Author: bloggersofhealth

Latinos in Social Media (LATISM) Announces National Partnership with Social Media Week

LATISM logo
Washington, DC –February 13, 2012 –Latinos in Social Media (LATISM), the largest organization of Latinos in the Social Media arena, today announced a national partnership with Social Media Week, the global network of internationally hosted conferences and online through social media. As part of the partnership, LATISM has organized a spectacular series of events showcasing the best of Latino Social Media in the areas of Economic Development, Health, Education and Civic Engagement, including representatives from Twitter, Google, NCLR and the Carnegie Corporation.

“We’re extremely proud to partner with the global phenomenon that is Social Media Week, particularly as their platform and vision are so aligned with our own,” said Ana Roca-Castro, LATISM’s Founder and Chair. “As the largest organization of Latinos in the Social Media arena, our chapters help us bring the phenomenal engagement we have online to the grassroots level. By participating in an event of this scale, we can amplify our impact as we continue driving the conversations and searching for solutions to the most important issues affecting our Latino community.”

The events will include panels with some of the most prominent Latino thought-leaders in their respective fields. In addition, the events will include full online coverage and scheduled virtual events via LATISM’s social media properties.

LATISM’s Social Media Week events will take place in Washington DC, Miami FL, New York NY and San Francisco, CA on February 14th and 16th. Events in San Francisco and New York City have been organized in partnership with Google.

The schedule of events is as follows:

LATISM South Florida Chapter at SMW:
DATE: Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM ET 
TOPIC: Economic Development: Building A New Vision To Power The Economy 
LOCATION: Adrienne Arsht Center – 1300 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL 33132
MODERATOR: Ernesto Sosa (President, SOWEB/LATISM SFL Chapter Director)
PANELISTS:

  • Giovanni Rodriguez (CMO at Deloitte Postdigital Enterprise, Board of Directors Member at LATISM)
  • Pilar Portela (Media Relations Specialist, Business Wire/LatinoWire)
  • Jorge Fernandez (Real Estate Agent, ONE Sotheby’s International Realty)
  • Carlos Pedraja (Sr. Industry Manager, LATAM, Google)
  • Brenda Leguisamo (Founder & CEO, SocialBizMembers.com)

RSVP: http://socialmediaweek.org/event/?event_id=1924
 
LATISM Washington, DC chapter at SMW:
DATE: Thursday, February 16, 2012 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM ET
TOPIC: Health Communication, Digital Media & the Latino Community 
LOCATION: National Council of La Raza (NCLR) Offices – Raul Yzaguirre Building, 1126 16th Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036-4845
MODERATOR: Jennifer Lubrani, Web Marketing and Communications Officer/Program Manager at FHI 360; LATISM DC Chapter Director
PANELISTS:

  • David Castillo (New Media Manager, National Council of La Raza)
  • Kimberly Inez McGuire (Policy Analyst, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health)
  • Javier Von Westphalen (Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications & Strategy, HMA Associates, Inc. and LATISM DC Co-Director)
  • Lizette Olmos (Olmos Strategy Group, Former Communications Director of League of United Latin Americans Citizens)

RSVP: http://socialmediaweek.org/event/?event_id=2211

LATISM New York City Chapter at SMW [In Partnership with Google]:
DATE: Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
TOPIC: The Power of Social Media in Education 
LOCATION: Google NYC Office (Chelsea Market) – 75 9th Avenue (Between 15th and 26th Streets), 2nd Floor New York , 10011
MODERATOR: Ray Cruz, LATISM NYC Chapter Director and blogger at AngryLatino.com
PANELISTS:

  • Jeannette Kaplun (Chief Content Officer/Founder & TV host “Viva la familia!”, Todobebe.com)
  • Angélica Pérez-Litwin (PhD, Publisher & CEO, NewLatina.net)
  • Andrés Henríquez (Program Officer, National Program of Carnegie Corporation of New York)
  • Mariela Dabbah (Speaker, author, media personality, Latinosincollege.com)

RSVP: http://socialmediaweek.org/event/?event_id=2111

LATISM Bay Area Chapter at SMW [In Partnership with Google]:
DATE: Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
TOPIC: Social Media for Good: Civic Engagement and Change 
LOCATION: Google SF Office – 345 Spear Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
MODERATOR: Marcela Gutierrez, Founder / Director at Azul, LATISM Bay Area Chapter Director
PANELISTS:

  • Laura Gomez (Manager, Localization/Internationalization at Twitter)
  • More speakers (TBA)

