By Sandy Chang
Investigative Reporter
Ana Lopez
Society Reporter

Some of the names involved in this developing story have been altered to protect the identities and safety of victims and advocates.

CHICAGO - The Asian American Institute hired a group to harass and intimidate former victims of discrimination and journalists. On Friday, September 28th, 2012, AAI sent a combination of messages, both electronic and physical, to the private residence of a former victim of discrimination.

The forwarded document sent to the victim by Laura Waller, a staff attorney, was delivered on Friday and claim "damages" to AAI. "I'm honestly shocked," stated Jabari, the Asian American Institute's victim. "How did they get my contact information and are they attempting to intimidate the very folks they discriminated against?"

The Asian American Institute encountered investigations by the Illinois Department of Human Rights, the Illinois Human Rights Commission, and the Corporation for National and Community Service - Office of Civil Rights and Inclusiveness for alleged discrimination towards former applicants.

In the document, the Asian American Institute via Laura Waller claim that Jabari, a Latino applicant who sought employment for an AmeriCorps Vista program through AAI, was "not discriminated against". To add insult to injury, they claim that evidence, which supports blatant discrimination by AAI towards the applicant based on race and ancestry, "in no way referenced...race or ancestry".

In addition to AAI sending intimidating, coercive, and harassing messages addressed to their former victim, they also include notes to members of the media, including journalists.

In an attempt to censor freedom of the press and freedom of speech, Waller claims that allegations by those claiming discrimination by the Institute are "stunning". Some of the journalists and members of the media Waller contacted are well-known reporters in Chicago - often investigating high-profile cases of discrimination in education, housing, business, and politics.

"AAI is an equal employment opportunity employer, and does not discriminate against any individuals...(AAI) is not under investigation...", states an email correspondence sent to the victim's personal email account.

However, records from both the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Illinois Human Rights Commission prove otherwise. Additionally, a charge was filed with the Illinois Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2011 against the Asian American Institute for failure to hire an applicant based on race and national origin.

"I don't understand why AAI would stalk their victims, collect their private information, and send strange men to their homes," Jabari stated. "I honestly fear for my safety and the safety of my loved ones. If anything were to happen to me, my family members, or the journalists involved I will hold the Asian American Institute and Laura Waller accountable."

As of Saturday afternoon, Jabari is reviewing his legal options to protect himself against further intimidation by the Asian American Institute.

By Sandy Chang
Investigative Reporter
Ana Lopez
Society Reporter

CHICAGO - The Asian American Institute went under investigation by the Illinois Department of Human Rights, the Illinois Human Rights Commission, and the Corporation for National and Community Service - Office of Civil Rights and Inclusiveness for separate cases of alleged discrimination towards Latinos, African Americans, and physically handicapped applicants.

The Asian American Institute, or AAI as it is commonly known, was established in 1992 by community members to unite the Asian American political and economic interests in the Chicagoland area. Located at 4753 N Broadway Street, Suite 904, it is considered to be a mixed blessing by both the Asian American community and mainstream society.

Over the last year and a half, numerous complaints against the Asian American Institute have come to light for discrimination on the basis of ancestry, national origin, and disability.

A 26 year-old applicant who alleges the Asian American Institute discriminated against him based on his name and background agreed to speak to Le Prestige du Monde about his experience. Jabari, as he identified himself, applied for an AmeriCorps Vista position with AAI in September 2011. He applied for a vacant marketing position funded by AmeriCorps and was soon contacted by Ashley Tsuruda, an AmeriCorps Vista Development Associate.

"Ms. Tsuruda contacted me and had trouble pronouncing my name," Jabari mentioned. "I didn't feel it to be a problem until she mentioned that my last name 'sounded too Spanish' - that should have been the first sign."

Jabari, who is of Latino origin, spoke with Tsuruda over the phone and set up an interview with Gina Lee, former Communications Coordinator for AAI. While on the phone with Tsuruda, Jabari claims that a conversation erupted on AAI's end of the conversation regarding the pronunciation of his name. "They were laughing and asking if I was Mexican," Jabari stated. "They were making really inappropriate comments about my last name, and a man's voice - slightly muffled - asked Tsuruda if I was a thug."

