Can Obama Deliver on Promise for Change?

Presidential hopeful Barack Obama has captivated the public with a message for change, which he reiterated at the National Urban League convention Friday. But can he follow through? When asked about solutions to prevailing racial/ethnic inequities, Obama called for attention to socioeconomics as a means to overcome barriers and, most importantly, the need to act immediately as opposed to wasting time with discussion. Democratic rival Hillary Clinton thinks some discussion is warranted. What did the Republican frontrunners have to say? Nothing--not one of them attended.

Democrat John Edwards, who trails Obama and Clinton in the polls, was also in attendance. He advocated his support for affirmative action and assured the convention that should he be elected in 2008, his administration would reflect America. How many people of color are on his campaign staff now? Read Whose Presidential Campaign Is Worst for Diversity? from the June 2007 issue of DiversityInc magazine to find out about the staffs of eight major presidential candidates in 2008. Read more.

Stay tuned for the latest Election '08 news of interest to you. (See also: Republican Nominees Ignore Blacks, Says DNC)

Who's Least Stressed About Work/Life?

Recent Latino immigrants don't experience work/life stress to the degree many U.S.-born workers do, according to a study of Latinos in low-wage, nonprofessional jobs who recently immigrated to the United States. In collectivist cultures, work/life is not viewed as an "either-or," but as a "both-and," which leads to less stress among immigrant workers. Read more.  

Feelings of work/'life imbalance extend to the executive C-suite, where Blackberry devices, laptops and Palm Pilots have created a round-the-clock workday. Read Who REALLY Benefits from Work/Life in the March 2007 issue of DiversityInc magazine to learn more.

Legal Victory for Pa. Immigrants

A federal court tossed out laws Thursday that place limits on where undocumented immigrants can live and work. The laws also would have threatened landlords who rent to and companies that hire undocumented immigrants with high fines and other penalties. The ordinances were passed in Hazleton, Pa., which is one of the cities with the harshest crackdowns on undocumented immigration, modeled around the country. U.S. District Judge James Munley said the laws violate the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution. Groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union that supported employers and Hazleton residents also said that the ordinances violate state and federal housing laws, and that immigration regulation is the prerogative of the federal government, not states or cities. Mayor Lou Barletta, a vocal opponent of undocumented immigration, says he will appeal the ruling. Read more.

Presidential Candidates Hablan Español

Voting-registration rates among Latinos are growing faster than those of any other racial/ethnic group, and five major presidential candidates for 2008 are making their web sites available in both Spanish and English to appeal to the burgeoning bilingual voting bloc. They include Democrats Hillary Clinton, Bill Richardson, Barack Obama and John Edwards, and one GOP candidate, former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney, who now trails McCain in the Republican primary field. These sites also include links to Spanish-language videos, press releases, and information on the candidates' biographies and positions on key issues. Clinton and Edwards both have pages on the bilingual social-networking site mygrito.com. Read more.

Latinos Will Be Majority in Calif. by 2042

Immigration and declining birth rates among whites are fueling a demographic transformation in California, according to a new report. By 2042, Latinos will make up 52 percent of the state's population and will comprise the popular majority in 22 counties. Birth rates for Latinos are 2.3 children per woman, compared with 1.8 each for whites, blacks and Asians. About 6 percent of California residents self-classify as "multiracial," a new category the Census Bureau added in 2000 in response to shifting racial/ethnic identities and a spike in interracial marriages that makes tracking demographics slightly more difficult because there is no consensus on what "multiracial" means. Read more.

(See also: Which Races Intermarry Most? 40th Anniversary of Loving Case and Interracial Marriage: Our Readers Can't Stop Talking About It)

'Ugly Betty' Cleans Up at Imagen Awards

ABC's hit series "Ugly Betty" cleaned up at the 22nd annual Imagen Awards Saturday in Los Angeles. The TV comedy, which earned 11 Emmy nominations, was named best primetime television program at the awards dinner, which honors Latino contributions to the entertainment industry. "Ugly Better" star America Ferrera, who is in contention for an Emmy, won best TV actress and the Imagen Foundation's Creative Achievement award. Co-star Ana Ortiz won for best supporting actress, tells The Houston Chronicle. Who were the other winners?

FBI Recruits More Language Diversity

The dearth of multilingual U.S. intelligence officials spurred the FBI to launch a $1.5-million recruiting campaign to attract people who speak languages such as Arabic and Farsi. According to an NPR report, it appears to be working. Listen here.

Will U.S. Travel Ban Be Lifted?  

American protestors crossed the Canadian border Saturday after an annual visit to Cuba in violation of a longstanding U.S. travel ban that was highlighted in Michael Moore's documentary on healthcare in both countries. In Moore's documentary "Sicko," he takes rescue workers injured in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to Cuba for medical treatment, but he also draws attention to the countries' diplomatic relations. The ban was enacted in the 1960s at the peak of the Cold War but has come under fire recently from lawmakers concerned about U.S. restrictions on trade and travel to Cuba, which recently graduated its first class of Americans from free medical school.  Read more.

(See also: First Americans Graduate From Free Cuban Med School [scroll down])

Why Do Women Earn Less? New Study Exposes Double Standard

Women still earn 77 cents of what men make. A longstanding explanation for the gender gap in salary is that women aren't as aggressive as men in negotiating salaries and asking for promotions, and many have said the solution is to help women become more assertive. But a new study finds that women are cautious with good reason. Both men and women are penalized for negotiating starting salaries, but the negative impact for women is twice as much as men. Women who are labeled "aggressive" often experience negative repercussions, but those who don't speak up get fewer opportunities. What's the solution to this double standard? Read more.

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Record Number of People File for Disability Benefits

The Social Security Administration is facing a record number of people with disabilities who claim they cannot work. The federal agency already faces a backlog in applications, and inadequate federal funding has led to its lowest staffing level in more than three decades. As the U.S. population ages and the population of people with disabilities continues to expand, the administration clearly must revise its approach. Agency statistics show that the number of people claiming disability benefits has increased nearly 25 percent in the last five years, and National Counsel of Social Security Management Associations President Richard Warsinskey predicts "almost a tsunami of additional people coming on to the rolls" as baby boomers age. There has been talk about revising the way cases are managed and moving to a more electronic-based system, but agency officials remain concerned about the future. Read more.

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