RSVP: http://smwlatismbayarea.eventbrite.com

TO PARTICIPATE VIA TWITTER: Follow hashtags #LATISM #SMW
ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA WEEK
Social Media Week is a global platform that connects people, content, and conversation around emerging trends in social and mobile media. Delivered primarily through a network of internationally hosted conferences and online through social media, Social Media Week literally connects hundreds of thousands of people every year through learning experiences that aim to advance our understanding of social media’s role in society. To learn more about social media week, visit http://socialmediaweek.org/

ABOUT LATISM
Latinos in Social Media (LATISM) is a 501(c) 4 nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to advancing the social, civic and economic status of the Latino community. With a network of over 140,000 members, LATISM is the largest organization for Latinos engaged in social media, including bloggers and professionals from every arena. LATISM also helps to raise awareness among corporate brands, NGOs and government entities about using social media to reach Latinos through research, event sponsorships, and leadership training. A pioneering social media organization, LATISM has been hailed as the most influential online movement in the new multicultural Web. Visit http://LATISM.org/beta

Success: How do we really know we are accomplished?

What does the Success mean to you?

According to the dictionary it means: favorable outcome. 
 We go through life wanting a favorable outcome most of the time. We would not be human if we did not want more, get more…But at what point do you know and say “I have reached that ‘favorable Outcome?'” Is this possible?… Something we favor. (YES). What is it that you favor the most? A lasting relationship, money, love, friends, great relationship with your family? No matter what you choose how will you obtain that favorable outcome? and again, how will you know you are done?
These are a few questions I recently asked myself, and of course I got a load of diverse answers. 
How do we really know we are accomplished?   
Personally, I think our success is based on our hopes and expectations. Here is what someone else I read said: Maslow (I took it to Psychology 101)
File:Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.svg 
 A lot of of the people in this world, currently in this time of age, are working through the lower levels. Others I’ve seen have accomplished various levels at different times of their lives. Some have even started through their creativity down. They have been able to accomplish their safety, some sexual needs, even their love and belonging.  Currently, I am working on my Self-Actualization section. But in reality, this is an everyday triangle I think. “Maslow’s theory suggests that the most basic level of needs must be met before the individual will strongly desire (or focus motivation upon) the secondary or higher level needs. Maslow also coined the term Metamotivation to describe the motivation of people who go beyond the scope of the basic needs and strive for constant betterment (1).” I will agree with this point to some point…(yeah i know…) Only because I have noticed that a lot of people are working through the first stage everyday… and even when they might have love, safety and are creative, they have not be able to establish their basics needs. Makes one think of what success right? 

So the next time you re-think of your success… remember there are different stages. One man had a brilliant idea of how one is to accomplish them and in what order… but Find it out for yourself… after all, its your life. Make you whom you want to become. If you want to use this triangle as a guide, go for it! At least you will know how to go about it, or choose how what level you want to establish first. 

This is defiantly not something I can tell you. It is something you have to find for yourself. I’d do you a disservice If I told you you where successful because of A,B, C and D. 

1. Goble, F. The Third Force: The Psychology of Abraham Maslow. Richmond, Ca: Maurice Bassett Publishing, 1970. Pg. 62. 
Smile (if you want) 

Secretary Duncan to Host Twitter Town Hall on Hispanic Education Excellence

 
Secretary Duncan to Host Twitter Town Hall on Hispanic Education Excellence
______________________________________________________________
 
Following President Obama’s State of the Union—in which critical topics like college affordability, dropout rates, teachers, and job training were addressed—U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will engage with the Hispanic community through a Twitter town hall at 3 p.m. EST, Wednesday, Feb. 8. The conversation will be conducted in both English and Spanish.
 
José Rico, executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, will join Duncan for the virtual town hall. As head of the WHI, Rico helps carry out President Obama’s efforts to improve the academic achievement of Hispanic students.
 
Duncan and Rico will discuss how Hispanic success in education is important to the country and respond to questions submitted on Twitter. The town hall will be moderated by Elianne Ramos and Cheryl Aguilar from LATISM, a nonprofit social media outlet aimed at advancing the social, economic and educational status of the Latino community.
 
The event will be streamed live online at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/education-department. Twitter users can ask questions in advance and during the forum using the hashtags #HispanicED and #LATISM. Community leaders and ED staff will help flag questions through retweets on Twitter.
 
