Cómo Están Mi Gente !? Por ahí vienen las Navidades !!
It ’ s an exciting time of year in Florida ! The end of summer , back to school , followed by Hispanic Heritage Month !
Hispanic Heritage month officially begins September 15 th and ends on October 15 th , but in reality we “ Latinos ” will manage to stretch that month out to a 2-3 month period and typically roll it into “ Las Navidades ”, in other words , it ’ s going to be a very busy next few months filled with lots of celebrations ! Be sure and check out our Action Avenue calendar of events !
I am so ready to celebrate 10 YEARS in publishing !
Alright , its official , we will be 10 years old with our next issue ! I remember those early years in publishing and the challenges that went along with them , looking back – I think it ’ s amazing how God brought me through all of that , to be here today , STILL dealing with life ’ s challenges , but so much more evolved than I was 10 years ago .
A lot has changed in those 10 years ! We have gone through two name changes , one size change , and 3 makeovers , including the one we are presenting to you with this issue ! Yes , we have had big changes along the way , and as of this issue , we have grown by 8 new pages , and will grow an additional 8 in January 2011 .
Big changes and BIG ideas ! Not only have we grown , but we are very excited to announce that we are now on the verge of going statewide with our distribution , which will take place in January 2011 .
This is the stuff dreams are made of !
The Primaries are coming and I want to urge you all to get educated on the candidates !
Every election is important , but these upcoming elections are crucial ! Who is running ? Please see our “ Meet the Candidates ” section of Latin Times Magazine , where you can find out !
I would however like to draw special attention to an issue that affects not only all Hispanics / Latinos living in Florida , but all minorities . Many of you may have heard of the “ Arizona Immigration ” law . Along with its many unconstitutional flaws , it is also a legal form of illegal discrimination and racial profiling . Many large minority organizations have already banned together in protest of it , and have even taken steps toward boycotting the state of Arizona .
There are politicians in Florida that would like to bring this same law to Florida ! Florida has a very rich Hispanic heritage and history , dating back to the early 1500 ’ s . Puerto Rico Explorer and Governor “ Ponce de Leon ” claimed the area in 1513 for the Spanish Crown , now families that have been here for generations are going to be subjected to this type of treatment !? Children of undocumented immigrants are being called “ anchor ” babies !? And laws are being proposed to strip children born in the U . S . to undocumented immigrants , of their citizenship ! How did this all start ? I suggest we read on what ’ s been happening in Arizona . The Governor of Arizona , Gov . Jan Brewer claimed that one of the main reasons this law was drafted in the first place is because of the violence going on there . She claimed that the “ illegal ’ s ” were beheading people and leaving them in the desserts . Caught in this lie , the Gov . is now backtracking and claiming she made a mistake !
When is enough – enough ? Our country needs to stand together , and not allow itself to be divided by special interest or “ patriot ” groups with an agenda of “ purifying ” their nation .
This law is an insult for ALL immigrants AND ALL Hispanics ; Puerto Rican , South American ’ s , Central American ’ s , Mexican ’ s , Haitians all of us , who can now be harassed for looking Hispanic – or rather , for looking “ reasonably suspicious ”. All AMERICANS should be insulted ! We need to stand together , against this threat , and we must let our voice be heard thru our voting power !
In closing , I want to thank you all , my querido amigos , my familia and especially GOD . Thanks so much for the many years of support that you have given us . I hope that we will have many , many more years of sharing with you !
May God Bless You ALL !
Jolie Gonzalez
Check out our NEWLY redesigned website : Latin- Times . com where you can view our fully interactive e-Magazine , our previous issues , expanded articles and interviews !
Also proposed for 2011 is our growth into the Washington DC Metro Area with Latin Times Magazine AND the 1 st Friday Networking Socials ! ”
Step up to the plate and dare to be the Elite Latino !”