Considered the father of Chicano music, Lalo Guerrero's career has spanned over six decades. Mr. Guerrero is a pioneer of several Mexican-American musical styles, bringing to music his bilingual roots. Mr. Guerrero is recognized as the first to bring American swing to Mexican music. He is also recognized for using his poignant humor in songs of social protest.

This is a live interview with one of the first folk singers and recording stars of the Southwest. Lidia Mendoza, also known as "La Cancionera de los Pobres" (The Songstress of the Poor) and "La Alondra de la Frontera" (The Meadowlark of the Border) is a groundbreaker and one of the top Mexican American musicians of this century. She performed with her family from the 1920s through the 1980s.

Guest: Lidia Mendoza (Recommended reading: "Lidia Mendoza: A Family Autobiography" by Arte Público Press, University of Houston).

A conversation with Dr. Jose Angel Gutierrez, currently a professor and attorney in Dallas, on his recent book "The Making of a Chicano Militant." Gutierrez is the founder of the La Raza Unida Party in 1969, an organization that during the early 70s was instrumental in electing a number of Mexican American candidates to public office.

Guest: Jose Angel Gutierrez, "The Making of a Chicano Militant", University of Wisconsin Press.

A live conversation with Eulalio Gonzalez "Piporro," a legendary comedian, actor, singer and composer who is credited with crafting a unique slang typical of the northern Mexican cowboy. This is the second conversation on his autobiographical book "Autobiograjúa y Anecdotaconario."

Guest: Eulalio Gonzalez "Piporro",

A conversation with Luz and Aurora, the Las Hermanas Huertas duo. With over 800 songs recorded, the Huertas are now a legend of Mexican folk ranchera music. Las Hermanas Huerta will headline the traditional "Viva el Mariachi" Festival next March in Fresno, CA.

Guests: Las Hermanas Huerta

Called by some the first great Chicano musical artist or the inventor of Chicano music, Lalo Guerrero releases yet a new CD with new arrangements to classical hits. The CD is titled "Vamos a Bailar - Otra Vez!" and includes Lalo's old-time songs like "Nunca Jamás" and "El Carnalito."

Mexican activist Rodolfo Montiel, imprisoned in Mexico for nearly a year, was distinguished with the Goldman environmental award, which includes a fund of 125,000 dlls. Montiel has been protesting for years the degradation of forests, corruption and human rights violations in the Southern Sierra Madre. He was jailed under charges called spurious by human rights groups.

Twenty five years after U.S. forces left Vietnam in defeat, ending a 30-year-long war, veterans of that unpopular war begin returning to their former battleground to find many answers. Vietnam veterans share in this program their remembrances and feelings about the war in South East Asia.

Guests: Charlie Trujillo, Vietnam veteran, author and director of Chusma House publishing house.

Renown conga player Poncho Sánchez is recognized as a top ambassador for Latin jazz. Sánchez was born in Laredo, grew up in Los Angeles and, at the age of 23 joined the band of the late vibist Cal Tjader, who became his mentor in 1975. Sánchez has recorded a number of salsa and Latin jazz albums ever since.

Renown conga player Poncho Sánchez is recognized as a top ambassador for Latin jazz. Sánchez was born in Laredo, grew up in Los Angeles and, at the age of 23 joined the band of the late vibist Cal Tjader, who became his mentor in 1975. Sánchez has recorded a number of salsa and Latin jazz albums ever since.

Founded in 1975 by Gilberto García, Sr., and Gilberto López, Sr., in the Rio Grande Valley, the group of Los Dos Gilbertos is known as "The Grand Masters" of accordion music. The conjunto group brings a repertoire of traditional Texano music to Radio Bilingüe's Norteño/Tejano Music and Dance Festival in Fresno, CA.

A conversation with singer Lila Downs, who mixes her U.S. father and Mixtec Indian mother ancestry influences in her music. Her repertoire includes Mixtec and Zapotec songs with jazz tunes. She is touring California and recently released a CD called "Yutu Tata - Arbol de la Vida."

A conversation with Tite Curet-Alonso, the legendary Puerto Rican composer, musicologist and journalist. Curet-Alonso has written more than 2,000 compositions, many of them recorded by singers such as Tito Rodriguez, Celia Cruz, Ruben Blades, Willie Colon, La Lupe, Cheo Feliciano, Hector Lavoe and others. Considered one of the greatest Latin American composers, he is currently working toward publication of a bilingual book of essays entitled "La Vida Misma."

Actor and activist Edward James Olmos joins this program to comment on the 4th Annual Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival. The festival showcases over 70 selected feature films, documentaries and shorts from Latino filmmakers in the Americas. The festival is honoring Mexican screen legend Maria Felix with the Gabriel Figueroa Award.

Guest: Edward James Olmos; other guests TBA, www.latinofilm.org

An interview with the legendary Mexican singer, composer, poet, and actor Oscar Chávez, one of the foremost promoters of the Latin American new and folk song throughout the continent. This program also features music of Chávez's newly-released CD "Chiapas." The CD is the recording of a Chávez concert earlier this year in the town of Oventic, Chiapas. The proceeds of this CD's sales support a middle school in a Zapatista Indian rebel area.

An interview with the legendary Mexican singer, composer, poet, and actor Oscar Chávez, one of the foremost promoters of the Latin American new and folk song throughout the continent. This program also features music of Chávez's newly-released CD "Chiapas." The CD is the recording of a Chávez concert earlier this year in the town of Oventic, Chiapas.

This program featured an interview with Eduardo del rio, "Rius", a popular Mexican Cartoonist, as well as his presentation of his latest book, entitled "The Juunk We Eat". The book is a severe criticism of the modern trend toward manipulating the genes of plants and animals that end up on peoples food plates.

Also: New year resolutions. Dr Fabio Sabogal shares his practial advice for healthy habits that should be in the list of everyones wishes and resolutions that each one has for the new year.

Guest: Dr. Fabio Sabogal, physcologist, California Medical Review, San Francisco, California.

The legendary Bert Corona, a grassroots activist for labor, civil and human rights, passed away on January 15 leaving a legacy of seven decades of trailblazing work. This program is a repeat of a live conversation on Línea Abierta between Corona and the late Josefina Fierro. They comment on their joint work in the leadership of the Congreso de los Pueblos de Habla Hispana, a national organization of the 1930s and 40s.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Perez Esquivel recently visited Los Angeles, where he criticized the U.S. bombing of Iraq, the migrant deaths at the border and the danger of a new Vietnam in Colombia. Correspondent Ruben Tapia has an exclusive interview with the Argentinean human rights activist.

Taped interview: Adolfo Perez Esquivel, Argentinean sculptor, Catholic non-violence and human rights activist, 1980 Nobel Peace Prize recipient

Renowned Mexican author and journalist Elena Poniatowska talks about her latest book, "Las Siete Cabritas" ("The Seven Maverick Women," loosely translated). In her book, Poniatowska offers a portrait of seven great women artists: Frida Kahlo, Nahui Olin, Pita Amor, Rosario Castellanos, Maria Izquierdo, Elena Garro and Nellie Campobello. For Poniatowska, they were women who defied conventions, struggled against all odds and faced broad social hostility. This is a program to celebrate International Women's Week.

Guest: Elena Poniatowska, "Las Siete Cabritas," Editorial Era, Mexico City.

An conversation with judge Cruz Reynoso, vice chair of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, a presidential Medal of Freedom honoree and former judge for California State Supreme Court. He comments on the need to hold public hearings at the U.S.-Mexican border to review complaints of violence and mistreatment against migrants, racial profiling and other issues.

Línea Abierta provides a report on the first celebration of César Chávez day after proclaimed a holiday last year. As part of the state's Cesar Chavez Day of Service and Learning, schools must include instruction on the values of Cesar Chávez and the history of the farm worker movement. Also, this program airs a 25-minute symphony entitled "Cesar Chávez: Gran Hombre de la Tierra." Accompanied by Sacramento's Camelia Symphonic Orchestra, poets José Montoya and Olivia Castellano read texts written originally by the late farm worker hero and published later in Jacques Levy's book "Cesar Chávez: Autobiography of La Causa." The symphony was composed by director Daniel Kingman.

Línea Abierta provides a report on the first celebration of César Chávez day after proclaimed a holiday last year. As part of the state's Cesar Chavez Day of Service and Learning, schools must include instruction on the values of Cesar Chávez and the history of the farm worker movement.

An interview with Tucson-born Eduardo “Lalo” Guerrero, the father of Chicano music. A 1996 National Medal of Arts awardee, Lalo’s biography has been featured in a recent book entitled “Lalo: My Life and Music”. With seven decades singing and composing music, Lalo has become an icon of the Chicano working class. His song “La Cancion Mexicana” became an anthem for Mexicans on both sides of the border.

An interview with Tucson-born Eduardo “Lalo” Guerrero, the father of Chicano music. A 1996 National Medal of Arts awardee, Lalo’s biography has been featured in a recent book entitled “Lalo: My Life and Music”. With seven decades singing and composing music, Lalo has become an icon of the Chicano working class.

A live conversation with one of the best Puerto Rican composers. Tite Curet’s songs have been recognized internationally and interpreted by a number of salsa greats. This program is in celebration of National Latino Heritage Month.

Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the farm workers union, and surviving founding members Trinidad and Lili Orozco share stories of the first days of farm union organizing in the Central Valley. Also, Josefina Hernandez and Ramon Lerma, children of veteran founding members, recount the first years of the movement. The testimonials were recorded during the gathering of farm labor organizers to celebrate the UFW’s 40th birthday. This program is in celebration of National Latino Heritage Month.

Former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Antonia Novello is currently the health commissioner for the State of New York. In this interview, she comments on measures under her administration to open the doors of the health care system to working families, the Spanish-speaking and undocumented immigrants. She also comments on the recent appointment of Dr. Richard Carmona as Surgeon General.

ALSO,DR. JANE DELGADO. A clinical psychologist, Dr. Delgado is president and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, the nation’s largest network of Latino health care providers. She is also the author of the book “Salud – A Latina’s Guide to Total Health.” This program was funded in part by the National Alliance of Hispanic Health.

Born in Mexico, Dr. Mario Molina is a professor at the Massachussets Institute of Technology and 1995 Nobel Chemistry Prize for his research on pollution in the atmosphere. His discoveries led to an international environmental treaty, banning production of industrial chemicals that affect the ozone layer. Dr. Molina is one of the world’s top experts on chemical pollution and its effects on the environment. In this interview, Dr. Molina proposes new agreements to limit emissions of greenhouse gases, modernize cars with catalytic converters in Mexico and other polluted areas, and increase efforts to educate more engineers and scientists in under developed countries. Part of the series Latinos in Engineering, this program also celebrates Latino Heritage Month.

Innovative teachers are taking the civil-rights message of empowerment to the teachings of math literacy. The Algebra Project is an interactive curriculum that focuses on rural and inner-city schools. African-American and Latino kids who are currently failing in math and sciences learn to question and find joy in math. A distinguished Chicano scientist talks about how the project helps develop active citizens. This program is part of Línea Abierta’s series Latinos in Engineering.

