Hispanics Southwestern United States

Violence along the U.S.-Mexico border underscores the need for independent civilian review of alleged abuses of immigrants by law enforcement agencies and racially motivated criminals, according to a group of activists who have been investigating the problem. The California Border Violence Delegation Project, a group of about 50 activists from throughout California, conducted a three-day inquiry into reports of abuse of Latinos in the border area.

Finding work is hard enough at the Gulfton day labor site, where immigrant men crowd daily to offer strong backs and cheap labor. But when the best-known day laborer in America is an alleged serial killer known as Rafael Resendez-Ramirez, a day's wage gets dicier still for Diego Xiloj and his friends, who say freelance construction work has plummeted since the killer became quarry in a national manhunt. "I think the employers are scared of us.

The special needs of Latinos must be part of a national education policy in order to close a widening economic gap between them and the rest of the population, experts agreed Saturday at a gathering of Latino leaders. "In the nation's education reform debate, Hispanics appear nowhere," RAND Corp. policy analyst Georges Vernez complained during the closing day of the National Assn. of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials convention in Anaheim.

The special needs of Latinos must be part of a national education policy in order to close a widening economic gap between them and the rest of the population, experts agreed Saturday at a gathering of Latino leaders. "In the nation's education reform debate, Hispanics appear nowhere," RAND Corp. policy analyst Georges Vernez complained during the closing day of the National Assn. of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials convention in Anaheim.

Finding work is hard enough at the Gulfton day labor site, where immigrant men crowd daily to offer strong backs and cheap labor. But when the best-known day laborer in America is an alleged serial killer known as Rafael Resendez-Ramirez, a day's wage gets dicier still for Diego Xiloj and his friends, who say freelance construction work has plummeted since the killer became quarry in a national manhunt. "I think the employers are scared of us.

Violence along the U.S.-Mexico border underscores the need for independent civilian review of alleged abuses of immigrants by law enforcement agencies and racially motivated criminals, according to a group of activists who have been investigating the problem. The California Border Violence Delegation Project, a group of about 50 activists from throughout California, conducted a three-day inquiry into reports of abuse of Latinos in the border area.