On September 9, 2011, Jabari was explicitly barred from engaging in the recruitment process for an AmeriCorps Vista Program position because of his national origin. Primary contact was done over email, and detailed evidence showcases that Gina Lee bluntly discriminated against an applicant based on his ancestry and national origin.

"...due to the Asian American Institute's policy on bridging ties with Asian American communities and mainstream society, we really wanted someone who was better representative of the mainstream. In general, we believe that someone of your particular background (I'm assuming you're Mexican or some sort of Hispanic) would not fit in with our standards and culture at AAI. We are primarily interested in hiring professionals and students of Asian American or Caucasian backgrounds and this is simply our preference within our organization. I hope that this is not a personal attack on your professional ethics."

On a separate occasion, a young African American woman applied through AAI's website for a research assistant position in January 2012 but was rejected on "(her) distracting features and over-zealous speech that (was) hardly understandable."

While the young woman, who insists we not use her real name so as to avoid retaliation by the Asian American Institute, did not formally file a complaint with a state or national agency because her case exceeded the in-take window, she feels it is important to come out of the shadows regarding discrimination during the recruitment and employment process.

Monica, the name the 24 year-old resident of Avondale utilized throughout the struggle to have her voice heard regarding the incident, stated that the Asian American Institute did not formally give her a reason to bar her from applying for the position. "I personally walked into AAI's offices in Uptown and spoke to a young woman by the name of Ashley Tsuruda, who was very rude and hostile," Monica stated. "I told her that I was interested in applying for the research assistant contract job and Ms. Tsuruda first gave me a blank stare, then told me that the social services department was three blocks away."

Monica went on to mention that she initially did not pay much attention to Tsuruda's demeaning words, but instead asked to speak to the hiring director.

"She was rude, but then a young woman came out to greet me. This person stated she was the executive director of AAI and mentioned that the position 'had already been filled'. When I showed her on my smart phone that AAI's website still showed a vacancy for the position, she laughed and told me that I 'obviously didn't understand'. I'd become so upset that I asked for her business card and mentioned I was going to file a complaint, then left soon after."

A week after she met with Tsuruda and Tuyet Le, Executive Director of AAI, Monica tried to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau but had no luck. "I spoke to Rhonda Drew, the Dispute Resolution Specialist, about my situation with AAI. Drew basically laughed at me when I called to file a complaint because she said that nothing would get done - "things happen" is what she literally said."

Drew, who serves the Chicago and Northern Illinois branch of the Better Business Bureau, is indeed the Dispute Resolution Specialist with the BBB. Le Prestige du Monde spoke to Drew regarding her contact with Monica back in January. Her response was brisk: "Oh yeah, some black gal called about how an Asian organization discriminated against her for being black. Get over it, nobody cares." According to their website, the Better Business Bureau’s mission is to be the leader in advancing marketplace trust and support best practices.

Members of the Uptown community - where the Asian American Institute's offices are located - have mixed reactions to such developments. "I'm honestly shocked because these people seem so nice," Maureen Richards, a staff accountant in downtown Chicago, told Le Prestige du Monde. "I know a few of the members and they're quite sweet, and I walk past their offices on my way to work - simply shocking."

Aaron Vo, a resident of Buena Park and current law student, expressed his concern. "Hearing about (AAI's) discriminatory behavior doesn't surprise me. Whether you're Asian, Indian, or Hispanic, no one should discriminate against another person based on stereotypes. I'm more surprised that someone didn't come forth sooner - the folks at AAI are rumored to be doing some pretty shady things around here."

The Illinois Department of Human Rights states that 72% of cases involving discrimination often go unreported due to lack of knowledge pertaining to agencies, funded by tax dollars, facilitating the filing process. In addition to knowledge of where to file a discrimination charge, there is a filing window period ranging from 30 days to 180 days after the initial discrimination began that must be considered.

Many victims also fail to file a charge with designated state and federal agencies in fear of encountering retaliation.

According to a Chicago representative of the Corporation for National and Community Service, one can file a complaint related to AmeriCorps VISTA with their Office of Civil Rights and Inclusiveness. A claimant is requested to file a charge "as soon as possible after the event that (one) believes was discriminatory. Failure to do so may result in the procedural dismissal of the complaint."