Guest: Carlos Castillo-Chávez, professor of Biomathematics, director of the Mathematical and Theoretical Biology Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

A conversation with Dr. Ireneo Rojas Hernández, a P’urhepecha-speaking Indian from Cheran, Michoacán who completed with honors doctorate-degree studies in physics in Germany. He has been a physics researcher and professor in Michoacan’s Universidad de San Nicolás for the past 25 years. He is also known as a writer and long-time advocate of his native P’urhepecha language and culture. This is a repeat program, part of the series Latinos in Engineering.

Internationally acclaimed poet and author Sandra Cisneros published her latest novel Caramelo, the fictional story of a Mexican American migrant family that splits its life between Chicago, Mexico City and San Antonio. Cisneros also comments on the U.S. government war on terrorism and other matters.

A conversation with Dr. Jose Angel Gutierrez, currently a professor and attorney in Dallas, on his book "The Making of a Chicano Militant." Gutierrez is a founder of the La Raza Unida Party in 1969, an organization that during the early 70s was instrumental in electing a number of Mexican American candidates to public office.

Dr. Luis Ortiz Franco, a math professor and leader of mathematicians, is an advocate of expanding the knowledge and teaching of mathematics among Latinos and increasing the representation of Latinos in mathematics-based careers. He speaks about his studies on pre-Columbian mathematics achievements by Olmecs, Aztecs and Incas, and current mathematics activity in Latin America and among U.S.

Dr. Luis Ortiz Franco, a math professor and leader of mathematicians, is an advocate of expanding the knowledge and teaching of mathematics among Latinos and increasing the representation of Latinos in mathematics-based careers. He speaks about his studies on pre-Columbian mathematics achievements by Olmecs, Aztecs and Incas, and current mathematics activity in Latin America and among U.S. Latinos. This program is part of the series Latinos in Engineering.

Guest: Dr. Luis Ortiz Franco, mathematics professor, Chapman University in Orange, CA; vice-president, International Study Group on Ethnomathematics.

The legendary Bert Corona, a grassroots activist for labor, civil and human rights, passed away on January 15 leaving a legacy of seven decades of trailblazing work. This program is a repeat of a live conversation on Línea Abierta between Corona and the late Josefina Fierro.

Chicana cellist and humorist María Elena Gaitán (“Chola con Cello”) from Los Angeles, premieres in San Francisco her newest show entitled The Teta Show! This is a performance about the stereotypes of the breast, produced at the invitation of Las Isabelas, a breast cancer survivor support center for Latinas. Gaitán alternates her stand-up comedy with renditions of soothing cello music.

Chicana cellist and humorist María Elena Gaitán (“Chola con Cello”) from Los Angeles, premieres in San Francisco her newest show entitled The Teta Show! This is a performance about the stereotypes of the breast, produced at the invitation of Las Isabelas, a breast cancer survivor support center for Latinas. Gaitán alternates her stand-up comedy with renditions of soothing cello music.

Mexican émigrés from the state of San Luis Potosí meet in Chicago to work on a legislative bill that would grant political rights to Potosinos living abroad. Organizers of the community forum seek the right to elect governor and have an elected representative in SLP’s state Congress.

Guest: Rogelio Martínez Faz, Asociación de Clubes y Organizaciones Potosinas de Illinois, Chicago.

ALSO, HEALTH CARE FOR ALL. A conversation with Congressman Ciro Rodriguez (D-TX), chair of the Hispanic Congressional Caucus. He calls on Washington to use the multi-billion-dollar tax cuts to help pay for health care needs of Blacks and Latinos, the most uninsured populations.

Human rights activist Rosario Ibarra de Piedra began a new international campaign named Free a Prisoner. The effort seeks to find missing activists arrested during Mexican government’s dirty war of the 1970s. A special federal prosecutor recently requested apprehension orders against top police officials linked to political disappearances in the past.

Guest: Rosario Ibarra de Piedra, president, Comité Eureka, Mexico City.

ALSO, DEMOCRATIC TAX PLAN. Democratic leaders in Congress have unveiled an economic plan that pledges to create tax cuts for working families, tax credits for small businesses and expand unemployment insurance. The plan is announced as fiscally-responsible and pro-jobs, and as an alternative to a plan proposed by President Bush and House Republicans.

Guest: Congressman Xavier Becerra, D-LA, member of the House of Representatives’ Ways and Means Committee, Washington, DC.

Actor and film-maker, Edward James Olmos is also co-founder of The Latino Book and Family Festival, a multi-city event seeking to reduce illiteracy and reading among Latinos. Olmos comments on favorite readings, books that impacted his life and his vision for a literate Latino family.

The daughter of cotton sharecroppers in Texas, Chávez-Thompson labored as a farm worker, joined the labor union movement and eventually rose through the ranks of the AFL-CIO to become the first person of color and the first woman elected to Executive Vice-President of the AFL-CIO in 1995. This is an interview on current topics.

Linda Chavez-Thompson. The daughter of cotton sharecroppers in Texas, Chávez-Thompson labored as a farm worker, joined the labor union movement and eventually rose through the ranks of the AFL-CIO to become the first person of color and the first woman elected to Executive Vice-President of the AFL-CIO in 1995. This is an interview on current topics.

This is a repeat of an interview with Mexican singer and actor Lalo Gonzalez, "El Piporro," one of the foremost comedians of Mexico. The interview, originally aired on October 1, 1999, is now broadcast on the week of Gonzalez' death. Lalo Gonzalez died of a heart attack in his home of Monterrey, Mexico, at the age of 81.

This is a repeat of an interview with Mexican singer and actor Lalo Gonzalez, "El Piporro," one of the foremost comedians of Mexico. The interview, originally aired on October 1, 1999, is now broadcast on the week of Gonzalez' death. Lalo Gonzalez died of a heart attack in his home of Monterrey, Mexico, at the age of 81.

A leading student activist in the 60s, and co-founder of La Raza Unida political party in 1970, José Angel Gutiérrez joins this edition to comment on the controversy raised by conservative politicians in California about the past affiliation of Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante to MECHA, a Chicano student advocacy organization.

A leading student activist in the 60s, and co-founder of La Raza Unida political party in 1970, José Angel Gutiérrez joins this edition to comment on the controversy raised by conservative politicians in California about the past affiliation of Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante to MECHA, a Chicano student advocacy organization. The concept of Aztlán is also discussed, coinciding with the celebrations of Latino and Mexican-American cultural identity.

ALSO, SEN. TOM DASCHLE. An interview with Sen. Tom Daschle (D-South Dakota), leader of the Democratic Minority in the Senate. In this conversation, Sen. Daschle comments on activities to remember 9-11, President Bush' request for 87 billion for Iraq, the defeat of a Republican plan to reform overtime pay, longer detention periods for immigrants, and the probe of 9-11 in Chile.

A rebroadcast of the last interview with the late Puerto Rican composer "Tite" Curet Alonso, a legendary figure in the salsa repertoire of the world. Tite's original interview aired live during Latino Heritage celebrations last year.

A rebroadcast of the last interview with the late Puerto Rican composer "Tite" Curet Alonso, a legendary figure in the salsa repertoire of the world. Tite's original interview aired live during Latino Heritage celebrations last year.

This is a conversation with Dr. Eduardo Almeida Acosta about his decades-long work with poor and Nahuatl indigenous communities in Central Mexico. Dr. Almeida has advocated for local social and cultural empowerment and for independent cooperative networks. He has also promoted the teaching of community psychology in Mexico’s college education. He recently became the first Mexican to receive a prestigious award from the American Psychology Association. Dr. Almeida comments on community-based responses to issues such as natural disasters, poverty, alcohol abuse and others.

Guest: Dr. Eduardo Almeida Acosta, professor and social psychologist, Department of Psychology, Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla, Puebla, MX.

TEXAS-JALISCO SIMULCAST: CHOCOLATE CAR AMNESTY. Mexico approved a vehicle amnesty to legalize imports and register an estimated 3 million chocolate cars, as the unlicensed, illegally-imported cars are called. This binational radio program, broadcast in conjunction with the three-station network of Radiarte in Guadalajara, features representatives from Jalisciense émigré groups in Texas and federal treasury officials in charge of the car amnesty program in Western Mexico.

Guests: Rosalba Santibañez, President, Clubes Jaliscienses, San Antonio, Texas; Jesus Gonzalez Martinez, coordinador, Atencion al Contribuyente, Secretaria de Finanzas; Armando Sojo Garza Aldape, Delegado federal en Jalisco, Secretaria de Economia; Jose Guzman Torres, subdirector, Promocion al Comercio Exterior, Secretaria de Economia; Monica Martinez, subdirectora, Servicios y Asuntos Juridicos, Secretaria de Economia; Roberto Argueta, subdirector, Servicios al Publico, Secretaria de Economia.

OF GAS PRICE HIKES, SUVS AND HYBRIDS. Recent gas price hikes may be spurring an unusual consumer backlash, with surveys showing overwhelming public support for higher fuel-efficiency standards and fuel-saving hybrid technology. Sales of large sport-utility vehicles (SUV), the thirstiest vehicles, are plunging, and a growing number of consumers are shopping now for cars with fuel-saving hybrid engines. Are SUVs on the way out? Are hybrid cars quickly becoming part of the mainstream U.S. auto market? Will consumers switch to smaller cars? Is this crisis spurring action to impose higher fuel efficiency standards and more support for alternative energy research? What about its impact on air pollution?

Guests:

Luis Cabrales, California organizer, National Environment Trust, Los Angeles, CA; Alberto Rojas, communications counsel, Consumer Reports magazine, New York, NY; Mike Garza, hybrid car salesman, Fresno, CA; Ramon Torres, sales manager, used car sales agency, Fresno, CA.

HEALING GULF COAST CHILDREN. Relief organizations are helping children evacuated from the Gulf Coast heal from the trauma of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. An expert shares tips to help displaced children deal with stress.

Guest:

Kate Conradt, Senior manager media and communications, Save the Children, Washington, DC, www.savethechildren.org.

PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID. As the dust settles and victims realize the extent of the devastation and the uncertainty of the future, many survivors will develop serious mental health disorders and the need for psychological help becomes critical. This is a conversation with Rear Admiral Cristina Beato, M.D., principal deputy assistant Secretary for Health and spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

MEXICO’S ABSENTEE BALLOTS. This week, Mexico begins a new stage in the process to allow Mexicans living abroad to vote in the 2006 elections. Consulates and other diplomatic missions are now offering application forms for the estimated four million Mexican voters who may be interested in enrolling to receive absentee ballots. This is a follow-up news report on this issue.

Guests: Patricio Ballados, coordinator, Vote for Mexicans Abroad, Instituto Federal Electoral, Mexico City; Dr. Roberto Rosas, member of Advisory Council, Instituto de los Mexicanos en el Exterior, professor of law, St.Mary's University, San Antonio, TX.

BLOSSOMS OF FIRE. The award winning documentary Blossoms of Fire tells the story of the Zapotecs from Oaxaca, Mexico. The film describes how Zapotec culture has fostered a tradition of strong women and tolerance for homosexuality. This is a conversation with singer/photographer Martha Toledo, who appears in the documentary and is in California for the San Francisco Video Festival. Martha will also speak about controversial plans to develop a Wal Mart superstore in Juchitan, in the Zapotec heartlands.

