Tennessee’s Latino population is growing rapidly — now the sixth-fastest in the nation. Hispanic and American women are learning from each other in one Tennessee community.

Dr. Jane L. Delgado, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, was on a leading national/international cable news network to discuss congressional action on health care reform in a segment on November 9, 2009.

A Muslim baby shares his first ever blog.

Chef Lorena Garcia, popular hispanic TV Celebrity Chef tries to conquer and crossover to the American public.

Barack Obama’s Philadelphia speech on Race, with Spanish captions 1/4. Also English captions are shown. Translated by Juan Luis Masmela. Higher Definition version available at www.captionedmediaforobama.com

The Broadway Triangle Community Coaltion includes over 40 church, civic, educational and community organizations that represent the areas largely African-American, Chassidic and Latin- American communities and includes the areas diverse array of ethnic, economic, business and religious organizations. The Broadway Triangle, as it is commonly known, is an approximately 21-block parcel of land which represents the largest public and privately owned development opportunity in Brooklyn. This area includes the 18 blocks defined in the 1989 Urban Renewal Plan, as well as an additional three blocks to the north that are currently also the subject of a redevelopment plan. The area is generally bounded by Broadway and Throop Avenues to the east; Park Avenue to the south; Marcy, Harrison, and Union Avenues to the west; and Lynch Street to the north.

Bethlehem board’s appointment clarifies need for minority-majority voting district March 27, 2008 Hispanics account for 32.3 percent of the Bethlehem Area School District’s student body. But, all nine members of the school board are Anglos, and the board will remain that way at least until the next election in 2009, following the board’s decision Tuesday to appoint Republican Benjamin Tenaglia III to an open seat. Two years ago, the board also had the opportunity to appoint a Hispanic to fill a board vacancy and one Latina who applied was a former district school principal. Instead, the board appointed former director William Heske, who had previously been voted off the board. At the time, director Charlene Koch said she supported Mr. Heske because he was ”the better candidate.” After that 2006 decision, the district was the target of a class-action lawsuit alleging violation of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and discrimination against Hispanics. This February, director Joe Craig resigned from the board. The night the board accepted his resignation, Ms. Koch suggested that Sis-Obed Torres-Cordero — whose wife, Sandra Figueroa-Cordero, the former Donegan Elementary School principal was passed over in 2006 — replace him. Instead, the board properly decided to advertise for candidates. Two weeks later, district administrators revealed they had an agreement to settle the civil rights lawsuit by creating a Hispanic-majority voting district to foster diversity on the board …

In The Heights is a show that changed my life. This is the first video I ever made. I wanted to express how I felt about the show and show all of you how incredible it is through this video. Champagne is one of my favorite songs, so after a lot of work and help from my friend Brad telling me how to upload audio, this video was made. If you don’t know what ITH is you should. It is a dream of mine to meet the cast or sing with them, as it is a dream for most of us fans. They are all incredible people, good people, talented actors, writers, singers, and they won the Tony!! Im so proud of Lin Manuel and all he has created, so here it is!! If you’re watching Lin, I’ve followed you for 6 years now, and I am so proud of where you are! After a lot of begging and negotiating, I finally flew down last November and saw the original cast perform the show, and it was honestly one of the best nights of my life. The cast was incredible, and I cried throughout, especially at Benny and Nina’s kiss at the end of Blackout. People complained because they say broadway is not rap, and there is no room for an all rap musical. They are very naiive. In the Heights has it all, from rap to jazz dance music, to traditional and powerful broadway songs, to a 40s swing slow dance. The message behind ITH reaches all people, not just Latinos, Hispanics, White people or black people. The message about home is for everyone, and should inspire everyone. Thank you for watching this video and ITH forever …

The Hispanic Paradox Heart disease remains the leading cause of death among women in the United States. Awareness about heart disease among women overall has been increasing over the years. A recent survey conducted by the American Heart Association found that 62% of Caucasian women but only 34% of Latino/Hispanic women were aware that heart disease is their greatest health threat. (Mosca, Circulation 2006) Previously it was thought that Latino/Hispanic women had a lower risk of heart disease, but recent studies have shown that Hispanic women develop heart disease risk factors ten years earlier than Caucasian women. (Teeters, 2007) Little data is available regarding CVD preventive measures specific to the Hispanic/Latino population because very few trials have been conducted in this group alone. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recently reported that Hispanics are 38% less likely than non-Hispanics to have visited their doctor within the past year and more than 25% of Hispanics have never had their cholesterol checked. Hispanic/Latino women face several barriers, which may prevent access to appropriate cardiovascular screenings: • Lack of awareness • Decreased recognition of the value of preventive screenings • Lack of access to culturally sensitive information • Language barriers • Financial constraints/lack of insurance (33% uninsured) • Lack of transportation • Reliance on community health centers and clinics Scope of the Problem The Hispanic/Latino (Cuban, Central American, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South American, Dominican, and Spanish ancestry) population is very diverse and is the fastest growing minority group in the United States. The following are modifiable risk factors for heart disease in the Hispanic population: • Diabetes-according to the NIH, Hispanics are almost twice as likely as whites to have diabetes • Excess weight and obesity-according to the NIH, almost 83% of mid-life Hispanic women are overweight or obese • The Metabolic Syndrome • Inactivity-almost 60% of Hispanic women report that they do not exercise regularly • Pre-hypertension-32% of Hispanic women in their early and mid fifties have pre-hypertension • Hypertension-more than 20% of Hispanic women have high blood pressure • Depression-Hispanic women have the highest lifetime prevalence of depression • Smoking-approximately 11% of Hispanic women over the age of 18 smoke • High Cholesterol-Hispanic women tend to have lower HDL cholesterol levels and higher triglyceride levels Heart Attack Symptoms in Women Women are more likely to experience prodromal “warning” symptoms days to weeks preceding a heart attack. These symptoms include: chest discomfort, SOB, fatigue, palpitations, anxiety, nausea/indigestion, sleep disturbances, change in appetite, visual disturbances, and changes in thought processes. The most common prodromal symptoms experienced by Hispanic/Latino women include fatigue, sleep disturbances, and anxiety. In addition, women often exhibit atypical symptoms when presenting with a heart attack. In a recent study by McSweeney, et.al presented at an American Heart Association meeting, the most frequent acute symptoms in Hispanic/Latino women were shortness of breath, discomfort in chest/back/shoulder blades, weakness, fatigue and arm weakness/heaviness. Latino/Hispanic Heart Health Online Resources: Latino Nutrition Coalition: http://www.latinonutrition.org Heartstrong En Espanol http://www.heart-strong.com References Mosca, L, et.al. National Study of Women’s Awareness, Preventive Action, and Barriers to Cardiovascular Health. Circulation. 2006; 113: 525-534. Teeters, J, et.al. Hispanic women at higher risk for heart disease. Abstract P327. American Heart Association Meeting, 2007.

Strengthening Our Lives (SOL), a progressive organization that mobilizes Latino voters, is successful because of the dedicated, passionate community members who educate their own neighbors.