Mexican federal police have arrested the mayor of the resort city of Cancun on drug trafficking, money laundering and organized crime charges, the latest blow to 2010 state and local elections already marred by violence and allegations of drug cartel involvement.

Gregorio Sanchez, who took a leave of absence from the Cancun mayoral post to run for governor of the Caribbean coastal state of Quintana Roo, was taken into custody Tuesday at Cancun's international airport after arriving on a flight from Mexico City.

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Though Latinos in Arizona and nationwide have mobilized in protest against the state's new immigration law, not all Hispanic Americans are opposed to it. In Arizona, many Latino voters see it as a much-needed crackdown.

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Gov. Jan Brewer R-Ariz. signed into law a ban on classes that are designed primarily for students of a particular ethnicity. The law targets any ethnic studies classes in the state s public school system that “advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals.”

via Ariz. Ban On Ethnic Studies Divides Educators : NPR.

The hard work of Salvadoran immigrant Esperanza Monterrosa enabled daughter Cinthia Flores, in photos at back, to achieve academic success. Flores, UCLA's first Latina student body president, is keenly aware of the vast gulf between the world in which she grew up and the halls of academia. Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times

…read full articles of "UCLA student leader, daughter of immigrants, bridges gulf between two worlds – latimes.com"

Machete Cinco de Mayo Trailer – Trailer Addict.

Voters in El Salvador go to the polls March 15 to elect a new president, and one of the biggest issues in the heated campaign is crime.

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Spanish iconoclast Alex de Iglesia continues to toy with genre conventions in this black comedy, offering up his characteristic social commentary in a skewering of consumerist culture and the superficial values it perpetuates.

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WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union released a comprehensive report today examining widespread abuses that have occurred under the USA Patriot Act, a law that was rushed through Congress just 45 days after September 11. In the almost eight years since the passage of the controversial national security law, the Patriot Act has led to egregious government misconduct.

“From the gagging of our nation’s librarians under the national security letter statute to the gutting of time-honored surveillance laws, the Patriot Act has been disastrous for Americans’ rights,” said Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. “In the panic following the events of 9/11, our nation’s lawmakers hastily expanded the government’s authority to a dangerous level and opened a Pandora’s box of surveillance.”

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Immigration Explorer

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“Simply Mexican” by Lourdes Castro (Ten Speed Press, $16.47).

Even in this recession — with many restaurants laying off employees and others shuttering completely — quick-serve, family-oriented, authentic Mexican-style chains, such as Chipotle, El Pollo Loco, Baja Fresh and Poquito Mas, are expanding due to popularity and demand.

…read full articles of "Ethnic Dishes May Be Easier Than You Think"