Guest: Rosa Martha Toledo, Zapotec singer, Oaxaca City; Maureen Gosling, filmmaker, director, Intrepidas Productions, Oakland, CA., www.maureengosling.com

AMOXTLI SAN CE TOJUAN. This bilingual documentary includes a collection of ancient stories and songs about origins and migrations from peoples from throughout the continent. The documentary demystifies the notion that Mexicans are aliens in the U.S. Peoples who descend from the Mexican-Uto-Nahuatl language family have been living and traveling throughout the continent for centuries.

Guests: Filmmakers and syndicated columnists Roberto Rodriguez and Patricia Gonzales, Madison, WI; http://hometown.aol.com/xcolumn/myhomepage/; Dr. Cecilio Orozco, researcher of the Mexica Sun Stone and Utah’s archeological sites, Fresno, CA.

MIGRANT ILLNESSES AND ACCESS TO CARE. Who are the new Mexican migrants. Where are they coming from. How healthy do they come and who take care of their health care needs. The answers are part of a report to be released this week by the National Population Council of Mexico and the University of California. A preview of the report is discussed in this simulcast with Radio Michoacán’s twelve-station network in Western Mexico.

Guests:

Dr. Xochitl Castañeda, Project Director, California-Mexico Health Initiative, Office of the President, University of California, Berkeley, CA, from Chicago, IL; Dr. Ramiro Moreno Ponce, Director de Servicios de Salud, Secretaría de Salud de Michoacán, Morelia, MX.

MIGRANT HEALTH IN TIMES OF CLOSED BORDERS. Binational Health Week kicks off this year in Chicago with a gathering of representatives from the U.S. and Mexico. They address health care as a human right. Binational Health Week features hundreds of activities for Mexican migrants and their families, including medical screenings, treatment services and information about disease prevention. This is a live broadcast from the inaugural event in Chicago by contributing host Rosalba Piña. A well-known immigration attorney, Piña focuses on the plight of citizen children whose undocumented parents face deportation.

Guests:

Rosalba Pina, Co-host, Abogada de Inmigracion, Chicago, IL; Asambleista Hector de la Torre, Democrata, Los Angeles; Neffertiti Kelly-Farias, Coordinadora de prensa, Semana Binacional de Salud, desde Chicago, IL; Sen. Gil Cedillo, Democrata, Los Angeles, desde Chicago, IL; Stephanie Palomar, hija de padre indocumentado en vias de deportacion, Chicago, IL.

ARAU AND ARIZMENDI. A husband and wife duo, Sergio Arau and Yareli Arizmendi are the creators of the feature film A Day Without a Mexican, a political satire on the impact of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans on California. They visit Fresno to speak about what it means to be Latino in post-9/11 U.S.A. Sergio Arau is a well-known artist, musician and film director in Mexico City. Yareli Arizmendi is an acclaimed writer and actress.

DISEASE HAVE NO BORDERS. A public forum in Chicago gather participants from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to talk health challenges for Mexican immigrants. This is a live broadcast from the site of the Policy Forum on Transnational Health. Attorney Rosalba Piña, a regular contributor, co-hosts this live coverage from the forum site in Chicago.

Guests:

Lolita Parkinson, coordinator, CONOFAM, Secretaria de Salud de Mexico; Dr. Francisco Cisneros, adviser for Instituto de los Mexicanos en el Exterior, director de Pilsen-Little Village Community Mental Health Center Inc, Chicago, IL; also, excerpts of speeches by Gov. Amalia Garcia, State of Zacatecas, and Dr. William Paul, acting public health commissioner of the city of Chicago.

JOAQUÍN MURRIETA DEMYSTIFYED. This is a conversation on the book Joaquín: demystifying the Murrieta legend. Its author Humberto Garza is a former university professor and community organizer born in Texas and living in California. Garza conducted extensive historic research to put to the test the mainstream notion of Joaquín Murrieta as a California bandit. Who was the real Joaquín? Was Joaquín a legend or a myth? Was he ever captured?

Guest: Humberto Garza, retired professor, California State University San Jose; professor, West Hills College, Coalinga, CA, sunhousepublishing@yahoo.com, www.joaquinmurrieta.net

THE TEQUILA WORM. The first novel of writer Viola Canales, The Tequila Worm tells the story of Sofia Casas, a young woman who leaves her barrio in McAllen, Texas to pursue her dream of becoming a lawyer. When her homesickness becomes unbearable, Sofia learns to eat the tequila worm to cure her yearnings for home.

Guest:

SMOG AND BAD WEATHER. Hurricane Katrina, one of the worst storms of the past 100 years, has added fuel to the debate on global warming. Some warn that as the planet gets more polluted and warmer, more violent weather can be expected. Still, federal authorities are using Katrina to undermine the Clean Air Act, including limits on toxic emissions, say congress members. This program also includes discussion on an energy bill that gives a green light to more gasoline refineries.

Guest:

Adriana Quintero, spokesperson, Natural Resources Defense Council, San Francisco, CA.

MIGRANTS IN THE GULF COAST. Migrant day laborers are being hired in large numbers to rebuild New Orleans, in the nation’s largest reconstruction project. Meantime, there have been reports about evictions and roundups against migrants in shelters in the Gulf Coast. This program also features a conversation with a FEMA representative on issues of relocation and emergency housing.

Guests: Monica Huizar, employment policy analyst, National Immigration Law Center, Los Angeles; Flavia Jimenez, policy analyst, National Council of La Raza, Washington, DC; Congresswoman Grace Napolitano, Democrat, Los Angeles; Mayra Lopez de Victoria, spokesperson, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington, DC.

MASTER OF PAPEL PICADO. Herminia Albarrán Romero, a master of Mexican paper cutting known as papel picado was awarded the prestigious National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts. The art of papel picado is widely used for quinceañeras, weddings and holiday celebrations. Herminia lives in San Francisco, CA, where she is also known for her traditional altars, created with paper flowers, papel picado, and pan de muertos.

ARAU AND ARIZMENDI. A husband and wife duo, Sergio Arau and Yareli Arizmendi are the creators of the feature film A Day Without a Mexican, a political satire on the impact of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans on California. They visit Fresno to speak about what it means to be Latino in post-9/11 U.S.A. Sergio Arau is a well-known artist, musician and film director. Yareli Arizmendi is an acclaimed writer and actress. Arau and Arizmendi also comment on Hollywood, Gov. Schwarzenegger, and the immigrant citizen revolt. This is a pre-recorded edition.

SISTERS OF FIRE AWARD. This is a conversation with Teresa Mejía, executive director of the Women’s Building in San Francisco, who receives the Sisters of Fire Award this year. Teresa has been working for years with low-income communities in San Juan and San Francisco, first in projects of public housing and crime prevention and later as a bilingual counselor with victims of domestic violence. Mejía lost all her family in a domestic violence incident in her native Puerto Rico. Mejia comments on the social progress made in the fight against intrafamily violence and the alarming reports about growing violence in the homes of soldiers who return from the war in Iraq.

GUADALAJARA SIMULCAST: MIGRANT REMITTANCES, THE ÉMIGRÉ BALLOT. This edition “Sin Fronteras” is a monthly simulcast with the three-station network of Sistema Jalisciense de Radio y TV in Guadalajara. Most migrant workers send their remittances to Mexico using money transfer institutions that charge high fees for transaction. In response, the Federal Reserve Banks and the Banco de México are launching Directo a México, a Spanish-language campaign designed to help U.S. banking customers send more affordable next banking-day remittances to Mexico. This program also explores other banking services targeting migrant consumers. This program also gives an update on the campaign to encourage Mexican émigrés to register to vote and apply to get an absentee ballot for the landmark presidential election of 2006.

CALIFORNIA SPECIAL ELECTION. Voters in California are preparing for a special election on Nov. 8. This program features a debate on two controversial propositions championed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Prop. 74 seeks to make harder for a teacher to get tenure and job security and Prop. 75 would restrict public employee unions from using money for political contributions.

Guests:

Sen. Liz Figueroa, Democrat, Fremont, CA; Jesus Arredondo, spokesperson, Join Arnold campaign, Sacramento, CA.

IN MEMORY OF EDWARD ROYBAL. Former congressman and Latino pioneer Edward Roybal died at 89. Roybal, a mentor for many lawmakers, was the first Latino elected to the Los Angeles City Council and the first Latino from California to serve in Congress in modern history. He championed the rights and health care for the elderly, immigrants, and the poor. Roybal helped found the Mexican American Political Association, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the National Association of Latino Elected Officials. This program includes excerpts of an interview with Roybal aired on Linea Abierta in 1995.

Guests:

Harry Pachon, former chief of staff in Washington DC of congressman Roybal, president of the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute, Los Angeles; Herman Gallegos, a pioneering Latino philanthropist, founder of the National Council of La Raza and other national Latino organizations.

TEXAS EDITION – THE WHITE HOUSE UNDER INDICTMENT. A federal grand jury probing a CIA leak indicted a top official in yet another political blow to the already embattled White House. The criminal charges have renewed the debate on the reasons behind the war in Iraq. How is this Washington scandal being followed in Texas, the president’s territory?

Guests:

Gabriel Rodriguez Nava, editor, U.S. and International Section, RUMBO newspapers, San Antonio, TX; Carlos Guerra, columnist, San Antonio Express News, San Antonio, TX.

ALSO, 2000 DEAD. The death toll for U.S. troops in the Iraq war reached 2,000. A number of those fatalities are from Texas. A relative of a soldier and a columnist join this edition to comment on the impact of this tragic landmark figure on the hometowns of fallen soldiers in Texas, the second state with the largest body count in the nation.

Guests:

DAY OF THE DEAD. On this day, the dead come to life in the old Mexican tradition. Mexicans honor their dead with personal altars, offerings at the cemetery, yellow marigolds and holiday bread at home. This is a conversation with an altar-maker from Central California.

Guest:

Jesús Ávila, Mixtec immigrant, organizer of community celebrations, San Luis Obispo, CA.

EVE OF CALIFORNIA SPECIAL ELECTION. On the eve of California’s special election ballot, this program provides basic information about the ballot and answers voters concerns. It also discusses information about campaign finances, the publicity war, the promises of political reform and other topics.

Guests: Moni Flores-Bauer, community relations coordinator, Guía Fácil para el Votante, Oakland, CA; Antonio González, president, William C. Velázquez Institute and South West Voter Registration and Education Project, Los Angeles.

DISCOUNTS FOR PHARMACY COSTS. Two propositions in California’s special election ballot propose to help Californians to pay for medications. Proposition 78, supported by drug companies and the business sector, offers discounts on prescription drugs and does not allow the state to enforce the discounts. On the other hand, Proposition 79, endorsed by consumer organizations, requires the state to negotiate discount prices from the drug industry. This is a debate on the issue.

Guests: Lupe Alonzo-Diaz, executive director, Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, Sacramento, CA; Dr. James Grisolia, member of the professional advisory board, Epilepsy Foundation for San Diego County.

ELECTION-DAY REPORT. In this election-day edition, correspondents file news reports from the ballot box on voter turnout and the projected impact of the Latino vote.

Guests: Manuel Ocano, correspondent, San Diego, CA; Luis Arritola, contributor, Los Angeles, CA; Marcelo Gaete, senior director of programs, National Association of Latino Elected and Designated Officials, Los Angeles, CA.

