May 16, 2012 · www.gothamgazette.com |
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Fight Over Immigrants' Right To Vote
From Nowy Dziennik
A coalition of 60 organizations believes that New York City should make it possible for legal immigrants, who are not yet citizens, to participate in local elections.
More immigrants are choosing to become US citizens. The number of naturalized citizens in the United States population has reached a record high in the last decade, according to a new study. Of all the immigrants now living legally in the country, 52 percent or 12.8 million are naturalized citizens -- an increase of 73 percent in the decade after 1995. To become a US citizen, immigrants must have a green card or permanent resident status. Undocumented immigrants are ineligible.
" [The] opening round of immigration reform begins," said Daily News columnist Albor Ruiz of a new immigration reform bill introduced in Congress last month. The Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy Act of 2007 or STRIVE Act includes provisions similar to the bill passed last year by the Senate and discards harsher language found in the earlier version the House bill."The bipartisan bill in the House is huge progress from last year's absurd anti-immigrant bill that sought to make criminal felons out of millions of undocumented immigrants, " said Chung-Wha Hong, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed a new law that will require employers to provide helmets to bicycle delivery workers "These bills will help protect our city's hard-working delivery personnel, many of whom are immigrants who speak a language other than English," Bloomberg said. Traffic isn't the only problem for delivery workers. Officials reported that some gangs require new members to rob Chinese deliverymen as an initiation rite.
This story and others from Chinese, Korean, Polish, Russian and Spanish language press via our partner, Voices That Must Be Heard.
Parents Protest Excessive Security In Schools
From El Diario / La Prensa
Parents gathered in front of City Hall to denounce excessive discipline
in the public schools after a report of abuses by security agents
and police who work to provide school safety.
Mixed Reaction
in Korean Community Over Visa Waiver Program
From Korea Times New York
The bill would expand the list of countries in U.S. visa waiver
program, and could include South Korea. The program allows immigrants
from countries on the waiver to travel to the country and stay legally
in the country for 90 days without a visa. While many Koreans believe
traveling without
visa would be convenient, some worry that it will allow criminals
from Korea to come the country as well.
Russian Cop
Straddles Two Worlds in Brighton Beach
From Novoye Russkoye Slovo
Because of the large Russian population in the neighborhood, many
police officers who can speak Russian have to act as "cultural interpreters."
Fire Safety
in Chinatown
From World Journal
The likelihood of accidental fire in Chinatown is not high, but
should there be a fire, according to fire department, the consequences
could be very severe because Chinatown has highly flammable,
old
wooden
buildings with little separation between units.
Brooklyn Gangs
Prey on Deliverymen
From Sing Tao Daily
Law enforcement in Brooklyn is astounded by the discovery that
some African-American and Hispanic gangs in East New York require
new
members to rob Chinese deliverymen before they can be officially
inducted.
Raid on Undocumented
Workers in Times Square
From Hoy
In the wake of "Operation Clean-Up," about 195 undocumented immigrants,
among them workers at the Hard Rock Cafe and ESPN Zone in Manhattan's
Times Square, were arrested.
Guest Worker
"Trap"
From Russian Reklama
Immigrants who come to the country on guest worker visas
are not allowed to change jobs or move to another company,
no matter
how
poorly they are treated.