Who :

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
José Rico, Executive Director, White House Initiative on Education Excellence for Hispanics
What :
Twitter town hall discussion focusing on Hispanic education
When :
3-4 p.m. EST, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012
Where:
http://www.ustr

White House Conference Call on Housing and the Latino Community

 
______________________________________________________________
 
White House Conference Call on Housing and the Latino Community
______________________________________________________________
 
Please join us this Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 11:30 a.m. EST for a conference call with two leaders from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: John Trasviña, Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, and Mercedes Márquez, Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development. We will discuss President Obama’s State of the Union and his recent housing announcement, with a focus on how both will affect Latino families and communities.
 
We ask that you share this invitation with your networks and affiliates.
 
What: White House Call with John Trasviña and Mercedes Márquez
When: Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012
Start Time: 11:30 a.m. EST                                                                         
Dial In: (800) 288-8974
Call Title: White House Update Call
 
Note: This call is off the record and not intended for press purposes.
 

Asking For Help is not a weakness, It is a Strength.

https://bloggersofhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/help-300x223.jpg

I come across a lot of situations where people/families are embarrassed to ask for help.

Unfortunately, no everyone is able to ask for help. Most people assume that asking to see a Psychotherapist means that they are weak…when I’ve found the opposite. The people who obtain help and services are very strong. They are saying, hey I need another perspective, another head in the mix to help us so we don’t have to be stuck anymore. So we can grow, get passed the hurt, the pain, the ongoing suffering and make life what is meant to be for us, better.

Some wait until its too late and their loved ones are either are hurt or gone.

I have to say, I am proud of the families I have worked with through out my years in this profession. Most have been able to work though their issues, been able to accept that they are strong, tenacious, loving people who needed to get out of their daily routines that may have been causing them their ongoing distress. Not everyone is ready for services…and we understand that. Some have been able to be empowered and gain hope that their tomorrow will be better. Who learned to listen and be able to communicate with their families with out having to ignore them or cause themselves pain by restricting themselves or others by seeing them. Some have been able to recognize that their ways where not healthy, and others that their ways were fine and just needed a little tune up. A lot of people have been able to stand up to those bullies with out getting hurt. Others came hurt and left empowered.

I’m especially proud of the mother’s who learned that they are worthy. That they too can do and be the mother they want to be and have their children listen to them and they listen to their child. That being able to be the head of the household meant they learned to be strong and ask for help. I commend them all and I respect them.

So the next time you think that maybe a therapist person, not involved in your “messy life” would help, I will agree with you. Sometimes it takes someone to be able to see the whole picture, who isn’t there to judge you, but to empower you, to be honest with you and help you gain insight of your situation, provide you with tools to help you see what options you do have to get out of where you thought you could not get out of. To remind you that you are human and a strong person for asking for help.

I wish you well.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/topics/therapy
http://www.therapist.com/
http://www.1-800-therapist.com/
www.therapists.psychologytoday.com

Smile (if you want)

Jes Sofia

Apple Pie Feelings

I like to bake and cook when I’m having visitors, My friends will tell you. BUT…I also Bake or cook When I’m stressed. I tend to bake to distract myself (avoid) from the chaos I write about or feeling overwhelmed. It helps reduce my stress. Then My Beautiful neighbors get the pies and cakes. I get a slice too… but it helps me. I’ve found that there is always something that you can create that makes you ease your stress… where you make it to distract or avoid, eventually you still have to work through those feelings, “face your demons.” And when you do and feel them you can go talk about them and are able to accept that they not longer control you. Moreover, you can say that you have given them the time to (nurture time) to address them and really think them through instead of avoiding them or distracting yourself from then… you find your remedy. That and end up with a very good apple pie.

I hope that you find time to work through what you feel and have been through. Avoiding them only means they are still waiting for your to work it through. A lesson always comes back when your don’t learn it. Then End result is what you make of it.  Then…I end up walking like two miles just so I can eat my apple pie slice, when I could have just walked it to help distress. Isn’t it interesting what we do to ourselves? LOL

Talk about food for thought.

What will your end result be?

 Smile (if you want)

Jes Sofia 

The White House is gathering communities to help one another-San Jose

In San Jose, CA- The White House is gathering communities to help one another. In the White House Hispanic Community Action Summit there were questions of Health, Housing, Economic need/growth, Business, Education and more. The White house regional representatives where there to answer questions. We the People are projecting possible solutions “Not just Band-aids” to the problems the communities are having. I’m looking Forward to the Los Angeles Summit this Spring. I hope to see you there.

