links for 2011-07-02

But you knew this, Racializens.–AJP

"The report found that there was a strong correlation between social inclusion, competitiveness and economic development, and argued that 'prejudice, in whatever form – including racism, sexism, homophobia, religious intolerance – irrationally destroys the value of human capital.'

"'Hypothetically, what would happen if the secret of energy efficiency, or to greater food productivity is locked up in the mind of somebody who is denied the ability to develop because of their race or their religious beliefs or their sexual orientation? That's the sort challenge that we now face,' Donovan said."

"Republican Gov. Nathan Deal started the experiment after farmers publicly complained they couldn’t find enough workers to harvest labor-intensive crops such as cucumbers and berries because Latino workers — including many [undocumented] immigrants — refused to show up, even when offered one-time or weekly bonuses. One crew who previously worked for Mendez told him they wouldn’t come to Georgia for fear of risking deportation.

"For more than a week, the state’s probation officers have encouraged their unemployed offenders to consider taking field jobs. While most offenders are required to work while on probation, statistics show they have a hard time finding jobs. Georgia’s unemployment rate is nearly 10 percent, but correction officials say among the state’s 103,000 probationers, it’s about 15 percent. Still, offenders can turn down jobs they consider unsuitable, and harvesting is physically demanding."

"[I]n 2008, 67% of the Latino vote went to Barack Obama. However, Democratic consultant and CNN contributor Maria Cardona warns the president can't take that vote for granted next year.

"'For example, a lot of Latinos express frustration that this president has not been able to deliver on his promise of comprehensive immigration reform,' Cardona says. "'But I think what you'll see is that instead of Latinos actually going to vote for Republicans, the danger for Democrats is they'll stay home.'"

"Was Ramirez a victim of this nativist rage? The teens accused of committing a hate crime claimed they weren't motivated by hatred or bigotry toward Latinos, a pivotal question in the case against them. But the vitriol and outright bigotry surrounding the immigration debate, coupled with the racial slurs used that night, make it hard to escape the conclusion that the tragedy was the fruit of hatred and resentment toward Latino immigrants. Shenandoah, a once-thriving coal town in decline for almost a century, is just 20 miles down the road from Hazleton, which in 2006 became the first community in America to pass its own anti-immigration ordinance."

"This is a largely racially segregated school system in all five boroughs. In certain neighborhoods where Ray Kelly’s stop-and-frisk police are all too familiar, parents would not have been surprised to hear from the Education Mayor himself what he thinks of them on his weekly WOR interview: 'Unfortunately, there are some parents who…never had a formal education, and they don’t understand the value of an education. Many of our kids come from [such] families—the old Norman Rockwell family is gone.'"

From Racialicious Hall of Famer Nadra Kareem Nittle–AJP

"But it is unclear whether the migration of African-American voters will change the number of congressional districts where black candidates can win. Rob Richie, executive director of FairVote, based in Takoma Park, Md., notes that Republicans often join civil rights leaders in supporting African-American legislative districts rather than creating politically diverse districts where the black vote could decide close elections.

“'Republicans have a political interest in concentrating the African-American vote,' Richie says. 'When blacks are concentrated, they can’t have their votes in as many districts. It’s a trade-off.'”