Latinos Encouraged to Apply for Health Insurance – Almost a month after the application period began for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, the government webpage was still giving people headaches. It is still not possible to apply online in Spanish, and the English website suffers from delays and freeze-ups. Republican leaders in Congress began hearings to discuss these problems and even demanded for the Secretary of Health, Kathleen Sebelius, to step down. Amidst this climate of confusion and antagonism, some large Latino organizations launched a campaign to encourage millions of Latinos to apply for insurance before the official deadline. José López Zamorano reports from the nation’s capital.
Turning to Culture to Combat Domestic Violence – October is the national month against domestic violence. In Oakland, California, the Latina Network against Domestic and Gender Violence brought together scores of community leaders, therapists, attorneys, and men and women interested in rethinking culture to find the strength to change old customs and put an end to violence in Latino families. Zaidee Stavely went to the event and has this story.
Graffiti and Hip-Hop Used to Treat Trauma in Ciudad Juarez – For many years, Ciudad Juárez on Mexico’s border, was known as the world capital of homicides, as a result of drug violence. The Mexican government invested copious resources into rebuilding the social network of the city, but many of these projects did not continue. Some civil organizations have taken the initiative to use culture to treat the traumas violence has left among youth and to show the community another way to live. Vladimir Flores reports from this border city.
