Miami valedictorian fighting deportation
By John Couwels, CNN
(CNN) - An immigration judge has ruled two teenage girls, including a Miami high school valedictorian, are to be deported for being in the country illegally.
Daniela Pelaez, 18, and her sister Dayana came to the United States with their parents from Colombia 14 years ago and never left - overstaying their tourist visas.
A Miami immigration judge ruled this week that the two girls must be deported to Colombia, leaving the teenagers in shock.
"Education not deportation!" chanted fellow students Friday during a protest outside the North Miami Senior High School, where Pelaez is valedictorian.
Navajo Nation sues Urban Outfitters for alleged trademark infringement
By Stephanie Siek, CNN
(CNN) – The Navajo Nation is suing hipster clothing and accessories retailer Urban Outfitters for using the Navajo name and motifs in their products without permission – a practice that they say takes away millions of dollars from the tribe and its members.
The lawsuit alleges that Urban Outfitters' use of the name "Navajo" in its products "deceives and confuses consumers" and "is designed to convey to consumers a false association or affiliation with the Navajo Nation, and to unfairly trade off the fame, reputation, and goodwill of the Navajo Nation’s name and trademarks."
One of the laws under which the tribe is seeking redress is the Indian Arts and Crafts Act, a federal law that makes it illegal for non-Indian businesses to misrepresent a product as being made by a Native American tribe or person.
"When Congress amended the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990, it did so after studies showed that 'fake' Indian products were siphoning millions from the market for products created by citizens of federally recognized tribes," said Kristen Carpenter, a professor of law at the University of Colorado who specializes in Native American property rights.
Judge unlikely to face removal for racist message about Obama
By Bill Mears and Moni Basu, CNN
(CNN) - Come this summer, Judge Richard Cebull will be conducting business in a brand new $79 million federal courthouse in Billings, Montana, paid for through President Obama's economic recovery program. That is, if Cebull survives the firestorm engulfing him for forwarding a racist e-mail about the president.
Several advocacy groups and lawmakers have called for Cebull's resignation, but the judge will probably not face any harsh punitive action, said CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin.
It's rare and generally very difficult to force federal judges from office. They receive tenure, and the Constitution guarantees they can remain on the bench during good behavior.
Engage: Controversial immigration laws on hold
Engage with news and opinions from around the web about under-reported stories from undercovered communities.
Court delays ruling on Alabama, Georgia immigration laws; will wait for U.S Supreme Court to rule - National Public Radio
13-year-old student essay comparing illiteracy of her class to slavery causes controversy - Rochester Democrat & Chronicle
Analysis: Most southern California cities now 'multiracial' - The Los Angeles Times
Q&A: Eugenio Derbez, popular actor in Latin America, raises profile in the United States - The New York Times
Opinion: Why I am a Black male feminist - The Root
Opinion: Imagine a day without a Mexican
Editor's note: Charles Garcia is the CEO of Garcia Trujillo, a business focused on the Hispanic market, and the author of "Leadership Lessons of the White House Fellows." A native of Panama, he now lives in Florida. Follow him on Twitter @charlespgarcia. Lea este artículo en español/Read this article in Spanish.
By Charles Garcia, Special to CNN
(CNN) - One day, California wakes up and every single Latino has inexplicably disappeared. No business owner, doctor, nurse, soldier, teacher, entertainer, athlete or politician can be found. No bus driver, farm worker, cook, gardener or nanny. All gone. California - the ninth largest economy in the world - grinds to a halt because Latinos have vanished. Chaos and tragedy follow. This scenario is what Sergio Arau's satiric film, "A Day Without a Mexican," explores.
This modern-day fable provides a cautionary tale on the assumptions we make about the 11 million unauthorized immigrants who live and work in America every day.
75 years later, ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’ still resonates
Editor's Note: The radio play will broadcast nationally on public radio in September. A full list of The Greene Space events celebrating the 75th anniversary of "Their Eyes Were Watching God" is available here.
By Alicia W. Stewart, CNN
New York (CNN) - When reading Zora Neale Hurston’s seminal literary work,"Their Eyes Were Watching God"– the coming of age love story that chronicles Janie Crawford's search for self– the musicality of the language tickles the ear. In this excerpt, Tea Cake reassures his wife Janie of his love for her:
Whut wud Ah do with that lil chunk of woman wid you around? She ain’t good for nothin’ exceptin’ tuh set up in uh corner by de kitchen stove and break wood over her head. You’se something tuh make uh man forgit tuh git old and forgit tuh die.
It seems fitting, then, that a 75th year celebration of the novel includes the first American radio play adaption in New York.
Narrated by Emmy and Tony-Award Winner Phylicia Rashad, Hurston’s words danced and swayed in The Greene Space, a multimedia venue, punctuated by sound effects and music. FULL POST
About In America
What defines you? Maybe it’s the shade of your skin, the place you grew up, the accent in your words, the make up of your family, the gender you were born with, the intimate relationships you chose to have or your generation? As the American identity changes we will be there to report it. In America is a venue for creative and timely sharing of news that explores who we are. Reach us at inamerica@cnn.com.
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