Concerns about the Asian American Institute's inclusiveness span deeper than the recruitment and employment process. Mark Teng, a senior at Loyola University Chicago and former volunteer with AAI, spoke to Le Prestige du Monde about his experiences. Teng, a Chinese-American, believes that the Asian American Institute's mission to promote "partnership with and supporting like-minded organizations and individuals to build positive interracial and inter-ethnic relations" is a sham.

"I was a volunteer with the Asian American Institute for 3 years - I know many of these people who claim 'to do good' across communities," Teng stated with confidence. "I have written correspondence by volunteers, employees, and other members that shows just how corrupt the organization has become. $256 on cocktails at a downtown lounge? Do you really need to use our budget on a night out?"

Teng went on to mention that the Asian American Institute's policy on hiring new staff members was "self-defeating". "You're going to tell me that you would rather hire a girl from Indiana with no background in Asian and Asian American communities, history, and culture over the African American guy with a 3.7 GPA from DePaul majoring in Global Asian Studies simply because she knows how to use social media? Did (they) even get the poor guy's name?"

Teng isn't the only one who insists that the Asian American Institute's practices are questionable. Vinh Tran, a former volunteer with the Institute and current intern at a state agency working to foster greater immigrant and refugee rights, spoke of the blatant discriminatory practices common to AAI members and partners.

"I won't mention names out of respect, but our coordinators - after a few drinks at the office - would express rampant anti-black sentiment and say mean things about the disabled folk in Uptown," Tran mentioned timidly. "If this were a bar, then maybe someone would find it tolerable. AAI is an organization that claims to pride itself on 'advancing justice', but I think it's the other way around when their own members openly say such dehumanizing things."

The Asian American Institute is hosting the Advancing Justice Conference, an event claiming to "bring together a diverse group of stakeholders in one place to address a broad range of issues facing the Asian American and Pacific Islander community". The conference, taking place on September 27th and 28th in Chicago, will include workshops entitled "Let's Get Offensive" and "Making Census Data Work for You".

A variety of students, advocates, and community leaders are said to be partaking in the conference, for which a stipend for accommodations, flights, and event fees was offered to a select few. According to a current AAI employee - who requested we not use her name - 7 students, 3 of Latino origin, 3 of African American ancestry, and 1 White American, applied for a stipend for the conference. Out of the 7 who initially applied, two stipends were offered: one  covering room accommodations and the conference fees - offered to the white applicant - and another simply covering conference fees - offered to one black applicant.

"The Institute has become almost as bad as Ascene Chicago under Lily Kim," Tran mentioned jokingly. "At least with Ascene, they talk to the black guys waiting in line before they shove them out."

The Asian American Institute has refused to comment regarding the investigations on charges of discrimination. While Jabari and Monica remain hopeful that justice will come, they share a common disappointment in the structures they worked so hard to empower. "I've worked with the Asian American community for years," Monica stated. "I can't help but feel slightly jaded that the people I've worked with to overcome barriers are now excluding me based on stereotypes and not on my ability to work."

Jabari, who is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and Vietnamese, expressed a similar concern. "I've worked under some of the most influential Asian American activists to bridge ties with the African American and Latino communities in Chicago...and now these folks don't even bother looking at me twice because my name was too Hispanic for them," He calmly stated.

"I'm honestly hurt, and it saddens me that on (AAI's) 20th anniversary they choose to go backwards. Forget advancing justice: they seem to be stalling progress by perpetuating the exact discriminatory behavior they claim to fight."

This is a developing story.

By Ogilvie Zavala
Associate Arts Editor

As CTU strikes continued, protesters - educators, students, parents, and volunteers - sought to create a presence that would be felt across the city. As of Monday afternoon, Mayor Emanuel and Chicago Public Schools teachers had yet to reach an agreement.

By Sandy Chang
Political Reporter

A Pennsylvania law that would turn away voters who don't have a valid photo ID would disproportionately suppress voting in Philadelphia's minority neighborhoods, according to a new study.

The study compared lists of people in the state's ID database with its voter rolls. Officials found that an alarming 1.3 million of Pennsylvania's 8.2 million voters -- more than 1 in 7 -- didn't appear to have valid state IDs. In Philadelphia alone, the figure was 362,000 voters, or about 1 in 3.

