A Change in Heart? GOP Prez Candidates Say 'Si' to Spanish-Language Debate

The top GOP candidates changed their minds late last week about participating in the Spanish-language Univision debate slated for Dec. 9, reports The Washington Times. The sudden change of heart comes shortly after former Sen. Fred Thompson signed up for the debate, joining Arizona Sen. John McCain, who previously had been the only Republican presidential candidate to agree to participate more than a month ago. Many of the GOP candidates have been criticized for their harsh stance on immigration reform. Democrats held the first Spanish-language debate, also hosted by Univision, in September. The Republican debate was postponed because the top three GOP candidates had refused to participate, citing "scheduling and fundraising" conflicts.  

(See also: Who Cares About Tavis Smiley? Top GOP Prez Candidates Diss 'Customers' of Color)

Why White Voters Love Obama

The race card is helping Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama--at least among white voters. Obama and a new generation of black candidates are running campaigns that make whites feel good about themselves, reports The Wall Street Journal. While Obama continues to trail New York senator and Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton among black voters, polls indicate Obama is gaining momentum with white voters "prompting significant numbers of white Americans to consider voting for him not despite his racial background, but because of it," reports the WSJ. Will Obama's biracial background boost his campaign enough to win?

(See also: Is Obama 'Black Enough'?)

Which Is the Latest City to Ban the N-Word?

Los Angeles is the latest city to add its name to the "stop the N-word movement" as the city's councilors voted Friday to ban the word in hopes that it will encourage young people to stop using the racial epithet. The Los Angeles City Council discussed a ban on use of the word for roughly 30 minutes before passing the resolution, reports Yahoo News.

(See also: Can Anyone Say the N-Word?)

Slow Turnover Cripples MLB Diversity Efforts

Despite new attempts to diversify America's favorite pastime, Major League Baseball is finding out that it's not so easy to recruit non-whites to the umpire's post because of rigorous training camps and slow turnover. For those who undertake the umpire apprenticeship, which lasts 10 to 12 years, and end up coaching minor leagues, the pay is disappointing. The average salary for minor-league umpires ranges from $450 to $600 a week versus a $300,000 annual salary for some major-league umpires, reports the Los Angeles Times. More than 40 percent of baseball players are Latino, African American or Asian, but there are only three blacks and three Latinos among the 70 full-time major-league umpires.

(See also: Despite Black Super Bowl Coaches, Sports Aren't Level Playing Field)

What Banks Know That You Don't

Banks have not lost sight of the bottom line amid the ongoing national debate over immigration. About 25 small banks--often headed by former executives of the big players and backed by private-equity investors--have started operations in the past two years or are slated to begin programs that appeal directly to immigrants regardless of citizenship status, reports The Wall Street Journal. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. reports that about a third of the 40 million Latinos in the United States don't have an account at a federally insured financial institution, and about 12 million of them are undocumented immigrants who deal almost exclusively in cash. Banks stress that they aren't specifically courting undocumented immigrants, however.

Read It's All About Relationships from the July/August 2007 issue of DiversityInc magazine to learn proven best practices from Top 50 banks for engaging and retaining emerging markets that apply to companies in all industries.  

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