from the Chicago Sun-Times:

September 7, 2007
To celebrate Mexico's Independence from Spain in 1821, the Latino community will host several events in Chicago.

The main one is the 26th Street Mexican Independence Day Parade on Sept. 16 on the Near Southwest Side. The parade, which will begin at noon, will march on 26th Street from Albany to Kostner. The event will feature floats, Mexican food stalls, mariachi bands and dancing in the street.

The parade will end at the site of the 18th annual Festival de La Villita (Little Village Festival), running Thursday through Sept. 16, at 26th Street and Kostner. The first two days of the festival will primarily feature evening carnival rides, which will expand to a full-fledged community event on the final two days. More than 200 vendors will be on hand to offer Mexican food plus arts and crafts.

General festival admission is free. Hours are 6-10 p.m. Thursday; 6-11 p.m. Sept. 14 and noon to 11 p.m. Sept. 15 and 16. For festival information, call (773) 868-3010; www.chicagoevents.com. For parade information, call (773) 521-5387.

The Four Seasons Hotel Chicago on the Gold Coast also is celebrating Mexican independence with a Mexican Festival continuing through Sunday. A special menu of Mexican cuisine is being featured in the hotel's Seasons, The Cafe and Lounge.

The hotel is at 120 E. Delaware. Call (312) 649-2349 or visit the Web site www.fourseasons.com.

By: DICK EIDEN - commentary

Mark Twain said, "A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." That's what's happening with the immigration debate. I've always admired and supported the North County Times' open letters policy, but the misinformation in the Letters section and on the blogs is appalling.

Take the recent "anchor babies" discussion, for example. It is simply not true that somebody can come to the U.S., give birth to a baby (U.S. citizen per Constitution), and thereby become a citizen or legal resident. The truth is that a citizen must be 21 years or older to sponsor their parents for legalization. Even then it's a difficult, expensive and time-consuming process, and few qualify.

It is also not true that all immigrants without documents are "criminals." As of February 2007, entry without inspection is a misdemeanor with a maximum sentence of six months. But most of the 12 million "illegals" entered before the law was changed, and are not criminals. In addition, an estimated 40 percent entered legally and overstayed their visas, which is not a crime.

Children of immigrants expected to make up most of growth

By Mike Swift, MEDIANEWS STAFF

Article Launched: 07/11/2007 03:08:57 AM PDT

Latinos will become the state's majority ethnic group by 2042, according to new population projections that portray a future California whose fortunes will increasingly depend on the skills of a predominantly non-white work force.

Population numbers released Monday by the state Department of Finance predict that 52 percent of all Californians will be Latino by 2050, when whites will be just 26 percent of the population.

Even in Santa Clara County — where Asians made up a larger share of the population than any other California county in 2000 — Latinos will outnumber Asians by 2020 and whites by 2040, although they will not be a majority.

The projections, likely the last until after the 2010 Census, "implies a younger non-white work force supporting an older white retirement-age population," said Mary Heim, the state demographer, who helped produce the projections.

Some question whether a state that has a growing mismatch between the general population and a voting population dominated by whites will make the right decisions now to ensure its future success.

from The Miami Herald:

All of the Republican presidential contenders have turned down an invitation to speak in Orlando to the nation's largest gathering of Hispanic elected officials, at a time when their constituents are poised to be a powerful force in the 2008 election.

Making the GOP field's absence particularly conspicuous, all of the leading Democratic candidates are planning to address NALEO, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, on June 30. The Republicans were asked to participate in a forum the previous day.

About 1,000 Hispanic leaders, representing the fastest-growing part of the electorate, are expected at the conference. Hispanic voters could be particularly influential this year because of their strong presence in big states with early presidential primaries, including Florida and California.

''If you're a candidate for president, this is the gold mine of Hispanic support,'' NALEO's senior director of programs, Marcelo Gaete, said Monday.