Those numbers almost certainly exaggerate the sheer size of the problem; the Philadelphia Inquirer, for instance, raised serious doubts about the state's methodology after finding false hits for people with any form of punctuation in their names. But even if the scale of the numbers is off, their distribution shows troubling variances among the city's ethnically and racially distinct neighborhoods.

Tamara Perlman, an analyst at Azavea, a Philadelphia geospatial software firm, plotted the addresses of people the state says are registered to vote but don't have valid ID, and found that voters who live in the the city’s most heavily African American census tracts are 85 percent more likely to lack a valid ID than a voter who lives in a predominantly white area.

Voters who live in heavily Latino areas, meanwhile, were 108 percent more likely to lack the right ID than those in white neighborhoods, Perlman said.

"It's clear to me that the intent of the law was to hit Philadelphia in just this way, in a disparate way," said Stephanie Singer, the chair of Philadelphia's election commission. Voter fraud is not the problem, she said. "The problem is that democracy is in a crisis in this country and the way we solve it is by connecting people to elections, not pushing people away from elections."

Republicans across the country have been pushing for stricter voter ID rules at polling places as one of a series of measures ostensibly intended to address the issue of voter fraud. The public is left to discern the Republican party's true goals from the effects of their actions. Evidence clearly suggests that the effect of their actions is to disenfranchise millions of mostly minority, poor or young voters, who are demographically more likely to vote Democrat.

Other tactics Republican state legislators and governors have recently pursued include the intimidation of voter registration groups and the purges of voter rolls.

Pennsylvania's Republican-controlled legislature passed the voter ID law in March, but its fate is uncertain. A state judge is expected to rule in the next few days on a case brought by voter advocacy groups claiming it violates the Pennsylvania constitution.

State officials have conceded that they had no evidence of prior in-person voter fraud, or any reason to believe that such a thing would be more likely without a voter ID law. The state's top election official, a Republican, acknowledged at trial that she didn't really know what the law said.

Contrast that with the recent comment by the Pennsylvania House Republican leader that passage of the state’s voter ID bill “is gonna allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania.”

Most states at this point don't require a photo ID for voting. Pennsylvania's law is one of the five strictest in the country, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, because it only accepts a limited number of official IDs, and doesn't include IDs that have been expired for more than a year.

The U.S. Department of Justice is also investigating whether the law discriminates against minorities. The Voting Rights Act of 1965, renewed by Congress in 2006, prohibits states from imposing any qualification for voting "that has the purpose of or will have the effect of diminishing the ability of any citizens of the United States on account of race or color."

One of the most effective champions of voter ID bills has until recently been the American Legislative Exchange Council, a group funded by major corporations to create and pursue model bills with a right-wing agenda at the state level. ALEC announced it was getting out of the social policy business after public exposure of the group's role in passing so-called "stand your ground" bills of the kind that were widely condemned after the shooting of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin.

The findings of the Philadelphia study are consistent with previous research that incontrovertibly show voter ID laws make it more difficult for poorer and minority voters to vote.

By Sandy Chang
Political Reporter

Updated: 07/31/2012, 6:06 P.M.

WASHINGTON — Former President Bill Clinton will have a key role in this summer's Democratic National Convention, where he will make a strategic case for President Barack Obama's re-election and his economic vision for the country, several Obama campaign and Democratic party officials said Sunday.

The move gives the Obama campaign an opportunity to take advantage of the former president's popularity and remind voters that a Democrat was in the White House the last time the American economy was thriving.

Obama personally asked Clinton to speak at the convention and place Obama's name in nomination, and Clinton enthusiastically accepted, officials said. Clinton speaks regularly to Obama and to campaign officials about strategy.

Clinton's prominent role at the convention will also allow Democrats to embrace party unity in a way that is impossible for Republican rival Mitt Romney.

George W. Bush, the last Republican to hold the White House, remains politically unpopular in some circles. While Bush has endorsed Romney, he is not involved in his campaign and has said he does not plan to attend the GOP convention.

Clinton will speak in prime-time at the Democratic convention in Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 5, the night before Obama formally accepts the party nomination. While the number two on the ticket often speaks that night, the Obama campaign has instead decided that Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will speak on the same night.

