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Inside the effort to add ‘Selena’ to the National Film Registry

Lawmakers are hoping to boost Latino representation in the U.S. media by adding “Selena” to the National Film Registry, NBC News reported. The 1997 blockbuster movie starring Jennifer Lopez directed by Mexican-American filmmaker Gregory Nava has been nominated to be included in the registry by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, chaired by Texas U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro. “And this is one effort to make sure that Latinos are represented in the telling of American culture and the retelling of American culture, and part of that includes American films.”The film touched important cultural identity themes that depicted Mexican-American communities living between bilingualism and navigating personal connections between the two cultures, according to Castro’s letter. He felt there was a “renewed sense of urgency” to bring Latino representation in question after the El Paso shooting in 2019 that killed 23 people, NBC News reported. Castro told NBC News he will continue to push for more Latino representation in media and film to the U.S as congressman after his term as chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus ends this weekend, hoping to tackle the invisibility of the community he represents.

US population growth smallest in at least 120 years

(AP Photo/Donald King, file)The U.S. population grew by the smallest rate in at least 120 years from 2019 to 2020, according to figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau — a trend that demographers say provides a glimpse of the coronavirus pandemic’s toll. Population growth in the U.S. already was stagnant over the past several years due to immigration restrictions and a dip in fertility, but coronavirus-related deaths exacerbated that lethargic-growth trend, said William Frey, a senior fellow at The Brooking Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program. “I think it’s a first glimpse of where we may be heading as far as low population growth," Frey said. Among the states, Idaho had the largest single-year population increase, growing 2.1% to 1.8 million residents. Sixteen states lost population, including California, the nation’s most populous state, which declined 0.18% to 39.3 million residents.

Utah senator blocks national museums for Latinos, women

WASHINGTON – A lone senator from Utah has singlehandedly blocked the bipartisan approval of two new national museums to honor American Latinos and women, arguing that “last thing we need is to further divide an already divided nation.”Republican Sen. Mike Lee objected Thursday to the creation of the two proposed Smithsonian museums, stalling two projects that have been in the making for decades and enjoy broad bipartisan support. Senate approval would have sent the legislation approving the Latino museum to President Donald Trump for his signature. The Senate was attempting to pass the measures by voice vote, which requires every senator's consent. Lee said he sees an exception for museums dedicated to American Indians and African Americans that already sit on the National Mall. “We have been systematically excluded, not because this senator said so but because the Smithsonian itself said so,” Menendez said.

The message behind Texas’ Latino vote

HOUSTON – During the November election, Latinos in Texas helped former Vice President Joe Biden secure his bid for the White House. However, Zermeno said, this doesn’t mean the Latino community isn’t engaged“We are seeing a tremendous uptick in participation,” Zermeno said. “The Latino vote has always been kind of nuanced,” said Michael Adams, PhD., chair of Texas Southern University’s political science department. “I think, too, both parties dialed in the Latino vote for this election,” said Diaz. On the flip side, there’s not an articulated approach to the Latino vote.”The election-eve poll from the research firm Latino Decisions also ranked priorities in the Latino community based on answers.

To court Latinos, Democrats have to expand strategy in 2022

Latinos also now account for 24% of eligible voters in Arizona, compared with 19% in 2012, according to Pew Research Center. And how or whether Democrats can keep that enthusiasm in the 2022 midterm elections will require a lot of work. But it’s also incumbent on campaigns to prioritize Latino voters by spending time and money in their communities consistently, not just right before an election. “And that’s something this administration hasn’t done.”To sway Latino voters, she said Democrats need to take the tactics used in Arizona to other states. In Arizona, Democrats presented Trump as the boogeyman, getting voters to show up, while in south Florida, Republicans used socialism to drive voters to Trump, Shope said.

Confounding Democrats, Trump makes inroads with Latinos

And even in Nevada, where Democrats' strength among Latinos had powered the party to dominance, there were some signs of new Trump support among Latinos frustrated at the economic toll of coronavirus-related shutdowns. Democrats had hoped this would be the year when their strength among Latino voters would translate into victories in Florida and Texas, a game-changer that would reshape presidential politics. But Trump's margins dashed those hopes and prompted debate on whether the party was taking Latino voters' support for granted. Forty-one percent said they approved of the way Trump has handled the public health crisis, compared with 34% of Latinos nationally. The most dramatic shift in Latino voters came in Florida.

Residente signs with Sony Music to create TV, films and more

Residente, the most decorated winner in the history of Latin Grammys, has signed a multi-year deal with Sony Music Entertainment to launch 1868 Studios. Residente, the most decorated winner in the history of Latin Grammys, has signed a multiyear deal with Sony Music Entertainment to launch 1868 Studios. Under this new venture, which the company announced Thursday as “groundbreaking,” the Puerto Rican rapper and Sony Music Latin/Iberia will create, produce and globally distribute original content across multiple formats and in Spanish and Engish. 1868 Studios takes its name from the Grito de Lares (Cry of Lares,) the first major revolt against Spanish rule in Puerto Rico on September 23, 1868. “It is the only day that Puerto Rico has been independent, for eight hours,” Residente noted.

Californians to vote on racial, gender preference programs

Jesse Jackson asks a crowd for donations to the advertising fund to stop Proposition 209 during a rally in the Westwood section of Los Angeles. The U.S. Supreme Court has long outlawed racial quotas, but it has ruled that universities may use tailored programs to promote diversity. Opponents include Ward Connerly, an African American businessman and former University of California regent who pushed for the 1996 ban. They say government should never discriminate by race or gender, and the only way to stop discrimination is to end it. The numbers of Latino and Asian American residents — and voters — have grown, although likely voters are still disproportionately white.

Wanted: Bilingual poll workers who reflect U.S. diversity

The coronavirus has upended how elections officials recruit poll workers, who are typically older and thus more susceptible to becoming seriously ill from COVID-19. The email came in at 7:54 p.m., desperately seeking 100 poll workers because of an expected shortage. During the August primary, nearly 25% of the county's 1,289 poll workers were bilingual; in the 2016 general, about 20% were. When early voting starts Oct. 13, three bilingual election workers will staff each of the county's 122 voting locations. Harvey Soto, the fund's democracy coordinator, said it has already recruited 300 poll workers for Miami-Dade County alone.