Posted on 16th February 2011 by Celina Mendoza in Information, Links, News, Reports
Education, Hispanic Community Organizations, Hispanics
Immigrant Latinos in central Illinois offer glimpses into their lives
Published: Feb. 10, 2011
Source: Angela Wiley, 217-265-5279, awiley@illinois.edu
Immigrant Latinos in five central Illinois rural counties exhibit a resilience that is rooted in their family ties and culture despite the challenges they are facing in a new country, says a University of Illinois report.
“Surprisingly, the rural Latinos we surveyed say they don’t encounter discrimination frequently, and most report being satisfied and having the important things they want in life,” said Angela Wiley, a U of I associate professor of applied family studies and a lead investigator on The Latino Families in Central Illinois Project.
“This positive outlook exists although most remain near the poverty line even if they’ve lived and worked in an area for 10 years or more. Whatever their challenges here, consumer goods are less expensive and incomes are steadier than they experienced in Mexico,” she added.
In terms of challenges, the respondents identified the lack of English classes that go beyond the beginner level and being able to find child care that meets their cultural expectations, is affordable, and is available during shift work, she said.
Why the urgent interest in rural Latino life? The Latino population in non-metropolitan parts of Illinois grew by 71 percent between 1990 and 2000 and continues to grow. In Champaign County alone, the number has more than doubled.
For the full article: http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/news/stories/news5583.html
Article by: Phyllis Picklesimer
phone: 217-244-2827; email: p-pickle@illinois.edu
Posted on 9th February 2011 by Celina Mendoza in Events, Fliers & Posters, Links, News
Bloomington IL, Community Event, Community Organization
Parents and caregivers of kids from birth to age 12 are invited to attend the FREE Parent Expo on Saturday, Feb 12, 2011 8:30am to 1:30pm at Trinity Lutheran Church (801 S. Madison St., Bloomington, IL). You can attend one or more FREE parent education sessions and learn about community resources during this family-centered day, just for parents. -
There is absolutely no cost to attend! Free lunch for those attending the last session will be provided. Pre-registration is appreciated but not required. Call (309) 834-5266 for more information or click here for a flier with more information, map and schedule of events: Parent Expo 2011 Flier
Posted on 9th February 2011 by Celina Mendoza in Events, Fliers & Posters, Links, Volunteer Opportunity
Community Organization, Deborah Halperin, Life is a Blank Canvas
Nominate them for the 25 Under 25 Program!
As part of McLean County’s 2011 Global Youth Service Day celebration, we will proudly recognize the top 25 youth under the age of 25 who are making outstanding contributions to the community through service learning and leadership.
In order to be nominated, youth must:
-Be under the age of 25 on April 16, 2011
-Have demonstrated service to the community
-Have an interest in further developing leadership skills
-Be a resident of McLean County or be currently enrolled at a school in McLean County
The last day to submit a nomination is February 11, 2011.
Posted on 7th February 2011 by Celina Mendoza in Events, Fliers & Posters, Links, Meeting
Bloomington IL, Cedar Ridge School, Community Organization, Education, Hispanic Students, Mentor, Tech Wizard, UNITY Community Center, University of Illinois Extension
The University of Illinois Extension Office, McLean County, is the recipient of a federal grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) for the the purpose of developing mentor relationships with youth underrepresented in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
The 120 youth, ages 8-17, will be served at two sites: the UNITY Community Center in north Normal, and Cedar Ridge Elementary in south Bloomington. Each site serves low-income youth and a large percentage of English Language Learners, primarily of Hispanic and Latino backgrounds.
We seek mentors who are caring and committed to this population. We are interested in both cultural mentors who have experienced academic and professional success, as well as technology mentors who have relevant skill sets to STEM curriculum. Mentors do not need to be tech-savvy, but must be reliable, trustworthy individuals of varying backgrounds able to develop mentor relationships with youth over the course of a ten-month minimum, spanning the summer. The initial grant period will be capstoned in December, 2011 with a community-wide presentation of an integrated service-learning project developed by the youth.
Training and on-going support will be provided. Training dates will be announced shortly for February 2011.
If you are interested in mentoring, or would like further information such as program details or training dates, please contact Reid Young, Tech Wizard Program Coordinator, at ryoun@illinois.edu or (309) 862-4041.
Online registration is available at https://webs.extension.uiuc.edu/registration/default.cfm?RegistrationID=5383
Posted on 7th February 2011 by Celina Mendoza in Job Opening, Links, News
Bloomington IL, Education, Heartland Community College, Job Opening, Normal IL
Program Assistant for Student Recruitment/Enrollment Services
Heartland Community College is seeking applicants for this full-time position to assist with developing and implementing a comprehensive student recruitment program for the College.
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree; demonstrated ability to work effectively with prospective students, guidance counselors, staff, and community members; excellent oral and written communication skills; and valid driver’s license for local travel. Experience in student recruitment, enrollment services, working with students at the community college level, and knowledge of student development preferred.
Preferred Qualifications: familiarity with student information systems and Microsoft Office software, strong organizational skills, ability to take initiative, and acquaintance with working with high school students.
Review of applications will begin 2/21/2011, and will continue until the position is filled.
