Blog Posts Related to the Hispanic Community

  • #LatismAtTheWH – Latinas activas en las redes sociales visitan la Casa Blanca

    Posted by Luis Miranda on May 21, 2012 at 10:39 PM EDT

    Para conectarse con los latinos activos en las redes sociales, la Oficina de Enlace Público de la Casa Blanca sostuvo una sesión informativa para las blogueras de LATISM con los funcionarios principales de la Casa Blanca y de la Administración. Más de 75 personas de diversas partes del país asistieron al evento en la Casa Blanca para debatir una amplia gama de asuntos que son importantes para la comunidad latina. Pueden acceder abajo o en Storify a los tuits compartidos entre los asistentes a #LatismAtTheWH. Manténgase conectado a la Casa Blanca en español en WhiteHouse.gov/Espanol, síganos en Twitter @lacasablanca, e inscríbase aquí para avisos por correo electrónico.

    Para más información sobre los temas que se discutieron en la sesión del día de hoy:

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  • #LatismAtTheWH – Latinos Active in Social Media Visit the White House

    Posted by Ari Isaacman Astles on May 21, 2012 at 7:14 PM EDT

    To engage with Latinos active in social media, the White House Office of Public Engagement held a briefing for LATISM bloggers with Senior White House and Administration officials. Over 75  people from across the country attended the event at the White House to discuss a diverse range of issues important to the Latino community. Take a look at the tweets shared by #LatismAtTheWH attendees below or on Storify. Stay connected to the White House en español at WhiteHouse.gov/Espanol, follow us on Twitter @lacasablanca, and sign up for email updates here.

    Learn more about the topics discussed during today’s briefing:

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  • Cecilia Muñoz, White House Director of Domestic Policy, delivered a speech at a forum at The Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution

    Posted by Luis Miranda on May 16, 2012 at 4:03 PM EDT

    Yesterday, Cecilia Muñoz, White House Director of Domestic Policy, delivered a speech at a forum at The Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution, in which she outlined the Administration’s efforts to reform America’s broken immigration system and highlighted why it is an economic imperative. To read Cecilia Muñoz's remarks in English click here, or in Spanish, click here. To see video of the speech, click here.

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  • DHS Announces Expanded List of STEM Degree Programs

    Posted by Lauren Kielsmeier on May 11, 2012 at 2:18 PM EDT

    In an effort to continue to attract the best and brightest international students to study in the United States, today DHS added more science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) designated-degree programs to the list of qualifying student visa extensions.

    These newly added STEM designated-degree programs, including pharmaceutical sciences, econometrics and quantitative economics, qualify eligible graduates on student visas for an optional practical training (OPT) extension.  OPT allows eligible international students to remain in the United States for up to 12 months while they gain work experience and receive training related to their programs of study.

    Students who graduate with a STEM designated degree can remain for an additional 17 months on an OPT STEM extension. You may be eligible for the 17-Month OPT STEM extension under the following circumstances:

    • Your degree for your current period of post-completion OPT is a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree in a STEM program listed
    • The employer from which you are seeking work uses the E-Verify Program
    • You have not already received a 17-month extension of OPT

    For more information about the expanded list of STEM designated-degree program, please visit here.

    -Posted by Executive Director for Academic Engagement Lauren Kielsmeier

    This Blog has been cross posted from DHS.
     

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  • Cinco de Mayo at the White House

    Posted by Matt Compton on May 3, 2012 at 6:27 PM EDT

    Though Cinco de Mayo isn't officially celebrated until Saturday, today President Obama hosted a reception marking the holiday at the White House.

    One hundred fifty years ago, an outnumbered band of Mexican troops faced an invading French army twice its size. But on May 5, 1862, at the Battle of Puebla, the smaller army crushed the larger force.

    President Obama told the crowd:

    When the news of the Mexican victory at Puebla reached this house, this country was in the midst of its own struggles. But soon after, the U.S. lent assistance to help Mexico definitively expel the French from their land. And ever since, the United States and Mexico have lived intersecting and overlapping histories. Our two countries share the ties of history and familia and values and commerce and culture. And today, we are more united than ever -- in friendship and in common purpose.