HELPING MIGRANTS BUY HOMES. Realtors and state agencies in the U.S. launch campaigns to attract Spanish-speakers without Social Security numbers, while anti-immigrant politicians promote bills to curtail mortgage loans for the undocumented. This program looks into the opportunities undocumented migrants when buying a home in the U.S. It also warns about the risks of predatory lending, including new practices of "Rent with an Option to Buy" contract scams.

Guests:

Yamila Ayad, National board of directors, National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, San Marcos, CA; Alain Cisneros, Lead organizer, ACORN, Houston, TX.

GREENING LATINO COMMUNITIES. Civic leaders meet in Los Angeles to discuss ways to engage Latinos on environmental issues and build a network of young Latino leaders interested in the environment. Topics include environmentalism in Latino heritage, the fight for a California park bond to develop green areas in urban barrios, the greening of Los Angeles River, the advocacy for urban gardens and the consequences of U.S. farm policy on Mexico's migration.

Guests: Irma Muñoz,. president and founder, Mujeres de la Tierra, Los Angeles; Ed Reyes, councilmember, Los Angeles City Council; Luis Hernandez Navarro, article writer, La Jornada, Mexico City; Tezozomoc, leader, Movimiento de Campesinos del Centro Sur, Los Angeles; Eleaquin Vaquero, Club Tehuitzingo and Federacion Poblana, Los Angeles.

RESTRICTIVE HOUSING REFORMS – Legislation approved by the U.S. House forbids non-profit agencies that work on federally-funded low-income housing projects from engaging in any voter registration or voter participation work. Housing and civil rights groups are opposing the anti-voter provisions.

Guest: Walkiria Pool, Asset Development Specialist, Community Development and Housing, National Council of la Raza, Washington, DC.

ALSO, MIGRANT HOMES. A conversation with California assemblymember Juan Arámbula and Anibal Hernandez, leading member of Housing California, on efforts to fund and build migrant worker housing, including a bond measure for affordable homes and emergency shelters, and the Joe Serna Jr. fund for farm worker housing.

ZACATECAN POWER. This pre-taped program features interviews gathered at the annual conference of the Zacatecan Federation of Southern California, a pioneering coalition of hometown associations from North Central Mexico. Governor Amalia García, migrant state congressman Manuel de la Cruz, and émigré leader Efraín Jiménez talk about the community-development program Tres por Uno, citizen philanthropy, binational citizenship, migrant vote and lobbying, binational health insurance, and the politics of California’s immigrant governor Schwarzenegger.

WORLD AIDS DAY AND MEXICAN MIGRANTS. One third of AIDS cases in Mexico are from Mexican states with the highest migration to the U.S. This health edition in simulcast with the twelve-station network of Radio Michoacán in Western Mexico explores what happens to migrants when they are away from home and they find new sexual cultural values in the U.S. It also explores the risks to wives and other sexual partners of migrant men. Finally, the program focuses on efforts by health educators to reach and free migrants from HIV in commemoration of World AIDS Day.

Guests:

Dr. Juana del Carmen Chacón Sanchez, Chief, Department of Prevention and Control for STDs and HIV/AIDS, State of Michoacan, Morelia; Rosalinda Avitia, Coordinator, Campaign to Prevent HIV/AIDS, California/Mexico Health Initiative, Tulare, CA; Roberto Bustos, health care promoter, especialist on HIV/AIDS prevention, Health Department, Tulare, CA.

SMART HOLIDAY GIFTS. In this season of holiday gifts, what can parents do to help their family get equipped with computers and software to meet the basic needs of modern education? Experts on consumer affairs share tips on how to buy laptop and desktop computers and how to prevent being victim of fraud when buying online.

Guests: Alberto Rojas, Consumer Reports magazine, New York, NY; Alvaro Puig, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC.

ALSO, LOSS OF LATINO CLOUT IN TEXAS AND TOM DELAY'S CORRUPTION TRIAL. Attorney Carlos Spector-Calderon from El Paso comments on a Texas judge's decision to let Rep. Tom DeLay be tried on money-laundering charges. He also comments on a U.S. Department of Justice analysis calling illegal and anti-Latino voter the Congressional re-districting plan in Texas promoted by DeLay. Latinos and other minorities' voting strength was weakened by the Republican redistricting in Texas, concluded the report.

TB QUARANTINE. Health workers and officials in Washington State are at odds over the case of a patient of tuberculosis. The young Mexican farm worker who was under treatment went into hiding, and then a debate ensued among local service providers around turning the patient over to immigration authorities to prevent him from infecting others and becoming a public health risk. This is a discussion on this controversy and the rise of TB cases in this agricultural area.

Guests: Peter Browning, director, Public Health Department, Skagit County, Mt. Vernon, WA; Rogelio Rojas, director, Sea Mar Community Health Centers, Mt. Vernon, WA; Molly Pulido, nurse, Department of Health, State of Washington, Mt. Vernon, WA; “Ricardo”, TB patient.

MIGRANT FARMING IN THE BIG CITY. Migrant farmers who are growing a plot of Native American fruits and vegetables amid the densely populated barrios of Los Angeles, are fighting the landowner’s plans to bulldoze the community garden and develop a warehouse. The farmers are challenging in court the decision of the city to sell the land to its current owner and are calling the plot a sanctuary for the neighborhood families and a source of clean air. This is a debate on the issue.

Guests: Tezozomoc, organizer, South Central Community Farmers, Los Angeles; Ralph Horowitz, attorney and developer, Los Angeles.

ALSO, NATURAL GAS PRICE HIKES. Natural gas prices are soaring amid one of the coldest winters in many areas of the U.S. Environmentalists fear that many low-income consumers will rely on fireplaces and less healthy fuels to heat their homes this season. The fuel emissions in turn threaten to take a costly toll in the health of working families.

CURE WITHOUT BORDERS. Health workers from El Paso and Ciudad Juárez are succeeding in treating tuberculosis by seeing this border community as one binational population. TB patients have access to clinical exams, PPD tests and X Rays on both sides of the border. As a result, most treated TB patients are cured and the number of new TB cases is down even as more migrants arrive from the poorest areas of Mexico. This report features Project Juntos.

Guests:

Dr. Miguel Escobedo, Center for Border Health Research, Centers for Disease Control, El Paso, TX; Dr. Bertha Armendariz, coordinator, TB Net, El Paso, TX; Dr. Esteban Vlasich, Director, Proyecto Juntos, El Paso, TX; Sandra Acosta, homemaker and TB Patient for three years, her brother Gerardo died of TB, Ciudad Juarez, MX.

HMONG NEW YEAR. On this day, Hmong people from all over the world begin five days of the most anticipated celebration of the year. This is a report on the largest event, Fresno’s International Hmong New Year Festival. Began in their native Laos as a time for self-renewal and family-bonding after the harvest season, the festivities in the U.S. are now huge gatherings that showcase folk music and dances, and introduce young girls and boys to society.

Guest: Vungping Yang, educator, Hmong culture promoter, artist, Fresno, CA; Alma Martínez, news reporter, Radio Bilingüe, Fresno, CA.

ALSO, ARPEX SONES. In this holiday season, a traditional harp group from the tropical lands of Michoacan is warming up New Year’s parties in Northern California. The innovative techniques of the festive music of Grupo Arpex caught the attention of Daniel Sheehy, director of Folkways Recordings at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, who is planning an album release for the summer.

WHOOPING COUGH COMES BACK. Also known as pertussis, whooping cough is dramatically rising, striking thousands of people in California and other states. The increase of this respiratory infection despite universal childhood vaccination campaigns has puzzled medical scientists. This program gives practical advice to prevent the infection or permanent disability in babies. It also looks into booster shots and studies about the disease.

Guest:

Dr. Gilberto Chavez, state epidemiologist, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, CA.

ALSO, PUBLIC ANGER OVER TUBERCULOSIS CASE. Community groups in Washington demonstrate against plans by the top health official in Skagit county to report a TB patient to immigration authorities. Reporter Leticia Jimenez, from KSVR, covered the protest and files interviews with farmworker leader Silverio Vivanco and teacher Angelica Guillen Hernandez.

VISIÓN DEL 2006. Colegas de la radio se suman a esta primera edición del año para comentar sobre sucesos que se preven para el 2006. Lucas Benítez, representante de WCIW Radio Conciencia en Immokalee, FL, habla acerca de la campaña pro comida justa que ahora se dispone a presionar al gigante corporativo McDonald’s. También habla acerca de las posibilidades de reforma migratoria. Ricardo García, director ejecutivo de KDNA en Granger, WA, comenta sobre las posibles restricciones a la importación de trabajadores agrícolas de Tailandia, las elecciones intermedias y la creciente influencia del voto latino, el histórico voto de los emigrados en la elección presidencial de México, las iniciativas anti-inmigrantes del Congreso y la nominación del directivo escolar Benjamín Soria como Superintendente del Año para el estado de Washington en el 2006.

MARUCHAN NATION. Mexico has been described as "Maruchan Nation" after the country has become Latin America's largest consumer of that popular brand of instant ramen noodles. Traditional taste in Mexico is changing. Healthful home-cooked rice, beans and tortillas are being displaced by fat- and sodium-heavy instant ramen. This is leading to high levels of obesity, diabetes and heart disease among the rural poor. This program is a live simulcast in conjunction with the twelve-station network of Radio Michoacan in Morelia.

Guests:

Dr. Jane Delgado, president and executive director, National Alliance for Hispanic Health, Washington, DC; Dr. Bertha Dimas Huacuz, National Journalism Award recipient, community Indian health advocate, Santa Fe de la Laguna, Michoacan; Nestor Martinez, California LEAN Project, California Department of Health, Sacramento, CA.

YO SOY JOAQUIN. Agustin Lira, singer and co-founder of El Teatro Campesino in 1965 in Delano, keeps the Chicano movimiento songs and theater tradition alive in the San Joaquin valley. Lira, Patricia Wells and members of Teatro de La Tierra are working on a dramatization of Rodolfo Corky Gonzales' epic poem "Yo Soy Joaquin". Some of Lira's songs have recently been captured in the album "Rolas de Aztlan", a CD celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Delano Grape Strike. Lira and Wells speak about their recent work, which includes an autobiography by the co-founder of the particular theater genre focused on farm workers struggles.

FOOD SEGREGATION. On Martin Luther King Jr.’s holiday, this health edition discusses how poorer and colored neighborhoods pay higher prices for their food. While wealthier areas have access to healthier foods, the low-income barrios have a high prevalence of fast-food outlets and liquor stores and find it hard to find fresh and affordable fruits and vegetables. Experts also comment on a new study revealing that teens in California continue addicted to junk food and sodas heavy on fat and sugar.

Guests:

Jeremy Hofer, Hunger and Nutrition Project, Fresno Metro Ministries, Fresno, CA; Laura Brainin-Rodríguez, coordinator, Project Lean, California Department of Health, San Francisco, CA; Lupe Alonso-Diaz, executive director, Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, Sacramento, CA.

