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A news update from the National Latin@ Network
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Meet The Team: Marissa Kurtz
Name: Marissa Kurtz
Title: Program and Administrative Assistant
Main Responsibilities: To work with the NLN team to provide support with communications work, national events, grant reporting and technology platforms.
Where are you from?
I was born in Guatemala and raised in Arlington, VA.
Where do you feel most at home?
This is not always a location. I can feel like I'm home by listening to my dad's favorite music, going on nature walks or sharing meals with good friends.
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The Tahirih Justice Center, ASISTA, API-GBV, and Casa de Esperanza: National Latin@ Network are national nonprofits that advocate with and for immigrant survivors of gender-based violence and have found that detained applicants for U visas - and potentially other protected survivors - are listed in the new searchable Department of Homeland Security Victim Information Notification Exchange (DHS-VINE) online database.
Victims of crimes such as human trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual assault may be eligible for relief under the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 and the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Prevention Act of 2000, specifically as VAWA self-petitioners, T, or U visa applicants. There are special protections for these applicants' confidentiality under U.S. law, and these provisions are essential, since perpetrators may try to locate and harm victims, undermine and interfere with their cases in order to maintain power and control, or jeopardize victims' eligibility for relief.
Under the law, DHS is prohibited from disclosing any information about a VAWA applicant, U, or T visa holder to a third-party, with certain limited exceptions. The Tahirih Justice Center informed the Department of Homeland Security that applicants for U, T, and VAWA protection, including Tahirih clients, are listed in the DHS-VINE database on May 12, 2017 and again on May 25, 2017.
Although DHS has received several notifications about this breach of confidentiality, they have not removed these victims' federally protected information. Their listing in the public database is a violation of federal statute which carries significant penalties under the law, and puts survivors' lives in danger. Advocates requested that DHS either remove the victims' information immediately or shut down the entire VINE database by Friday, May 26.
Join in on the conversation by tweeting DHS @DHSgov with #ProtectSurvivors
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Upcoming NLN events
Wednesday May 31st
11:00am - 12:30pm (Central)
Sense of Community is positively linked to community participation and mental health. For this reason, connection to grassroots organizations and Latinx identity may help explain the success of promotora and similar peer-model programs.
Presenter:
Lillianne Macias, Ph.D.
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Tuesday June 13th, 2017
2-3:30 pm (Central)
Older adult survivors of abuse have a complex set of circumstances and often poor options to consider. Elder abuse survivors may have additional needs requiring service providers to examine how they are currently delivering services and how their policies and practices may help or hinder an older survivor.
Presenter:
Eden Ruiz-Lopez, Project Manager, National Center on Elder Abuse
Register now
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NPR: New Immigration Crackdowns Creating 'Chilling Effect' On Crime Reporting
"People are afraid to talk to the police, and how does that help us as police do our job?" -Officer Jesus Robles
This article (and soundbite) by National Public Radio explores the effects police are seeing as their relationship with the Latino community, especially victims of violent crimes, are shifting.
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NRCDV Radio Interviews Rosie Hidalgo
"Stories of Transformation"
For the second episode, the NLN's Senior Public Policy Director, Rosie Hidalgo, was asked about her story of transformation and who inspired her. Listen to her story here.
Make sure to check out episodes 1 and 3 by clicking on the links below!
Episode 3 - Lynn Rosenthal, the first White House Advisory on Violence Against Women and former director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence.
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Survey Results Published Outlining Changes in Behavior of Immigrant Survivors
Casa de Esperanza: National Latin@ Network, API-GBV, ASISTA, The National Domestic Violence Hotline, The National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, NNEDV,and the Tahirih Justice Center just released a survey of the field outlining recent changes in attitudes and behaviors of immigrant survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
The survey results show that increased entanglement of local and state law enforcement in federal immigration efforts have had a significant impact on immigrant survivors.
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Ready to Rise Women's Training Application
Are you Ready to Rise?
The New American Leaders' Project is looking for immigrant women who want to make a change and just need the push to get started.
Why run for office? Because:
- I worry about losing vital healthcare access.
- I worry about children, moms and dads getting deported (a story I'm very familiar with).
- I worry about students losing educational opportunities that are so crucial to lifelong success.
- I worry about walls, bans and raids each and every day.
But there is one thing I'm NOT worried about - the availability of talented women who can stop terrible policies and transform, change and uplift American communities.
We are well aware that women, especially women of color and immigrant women, face more difficulties on the campaign trail. It's challenging if you have an accent or a "different" name.
Ready to Rise is a special training designed to address all of these issues. In fact, attendees will be trained by outstanding women of color who get it AND hear from incredible speakers such as:
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Missed one of our recent Blog Talk Radios or webinars?
Don't worry -- you can find all the National Latin@ Network webinars and Blog Talk Radios in our Webinar Archive. But below are a couple that just recently recorded.
Martha Hernández-Martinez, Gerente de Investigación de la Red Nacional Latina, comparte su experiencia de una tarea tan desalentadora no sólo como científica social, sino como investigadora latina.
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Language Access in Courts for Advocates
Olga Trujillo, JD, educates about ensuring meaningful access to courts for survivors with limited English proficiency.
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Conference call: Regarding Anti-Muslim Protests Across the Nation
Muslim Advocates and the Center for New Community invite you to join a call this Friday, May 26 at 12pm ET / 9am PT to 1) share information about the national anti-Muslim protests planned by ACT for America during the Islamic month of Ramadan and 2) coord
inate our efforts to push back against this xenophobia and hate.
Please feel free to share this invitation with colleagues, particularly in locations in which protests are planned (list below), and do not hesitate to reach out to madihha@muslimadvocates.org or lindsay@newcomm.org with any questions.
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Casa de Esperanza: Finance Director
St. Paul, Minnesota
This finance director is the lead financial position for the organization and is responsible for providing sound financial oversight, management, and leadership while promoting Casa de Esperanza's objectives and goals. The finance director supervises two accountants.
Click here for more information about this position
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The Coalition on Human Needs is seeking a highly motivated, organized, and energetic individual to work with our small staff and large network of partner organizations. The Communications Associate will be responsible for two main areas of work: Policy/Communications & Office Management
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Now accepting submissions
We welcome submissions on a number of topics pertaining to domestic violence, family violence, and gender-based violence. These topics include, but are not limited to:
- Gender-based violence intervention and prevention programs that are culturally specific
- Working with Latin@ youth
- Working with immigrant Latin@s
- Health care and gender-based violence
- LGBTQ Latin@ communities
- Children and domestic violence
- Building Latin@ leadership in Latin@ communities
- Elder abuse
We also welcome photography, video, resources, and other digital material that organizations or people wish to share with our network.
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ABOUT THE NATIONAL LATIN@ NETWORK FOR HEALTHY FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES
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The National Latin@ Network for Healthy Families and Communities is a network of individuals and organizations committed to improving the health and well-being of Latin@ communities. The National Latin@ Network is led by Casa de Esperanza, a national Latina organization whose mission is to mobilize Latinas and Latin@ communities to end domestic violence. The National Latin@Network for Healthy Families and Communities builds on Casa de Esperanza´s experience working in local communities to support families, end domestic violence, and increase meaningful access to services for Latina@s and incorporates a research center, public policy initiative, and training.
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