Activist Ydanis Rodríguez accuses Washington Heights Councilman Martínez of accepting campaign contributions from owners of buildings with housing code violations. more>

Contrary to its reputation as the “gold mine” for its strong collecting power, the Dominican Consulate of New York wrote several bad checks in the beginning of April. This situation left the check recipients bewildered. more>

A coalition of religious leaders in the Latino community from 17 states is fighting for amnesty for thousands of undocumented workers in the United States, despite adverse conditions and strict security measures since September 11 and during the war in Iraq. more>

Four women of Dominican heritage serve their communities in important political and judicial positions, environments dominated by men and in which few Latinos have been able to gain power. more>

The new role of FBI agents and their ability to detain any undocumented person are scaring the Latino community. more>

Estimates of immigrants in fraudulant marriages—those not founded on love—vary widely. For couples who get caught, the penalties are harsh: fines, deportations and even jail time. But many immigrants continue to pay thousands of dollars for a chance at citizenship. more>

If you pay close attention while walking down the streets of the South Bronx, you may notice a different type of Central American immigrant—the Garifuna. Though the Garifuna are a people of African descent, they are considered Latinos because they take the nationality of their country of birth and, for the most part, speak Spanish. more>

María is from Mexico and has lived in the Bronx for six years, her husband Carlos works in construction. Together they bring in just $400 a month more than their monthly expenses—with which they must support their two children. more>

Francisco Antonio Peña Guaba, the Consul General of the Dominican Republic in New York City and the president of the Dominican Republic are trying to get amnesty for undocumented Dominicans. “We are behind all efforts to obtain legal residency for all immigrants in the U.S., and especially in New York where a large number of Dominicans live,” Guaba said. more>

Poverty, discrimination, abuse and exploitation are just some of the problems Indigenous Mexicans encounter in New York. Like nomads they leave their communities and set off to conquer the city. more>

Five janitors say they were fired for pressuring their employers to conclude contract negotiations that are almost a year overdue with labor union SEIU 32BJ. more>

If the U.S. Department of State censors can defend the denial of visas to lay people because of national security, then their refusal to grant entry to recognized intellectuals only shows their ignorance. They impede the free flow of information and ideas globally. Persecuting artists and intellectuals is the most effective way to augment oppression and barbarism. It’s not politics, it’s insanity. more>

The winds of renovation are in the air in East Harlem. The work environment is characteristic of our neighborhood—people paint, clean, and repair to the sounds of salsa and meringue. Those not moved by the wave of renovations fear that property values will go up and low-income Latino families will be forced to find new homes in other areas. more>

“This agreement provides deli owners with the opportunity to rectify their relationships with workers and comply with the law,” said New York State Attorney General Elliott Spitzer of the “Code of Conduct” established between Korean greengrocery owners and Mexican workers to improve working conditions at delis around New York. more>

“Come back another day or try another shelter,” is a phrase heard all too frequently these days in soup kitchens among Latino residents. The majority of those in need worked at the World Trade Center prior to the terrorist attacks, but did not receive benefits or wages owed them for fear of being reported to the INS. more>

When the Aguilar Language Learning Center opened its doors six years ago, its students were almost exclusively Spanish speakers; in fact, 90 percent were Mexican. Since then, however, the center, as well as El Barrio, grew to include large numbers of African, Turkish, Pakistani, Nepalese, and Angolan visitors. more>

The recent shooting of a young girl in the Bronx exposes a resurgence of gang violence in New York. Now is the time to dismantle all gang activity in the city. We cannot allow people to feel scared in their own neighborhoods because of the actions of a few insecure young people. more>

“Many of the people I see are being persecuted. The new immigrant, desperate to be reunited with his family, is easy prey for a coyote,” said Freddy Sánchez, commissioner of la Defensoría del Pueblo (People’s Defense), an office set up by the Ecuadorian Congress to aid Ecuadorians in the United States, Canada and Mexico. He’s working on two such cases affecting more than 100 Ecuadorians currently. more>

Valedictorian Angela Salazar wants to thank her family, some of whom only understand Spanish, as part of her graduation speech. School officials, however, demand she stick to English. more>

The creation of the largely Latino District 39 in Queens might have eased Latino under-representation in the State Assembly and Senate. However, a new rift in the Latino political community is practically paving the way for the re-election of former Councilman John Sabini. more>

Former Argentinean President Carlos Menem was interrupted by protestors shouting “tyrant,” “liar,” and “sellout” as he presented his doctoral dissertation at Fordam University. more>

Almost half of all New Yorkers over five years old speak a language other than English at home, according to the latest census figures. Ligia Jaquez, Program Coordinator at the Census Bureau, said that according to the data there is no doubt poverty increased in New York City in spite of the economic boom. more>

“We come here for jobs because the United States has destroyed the Latin American economy. They have forced us to come here in search of a better future for our children,” said Colombian immigrant Henry Achury of the ProjectUSA billboard in Brooklyn that marks the full-force return of anti-immigrant sentiment. more>

On March 27, the Supreme Court delivered a fierce blow to immigrants’ and workers’ rights with its decision to deny undocumented workers the right to sue employers for unpaid wages. It seems the court’s decision pleased conservatives in the media, who refuse to acknowledge that undocumented immigrants contribute much more than they receive. more>