For more on LATSIM follow #LATISM, #LATISM_LA and #hispaniced #WHenCA for The @whitehouse initiatives.

Take a Look:

A power group/team of Social Media people  (such as the President and Founder of Blogher, Presidents and Founders of Social Media Club, Board Member and LATISM Los Angeles Director, Director and Co-Director of LATIM San Jose, Stanford University research teams)  re-grouped to help with strategics with the White House on how to Improve issues at the table.

Take a Look:

From the Associate Director White House | Office of Public Engagement

    “Wednesday, January 25, 2012
    
Friends:

Last night, in his State of the Union Address, the President laid out a blueprint for an economy that’s built to last – an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of American values. This includes creating a 21st century immigration system that meets our economic and security needs:

“Let’s also remember that hundreds of thousands of talented, hardworking students in this country face another challenge: The fact that they aren’t yet American citizens. Many were brought here as small children, are American through and through, yet they live every day with the threat of deportation. Others came more recently, to study business and science and engineering, but as soon as they get their degree, we send them home to invent new products and create new jobs somewhere else.

That doesn’t make sense. I believe as strongly as ever that we should take on illegal immigration. That’s why my Administration has put more boots on the border than ever before. That’s why there are fewer illegal crossings than when I took office. The opponents of action are out of excuses. We should be working on comprehensive immigration reform right now. But if election-year politics keeps Congress from acting on a comprehensive plan, let’s at least agree to stop expelling responsible young people who want to staff our labs, start new businesses, and defend this country. Send me a law that gives them the chance to earn their citizenship. I will sign it right away.”

Listen to the President’s entire State of the Union here.

President Obama delivers his State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol (January 24, 2012. Official White House Photo, Pete Souza)

Sitting with First Lady Michelle Obama were several individuals who exemplify the Administration’s commitment in creating opportunities that enable immigrants and their children to become contributing members of their communities. Among them were Juan Jose Redín, a Mexican immigrant who was able to enroll and excel in his studies at UCLA. Now a U.S. citizen and practicing attorney, Juan is as passionate as ever about ensuring educational access for all— including young immigrant children.

Additional guests included: Mike Krieger, a Brazilian immigrant and recipient of an H-1B Visa who co-founded Instagram, the fastest growing start-up; Dr. Hiroyuki Fujita, a Japanese immigrant who founded Quality Electrodynamics (QED); and Mayor Julian Castro, Mayor of the City of San Antonio and strong supporter of comprehensive immigration reform. Juan, Mike, Hiroyuki, and Mayor Castro are all reminders of the diverse group of stakeholders urging Congress to fix our broken immigration system through bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform, including the DREAM Act. To learn more about them, click here.

First Lady Michelle Obama and guests in the First Lady’s box during the State of the Union.(January 24, 2012. Official White House Photo, Chuck Kennedy)

In this edition of our Immigration Action Update, you will find important announcements on countries eligible to participate in the H-2A and H-2B programs recently designated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), new human trafficking training material made available by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS), and the official opening of a new full-service immigration field office in Queens, N.Y.

In addition, read our blog to learn about the 3rd annual Martin Luther King Jr. naturalization ceremony held at the King Center in Atlanta, and the President’s new national travel and tourism strategy focused on creating jobs. Also, don’t forget to learn how you can participate in important upcoming Administration stakeholder calls and events.

As always, please share with your networks!

Agency Updates

Four East Haven, Connecticut, Police Officers Charged with Civil Rights Offenses
On January 24, 2012, the Justice Department announced that a federal grand jury sitting in Bridgeport, Conn., returned an indictment charging four East Haven Police officers with conspiring to violate, and violating, the civil rights of members of the East Haven community. To read the the remarks given by Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez, click here.

USCIS Opens New Office in Queens
On January 20, 2012, USCIS celebrated the official opening of its newest full-service immigration field office in Queens, N.Y. The new office is located at 27-35 Jackson Ave., and is expected to serve over 500 people each business day. To read more about this new service location, that includes an Application Support Center, a naturalization ceremony room, and interview and file rooms, click here.

USCIS Announces 58 Countries Eligible for H-2A and H2-B Participation
On January 17, 2012, USCIS announced that DHS, in consultation with the State Department, identified 58 countries whose nationals are eligible to participate in the H-2A and H-2B programs for the coming year. Five countries (Haiti, Iceland, Montenegro, Spain and Switzerland) were designated for the first time this year. To see the complete, click here.