For consideration, please submit letter of application and resume to:
Heartland Community College
Attn: Director of Human Resources
1500 West Raab Road
Normal, IL 61761
Posted on 3rd February 2011 by Celina Mendoza in Links, News, Reports
Hispanics, Immigrant Population, immigration, National trends, Newspaper Article, Pew Hispanic Center
As of March 2010, 11.2 million unauthorized immigrants were living in the United States, virtually unchanged from a year earlier, according to new estimates from the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center. This stability in 2010 follows a two-year decline from the peak of 12 million in 2007 to 11.1 million in 2009 that was the first significant reversal in a two-decade pattern of growth. Unauthorized immigrants were 3.7% of the nation’s population in 2010.
The number of unauthorized immigrants in the nation’s workforce, 8 million in March 2010, also did not differ from the Pew Hispanic Center estimate for 2009. As with the population total, the number of unauthorized immigrants in the labor force had decreased in 2009 from its peak of 8.4 million in 2007. They made up 5.2% of the labor force.
The number of children born to at least one unauthorized-immigrant parent in 2009 was 350,000 and they made up 8% of all U.S. births, essentially the same as a year earlier. An analysis of the year of entry of unauthorized immigrants who became parents in 2009 indicates that 61% arrived in the U.S. before 2004, 30% arrived from 2004 to 2007, and 9% arrived from 2008 to 2010.
Other key points from the new report include:
- The decline in the population of unauthorized immigrants from its peak in 2007 appears due mainly to a decrease in the number from Mexico, which went down to 6.5 million in 2010 from 7 million in 2007. Mexicans remain the largest group of unauthorized immigrants, accounting for 58% of the total.
- The number of unauthorized immigrants decreased from 2007 to 2010 in Colorado, Florida, New York and Virginia. The combined population in three contiguous Mountain West states-Arizona, Nevada and Utah-also declined.
- In contrast to the national trend, the combined unauthorized immigrant population in three contiguous West South Central states-Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas-grew from 2007 to 2010.
- Although the number of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. is below 2007 levels, it has tripled since 1990, when it was 3.5 million and grown by a third since 2000, when it was 8.4 million.
Click here for the full article, Press Release: Unauthorized Immigrant Population: National and State Trends
Click here for the full report: Unauthorized Immigrant Population: National and State Trends
Posted on 2nd February 2011 by Celina Mendoza in Job Opening, Links
Job Opening
Kelly Services has two job openings for fluent Spanish speakers. As a customer service representative you would be responsible for taking incoming calls, setting appointments, taking payment information, and providing customer service. Previous call center experience not required. Customer service experience of any kind and good general computer skills are necessary. The shift available would be 7am-4pm, Mon-Fri, with a $10 hourly pay. This is a long term temporary position with possibilities of going full-time for a good candidate.
Please contact Melissa Plummer, Staffing Supervisor, with any questions:
E-mail: Melp373@kellyservices.com
Office: 217.793.1226 I Fax: 217.793.0101
3001 Montvale Dr., Ste. B Springfield, IL 62704
Posted on 31st January 2011 by Alex Cardona in Job Opening, Links, News
Axel Jimenez, Bloomington IL, Job Opening
Multiple full-time and part-time bilingual job opportunities in Bloomington-Normal with Axel Jimenez, State Farm Agency.
- Agency Contact Representative
- Agent Intern
- Part-Time Caller
- Multiple Line Representative
For more information please visit: http://www.cob.ilstu.edu/profsales/corp_recruit/job_postings/state-farm-listing.pdf or contact Axel at (309) 660-1487 (Cell) or axel.jimenez.r39e@statefarm.com.
Posted on 21st January 2011 by Alex Cardona in Fliers & Posters, Links, News
Bloomington IL, Education, Hispanic Community Organizations, Hispanic Students, Scholarships
The Spanish American Cultural Center Scholarship Fund has announced they have three $2,000 scholarships (renewable for two years) for 2011 – applications are due March 1, 2011. To be eligible, students need to be of Latino descent (1st, 2nd, or 3rd generation) with either applicant, a parent or grandparent born outside the USA. The student must attend an accredited 2-year or 4-year college or university in the coming fall as a full-time student and be a high school graduate or obtaining a GED from an institution located in any of the following Illinois counties: Sangamon, Cass, Douglas, Champaign, Macon, McLean, or Morgan. The applicant must be no older than 20 years of age by September 1st of the school year for which application is made and have a GPA of 2.0 or higher on a non-weighted 4.0 scale. For more information click here.
Posted on 17th January 2011 by Alex Cardona in Events, Fliers & Posters, Links, Meeting, News
Alex Cardona, Community Event, Community Organization, HFWG, Maura Toro-Morn, The League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters of McLean County is hosting ”Hidden McLean County” on Tuesday, January 25, 7:00 p.m. in the Community Room of the Normal Public Library (206 West College Avenue, Normal, IL). The program will feature speakers and community leaders discussing the African-American, Hispanic, and disabled communities. Speakers for each of these groups will discuss the experiences that people from each group have had in our community. The presentations will include statistics and personal stories and will be followed by time for questions and answers. Speakers include:
- Camille Taylor, NCHS counselor
- Gary Muhammad, businessman
- Alex Cardona, HFWG 2008-2010 Chair
- Maura Toro-Morn, ISU Sociology Professor
- Gail Kear, Executive Director of LIFE Center for Independent Living
The program is free and open to the public. Click here for a flier: http://www.lwvmclean.org/hidden_mclean_county.pdf
