her to stay home, learn how to cook and clean the house. She says she wasn't allowed to hang out with her friends. Her mother complained about her friends, “They like to flirt. They like hanging out. They like to stay out late. These are not the friends I like for my kids." Mother and daughter were trapped between two worlds. "Francisca would throw things, stomp her feet,” Isabel explained. “When she got home, all she wanted to do was sleep. She didn't talk and was rude to her brothers and me. Maybe I wasn't very understanding with her. I don't know."          Francisca wanted to escape the pain. "I was tired of being another burden in my mom's life," Francisca says. But the pain didn't go away. A teacher found a note she wrote and she was admitted to a psychiatric hospital for three days.
         Today with the help of therapy, Francisca is learning to manage her depression. She spoke about her experiences growing up Latina at a public celebration. "I came to this country not knowing the language, the people or how it is here," Francisca told them. "But at the end of the day, my mom was my biggest support."Francisca says she now understands her mother. Isabel agrees "At least now she knows I tried to do the best I could. Times change. My times are different from hers, and I have to understand that."

-By Courtney Yager, CNN

Mild Winter Good For Snow Budgets

         The Massachusetts Department of Transportation reported it still has $20 million left in its $48 million snow removal budget. But the executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, Geoff Beckwith, says that the State’s unused snow removal money probably won’t be used for other things like schools or fixing roads.   
       “This year is a real relief,” Beckwith says. “But...It’s not as though there will be major surpluses all over, because of course we’re still paying the bills from last year as well.” Last winter, heavy snowfall used up many snow budgets by early February. The mild winter is not good for everyone’s budget. Private snow plow operator George Varelas, who makes additional money plowing snow says, “If I knew it was gonna be like this, I never would have bought my plow…. You wait for it. And sometimes it comes, sometimes it doesn’t.”

- Lynn Jolicoeur, WBUR

Sea lion attacks Shakira

According to People en Español, Colombian singer Shakira was walking with her brother, Tonino, on vacation in South Africa, when they came upon a group of sea lions. The singer went to pet one of the wild animals and was bitten. Luckily, her brother helped her and she wasn't hurt seriously. Here's what she had to say about it. "I think what happened was this: The sea lion thought my shiny cell phone was a fish. The sea lion thought I was playing with him, giving him food. Interestingly, 30 minutes ago I was complaining to my guide, Andrew, of never seeing wild animals up close in my travels. Well, I think I'll never be able to say that again. Now I'm going to see penguins that I think are a little more friendly, besides they have much smaller mouths."

-Rafael Abreu Celestrellas

Foot Pain at Work

       When your feet hurt, you hurt all over. One-quarter of all your bones are in your feet. Each foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments and 19 muscles. During your life, your feet will walk a distance equal to walking three times around the world. Foot problems can cause injuries to the knees, hips or back. The American Podiatric Medical Association reported that 83 percent of the U.S. work force had foot or lower leg problems resulting in discomfort and pain. An employee's efficiency, concentration, and positive attitude decrease when a person has foot pain. Standing all day on a cement floor creates an accumulation of blood in the feet and legs, which leads to irritated and inflamed varicose veins. The continuous pressure on a person's feet causes bone misalignment and heel pain such as a condition called “Plantar Fasciitis”.
        To prevent foot problems at work; Rubber floor mats where employees stand and good condition comfortable shoes are necessary. Buy shoes at the end of a workday because feet may be bigger then. Here are some foot healthy foot muscle excercises: Roll a beer or soda can under the arch of each foot for five minutes. Pick up a towel with your toes 30 times.Stretch lower leg muscles by pushing against a wall with one knee up and the other straight out behind you

-Carolyn.Neuhoff@finchcms.edu