Biden will speak before Obama on Sept. 6, in front of tens of thousands of people expected to fill an outdoor stadium in Charlotte, and millions more on television.

The vice president's speech will focus on outlining many of the challenges the White House has faced over the past four years and the decisions Obama made to address them, officials said.

"To us it's about deploying our assets in the most effective way," Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod said. "To have President Clinton on Wednesday night laying out the choice facing voters, and then having Vice President Biden speak right before the president in prime time on Thursday, giving a testimony to the decisions the president has made, the character of his leadership and the battle to rebuild the middle class that's so central to our message."

Clinton's role at the convention was to be formally announced this week.

Clinton spoke at the 2008 convention, part of a healing process for the Democratic party following the heated primary battle between Obama and the former president's wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Since then, the ties between Obama and Bill Clinton have strengthened significantly. Obama has called on the former president for advice several times during his term and the two have appeared together this year at campaign fundraisers for Obama's re-election bid.

By Sandy Chang, Political Reporter

CHICAGO - Charges that a University of Chicago fraternity had pledges wear sombreros and mow a lawn as Mexican ranchera music played while another frat planned a party for “Conquistadors and Aztec Hoes” have led to concern but very little action from the school’s dean of students.

Both incidents, which occurred in May, drew the ire of students, faculty and staff, and members of the greater community who said they were hateful and in poor taste.

Several students, including one faculty member, reported to campus authorities that on May 8th, pledges at the Alpha Delta Phi house were seen mowing the lawn outside the frat at 5747 S. University while wearing “oversized sombreros,” as a stereo system played Mexican ranchera music.

Around May 21, the Delta Upsilon fraternity, at 5714 S. Woodlawn, posted on Facebook about a planned party with a theme of “Conquistadors and Aztec Hoes.” Party-goers were encouraged to bring “an unlimited need to conquer, spread disease and enslave natives".

Recently, a Delta Upsilon official said in an interview with Le Prestige that the fraternity “feels really bad that the event title and description offended members of the university community, and is taking steps to rebuild our friendships with individuals and organizations that we may have offended." Aaron, as he called himself, only agreed to an interview if his identity remained anonymous. "Delta Upsilon has publicly apologized and we've talked to the Mexicans that were offended, and we even spoke to the non-Hispanic groups to make sure everything was cool. Our fraternity isn't all bad: we have two Puerto Ricans who are brothers.”

Aaron made note that the event title was changed “within an hour of appearing on Facebook” but the fraternity eventually canceled the event. "Honestly," Aaron stated nervously. "I shouldn't even be here. The University has explicitly told us to stay away from the media and that they would take care of everything. But I know that deep down we've hurt many people across U. of C., so I'm willing to share what I know."

Le Prestige visited the University of Chicago, which is located in Hyde Park and only a few minutes walking distance from President Obama's Chicago residence, and spoke with several professors and staff members. They agreed to speak only if their identities were kept hidden.

Grant, who offered us his first name, is a professor of International Relations within the University who claims to have had "personal contact" with several Alpha Delta Phi fraternity members. "As an African American, I've had my share of harassment at the University of Chicago by both the administration and students alike," he stated. "However, the administrative discrimination has been institutional while student harassment, predominantly from fraternities, has been a bit more tedious. I've been called the N-word while walking to my car, received letters with hateful language by a young man from Alpha Delta Phi, and was assaulted early this year by someone wearing a Ku Klux Klan outfit."

According to Grant and 2 other professors Le Prestige spoke with, Alpha Delta Phi's members are notorious for discriminatory language and behavior against African Americans, Asian Americans, and women. Grant mentioned that on one occasion late last year, a 22 year-old gay man was assaulted near campus by two men wearing Alpha Delta Phi sweatshirts. "He came to me and was very scared," Grant passionately stated. "As a professor to a student, and as one gay man to another, this is despicable."

On June 27th, a man appearing in his mid-20s answered the door at Alpha Delta Phi, located at 5747 S. University. He asked us not to mention his name or "take photos...anything journalist people do."