DHS Blue Campaign Announces New Human Trafficking Trainings Material
The DHS Blue Campaign released several new human trafficking awareness and training materials for the general public, federal workforce, first responders and airline employees. These new materials aim to help increase awareness and provide education on the indicators of human trafficking and the importance of reporting it to officials. To read more, click here.

Census Bureau Requests Data on Proposed Changes to the 2013 American Community Survey
The Department of Commerce is currently accepting public comments until February 27, 2012 regarding possible changes to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) content and data collection. In 2010, the Census Bureau conducted testing of two new question topics, including parental place of birth, which they are considering adding to the 2013 ACS questions. Click here to read more about the proposed changes and to submit comments in the Federal Register.

Blog Highlights

The President Announces New Initiatives to Increase Travel and Tourism in the U.S.
On January 19, 2012, President Obama traveled to Orlando, Florida’s Magic Kingdom to deliver one message: America is open for business. The President’s initiative to increase travel and tourism include: the Global Entry Program, increased access of basic information to foreign tourists, increased marketing of U.S. tourist destinations, and the expansion of countries eligible under the visa waiver program.  To read the official White House press release, click here. Don’t forget to read the White House blog and watch the President’s weekly address concerning his commitment to rebuild our economy. Also, join this effort and tell us what makes your hometown a great place to visit by clicking here.

Honoring Dr. King’s Legacy with Our Newest Americans
In this blog, Joshua DuBois, Executive Director of The White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, writes about his participation in this naturalization ceremony. To read more about Joshua’s involvement in this special event, click here, or to learn more about naturalization ceremonies taking place across the country, click here.

Upcoming Meetings

Grandfathering of Non-Hague Adoption Cases
USCIS Office of Public Engagement invites you to participate in a national stakeholder teleconference on Tuesday, January 31st, 2012 at 2:00PM EST regarding changes to the process of “grandfathering” certain adoption cases as orphan cases when the U.S. and another country become Hague partners. The call will focus on cases for Chinese and Guatemalan children. To participate, contact the Office of Public Engagement at public.engagement@dhs.gov by Monday January 30, 2012, and reference “Adoption” in the subject line of your email. Also include your full name and the organization you represent, if any, in the body of the email.  You may call-in at 1-888-989-6491 or 1-415-228-3902, if you are overseas. (Passcode: Adoption)

National Stakeholder Engagement on E-Verify
USCIS Verification Division and the Office of Public Engagement invite you to participate in a national stakeholder teleconference on Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. EST to discuss a potential Final Nonconfirmation Review (FNC) process for E-Verify. To participate in this teleconference, please contact the Office of Public Office of Public Engagement, Intergovernmental Affairs at USCIS-IGAOutreach@dhs.gov by January 30, 2012, and reference “E-Verify Administrative Review Process” in the subject line of your email.

Revisions to Adjudicator’s USCIS Field Manual on the Role of Private Attorneys and Others
USCIS will be accepting public comments until February 14, 2012, regarding the role of private attorneys and other representatives who appear before USCIS. For complete information on the comment process, visit the Interim Memoranda for Comment section of www.uscis.gov. Please send all comments on the draft memorandum to opefeedback@uscis.dhs.gov.

Jiao liú Session: National Engagement on Naturalization in Chinese
On Thursday, February 16th, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., USCIS will conduct a national Chinese-language engagement (Jiao liú) session as part of our ongoing series of multilingual public engagements. This session will focus the Naturalization process and will be broadcast live from the USCIS San Francisco Field Office. You are invited to participate in person, via teleconference by calling 1-800-475-8388 (password: Jiao liú), or via live Web stream at http://www.uscis.gov/stream/Live.  For further information please contact the Office of Public Office of Public Engagement at public.engagement@dhs.gov and reference “Jiao liú” in the subject line of your email.

 Thank you,

Julie Rodriguez
Associate Director
White House | Office of Public Engagement”

 

National Stakeholder Engagement

National Stakeholder Engagement

USCIS Director Mayorkas and the Office of Public Engagement invite you to attend a national stakeholder engagement to discuss the USCIS 2011 accomplishments and 2012 priorities.  To participate in this session, please contact the Office of Public Office of Public Engagement at public.engagement@dhs.gov by Friday, January 20, 2012, and reference “National Stakeholder Engagement” in the subject line of your email.

What: National Stakeholder Engagement
When: Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Start Time: 2:00 p.m. EST
Where: Tomich Center: 111 Massachusetts Avenue NW;  Washington, DC