Latino Scholastic Achievement Corporation is a national non-profit 501.c.3 educational organization

LatinoGraduate.net Broadband Programming is here!

Current broadband VIDEO programming being offered

Channel 1: 1st Generation Student
Texas State University
Channel 6: Caminos: Academic Leadership Camp
Texas State University

Upcoming broadband VIDEO programming

The Admissions Process 101 (bilingual)
Applying for Financial Aid 101 (bilingual)
(Program participants, California State University San Bernardino, University of California Riverside and University of Redlands)

Current AUDIO programming being offered

Channel 1: Latin Jazz, Chico
Channel 2: Latin Jazz, Chico
Channel 3: Latin Jazz, Chico

We are also interested in highlighting local, regional and national non-profits that are making a positive contribution in the community. If you know of an organization you think we should highlight in our video, audio or eMagazine then let us know.

LSAC Membership Drive for Latino professionals continues
Please help support LSAC ongoing educational efforts. Become a member today!

California State University, San Bernardino
Expanding your horizons in 2005

For admissions information http://www.csusb.edu/

LatinoGraduate.net Student Role Model

Ezekiel Bonillas

Education:

Graduate of La Quinta High School in La Quinta, California in 1999. He obtained 2 BA degrees at the same time. B.A. Entrepreneurial Management and B.A. Spanish-Business Management concentration and received them on December 2004 from California State University, San Bernardino. He is now working to obtain a M.B.A. in Finance also at California State University, San Bernardino and is expected to graduate in June 2006

Background:

Ezekiel became a business owner when he was a junior in high school and currently owns two investment properties. He has served in multiple administrative levels of California State University San Bernardino student government member as Student Board of Directors, Vice President of Finance, and President.

Interview:

 LatinoGraduate.net: What motivated you to attend college?  You had your own business and income in high school so why would decide to go on after high school?

 Ezekiel:  My parents, Ataulfo and Gloria Bonillas, and my family kept reminding me that going to college was necessary.  I was also encouraged by my high school water polo and counselor. There was also a sense of competition among my cousins who were my age to see who could go to college as well.

 LatinoGraduate.net: How did you get involved in student government?

 Ezekiel:  While I was working in the admissions department as a student representative someone mentioned to me that I should run for office.  I needed to get 300 signatures to be a candidate and run for office and I was amazed that I was able to get the signatures.  Peers in my dormitory, the club members from my Latino Business Student Association (LBSA) and friends helped me.

 LatinoGraduate.net: What did you learn from being in student government?

 Ezekiel: I analyzed the college like a large company and they handle budgets in the millions of dollars and how to be a leader.  I got to participate in many planning and strategic meetings.  I learn about contracts, forming strong working relationships, business protocol, bargaining, negotiations, administration policy, employee policy, networking and I met many community and corporate leaders as I represented the college at the local and state level.   I also received an invaluable amount of practical knowledge about how businesses worked that is not found in books.  A great deal of what professors were talking about I could clearly understand because of the hands-on experiences I was getting.  I also acquired many important social skills being with professionals from different fields than my own. I am certain that all I have learned will help me when I complete my MBA and when I go into the banking/financial industry.

 LatinoGraduate.net: Which students should participate in student government?

 Ezekiel: I recommend it to all students regardless of their major.  All career fields need experienced administrators and the position as student representative provides that exposure.

 LatinoGraduate.net: What are your goals after obtaining your MBA?

 Ezekiel: I plan to enter the banking and financial industry.  I look forward to helping and informing members of the Latino community on how to work with financial institutions so that they can buy their own homes, invest  and put up their own businesses.  I also want to work in the area of urban development in this area.  There is a great need for it.

 LatinoGraduate.net: What advice do you give yourself that keeps you going higher?

 Ezekiel:  I am a person that strives for excellence.  I think it is great to be the first in my family to graduate from college but that is not good enough. Also, I believe that what will lead me to success as an entrepreneur and leader is what I have learned about being persistent, determined, and having patience.