The blonde man, appearing a bit nervous, kept a lookout for other fraternity brothers in the vicinity. “We were told by (U, of C.) not to say anything so it wouldn’t cause any problems.” As he spoke, he broke in a sweat and took a minute to wipe his forehead. "Alpha Delta Phi basically got me into this school. My dad was a part of this, and now I am. What we did was wrong, I admit, but we have more to lose. I hope everyone, but especially the Hispanic students, know it was all in fun and not to be taken seriously."

A young woman arrived to the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity house as Le Prestige spoke to the Alpha Delta Phi member. "That's my girlfriend," he stated in a rush. "I have to go, bro."

In a statement posted on the U. of C. website, the dean of students said the institution’s “core value of rigorous and open inquiry is threatened” when comments degrade others based on their identity.

“In the past few weeks, the University has received two separate reports of incidents in our student community that invoked offensive stereotypes of members of particular racial, ethnic and gender groups,” said Kimberly Goff-Crews, the university’s dean of students. “I am troubled by the impact such incidents have on the wider student community, as they conflict with our values as an intellectual community and harm our ability to fulfill our educational mission.”

Goff-Crews has also mentioned that the incident is part of the "freedom of speech and liberty" that is granted to U. of C. students. When asked whether Alpha Delta Phi and Delta Upsilon's actions were freedom of expression or hate speech, she briskly commented: "We are an institution of higher learning: we cannot monitor the actions of every student. (They) have a right to say what they want."

Some students said people overreacted, while others said they felt troubled. Karla Fuentes, a sophomore at the University of Chicago, is shocked that on-campus Latino organizations, such as La Unidad Latina and Movimiento Estuandial Chicano de Aztlan (M.E.C.H.A.), failed to do much about Alpha Delta Phi and Delta Upsilon's hateful behavior. "They're supposed to be the voice for the Latino and Mexican-American population at U. of C., yet they did nothing." Fuentes went on to mention that the University's Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (O.M.S.A.) was also hesitant to take action. "They have a mission to supposedly help Asian, Latino, and Black students transition to college. They didn't do a single thing to force the University to reprimand hate speech and discriminatory behavior by the frats on our campus."

Le Prestige made several attempts to contact the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs along with La Unidad Latina, M.E.C.H.A., and the Organization of Latin American Students. E-mails to their listed addresses, including those of Ms. Rosales and Ms. Arancibia of O.L.A.S. and Ms. Hernandez and Ms. Barajas of M.E.C.H.A., bounced and all failed to return phone inquiries. Mr. Kim of Students Promoting Interracial Networks (S.P.I.N.) and Ms. Zamora of Lambda Theta Alpha, a Latino-interest fraternity and an "official voice of Latino students", were also contacted via e-mail but failed to comment on the matter.

Several similar attempts at contacting the Latino/a Law Students Association were made but received no answer from a representative. Ms. Ramchandani of the Minorities in Public Policy Studies department at the University of Chicago, who claim to "raise awareness concerning issues pertaining to minority students in U. of C. and the greater community", hung up the phone as soon as the Alpha Delta Phi incident was mentioned.

Equally as disappointing is the League of United Latin American Citizens (L.U.L.A.C.) and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (M.A.L.D.E.F.)'s negligence of the matter. L.U.L.A.C. failed to respond altogether while M.A.L.D.E.F. was made aware of the situation through several e-mail messages, posts on their Facebook page (one of which was dated June 18th, 2012), and telephone calls. Laura Rodriguez, who handles Media Relations for M.A.L.D.E.F., neglected several attempts at contact regarding the incidents at the University of Chicago.

Regarding the “Conquistadors and Aztec Hoes” invite, “The fact of the matter is that it promotes a culture of rape and dehumanizes a large population of Americans and women,” said student Casey Jameson, 20. "It's disgusting that a university that has such high recognition would fail to do anything to punish these students: I'm appalled."

As of July 10th, 2012, the University of Chicago has failed to issue an apology to its students and the larger community and reprimand Alpha Delta Phi and Delta Upsilon for their behavior.

Le Prestige paid a visit to Jeremy Manier, the University of Chicago's News Director, John W. Boyer, Dean of The College, along with President Robert J. Zimmer, at their on-campus location on 5801 S. Ellis Ave., Suite 501. However, the publication was informed that they were "attending several important functions...and were handling the situation adequately." All neglected to respond to press inquiries via e-mail and telephone conversation.