FAST FOOD NATION. A new movie focusing on the fast-food industry is in production and scheduled for distribution in major theaters later this year. Renowned actress Yareli Arizmendi, a cast member, joins this edition to talk about the health risks of the national favorite meal, the easy-to-eat hamburgers, hot dogs, French fries and sodas. She also talks about the toll fast food is having on the waistline and the heart of Mexicans on both sides of the border.

CITIZENS AGAINST OBESITY. Local government officials joined forces with leaders in academy and philanthropy to work on a dream of healthy communities in this area, known as the Appalachia of the West. Driven by citizen councils, the project is planning to push for public parks, green areas, running trails, and farmers markets in farm working towns.

Guests:

RIO GRANDE. This long-celebrated river, symbol of greatness and fertility, is now among the most endangered in America. The river is drying out and being polluted by industrial waste dumping and urban raw sewage. What's being done to save it? This is a LIVE broadcast from XERF 1570 AM, the super-power station that reaches Southern Texas from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico.

Guests:

Ignacio Peña Treviño, Mexican Section - International Commission of Boundaries and Waters, Ciudad Acuña; Javier Reyes Salas, Environmental Education Coordinator, Department of the Environment, City of Ciudad Acuña; Francisco Muñiz Hernandez, Community Liaison, Department of the Environment, Ciudad Acuña; Heberto Pérez, General Manager, XERF, Ciudad Acuña.

BORDER TOWN LIFE. A conversation with neighbors of Del Rio, Texas in the oldest restaurant in town. Locals comment on life in this small border town, including the use of the Spanish language, federal plans for a border barrier, and more. Topics also include bilingualism in local radio, the flash floods that devastated the old barrio, the restaurant that gained historic landmark status and the story of the late piano player who achieved national acclaim.

Guests:

Damaris Carrasco, member of the civilian personnel, Laughlin Air Force Base, Del Rio, TX; Dolly Calderón, owner, Memo's Restaurant, the oldest in town; Diana Abrego, Chair, Casa de la Cultura; Javier Martínez, radio personality, KWMC, Del Rio, XHPL Ciudad Acuna.

THE WAR IN SMALL TOWN USA . Línea Abierta visits Del Río, a border town in Texas home to a large air force base, to hear feelings of local residents about the war in Iraq. As the war's deadly toll grows, the voices of those calling for the U.S. troops withdrawal also grow. What do local Del Rioans think about President Bush' war plan? This is a LIVE broadcast from old town Del Rio.

Guests:

Fred García, Chair, Local chapter, American G.I. Forum, Del Rio, TX; Simón Gonzalez, Vietnam Veteran, American G.I. Forum, Del Rio, TX; Jose Martínez, Vietnam Veteran, American G.I. Forum, Del Rio, TX; Ernestina Martínez, City Councilmember, Volunteer for Operation Family Support, Del Rio.

DUST IN THE AIR. Claiming that large-particle dust from mining and agriculture is not hazardous to health, federal officials want to drop clean-air rules for rural areas. If successful, the new regulations would allow agricultural and mining sources from California and other Western states not to meet federal rules for windblown clouds of dust. A community organizer, an environmental scientist and a federal official join this edition to discuss the science behind this move and the potential impact on rural areas.

Guests:

Lina Younes, Hispanic liaison, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC; Dr. Ramon Alvarez, chemist, Environmental Defense, Austin, TX; Susana de Anda, community organizer, Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment, Delano, CA.

HEART CHECKUP. February is the nation’s Heart Month and this edition focuses on heart disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S. A recent study reveals that almost half of California adults suffer from heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes or other chronic disease. An author and a leader of the study (“Chronic conditions of Californians”) talk about who the patients are, where the problem is worse and what health planners and policy makers are doing to give a hand.

Guests:

Dr. Michael Rodriguez, Chair, Board of Directors, Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, associate professor, School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles; Dr. Steven Wallace, associate director, public service, UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, professor, School of Public Health, UCLA, Los Angeles.

STATE OF THE UNION AND WIRETAP HEARING. Selected excerpts from President Bush’ State of the Union address are aired, followed by recorded segments of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s Democratic response. In addition, the program also features segments of the exchange between AG Alberto Gonzales and Sen. Dianne Feinstein in the hearing to determine the presidential powers to wiretap and spy communications inside the U.S. Listeners call and give their opinions on the state of the union.

DIABETES ON THE RISE. This simulcast with the twelve-station network of Radio Michoacán in Morelia explores the latest on diabetes. As Mexico joins the U.S. on the top spot of obese countries, chronic diseases take a higher toll. Diabetes, the most common disease associated with overweight, is on the rise in Mexico and the U.S., especially among children. Experts comment on those factors in the social environment that generate obesity and diabetes and what can individuals and societies do to stem the epidemics.

Guests:

Dr. Rosalba Ruiz, Diabetes Health Coordinator, Pan American Health Organization, El Paso, TX; Dr. Juan Angel Rivera Dommarco, Founding director, professor of nutrition, School of Public Health, Cuernavaca, MX.

TEXAS EDITION – MAQUILADORAS. Carmen Rodríguez, from partner station XERF in Ciudad Acuña, joins this program as a guest host to comment on news developments in the Texas-Mexico border area. This program looks into the hidden effects of the maquiladora plant boom. Hailed at first as a source of jobs and prosperity, the sudden growth of the maquiladora industry is now upsetting the quality of life and many are pulling the welcoming rug in this border town. This is a roundtable on the issue.

Guests:

Fermin Rodriguez Quintero, director, Department of Social Services, City Government, Ciudad Acuna; Dr. Anastasio Marquez, physician, local resident, Ciudad Acuna; Alberto Trevino, maquila plant worker, Ciudad Acuna.

COLON CANCER - Cancer deaths are declining in the U.S. thanks in part to better detection. Still, few Latinos seek colon cancer screening. Colon cancer survivors share their stories about early detection. Also, a medical expert discusses recent news, revealing that a low-fat diet may not necessarily cut colon cancer and other deadly risks.

Guests:

Eleazar Salinas, colon cancer patient, Los Angeles; Silvia Molina, colon cancer patient, Hayward, CA; Dr. Jorge Gómez, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD.

MARIACHERAS! - A conversation with members of the groups Mariachi Mujer 2000 and Mariachi Divas from Los Angeles, headliners of Radio Bilingüe’s traditional Viva el Mariachi! Festival. Mariachi Mujer 2000 is an all-female group, led and musically directed by women, including highly-talented musicians that opened doors for mariacheras in the nation. Mariachi Divas is a multicultural all-female ensemble from Los Angeles. Nationally acclaimed, Divas is particularly proud of their musical style called ranchengue, a blend of Mexican ranchera and Caribbean merengue rhythms. The Viva el Mariachi Festival takes place on Sunday March 26 in downtown Fresno, CA.

Guests:

Marisa Orduno, founder, director and guitarron player, and Carla Diaz, violin player and singer, Mariachi Mujer 2000, Los Angeles; Lorraine Feesago, founder, violin player, and Lorena Panella, violin player and singer, Mariachi Divas de Los Angeles.

ADDICTED TO OIL. “America is addicted to oil”, admitted President Bush, a former oil tycoon, in his State of the Union address. He promised cleaner, cheaper and more reliable alternative energy sources. Are these serious measures to cure the addiction or election-year rhetoric?

Guest:

Javier Sierra, columnist and spokesperson, Sierra Club, Washington, DC.

TEXAS-GUADALAJARA SIMULCAST: ÉMIGRÉS BALLOT. While 3 million Mexican émigrés were estimated to be eligible to vote under Mexico’s new voting laws, only about 55 thousand Mexican émigrés applied for absentee ballots in July’s presidential election. This program looks into the results of a recent opinion poll on the matter. It also discusses efforts to ensure émigré voters cast their ballot and receive reliable campaign information. This is a special simulcast with the three-station network of Sistema Jalisciense de Radio y Televisión in Guadalajara, in Western Mexico.

Guests:

DR. MARIO MOLINA – GLOBAL WARMING. A member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Molina received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on the effect of some chemical products on the ozone hole. One of the world’s top experts on pollution, he’ll talk about gas emissions that contribute to the greenhouse effect and global warming. This is a simulcast with the twelve-station network of Radio Michoacán in Morelia, in Western Mexico.

CHICANA LEADERS. On International Women’s Day, this program features distinguished women in the movement for civil rights and social justice. It features a conversation with Olga Talamante, executive director of the Chicana Latina Foundation in San Francisco. A daughter of farm workers from California, she was a political prisoner in Argentina during the military dictatorship. Also, Elizabeth Martinez, a legendary writer, teacher, and pioneer of the civil rights movement of the 60s. Author of the classic photo textbook 500 Years of Chicano History, she is currently working on the book 500 Years of Chicana History.

GRASROOTS POWER. Community organizations, clinics and public agencies in Central California are joining forces in an effort to fight asthma, cholesterol, diabetes, pesticides poisoning, poverty, exclusion and other ills affecting farm workers. This health model, called Poder Popular, is announced as a trail-blazing approach that relies on farm worker mobilization and self-advocacy to improve the health and living conditions and ensure human rights for migrant workers and their families. This roundtable features stakeholders of the project Poder Popular.

Guests:

Dr. Max Cuevas, CEO, Clinicas de Salud, Salinas, CA; Argelia Flores, coordinator, Poder Popular, Tulare County; Irma Arroyo, director of Quinto Sol group, organizer for LUPE and Poder Popular, Lindsay, CA; Kingdom Meik, spokesperson, City of Lindsay.

A TROUBLING VISIT. In recent days, two agents who identified themselves as part of an anti-terrorist agency paid a visit to Dr. Miguel Tinker Salas, a professor of Latin American history at Pomona College. They wanted to know about his politics and alleged links to the Venezuelan government. College officials see the police action as an intrusion that could have a chilling effect in free academic life.

Guests:

Dr. Miguel Tinker Salas, professor of Latin American history/Chicano Studies, Pomona College, Los Angeles; Steve Whitmore, spokesperson, Los Angeles County Sheriff Department.

WALKOUT. The cable network HBO Films is presenting Walkout, a film that tells the true-life story of the Chicano high school student uprising in East Los Angeles in 1968. This is a brief announcement and sounds of the trailer of the movie, directed by film makers Edward James Olmos and Moctesuma Esparza.

LABORERS’ CROSS-COUNTRY RUN. A dozen day laborers are in the middle of a cross-country run from Los Angeles to New York to bring attention to the plight of immigrant workers. Also, in San Francisco, activists begin a hunger strike urging California Senators to support immigration reform. These and other stories are part of this program.

Guests: Oscar Paredes, runner, day laborer in New York; Guillermo Glenn, host of the runners, coordinator for Association of Border Workers, El Paso, TX; Pablo Alvarado, coordinator, National Day Laborers Organizing Network, Los Angeles; Renee Saucedo, director, La Raza Centro Legal, director for the Day Labor Program, San Francisco.

LABORERS’ CROSS-COUNTRY RUN. A dozen day laborers are in the middle of a cross-country run from Los Angeles to New York to bring attention to the plight of immigrant workers. Also, in San Francisco, activists begin a hunger strike urging California Senators to support immigration reform. These and other stories are part of this program.