 Send comments to Ezekiel at LSACNational02@hotmail.com

Erik “ Chico ” Manqueros, currently host and producer of “ The Latin Style of Jazz”, a very unique radio show featuring the best in Chicano and Latino sounds. Erik or “Chico” as he is known to family and friends, began cultivating his passion for Latin Jazz at an early age, by age fifteen his Jazz collection was well under way; a collection that today boast's of more than five thousand albums and over six thousand CD's. Many of the albums are rare and hard to find. Over the years, Chico has turned his passion into a successful radio show host career. He has become very well respected among his peers and artists in the world of Latin Jazz music. Chico is a Latin Jazz enthusiast who now enjoys sharing his love of Latin music with a national audience that has come to know their host as both knowledgeable and professional in the world of Latin Jazz. Chico also plays Timbales, Congas, Bongos and has performed with many local bands in Los Angeles .

Erik “Chico” Manqueros began his broadcasting career at the National Public Radio station, KPCC in Pasadena in the early eighties. During his early years at KPCC, Chico learned the ropes of broadcasting first as an assistant engineer, engineer, co-producer and eventually producer and host of his own show “Side to Side.”

While hosting his own show “Side to Side” Chico was able to establish his own style, his show would cover a wide range of Chicano/Latin music from the great classic's to the contemporary of today as well as others. Over the years Chico has met and interviewed many of Latin Music's biggest names, the great Eddie Cano, “El Rey” Tito Puente, Poncho Sanchez, Bobby Rodriguez, Pete Escovedo, Shelia E, Louie Cruz Beltran, Malo, Sapo, El Chicano, Steve Salas, Joe Bataan, Bob DeSena, Richard Bean, Mark Levine, Hubert Laws, Ramon Banda, Scott Martin, Bobby Montez, Jack Costanzo, Bobby Marin and many more.

In 1995 Chico joined the American Radio Network, establishing “ The Latin Style of Jazz ”, this show much like “Side to Side” feature's the latest news in Latin Jazz, up-coming events, interviews and in-studio guests with the stars of today and tomorrow from the world of Latin Jazz. In 2002 “ The Latin Style of Jazz ” joined the Cable Radio Network (CRN) giving the show exposure to over 26 million homes throughout the United States , Chico is currently in negotiations to expand his listening audience thru syndication to AM and FM affiliates nationwide.

From the early days as a teenager listening to tapes of Chico Sesma, his dream was to share his love for Latin Jazz with people all over the world, today that dream has become reality “ The Latin Style of Jazz ” has a broad appeal, both to the newcomer to Latin Jazz and the seasoned listener. Chico, also writes many articles,Liner notes and reviews you, can find Chico's latest reviews in magazine's like Latin Style, LatinjazzClub.com and many others.

LatinoGraduate.net Role Model Series

College Professor and Scholarly Journal Editor

Enrique G. Murillo, Jr., Ph.D., Editor

Journal of Latinos and Education

 LatinoGraduate.net: From what I can see in your biography you are doing many important projects. Not only do you educate the students at California State University San Bernardino (CSU San Bernardino) but you also educate through the development of a scholastic journal. Where did you develop such a strong work ethic?

Enrique: I think I have to thank my Catholic high school education at St. John Bosco in Bellflower, California for the fact that I had to work hard for the grades that I needed to get into the university.

LatinoGraduate.net: When you were in high school were you on the college preparatory strand?

Enrique: At the school there was not any form of tracking system, which is typical of Catholic high schools. Everyone was considered college preparatory. They call that the “Catholic school affect”. They follow the concept that if they put all the students together and do not make any divisions based on a tracking system that will then have an equalizing affect in a sense. Then everyone is on the same page. I grew up just as poor as the ones at public school and I was exposed to all the same things but the difference, I think, was the kind of curriculum we were exposed to.

LatinoGraduate.net: Don't they say that people may be broke but not poor. What made you decide to attend college?

Enrique: Despite my good Catholic education I definitely experienced a form of discrimination in a form of racism. I graduated with highest honors, had a perfect 4.0 GPA throughout my high school years and yet no counselor ever made an effort to counsel me into higher education, even though we were paying big tuition. What I did was that they had a Catholic high school day at California State University Long Beach. As a way of getting out of class I signed up. My friends and I went to spend the day there and that was the only university I had been exposed to and I applied on my own without the help of the high school counselor. I did everything on my own and talked to people and figured it out. That is very typical of our experience because we are first generation to attend college. We depend a lot on oral tradition and on the recent memory of some of the folks that recently had been at the university. In a way it is a big experiment since we have only been as Chicanos, and in general, as racial ethnic minorities attending colleges in the United States for the past 35 years. So I had to depend on the social memory of some other students and staff. I think it was more by accident that I ended up at the university without any direct help.