Por Jorge G. Zavala
Director Creativo

¡A votar se ha dicho, mexicanos! Voten por el futuro del país, los mexicanos en la patria y en el extranjero, y por un mundo mejor.

Mucha suerte a todos.

By Jorge G. Zavala
Creative Director, Investigative Chair
Sandy Chang
Political Reporter

Hours after the Supreme Court struck down portions of Arizona's SB1070 but left the measure's so called "show me your papers provision" standing, Alessandra Soler, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, made what amounts to a war room shopping list.

The ACLU needed 15 new phones and the wiring to make each of them work, tables, chairs and hundreds of copies of its SB 1070 civil rights complaint form. By Tuesday, work crews were inside the ACLU's Phoenix offices setting up a phone bank. The ACLU will have a complaint hotline up and running when law enforcement agencies begin to implement what's left of SB1070, Soler said.

While both proponents and opponents of SB 1070 have publicly declared the Supreme Court's decision an unambiguous victory, behind the scenes each side is readying for a prolonged battle of continuing legal questions and disputes. In the quiver of SB 1070's biggest opponents: the Constitution's ban on racial and ethnic profiling by police and unlawful detention of anyone inside the United States.

Opponents and several Supreme Court justices have said both are likely to happen as law enforcement officers in Arizona decide who to quiz about immigration status and what to do with these individuals while the truth is ascertained. At the same time, SB 1070 supporters have a weapon of their own: a little-known provision of SB 1070 that gives individual taxpayers the right to sue law enforcement agencies they suspect of failing to rigorously enforce the law.

"We won't hesitate to use the law and make sure that every thing that can be done is being done in Arizona to protect public health and safety," said Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, a Washington, D.C.-based research and advocacy organization that pushes for transparency in government and often advances conservative causes. "Fortunately, SB 1070 includes some nifty options for what I think the law describes for Arizona taxpayers."

Higher-profile Judicial Watch efforts have been aimed at exposing the role of lobbyists like Jack Abramoff in shaping public policy, battling the Bush and Obama administrations for public records and exposing the cost of First Lady Michelle Obama's 2010 trip to Spain. The organization has also warned several states this year that it will sue if efforts are not made to purge dead, disqualified and what Judicial Watch describes as suspect individuals from voter rolls. But, the organization also has what Fitton described as a network of people in Arizona who want to see SB 1070 enforced because the Obama administration and others before it have utterly failed to address the country's immigration crisis.

"We're certainly encouraging people to report what they see," Fitton said, "because we are absolutely prepared to follow through."

In 2010, shortly after Arizona legislators approved SB 1070, the ACLU of Arizona and a group of civil rights organizations filed a suit on behalf of 24 individuals claiming that the law would lead police to engage in ethnic profiling and impinge on a whole range of Constitutional rights guaranteed to anyone inside the United States. They also argued that Arizona did not have the authority to make or enforce immigration policy. The case was put on hold when the Justice Department intervened with a suit that ultimately reached the Supreme Court. That case only asked the court to rule on questions of federal authority over immigration policy.

Now, the ACLU is weighing what to do with its 2010 case, and setting the stage to collect the stories and experiences of people who are quizzed by law enforcement officers about their immigration status. The ACLU is also readying public service announcements in English and Spanish detailing just how SB 1070's remaining provision may be enforced and how to register a complaint in the event of a problem, said Soler, the executive director. The ACLU will also offer training sessions for pastors and priests, clinic workers, community activists and others who are likely to hear from individuals who are asked about their status but may be too afraid or unsure to report police abuse, she said.

"We have a situation in this state where officers responding to a noise complaint or making a traffic stop are now required to determine if they are talking to someone who is in the country illegally," Soler said. "But, what constitutes reasonable suspicion, a legally-justifiable reason to even ask someone about their status? An accent? The color of someone's skin? The ability to speak English? If that's all it is, then we're talking about profiling. And that's against the law. That's not something that we are in any way prepared to ignore."

Michael Reyes, a current law student at John Marshall Law School in Chicago, commented on the situation in Arizona. "Arizona is a place where police may identify a growing number of undocumented people, create an increase in the population at detention facilities and family members looking for bail bonds," Reyes told Le Prestige, "or face civil suits from individuals if they don't."