Guests:

Oscar Paredes, runner, day laborer in New York; Guillermo Glenn, host of the runners, coordinator for Association of Border Workers, El Paso, TX; Pablo Alvarado, coordinator, National Day Laborers Organizing Network, Los Angeles; Renee Saucedo, director, La Raza Centro Legal, director for the Day Labor Program, San Francisco.

MARIACHI PIONEERS. Pioneering groups Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán and Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano are back in Fresno, CA for Radio Bilingüe’s 24th Viva el Mariachi! Festival. This year, the festival will also pay tribute to three accomplished artists from the valley: singer and songwriter Carmencristina Moreno, a recipient of the NEA’s National Heritage Award; and Agustín Lira, co-founder of El Teatro Campesino in 1965 and director of Chicano music ensemble Grupo Alma. This program features conversations with some of the artists.

Guests:

Carmencristina Moreno, interpreter and composer of the cancion Chicana genre, Fresno, CA; Natividad "Nati" Cano, founder and director, Mariachi Los Camperos, Los Angeles, CA; Pepe Martinez, director, Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan, Mexico City.

MEGA-DEMONSTRATION. Los Angeles was the site of the largest immigrant-rights rally in recent history. Nearly a million demonstrators packed the streets of downtown Los Angeles urging the U.S. Senate to pass a reform that protects the civil rights of millions of immigrants. Ruben and Wendy Tapia attended the mega-demonstration and provide an extensive report.

FARMWORKERS IN THE SOUTH. In North Carolina, migrant workers who pick cucumbers were exposed to hazardous conditions in the farms. They didn’t receive breaks to drink water or transportation to go out of the fields. Tobacco workers often suffered “green sickness” from being exposed to the nicotine in the plants. A historic agreement between a labor group and the main growers association promises to change life conditions in the fields. It allows workers to unionize, demand health care and workers’comp, decent wages, and other benefits. How is this agreement working?

Guests:

TEXAS-GUADALAJARA EDITION – BUSH IN MEXICO. President Bush travels this week to Cancun to meet with President Fox of Mexico and Prime Minister Harper of Canada. They are scheduled to discuss a partnership for continental security and common prosperity. In this program, experts in Guadalajara comment on how the meetings is seen in Mexico and guests in El Paso provide the view from analysts North of the border. This is a simulcast with the three-station network of Sistema Jalisciense de Radio y Televisión in Guadalajara, in Western Mexico.

Guests:

MICHOACAN SIMULCAST: IMMIGRATION BILL DEBATES AND MORE. This monthly simulcast with the twelve-station network of Radio Michoacán addresses the showdown on immigration reform in the Senate floor. Also, guests talk about hidden provisions in the Specter bill that would exclude millions from legalization. A legislator in Morelia also comments on efforts to open spaces for public representation for Mexican émigrés. He also comments on efforts to encourage Mexican émigrés to get involved in the upcoming election process in Mexico.

Guests:

Ariadna Renteria Torres, supervising attorney, Westchester Hispanic Coalition, New York, NY; Arnoldo Garcia, senior program associate, National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Oakland, CA; Jesus Martinez, state legislator, Congress of Michoacan, Morelia.

A DAY TO MOBILIZE. As Congress begins a two-week break, thousands of demonstrators are gearing up to march in dozens of cities around the country in opposition to restrictive immigration bills and for a legalization program. This program airs a live report from Washington, DC, where tens of thousands protesters from all over the nation gather to demonstrate.

Invited guests:

Rep. Mario Díaz-Ballart, R-Florida; Sen. Barak Obama, D-IL; Frank Sharry, executive director, National Immigration Forum, Washington, DC.

SUBSERVIENT NO MORE. Self-determined, outspoken, strong, women are often stigmatized as a problem and perceived by men as a threat. A group of farm working women in California organizes women to assert their rights, prevent domestic abuse, and regain control over their lives. Millie Treviño-Sauceda, executive director of Líderes Campesinas, comments on this topic and recent news developments, including the role of farm worker women in recent protests against anti-immigrant bills and a recent lawsuit against a grape grower company on women discrimination grounds.

CÍRCULOS DE COMPADRES. A group of men gather every year to discuss issues related to the men, their families and their community, including alcoholism, mental health and domestic violence. It is the National Compadres Network. Refugio Rodriguez, a leading member of the group in Santa Maria, CA, explains how the roles and responsibilities of fathers and men are discussed in these “círculos” or gatherings.

In commemoration of this week’s Earth Day, this program features two topics:

PIONEERING GREENHOUSE GAS LIMITS. A bill announced as historic in the California legislature seeks to set new limits on global warming pollution. If passed, The Global Warming Solutions Act would establish California as the first state to limit emissions of greenhouse gases and spur investments in a clean energy economy.

Guests: Jose Carmona, Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies, Sacramento, CA.

SMOG FEES. California’s Central Valley began forcing builders to pay fees on new developments to help clean the air in the region, one of the worst in the U.S. The fees, a first in the nation, are intended to curb urban sprawl and buy cleaner engines for school buses, among other goals.

Guests:

Carolina Simonovic, Fresno Metro Ministries, Fresno, CA; Jorge Hayek, WZI, Inc., Bakersfield, CA.

COLONOSCOPY: A BASIC HEALTH DEFENSE. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of death by cancer in the U.S. The good news is that if people begin taking colon exams at 50, nine of every ten cases of colon cancer can be prevented. In this program, contributor Eleazar Salinas describes how he was able to find his cancer after demanding an immediate colonoscopy. Also, Dr. William Garnica, a representative of the American Cancer Society in Fresno, CA, shares practical advise to prevent and fight this disease.

FARM WORKER CAMPAIGN TARGETS MCDONALD'S, CHIPOTLE. Organized farm workers from Florida culminated a national tour targetting fast-food chains McDonald's and Chipotle Mexican Grill. The labor campaign seek an agreement from the fast food giants to help bring fair wages and humane conditions for field workers who supply food for these restaurants.

Guest:

Lucas Benitez, coordinator, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Immokalee, FL.

TEXAS-GUADALAJARA SIMULCAST: “THE GREAT AMERICAN BOYCOTT”. Millions of Latino immigrants in the country are expected to join a national boycott on May 1st against companies that have supported anti immigrant politicians. Others are planning to march and fast in favor of an immigration reform. In Mexico, many residents are planning to join their fellow citizens and buy nothing American on that day.

Guest:

Héctor Flores, president, League of United Latin American Citizens, San Antonio, TX; Carlos Spector-Calderón, contributor, El Paso, TX.

ALSO, MEXICO’S PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE. Mexican presidential hopefuls will participate in the first of two debates, this week. The most popular candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has said he would only join the second debate in June, but some of the other candidates could gain political clout as a result of national exposure.

Guest:

BOYCOTT DAY - CALL-IN FORUM. Talk show host Samuel Orozco is joined by guest host Maribel Cuervo from KHDC, Radio Bilingüe from Salinas, CA. They provide an overview on up-to-the-minute news developments and receive comments and reports from listeners about the day of mobilization. Contributors Rosalba Pina (Chicago), Ricardo Garcia (KDNA, Granger, WA), Tony Sosa and Leticia Jimenez (KSVR, Mt. Vernon, WA) also join this hour.

BOYCOTT DAY - SIMULCAST WITH RADIO MICHOACÁN. This program is aired in conjunction with the twelve-station network of Radio Michoacán in Western Mexico and co-host Ligia Mazariegos. This hour, analysts comment on the prospects of passage of a legalization bill by Memorial Day and the highlights of the congressional debate. In addition, social leaders in the U.S. and Mexico give their views on the day of boycott.

Guests:

Catholic bishop Jaime Soto from Los Angeles; civil rights pioneer Dolores Huerta; Victoria Chavez, president of Federacion de Clubes Michoacanos in Los Angeles; Arturo Rodriguez, president of United Farm Workers of America, Salinas, CA; Bernardo Ramirez and Victoria Maldonado, Frente Indigena de Organizaciones Binacionales, Oaxaca, MX; Citlali Saenz, correspondent, Mexico City.

BOYCOTT DAY - A REVIEW. Immigrant advocates and listeners engage in a dialogue discussing the achievements of the current pro-immigrant movement and the efforts to educate Congress and the public on the benefits to provide a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented workers. In addition, correspondents file reports from the sites of the largest demonstrations in the country.

Guests:

Ruben Tapia, news correspondent, Los Angeles; Irma Lopez, correspondent, Chicago; Marco Vinicio Gonzalez, correspondent, New York; Patricio Espinoza, correspondent, Houston; Baldemar Velazquez, president, Farm Labor Organizing Committee, Toledo, OH; Soledad "Chole" Alatorre, immigrant rights pioneer, Los Angeles; Roberto Garza, business owner, Chicago.

BOYCOTT DAY - THE VIEW FROM THE STATIONS. Contributors from affiliate stations provide news and commentary on the actions of the Day without Immigrants. Guests included the following station representatives: Jesus Sosa, KDNA, Granger, WA; Lucas Benitez, WCIW, Imokalee, FL; Jesus Lozano, KBBF, Santa Rosa, CA; Mario Espinoza, KUBO, El Centro, CA; Tony Sosa, KSVR, Mt. Vernon, WA; Carlos Spector-Calderon, El Paso, TX.

COVER THE UNINSURED WEEK. Through a number of activities in the 50 states, hundreds of organizations alert the public about the plight of those living without health insurance. They will also ask for help from Congress to make health care coverage a top priority. Nearly 46 million Americans, a high number Latinos, are living without health insurance.

Guest:

Dr. Jane Delgado, president and CEO, National Alliance for Hispanic Health, Washington, DC.

ALSO, A REPORT ON BOYCOTT DAY. Ricardo Garcia, executive director of KDNA in Granger, WA, provides news and analysis on the conclusion of national boycott day in Washington state.

IN ADDITION, JANITORS SECOND MAJOR WIN. Eliseo Medina ends on this day a ten-day fast in Miami as his union signs an agreement that gives 450 janitors the right to form a union. This is the second major victory for janitors in the South, following one in Houston last year. This is an interview with Eliseo Medina, international vicepresident of SEIU.

HEALTH EDITION: MEDICARE DEADLINE. With a week remaining for seniors to enroll in the new prescription drug benefit under Medicare, a high U.S. official goes on a national tour to raise awareness on the deadline. Meanwhile, a nonpartisan report released this week found that Medicare’s public information was confusing, false or incomplete, triggering new calls from advocates to extend the May 15 deadline.

Guests:

Josefina Carbonell, Assistant Secretary for Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC; Geraldine Henrich-Koenis, Press secretary, Families USA Foundation, Washington, DC.

NEW MEDICAID HURDLES. On July 1, a little-known law that requires Medicaid beneficiaries to provide a birth certificate, a passport or another document to prove citizenship takes effect. This requirement was signed into law by President Bush earlier this year. What will be the impact of the new paperwork on Medicaid and the poorest residents of the country?

Guest:

IMMIGRANT TROUBADEUR. Nazaria Vizcaino, a singer from Oakland and immigrant from central Mexico, is also a composer inspired by the plight and struggles of her immigrant community. More than a decade ago she wrote a ballad on Proposition 187 in California and more recently she expressed the anxieties and anger of her undocumented paisanos in the ballad Corrido de la HR4437. She performs live two of her creations.

