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Undocumented workers in New York City helping in the clean-up effort at ground zero, but suffering the consequences. Immediately following the attack on the World Trade Center clean up works, many of them Latinos from the New York City and the surrounding areas tackled the job of getting rid of the dust and debris from what was left standing, office buildings and apartments. Hundreds of these workers were untrained day labors. And after a few months reports began to surface that these workers, along with members of New York City fire and police departments, were experiencing respiratory problems. In response, a mobile health unit was recently brought into lower man to administer respiratory tests to uninsured non-unionized workers. The response was more than organizers had expected.
The slowing U.S. economy and its disproportionate impact on Latinos. The events of September 11 and a recession that began last summer continue to linger. Wall Street remains hopeful that the economy will soon turn around, but unemployment nationwide is just under 6 percent. For Latinos the unemployment rate for December was 7.9 percent, the highest it's been in nearly 5 years. These findings are part of a new report released by the Pew Hispanic Foundation. Joining us today to speak about the recession's impact on U.S. Latinos is Roberto Suro, the director of the Pew Hispanic Center.
With the exception of family members, journalists, academics, and artists, most Americans are legally barred from traveling to the island of Cuba. Officially Cuba and the United States are bitter enemies; they have no formal diplomatic relations. Cuba remains on Washington's list of states that support terrorism. And the forty year trade embargo against the island remains officially in place, but is becoming increasingly porous. Still more than 100,000 Americans visit Cuba every year. Outside of the political arena relations between he two countries appear to be thriving.
Ever since musician and producer Ry Cooder brought 'The Buena Vista Social Club' to the big screen in the summer of 1999, the world has seen a renaissance of Cuban music. One group whose music and personal history personifies 20th century Cuban music is Orquesta Aragón.
Repository Details
Part of the Benson Latin American Collection, The University of Texas at Austin Repository
2300 Red River Street
Austin Texas 78712 United States
(512) 495-4578
bensonspecialcollections@austin.utexas.edu