December7: House Fails to Pass Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act.
Yesterday, representatives tried to push the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act through the House, and failed. This bill would have required doctors to inform some women seeking an abortion that the fetus might feel pain. MORE

Maternal and Child Health in Southeastern Pennsylvania
A new report by the Maternity Care Coalition on women’s dismal state of pre-natal access and care in Pennsylvania highlights the lack of access for diverse ethnic groups, including Latinas. Click here for the report.

November 21: New Head of Family Planning Services Anti-Choice
Last week President Bush chose Eric Keroack, an opponent of birth control and abortion, as the new family planning chief. MORE

November 20: Nicaraguan President Signs Abortion Ban
On Friday, President Bolaños signed a ban on all abortions including those that would save the life of the woman. Legal challenges are expected. MORE

More at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health website

Professors Elma Gonzalez, Diana Marinez, Elvia Niebla and doctoral candidate Elisa Ruiz read excerpts from their essays in Norma Cantu’s recent book project, Flor y Ciencia: Chicanas in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Thursday, Nov. 16 on the UT San Antonio campus. Sponsored by the departments of Women’s Studies, English, Classics, & Philosophy,

Gonzales is a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UCLA. Marinez is a professor of biochemistry and dean of the College of Science and Technology at Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi. Niebla serves as the national coordinator for the USDA Forest Service Global Change Research Program. Ruiz is a doctoral candidate in mathematics at Texas A&M University, College Station.

If you’d like a copy of Flor y Ciencia (Christmas gift?), please drop an email to ten.sclamobfsctd-8c3cb4@utnaCN and your message will be forwarded to her.

See full story at https://www.utsa.edu/today/2006/11/chicanas.cfm

Penn State – Laura Pérez kicked off the first event in the Latina/o Studies Initiative yesterday with a speech on Chicana and feminist art as part of the “Engaging Latina/o America” lecture series.

This series is intended to mark the inauguration of the new Latina/o studies program, Roselyn Costantino, professor of Spanish, women’s studies and Latina/o studies, said.

[Read more…] about Perez helps inaugurate Latina/o Stu at Penn State

Wow. Columbia senior Karina Garcia, Political Chair of the school’s Chicano Caucus, appeared on NPR’s Democracy Now to debate Minuteman founder Jim Gilchrist. Gilchrist had been invited by the College Republicans to speak on campus, and Garcia’s group was one of many that staged an active protest at the event. On the radio show, after Garcia gave her explanation of the event, Gilchrist fled the studio.

Apparently, Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly has picked up Gilchrist’s version almost immediately, gaining a questionable response from Columbia’s president (“a serious breach of academic faith”). See the transcript and/or audio at
https://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/11/1430231

See Garcia’s comments below….

[Read more…] about Minuteman flees debate with Columbia Chicana organizer…