By Jerry Arroyo
Los Angeles Correspondent

On the same day that President Obama announced a policy that will make it substantially easier for young undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's office arrested a 6-year-old girl suspected of entering the United States illegally.

The Arizona Republic reports that the girl was with 15 other suspected undocumented immigrants who were traveling to the Midwest and northeast United States, according to Chris Hegstrom, spokesman for the Sheriff's Office.

"She's been turned over to ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to try to determine where she's from. She told us she's from El Salvador. That's what she told us," Hegstrom said.

KPHO reports that all the suspects paid between $300 and $3,500 to be trafficked into the U.S., according to the Sheriff's office.

The arrests were made Friday night, the same day that Obama announced his administration would not deport young undocumented immigrants under specific circumstances.

Last week, Arpaio told ABC News that his office still plans to arrest undocumented immigrants with the same fervor and attitude he's utilized.

"I think people from Mexico are now going to feel, 'Hey come on in and we'll get by with it.' But it won't happen in this county. They will still be arrested," Arpaio said.

by Sandy Chang, Political Reporter

Updated: 06/01/2012, 12:11 AM

The University of Chicago, in a recent statement provided to Le Prestige, made no mention regarding action taken to reprimand Alpha Delta Phi and Delta Upsilon for behavior U. of C. students, staff, and faculty call "immature, disgusting, and horrifically racist".

On May 8, pledges at the Alpha Delta Phi house, located at 5747 S. University, were seen mowing the lawn outside the frat house while wearing “oversized sombreros and ponchos,” as a stereo loudly played ranchera music.

Around May 21, the Delta Upsilon fraternity, located at 5714 S. Woodlawn, posted on Facebook about a planned party with a theme of “Conquistadors and Aztec Hoes.” Students and party-goers were encouraged to bring “an unlimited need to conquer, spread disease and enslave natives,” said the May 25 issue of the Maroon, a student newspaper at the University of Chicago.

Jeremy Manier, News Director for the University of Chicago, discussed the "primary response" the university has given to media sources and the community. "The University released an open letter to the University of Chicago community on this issue from Kimberly Goff-Crews, Vice President for Campus Life and Dean of Students in the University," Manier mentioned. "The letter goes into some detail concerning the University's guiding values on such issues, and the processes in place to address bias-related incidents."

The letter, written by Goff-Crews, entitled, "How core values shape the University’s response to bias reports", makes note of "offensive stereotypes", a "statement on diversity", and "freedom of expression".

Some students believe the letter does not do enough to address the specifics regarding the situation. Erika Lim, a sophomore at U. of C., noted that the letter does not mention any action taken by the university to reprehend Alpha Delta Phi and Delta Upsilon members.

"I think (U. of C.) is washing its hands", Lim stated. "By discussing 'freedom of expression' in this letter, it seems like the university wants to defend the fraternities who were acting belligerently. It's not fair."

In the letter, there is explicit mention that U. of C. and its community members "respect freedom of expression and do not attempt to shield every community member from every offensive act."

Le Prestige spoke to a tenure professor at the University of Chicago. Michael, as he chose to identify himself, stated that the university is attempting to protect itself amid such a heated issue. "The university is trying very hard to prevent this from going viral," he commented. "However, by not making mention of alleviating the situation for those offended, the student body, faculty, and staff, (U. of C.) is digging itself into a much larger problem."

Some students feel that Alpha Delta Phi and Delta Upsilon's actions are similar to those of terrorism. Howard Skye, a graduate student majoring in political science, mentioned that the two fraternities' actions coincide with the values associated with terrorism.

"These kids tried to be cute and funny by degrading a large portion of our population, but they don't realize that intimidation, hateful language, and coercion that affect a large group of people is terrorism in essence," Skye confidently told Le Prestige. "You have young women, Latino students, Asian-Americans, and many others who are deeply offended...and very upset. It doesn't matter what your skin color is, what the frats did is not acceptable and U. of C. needs to reprehend them before something else happens."

As of Thursday afternoon, University of Chicago President Robert J. Zimmer failed to comment on the situation.