El Rescate Organization

Like some Oscar ceremonies of years past, some Oscar parties have more glitches than glitz. Take Wednesday night's second annual Oscar-watching party and fund-raiser held by El Rescate, a support group for Central American refugees in the Los Angeles area. The 1988 El Rescate party at the Mondrian Hotel attracted a large crop of young actors, but this year's version, held at the newly reopened discotheque Vertigo in downtown Los Angeles, attracted fewer celebrities and more logistical problems.

Illegal immigrants in the process of being deported who can prove they have been in the United States for at least seven years are learning how to press their own cases for suspension of deportation in immigration court. A pilot program to train prospective deportees has been set up by attorneys from the El Rescate center for Latin American immigrants and refugees, based in Pico-Union. The first class was held March 9, and a second one was Thursday.

Illegal immigrants in the process of being deported who can prove they have been in the United States for at least seven years are learning how to press their own cases for suspension of deportation in immigration court. A pilot program to train prospective deportees has been set up by attorneys from the El Rescate center for Latin American immigrants and refugees, based in Pico-Union. The first class was held March 9, and a second one was Thursday.

Over the past decade, Los Angeles has become a permanent home to hundreds of thousands of Central American refugees who came here fleeing violence in their homelands. But many of these former refugees, along with other recent Latino immigrants who make ends meet working at one or more relatively low-paying jobs, have so far been unable to establish financial assets in their adopted country. Few of them have enough of a credit history or a big enough nest egg to open a bank account.

Gloria Arqueta, a Los Angeles high school student who has lived here illegally for three years, has virtually no memory of her native El Salvador except for her parents' nightmarish stories. For many of her 17 years, she and her family wandered through Central America, searching for a safe haven from the civil war that has ravaged their country. "I just hear that children are being killed, burned to death, and they don't know why," she said. "I won't go back."

Salsa music blaring festively from loudspeakers belied the concerned expressions of many local residents as they milled about Terrace Park last weekend, shuffling through pamphlets and flyers at El Rescate immigrant center's first citizenship fair and block party. Despite the cheerful atmosphere Saturday, most of the 500 people who attended had come to seek ways to ensure their security as immigrants.

El Rescate, a center catering to the legal, social-service and educational needs of Central American refugees, has launched a series of Monday night meetings to keep Latino immigrants informed about the progress of Proposition 187 as the controversial voter-approved initiative moves through the courts. "The meetings will focus on the different legal challenges (Proposition 187) is facing," said Jaime Flores, acting executive director of the center.

Over the past decade, Los Angeles has become a permanent home to hundreds of thousands of Central American refugees who came here fleeing violence in their homelands. But many of these former refugees, along with other recent Latino immigrants who make ends meet working at one or more relatively low-paying jobs, have so far been unable to establish financial assets in their adopted country. Few of them have enough of a credit history or a big enough nest egg to open a bank account.

A group of 20 youths in Pico-Union and South-Central Los Angeles, armed with a busload of complaints about the city's public transportation system, are taking a direct route to make sure their message is heard. The group's name underscores its task: United to Improve Transportation in Pico-Union, or Unidos Para Mejorar El Tranporte de Pico-Union. Members have prepared a flyer calling for better bus service in Pico-Union, where a large number of residents use public transportation.

El Rescate has set up an earthquake-relief information line for residents who have questions about city, state and federal assistance. "We want to act as a clearinghouse for people who need help," said Oscar Andrade, executive director of the Pico-Union social service agency. El Rescate will have contact numbers for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Los Angeles Police Department, the city Building and Safety Department and Department of Water and Power.

El Rescate, a center catering to the legal, social-service and educational needs of Central American refugees, has launched a series of Monday night meetings to keep Latino immigrants informed about the progress of Proposition 187 as the controversial voter-approved initiative moves through the courts. "The meetings will focus on the different legal challenges (Proposition 187) is facing," said Jaime Flores, acting executive director of the center.

Salsa music blaring festively from loudspeakers belied the concerned expressions of many local residents as they milled about Terrace Park last weekend, shuffling through pamphlets and flyers at El Rescate immigrant center's first citizenship fair and block party. Despite the cheerful atmosphere Saturday, most of the 500 people who attended had come to seek ways to ensure their security as immigrants.

Just months after his group emerged from one of the worst financial crises in its history, the executive director of El Rescate announced his departure, setting off a months-long search for new leadership and a new image. Last November, Oscar Andrade, 34, announced he was leaving the social service agency to return to his native El Salvador, which he fled in 1980 because of a brutal civil war.

El Rescate has set up an earthquake-relief information line for residents who have questions about city, state and federal assistance. "We want to act as a clearinghouse for people who need help," said Oscar Andrade, executive director of the Pico-Union social service agency. El Rescate will have contact numbers for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Los Angeles Police Department, the city Building and Safety Department and Department of Water and Power.

A group of 20 youths in Pico-Union and South-Central Los Angeles, armed with a busload of complaints about the city's public transportation system, are taking a direct route to make sure their message is heard. The group's name underscores its task: United to Improve Transportation in Pico-Union, or Unidos Para Mejorar El Tranporte de Pico-Union. Members have prepared a flyer calling for better bus service in Pico-Union, where a large number of residents use public transportation.

Gloria Arqueta, a Los Angeles high school student who has lived here illegally for three years, has virtually no memory of her native El Salvador except for her parents' nightmarish stories. For many of her 17 years, she and her family wandered through Central America, searching for a safe haven from the civil war that has ravaged their country. "I just hear that children are being killed, burned to death, and they don't know why," she said. "I won't go back."

Just months after his group emerged from one of the worst financial crises in its history, the executive director of El Rescate announced his departure, setting off a months-long search for new leadership and a new image. Last November, Oscar Andrade, 34, announced he was leaving the social service agency to return to his native El Salvador, which he fled in 1980 because of a brutal civil war.

Like some Oscar ceremonies of years past, some Oscar parties have more glitches than glitz. Take Wednesday night's second annual Oscar-watching party and fund-raiser held by El Rescate, a support group for Central American refugees in the Los Angeles area. The 1988 El Rescate party at the Mondrian Hotel attracted a large crop of young actors, but this year's version, held at the newly reopened discotheque Vertigo in downtown Los Angeles, attracted fewer celebrities and more logistical problems.