LatinoGraduate.net: What happened while you were attending Long Beach State ?

Enrique: While I was there I joined La Raza Student Association which was basically the MEChA club. I was fortunately already attuned politically because my father was a union organizer as I grew up with the issues of labor politics. He was with the Steel Workers Union. Where I grew up in Huntington Park (CA) that was where the mills were. While I was at Long Beach I plugged into a whole different scene and now I was involved with student politics. After 3 years there, I was very involved working for EOP, financial aid office, and other departments. One of my jobs there was to visit high schools and give presentations in Spanish to the parents and try to explain to them all the headaches of applying for financial aid. Things back then were not as streamlined as they are now. Back then it was very complicated and there were a lot of details that had to be explained. I remember all the forms that had to be filled out which added to the confusion. You can imagine the Spanish speaking immigrant parents trying to navigate through the whole experience. I was one of very few people who would give presentations in Spanish. After the third year, I transferred to University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). I graduated there and received my Bachelors in Political Psychology.

LatinoGraduate.net: What were your career goals back then as you were getting ready to get your Bachelors degree?

Enrique: When I was in Cal State Long Beach I was in the engineering department. Actually I was the only Latino in the department. I wrote an essay for a contest and amongst a hundred or so students I won and got the opportunity to represent the entire Cal State University system at an engineering conference. It turned me off to engineering. I was in a period of my life where I was discovering a lot of the history and politics of our community so I thought that unless I was going to build bridges for rural communities in the third world, I did not see myself as an engineer. That made me decide to go into psychology and it was very broad. In a sense I was able to reinvent myself through psychology. Because it is broad enough you can practically do anything with it. When I was in psychology I discovered the field of education and there is where I became interested in the field I am in now.

LatinoGraduate.net: Did you begin to consider becoming a teacher in the K-12 level?

Enrique: Even though I was in education I did not see myself as a teacher. I saw myself as somebody who could continue through school but I was very interested in community activism. I wrote my undergraduate thesis on the psychology of oppression. From there I was working in the community and I saw myself working with non-profits and working on behalf of community interest.

LatinoGraduate.net: What followed after your graduation?

Enrique: After receiving my Bachelors I started working for an organization called “One Stop Immigration”. I became the chief of operations for the entire education part. I became a regional director. I started teaching English as a Second language and citizenship courses to adult immigrants who where preparing for their naturalization and to become residents. It was there that I started to see education as Paulo Freire (http://www.paulofreireinstitute.org/) highlights that education either oppresses you or it liberates you. There really is no middle ground. I started to envision education as a means by which to work on bettering the interest and conditions of our Latino community. I saw it as a "Liberatory" experience. I saw persons learning a little bit of English and we called it “ ingles para la defensa propia ” (English as a form of self defense). It was not because English was some form of beautiful angelic language that came from the heavens but rather it was a necessity to operate with. The quest for English is tied to a quest for self-determination, betterment of lives, bettering the conditions for our children. So it is not just part of our survivability in the United States but it is also necessary in order to achieve our goals. This was tied up with the citizenship program as well. There used to be this idea that if you are Mexican you would have to step and spit on the Mexican flag and perhaps deny your heritage in order to become a US citizen. It was that time in the late 80's where the organization I was with was trying to redefine what exactly it meant to be a citizen. In this situation the traitor was the one who did not become a citizen because if they had done it then they would have been able to vote and thus change some of the policies and be part of the local community. That is how I ended up in education.

LatinoGraduate.net: What made you decide to get a masters and a doctorate?