JULIAN GONZALEZ, MARIACHERO CAMPESINO. A conversation with Julian Gonzalez, practitioner of the traditional mariachi music and mentor to new generations in the genres of son abajeño and canción ranchera. Julian also speaks about the film "Pasajero," which captures the images of a journey of young musicians from Northern California to the native land of their mentor in western Mexico.

RAISING HEALTHY KIDS. The longer a Latino child has lived in the U.S, the more likely she or he will be overweight. This is one of the conclusions in Lourdes Alcañiz’ latest book “Gordito Doesn’t Mean Healthy,” where she highlights traditional Latino diets heavy on jícamas, papayas and corn tortillas over “eating American.” In addition, Dr. América Bracho, a nutritional expert from Los Angeles, joins this conversation to provide practical advise to combat obesity and choose healthy foods. This program is in conjunction with KQED, San Francisco’s public radio.

SKYROCKETING GAS PRICES. The gallon of gas rose to the mid-$3 range and the price continues going up. This is hurting the pocketbooks of consumers. Are motorists changing routines as a result? Experts and listeners are invited to comment about what average drivers are doing to save gas and money. Are more drivers car-pooling? Are they using more efficient vehicles? Are they consuming less gas? Is public transportation on the rise? An advocate calls on citizens to watch political leaders who push for a national energy policy that favors big oil companies, and an expert shares advice on how to save fuel and travel wisely.

Guests:

Javier Sierra, Sierra Club, Washington, DC; Dr. Pablo Ciscero-Fernandez, Air Pollution Research Specialist for California Air Resources Board, Environmental Health Sciences professor at UCLA, Los Angeles.

WHO WILL BE NEXT. Immigrant families are waking up in the middle of the night to face the surprise visit of immigration agents. Federal authorities claim those individuals arrested and deported under these selective operations pose a threat to community safety or national security. In this program, relatives of immigrants who have been jailed or deported talk about the chilling effect and the nightmare of those knocks on the door.

Guest:

Attorney Phyllis Beech, legal representative for immigrants under deportation orders, Fresno, CA.

THE MURDER OF MOISES CRUZ. Oaxacan migrant leader Moisés Cruz was shot to death in his native village in Oaxaca. Civic groups denounce this crime as a political assassination and hold the state government responsible. Cruz was a long time leader of migrant workers in California and Oaxaca.

Guest:

Filemón López, organizer, Asociación Cívica Benito Juárez; host, La Hora Mixteca, Radio Bilingüe, Fresno, CA.

COMMUNITIES IN ACTION FOR ASTHMA. Asthma groups from all over the country meet in Washington to discuss strategies in a common effort to get asthma under control and improve health in their home communities. A recent study found that asthma programs that address environmental triggers do help reduce emergency room visits, improve quality of life, and reduce missed days of school and work when they work together with health care providers and local grassroots groups. This edition focuses on a community-health project that provides asthma relief services to Puerto Ricans, a community with a high incidence of asthma attacks and mortality rates.

Guests:

Lina Younes, national spokesperson, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC; Paloma Hernandez, Chief executive officer, El Nuevo San Juan Health Center, Bronx, NY; Sylvia Romero Johnson, project director, Asthma Relief Street - El Nuevo San Juan Health Center, Bronx, NY.

THE SENATE VOTE: A PATH TO CITIZENSHIP? The Senate has approved an immigration bill that includes harsh penalties against immigrants and employers, and a legalization plan. This program provides a debate on the Senate bill and its outlook in the House. It also reports on Mexican president Vicente Fox’s meeting in Sacramento with legislative leader Fabian Nunez and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, after visiting Utah and Washington.

Guests:

Rosario Marin, Secretary of the State and Consumer Services Agency, Sacramento, CA; Hessy Fernandez, Press Secretary for Outreach Communications, Republican National Committee, Washington, DC; Angela Sanbrano, Executive director, CARECEN, Los Angeles.

GREEN CARD CASUALTIES. On this Memorial Day edition, family members of Latino soldiers and veterans comment on the Iraq war, including the casualty rate for Latino non-citizen troops and the crackdown on their immigrant families back home. Latino troops are most represented in the Army and Marines, the forces with the highest casualty rates in Iraq. They also make up a high number of the front lines and get the most dangerous assignments.

Guests:

Jesus and Rosalia Paredes, parents of a U.S. soldier enlisted in Iraq, Fresno, CA; Raul Campos, father of a U.S. soldier currently under suicide watch in Iraq, Miami, FL; Fernando Suarez del Solar, father of a soldier who became one of the first casualties in the Iraq war, director of Guerrero Azteca Foundation, San Diego, CA.

UNIVERSAL PRE-SCHOOL. All California families will have access to free, high-quality pre-school education for their four-year children. This is what Proposition 82 in the June 6th ballot offers California voters. This is a debate on the issue.

Guests: Christine Soto, senior adviser, Preschool California, Yes on Proposition 82 Campaign, Palo Alto, CA; Jesus Arredondo, Republican spokesman, No on Proposition 82 Campaign, Sacramento, CA.

MAY FIRST FIRINGS. Civil rights lawyers have received a number of reports from workers who complain they were fired after taking the day off to join immigrant-rights rallies on May 1. A woman in Lodi became the first to file a formal complaint in California over employer retaliation.

Guests:

Sandra Carreno, plaintiff, Stockton, CA; Matthew Goldberg, lead attorney, Employment Law Center, Legal Aid Society, San Francisco.

OAXACANS IN CALIFORNIA. Oaxaca Gov. Ulises Ruiz, from Southern Mexico, visits California on the heels of the assassination of a well-known migrant leader in his native Mixtec homeland. Migrant groups in California are holding protests denouncing the dismal human rights record in that impoverished state.

Guests:

Rufino Domínguez, president, Frente Indígena de Organizaciones Binacionales, Fresno, CA; Filemón López, organizador, Asociación Cívica Benito Juárez; host, La Hora Mixteca, Fresno, CA.

MICHOACAN SIMULCAST: IMMIGRATION REFORM AND MEXICO. U.S. Senators return to Washington for a final vote on a broad immigration reform bill. The debate on the floor is scheduled to resume today. In this simulcast with the twelve-station network of Radio Michoacán in Morelia, analysts give their views on the stakes for Mexico, and the feelings of Mexicans on the U.S. immigration debate.

Guest:

Ana María Salazar, host, Imagen News, Columnist, El Universal, former adviser to President Clinton, Mexico City; Manuel García Urrutia, professor at Universidad latina de América, columnist, La Jornada, Morelia, MX.

SIMULCAST WITH MICHOACÁN: THE SWING VOTE. This is a simulcast with the twelve-station network of Radio Michoacán in Morelia. In this program, Mexican analysts discuss the dispute for the vote in key states for the upcoming presidential election. A U.S. analyst also states that the migrant agenda is in the backburner of the presidential campaigns.

Guests:

Dr. Gaspar Rivera-Salgado, sociology professor, University of Southern California, Los Angeles; Santiago Heyser Beltrán, researcher, Universidad de Zamora, columnist, Morelia.

THE MEXICAN ÉMIGRÉS: WILL THEY COUNT? Mexican presidential campaigns are having few appeals to voters living abroad. Are presidential candidates underestimating the influence of the émigré workers on their families back home? Is there interest by Mexican émigrés in the July 2 election?

Guests:

Claudia Sheinbaum, spokesperson, Por el Bien de Todos/PRD Coalition, Mexico City; David Ayón, researcher and director of Project U.S.-Mexico Focus, The Center for the Study of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles.

TIJUANA: DESTINATION FOR THE UNINSURED. Faced with limited access to health care in the US, immigrants and the working poor are increasingly traveling to Tijuana to visit the doctor. More U.S. health insurance plans are also moving across the border attracted by lower costs. Hospitals are being built in Tijuana to meet the growing demand and plans to develop a medical plaza with clinics and pharmacies are under way. This is a live, anniversary broadcast from the studios of Radio Tecnológico in Tijuana.

Guests:

Francisco Carrillo, Executive director, Sistemas Médicos Nacionales SIMNSA, Chulavista, CA; Dr. Elmyra Ibáñez, departamento de estudios de población, Colegio de la Frontera Norte, Tijuana; Leticia Saldívar, patient from Orosi, CA, Eduardo Carrillo, patient from Los Angeles.

TIJUANA: HIGH-TECH HUB, MIGRANT GATEWAY. This live broadcast from Radio Tecnológico in Tijuana addresses issues related to this border enclave known as a high tech hub, and border crossing point for migrants. This is an anniversary broadcast from Radio Tecnológico in Tijuana. Among the topics: the development of a Silicon border in this area, the local impact of Ley “Televisa”, and the debate on the U.S. walls along the border.

Guests:

Profr. Jorge Carlos Ríos, outreach director, Instituto Tecnológico de Tijuana; Rosa María Lares, station manager, Radio Tecnológico; Oscar Genel, veteran radiojournalist, writer, Tijuana.

HEALTH BENEFITS UNDER ATTACK. Aired in conjunction with a special series in KQED, San Francisco public radio, this program discusses the impact of the current immigration debate on health care benefits received by immigrants and the poor. Issues include new Medicaid rules requiring proof of citizenship. Also, in California, Republican legislators are moving to block the spending plan objecting to Democratic proposals that expand state-funded healthcare programs to include undocumented children.

Guests:

Elia Gallardo, California Primary Health Care Association, Sacramento, CA; Assemblyman Fabián Núñez, Speaker, California Assembly, Sacramento, CA; Assemblywoman Bonnie García, Republican, Cathedral City, CA.

MEXICO’S VOTE. Two weeks before the election, this program focuses on the final preparations for election day, the climate among the electorate and the heated campaigns.

Guest:

Dr. Alfredo Jalife-Rahme, researcher, professor, Universidad Nacional Auónoma de México, columnist, Mexico City.

DIRTY WAR PROBE. A human rights researcher raises serious questions about the probe being conducted by a special prosecutor in Mexico on government crimes of the past forty years.

Guest:

Kate Doyle, Director, Mexico Project, National Security Archive, George Washington University, Washington, DC.

LOS ANGELES: SCHOOL REFORM. A conversation with assemblyman Fabián Núñez (D-Los Angeles), leader of the Assembly, about the agreement on a reform package for the Los Angeles schools. The agreement was reached with Mayor Antonio Villarraigosa and the teachers unions.

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH EDITION. This program includes three topics:

MACDONALD’S. Florida tomato workers protesting poor working conditions and wages want fast-food giant MacDonald’s Corp. to finance one-cent-per-pound pay raise. Florida supplies 90 percent of domestic fresh produce to the country and Immokalee is among the poorest farming towns. Leaders of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers talk about their efforts to negotiate with the fast-food chain.

WOMEN DISCRIMINATION IN THE FIELDS. Six Latina farm workers are suing a major agricultural company in Delano, CA alleging their job applications were rejected because they are women. EEOC officials say the employment record of Kovacevich 5 Farms, of hiring zero women in a five-year period, is unheard of in any other company. Both sides were invited to comment.

Guests:

GLOBAL WARMING DEBATE HEATS UP. California’s legislature is considering a historic bill to significantly cut global warming pollution. California is listed as the 12th largest global warming polluter in the world and warming of the earth is already threatening the coastline, air quality and agricultural activity in California. This is a conversation with Assembly leader Fabián Núñez, co-author of the Global Warming Solutions Act.