    Right now, there are more than 50 million Americans of Latino descent -- one sixth of our population. You’re our neighbors, our coworkers, our family, our friends. You’re starting businesses. You’re teaching in classrooms. You’re defending this country.  You’re driving America forward. 
     
    And for our part, we know that securing our future depends on making sure that all Americans have the opportunity to reach their potential. 

    Read the full remarks here.

    Dancers watch as President Barack Obama delivers remarks at a Cinco de Mayo event (May 4, 2012)

    Dancers watch as President Barack Obama delivers remarks at a Cinco de Mayo event in the Rose Garden of the White House, May 3, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Sonya N. Hebert)

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  • 986,494 Hispanic students would be affected if Congress Fails to Act

    Posted by Francesca L. Covey on April 25, 2012 at 11:06 AM EDT

    Yesterday, the President delivered remarks at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and continued his call for Congress to stop interest rates on student loans from doubling in July. 

    If Congress doesn’t act, interest rates will double on July 1 for more than 7.4 million students with subsidized federal Stafford Loans. Approximately 986,494 Hispanic borrowers would see their loans increase. To out-educate our global competitors and make college more affordable, Congress needs to stop the interest rate on these student loans from doubling.

    This announcement is one of a series of steps that the Administration has taken to make college more affordable and to make it even easier for students to repay their federal student loans. The Obama Administration’s “Pay as You Earn” plan enables 1.6 million current students to take advantage of a new option to cap student loan repayments at 10% of monthly income when they start repayment, as soon as this year. Graduates currently in repayment can cap their payments at 15% of income right away.  Borrowers looking to determine whether or not income-based repayment is the right option for them should visit http://studentaid.ed.gov/ibr.

    Now, President Obama is calling on Congress to put forward legislation to stop interest rates from doubling. For the estimated 986,494 Hispanic borrowers it would mean an estimated average savings per borrower of  $1,027 over the life of the loan and an estimated total savings of over $1 billion. Keeping interest rates on student loans low would allow more Americans to get: a fair shot at an affordable college education, the skills they need to find a good job, and a clear path to the middle class.

    And, the President is asking all borrowers to help make sure Congress acts, saying:

    … I’m asking everyone else who’s watching or following online -- call your member of Congress. Email them. Write on their Facebook page. Tweet them -- we’ve got a hashtag. Here’s the hashtag for you to tweet them:  #dontdoublemyrate. All right?  I’m going to repeat that -- the hashtag is #dontdoublemyrate.  

    ... Your voice matters. Stand up. Be heard. Be counted. Tell them now is not the time to double the interest rate on your student loans. Now is the time to double down on smart investments that build a strong and secure middle class. Now is the time to double down on an America that’s built to last. 

    Read more about President Obama's proposals to keep college affordable for students and their families.

  • 2012 Citizens Medal: Open for Nominations

    Posted by Francesca Covey on April 18, 2012 at 5:50 PM EDT

    For more than 40 years, the Presidential Citizens Medal has recognized Americans who have "performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens." On Monday, the President invited you, the American public, to nominate everyday heroes for one of our nation’s highest civilian honors.

    Who is your hero? Who has gone above and beyond, performing extraordinary deeds of service? Help us recognize the exemplary citizen from your community -- and bring them the public attention they deserve by nominating them for this year’s medal.

    Citizens Medal 2012 Nomination

    Here is an inspiring example of a hero honored last year:

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  • Secretary Bryson Promotes American Businesses Across the Americas at White House Conference

    Posted by U.S. Department of Commerce on April 13, 2012 at 9:33 AM EDT

    Ed Note: This cross-post originally appeard on the Commerce.gov blog.

    Earlier today, Secretary Bryson delivered welcoming remarks at the “White House Conference on Connecting the Americas.” The all-day conference brings together business and community leaders from across the country with Administration officials working to expand opportunities for American businesses and people throughout the Americas.

    The conference also serves as a forum for the Hispanic community, with cultural and economic ties to the rest of the Americas, to further identify ways in which they can partner up with the administration to promote economic growth and prosperity.

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