Enrique: I helped create an administrative and file support system that eventually many non-profits throughout the state adopted. I would travel and visit many non-profits. I finally ended up in one organization called “ El Rescate ” (The Rescue). It was near the downtown area of Los Angeles (Pico-Union area) and during that time there were a lot of Central American refugees, particularly from El Salvador, who were fleeing their war torn country. When I worked there we set up literacy programs and helped put up homeless shelters. This was in the late 80's and into the 90's. While I served as education coordinator I decided to return to college to get my graduate degree. I was fortunate enough to have been invited to New York City to spend a week with Paulo Freire and I was very excited about going back to school for a Masters so I went to California State University Los Angeles. Once I received my Masters I started to get my teaching credential. I eventually worked at Hooper Elementary for the Los Angeles Unified School District . It is in South Central Los Angeles and just down the street from where I grew up. I was in a 3 rd grade self-contained bilingual classroom. While I was there the California Proposition 187 came about [editor note: California Proposition 187 was passed and the summary of the bill was to prohibit public social services (access to public health, K-12 education to those who cannot establish their status as a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident, or an ``alien lawfully admitted for a temporary period of time.''. Those who could not show legal status were to be reported to Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)]. I joined the protest groups against the passing of Prop. 187 and was very politically vocal. During that time I received numerous letters from the district office warning me about my political involvement and engagements.

LatinoGraduate.net: What did they inform you of in their letters?

Enrique: Basically it said shut up or get out. At that time, because of the climate, I decided that now was the time to reinvent myself. So after teaching elementary school, I finally got my masters in my hand. Again, during this time I worked with some of the folks from MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense Fund) because back then they needed testimonials from teachers as part of the legal proceedings against Prop. 187. MALDEF contacted me because they knew of my community involvement. Its amazing how big Los Angeles is but I kept meeting the same people on different community based project. In the process of getting my Masters I attended a professional conference in North Carolina. I attended the conference on my own and with the support of my Masters advisor who was Dr. Bernardo Gallegos. When I was there I got recruited for the doctorate program. I saw an opportunity and I took it. Thus I attended the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill . I was there for four years and my program was specifically on social foundations. Thus, I am a sociologist and anthropologist of education.

LatinoGraduate.net: How did you end up teaching in the Education department at California State University San Bernardino?

Enrique: I sent out my resume to teach and I was fortunate to receive 11 teaching offers. Of all the places I interviewed at, San Bernardino was the best choice. It is close to where I grew up, the housing was affordable, and the salary was much higher than in other openings offered to me. I have been here for 6 years. I already have tenure. In fact I received early tenure based on some of my scholarly work.

LatinoGraduate.net: What do you mean when you say "scholarly work"?

Enrique: Well I do a great deal of scholarly writing. I write about many areas but in particular, I am a critic of standardized testing. I highlight the decisions made through testing and how it affects people's lives. I also write about the new Latino Diaspora in North Carolina and in the South. Having lived out there help me see these issues. I also write about democracy and the withering away of some of the democratic elements in our society due to globalization. I also write about issues of identity.

LatinoGraduate.net: What motivated you to be the editor of a scholastic journal?

Enrique: The journal was first conceived during my first year at Cal State San Bernardino when a group of scholar activist presented the idea. We went to the American Education Studies Association in Detroit to present a symposium on California's Proposition 227 [ Brief editor's note: Proposition 227 is referred to as the Unz Initiative which was passed in1998 and prohibited bilingual education]

At the conference talking about 227 and through conversation with some members attending the symposium Naomi Silverman from Lawrence Erlbaum Publishers Company, we started proposing a collaborative creating of this new academic journal to address some of the issues around education and Latinos. When we returned we worked on the concept for the journal for approximately one year. We did a comprehensive document analysis, looking at all the academic journals. We wanted to see where the articles regarding Latinos were highlighted and published. We found out that they were being published sporadically and singularly. It was done in isolated instances or they were simply absent. We felt that there was no real forum for articles on Latinos. We concluded that our journal made perfect sense. We started and made the journal official in April 2000. We are now on our 5th volume and getting ready for 2006. The way journals work is that everything has to be submitted long before it is published because submissions have to go through an elaborate review process. Printing takes up to six more months after that.

LatinoGraduate.net: Where can your journal be found?

Enrique: These journals are in most university libraries. We also have local libraries ordering the journal.

LatinoGraduate.net: If someone cannot find it in their library, can they ask the library to subscribe to it?

Enrique: Yes, they can.

LatinoGraduate.net: What do you wish to accomplish by publishing the journal?