KICKING THE GAS ADDICTION. Gas prices are soaring and depleting the pocketbooks. What are consumers doing to save money and pollute less? This program explores ideas for green transportation.

Guest:

Liz Cornejo, Outreach director, Environment California, San Diego, CA.

MEXICO: PRE-ELECTION PLANS. Pollsters and journalists are being invited to discuss the issues at stake and the races to follow on Sunday’s election. Campaign financing, election costs and the role of the mass media are also explored. It will also report on plans by international observers to conduct election monitoring to document voting violations.

Guests:

Sergio Aguayo, professor, researcher, Colegio de México, columnist, Mexico City; Ted Lewis, founding director, Mexico Program, Global Exchange, San Francisco, CA; international observer, Mexico City; Daniel Lund, pollster, researcher, MUND Americas, Mexico City; Enrique Velasco, retired professor, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, veteran radiojournalist, contributor.

MEXICO: PRE-ELECTION PLANS. Who can vote? Who is doing what to help get the Mexican émigré vote out? What are the émigré voting trends? How the voting system works? These are some of the questions discussed with election officials and migrant leaders in this special news hour.

Guests:

Alberto Avilés, coordinator, Los Angeles group, Advisory Board, Instituto de Mexicanos en el Exterior; Armando García, leader, Redes Migrantes, Los Angeles; José Jacques Medina, Citizen observers of the Vote from Abroad – sección Los Angeles, PRD, Ciudad de México; Lourdes Granillo, Coordinator, Registro Federal de Electores para el Voto en el Extranjero, Instituto Federal Electoral, Mexico City.

MEXICO: ELECTION DAY I. Correspondents file news reports on voter turnout from Mexico City, Tijuana, Ciudad Acuña, Guadalajara, Morelia, Oaxaca, and other major Mexican cities.

MEXICO: ELECTION DAY II. This edition airs opinion polls that provide insights on voters who voted early in the day. Who is voting and why?

MEXICO: ELECTION DAY III. A review of key races to the Mexican Congress and news reports from battleground states. Also, this segment features more opinion polls from voters and news reports from correspondents.

MEXICO: ELECTION DAY IV. News, analysis and commentary on election day developments.

MEXICAN ELECTION RESULTS. This program is part of the monthly simulcast series with the twelve-station network of Radio Michoacán in Morelia. Co-hosts of this binational edition review headline stories in Michoacán and around México and encourage listeners to interact on the election results and the message sent by the Mexican voters.

MEXICO: WHAT’S NEXT. Analysts from Michoacán and the U.S. are invited to comment on the political outlook for the near future in Mexico. Differences and similarities with the 2000 presidential election are also explored. This is a special simulcast with the twelve-station network of Radio Michoacán.

IMMIGRATION EDITION – NEW VOTERS. A broad coalition of Latino leaders, unions and religious groups are launching this week a nationwide campaign to encourage immigrants to become citizens and register to vote. The drive “Democracy Summer” aims to register a million new voters and sway the November elections in congressional districts with lawmakers identified as anti-immigrant. Chicago attorney Rosalba Piña hosts this edition.

CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS. House Republican leaders are conducting legislative hearings along the border in response to the immigration bill sent by the Senate. The hearings are announced as a public consultation about the vulnerability of the border to international terrorism. This program coincides with the day of the public hearing in Laredo.

Guest:

Rep. Henry Cuellar, Democrat, Laredo, TX.

VOTING RIGHTS ACT RENEWAL. Conservative members of Congress blocked action to renew and restore the Voting Rights Act. Civil rights groups are urging Congress to complete work on reauthorizing the landmark act, which is set to expire next year.

Guests:

Lydia Camarillo, vicepresident, South West Voter Registration and Education Project, San Antonio, TX; Peter Zamora, legislative staff attorney, MALDEF, Washington, DC.

DOLORES HUERTA: THE MARCH CONTINUES. This is a conversation with Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers Union and civil rights pioneer. Huerta is organizing a march for higher salaries in California’s Central Valley. She is also announcing plans for a boycott against Kimberly Clark, a company co-owned by Rep. James Sensenbrenner, author of anti-immigrant legislation.

ALSO, INITIATIVE 946 FAILS. Tomás Villlanueva, a decades-long farm worker organizer and current candidate to the Washington state senate, talks about Initiative 946, a failed measure that would have restricted public services for undocumented residents. Sponsors of the initiative failed to raise enough signatures to make the initiative qualify for the November ballot in Washington. The former farm worker also talks about his uphill campaign to unseat an entrenched state senator from the Yakima valley.

ROSENDA MATAKA. A former migrant farm worker, Rosenda Mataka is now an active force in the environmental movement of Northern California. Mataka organized against the burning of tires and plans to import medical waste to develop a Stanislaus facility into the largest of its kind in the state. She is currently organizing community-based groups to help reduce pesticides in the air. This is a pre-taped interview.

ALSO, PESTICIDE VICTIMS IN COURT. Almost 30 farm workers who got sick after being exposed to pesticide drift are suing a grower and the pesticide application company. Plaintiffs and company representatives are invited to comment. Farm worker Erika Arellano and attorney Silas Sawver from California Rural Legal Assistance talk about the lawsuit. Representatives from the companies that are targetted by the lawsuit were not available for this program.

LATINOS FEEL EMPOWERED. A national survey shows that Latinos believe discrimination has increased since the start of the congressional debate on immigration. They also feel more energized and empowered after the pro-immigrant marches.

Guest:

Robert Suro, director, Pew Hispanic Center, Washington DC.

MEXICO: VOTE BY VOTE. Hundreds of thousands gathered in Mexico City’s main plaza urging a vote recount in the recent presidential election. Opposition candidate López Obrador charges the voting was rigged with fraud. This is an analysis about the problems during the election process.

Guests:

Silvia Alonso, director, Alianza Cívica, Mexico City; Ted Lewis, founding director of Mexico program, Global Exchange, San Francisco, CA; election observers.

INTO THE FIELDS. College students from around the country are working this summer with migrant farm workers in the Carolinas on issues of health and safety and educational barriers. While they work to improve conditions for farm workers, students learn leadership skills under this program titled “Into the Fields.” Student interns are being invited to this program.

CANCER HEALTH DISPARITIES. One in four deaths in the U.S. is related to cancer and one in three will develop some form of cancer. The burden of this disease is heavier for the poor, ethnic minorities and the uninsured. What are the barriers to quality cancer care? What’s being done to help Latinos prevent or survive cancer? How are budget cuts impacting the fight against cancer? A cancer expert discusses these issues.

FARM TRACTOR ACCIDENTS. Agriculture is the leading industry for accidents. And even though the number of farm workers has decreased, work fatalities have increased. Tractor rollovers are the single deadliest type of incident in U.S. farms. Falls from heights are the other. An upcoming conference of educators and researchers will explore how to prevent or reduce illness and injury in the fields.

Guests:

Western Center for Agriculture Work and Safety, Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

SIMULCAST WITH MICHOACÁN: LAND EROSION AND PESTICIDES. The massive deforestation of the Mexican Northern Sierras has caused vast soil erosion in the region. This lack of productive land to grow any kind of crops has expelled many farm workers out of their homeland. The farm workers tend to migrate to the north and into the United States, in which fields of modern agriculture they find the abundant use of pesticides.

This is a simulcast with the twelve-station network of Radio Michoacán in Morelia.

Invited guests:

Isidro Baldenegro López, 2005 Goldman Prize winner, member, Fuerza Ecologista, Chihuahua, Mexico; Angus Wright, professor of environmental studies, California State University, Sacramento.

““THE DIRTY DOZEN" The U.S. House of Representatives is considering legislation to change criteria on which chemicals and pesticides should be banned from the market. The debate revolves around changing the actual health-risk oriented regulations to cost-benefit standards. Under the new legislation, states would have to ask federal government’s permission before phasing out any of these toxic chemicals. Republicans argue that this is to comply with an international treaty to phase out 12 super toxic chemicals called “The Dirty Dozen”. Environmentalists warn that the health of the environment, farm workers and consumers is at high risk under this bill.

Guest:

Congresswoman Hilda Solis, Democrat, Los Angeles.

DRIFT-CATCHERS.

NEW FARM WORKERS’ RADIO STATION. A new non-profit radio station goes on the air in Woodburn, a farm working community in Northwestern Oregon. Leaders of the new station talk about the efforts that culminated in the opening of this educational medium and their plans to serve migrants and other unserved audiences in this agricultural area.

Guests:

Ramón Ramírez, president, Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste, Woodburn, OR; Oscar Morales, program director, KPCN-LP, Woodburn, OR.

ALSO, DAY LABORERS AND POWERFUL UNIONS JOIN FORCES. The largest federation of unions and a national network of day labor centers formed an alliance to help influence immigration reform and advocate for worker rights. Under the agreement of the AFL-CIO and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, day laborers in the construction industry will be recruited to become full-fledged union members.

Guests:

LA SALUD EN LOS MEDIOS. El aire de la radio y la TV se llena muchas veces con anuncios comerciales que promocionan píldoras milagrosas para bajar de peso, tratamientos infalibles para la piel, remedios herbolarios y productos curalotodo. Esta publicidad afecta sobre todo a las audiencias hispanohablantes. Los programas noticiosos tambien son con frecuencia influidos por los intereses farmacéuticos. ¿Cómo es que los medios influencian las decisiones médicas de los consumidores? ¿Cuál es su responsabilidad ética y legal? Este programa se transmite en colaboración con la serie Health Dialogues de KQED en San Francisco.

Invitados:

Dra. Aliza Lifshitz, Médico internista y conductora de programas nacionales de radio y TV, Los Angeles; Alex Nogales, presidente y director ejecutivo, Coalición Nacional de los Medios Hispanos, Los Angeles.

BORDER HEARINGS AND HEALTH. House Republicans are holding hearings across the country seeking public support for a harder border security bill. Some hearings have focused on the costs of providing healthcare and social services to the immigrant population. This program discusses the findings of the Republican hearings and examines a recent study that found lower rates of emergency-room use and hospital access by the uninsured and immigrants. The program begins with audio excerpts from Rep. James Sensebrenner, head of the House Judiciary Committee, and Kevin Burns, Chief financial officer of University Medical Center in Tucson, AZ recorded during a recent public hearing in San Diego.

Guests:

Congressman Raul Grijalva, Democrat, Tucson, AZ; Jose Aguilar, president, Alianza de Comunidades de Tarrant, Fort Worth, TX.

CARROS HÍBRIDOS. Los compradores de carros híbridos califican para numerosos incentivos y descuentos en diversas localidades del pais, desde créditos fiscales hasta uso individual de carriles colectivos y estacionamiento gratis. En algunos estados, estos privilegios están a punto de expirar. Entérese de cómo es que la compra de un carro híbrido pudiera beneficiar sus bolsillos y ayudar a limpiar el aire del medio ambiente.

Invitados: Hugo Morales, propietario de un carro híbrido, director ejecutivo de Radio Bilingüe, Fresno, CA; Luis Cabrales, propietario de carro híbrido, Coalición pro Aire Limpio, Los Angeles, CA.