Enrique: The journal is set up as to be a forum for those that share a common interest in discussing, critiquing and disseminating the educational issues that impact Latinos. We are proud to share that the journal has become what is referred to as a tier one journal. This is unheard of in our field. Thus the journal is highly respected and so is the editorial board. We receive a lot of submissions and thus the acceptance rate is very low. We can only publish about 9% of studies received. We work to make sure the writing is clear and concise, the methodology and the theoretical frameworks are apparent and the writers are already established and recognized. We also serve as mentors to those who are not well known and work closely with them if they were rejected the first time to improve their article. We then invite them to resubmit. This helps them to increase their chances of being published. We are not typical of the "publish or perish" attitude. We want to work with people and see their work published.

LatinoGraduate.net: Is this type of mentorship unique or common in the scholarly field?

Enrique: I think it is very unique. Keep in mind that in general there are only a handful of Latinos Ph.D.s. In fact we are only one-half of one percent of all Ph.D.s. and so we all know each other, we go to the same conferences and we need to help socialize the new members. We want to see the middle and veteran scholars help the new members. We are building a scholarly community to help those holding new Ph.D.s.

LatinoGraduate.net: What does the future hold for the journal?

Enrique: The journal is sponsoring a new project. The project is called the National Latino Education Network (http://www.nlen.csusb.edu/) and it will serve as an electronic community whereby those that sign up will be able to collaborate with each other. You will be able to conduct a search with other registered members. One important feature it will have is that it will have a resource guide. Think of it as a clearinghouse. This allows members to search and browse for resources, opportunities and activities that are taking place in the Latino education community. This would be available to anyone with a concern and common interest in the Latino community. It's open to everyone and we welcome those working in the Latino educational community to utilize the program. We are proud to share that we have members on the international level interested in the project.

Send comments to Enrique Murillo, Jr. at LSACNational02@hotmail.com

Copyright © Armando F. Sánchez 2005

New LatinoGraduate.net video educational program, Channel 1

The Texas State University First Generation Student Organization has produced a 22 minute program “ 1st Generation Students “ to serve as an informative and retention tool and part of their outreach and education programming.

The video program “ 1st Generation Students “ addresses the unique challenges first generation college students often face such as conflicting obligations, false expectations, and lack of preparation or support. First generation college students in the program highlight how they negotiate two cultures: one of friends and family, and the other related to their new college experiences.

First generation college students and persons in the business of recruitment and retention will greatly benefit from this program. The video program can help students in high school and college understand the barriers they will have to overcome in order to succeed. Educational groups can view the program and stimulate discussions about initiatives in their state, region, and nation that are successful in the recruitment, and retention of first generation college students.

For additional information regarding the video 1st Generation Students contact:

Israel Najera, Ph.D.

Executive Producer

512-245-2208

mailto:In01@txstate.edu

LatinoGraduate.net Review on the program

The First Generation Students video on the LatinoGraduate.net website highlight the experiences of first generation students at Texas State University (TSU). The educational video is facilitated by Dr. Israel Najera of TSU. First generation students represent sometimes 30% of all students on college campuses. Many of these students suffer from culture shock having attended grade school in small communities where opportunities for higher education are few. The TSU students speak candidly about their experiences and how they were able to succeed in college. First generation students have unique challenges in college including conflicting obligations, lack of preparation and financial support, and \false expectations. Support during their first year in college is critical to their success. The students at TCU offer the listener helpful hints on how to succeed in college. Support mechanisms include becoming involved in cultural organizations, studying in groups, obtaining tutoring, finding a mentor, seeking help at the campus writing center, and attending faculty office hours. The video is recommended for not only first generation students but all students interested in attending college.

 

Vision Care for Children

by Ana Ananikian

Doctor of Optometry

Children's Vision The baby's first eye exam should be scheduled at six months .  At this age, the doctor will screen for congenital cataracts, nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and strabismus "crossed eyes".  All these conditions can lead to "amblyopia" (loss of vision).  Even though a baby cannot provide any answers, the doctor can perform several tests that will provide very important information about the child's vision. For questions regarding vision care contact Ana Ananikian, Doctor of Optomety, in English or Spanish, at mailto:montebellooptometry@yahoo.com

eMagazine put together by:
Adele Neria E-Publications
AdeleNeria@yahoo.com