News and Views from the People's Struggle
San José, CA – On June 18, a Republican filibuster, aided by pro-war independent Joe Lieberman and Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson, blocked an extension of federal unemployment benefits. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that more than 900,000 laid-off workers will have had their unemployment benefit checks cut off as of June 19.
Only 41,000 New Jobs Created by Businesses in May
San José, CA – On June 4, the Department of Labor reported that there were 431,000 more jobs in May than the month before. But almost all of these new jobs were temporary workers hired for the 2010 Census. Only 41,000 jobs were added by businesses, down sharply from the 218,000 private sector job gain in April. This number was far worse than the 150,000 new jobs that economists expected private businesses to add in May. And of these 41,000 new private sector jobs, 31,000 were temporary help service workers. Despite the job gains this year, the economy is still down some 8 million jobs since the recession began in December of 2007.
San José, CA – On Friday, Jan. 15, the Department of Labor released reports on inflation and real earnings (wages adjusted for inflation) for 2009. The rate of increases in prices for workers who live in cities was moderate, at 3.4%. This figure was higher than the official inflation rate of 2.7%. However wages failed to keep up with the rise in prices, so weekly real earnings, or the purchasing power of workers' weekly wages, fell by 1.6% in 2009. This fall in wages was mainly because the average increase in hourly wages was less than the rise in prices. This reflected the lack of raises and spreading wage cuts last year. Cuts in workers' hours, which also reduced weekly pay, also played a role.
San José, CA – On Friday, Nov. 6, the Labor Department reported that the official unemployment rate for October rose to 10.2%, from 9.8% in September. This is the first time since 1983 that the unemployment rate has topped 10%. A survey of businesses showed that 190,000 more jobs were lost in October, bringing the total number of jobs lost since the recession began in December 2007 to 7.3 million. These figures were worse than what mainstream economists expected and confirmed the fact that there is no recovery for working people.
On Oct. 3, the Department of Labor reported that 263,000 jobs were lost in September, an increase of 50,000 over the jobs lost in August. So far more than 7 million jobs have been lost since the recession began in December of 2007. The official unemployment rate rose to 9.8% in September, from 9.7% in August, double the 4.9% unemployment rate when the recession began. This is the highest level of unemployment since 1983. These facts show that despite the talk of a ‘recovery’ in the corporate media, there is not recovery for working people.
Stock Market Cheers Rising Profits
San José, CA – Layoffs continued to hammer workers and their communities in July and August. Job losses are leading to more and more home foreclosures. State and local governments are losing tax revenues and making more cuts to education and social services. At the same time the stock market has been on a tear, as the profits of big businesses have benefited from layoffs, furloughs, wage cuts and benefit cuts.
San Jose, CA – El 2 de junio, 2002, miembros de la comunidad japonésa-americana se reunieron en el Yu-Ai-Kai (Centro de personas mayores japonésa-americanas) para aprender más sobre los ataques en contra de los árabe-americanos, los musulmán-americanos y los derechos civiles después del 11 de septiembre. Susan Hayase facilitó el programa por parte del Comité de organización Nihonmachi. En su presentación, dijo Hayase que “está pasando de nuevo,” destacando el vínculo entre los arrestos de los japonés-americanos después de Pearl Harbor y la detención de los árabe-americanos y los musulmán-americanos hoy día.
San José, CA – Tras el símbolo de los campos de concentración en que estuvieron detenidas las personas de orígen japonés durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, Steve Nagano de la organización Nikkei por los Derechos Civiles y la Indemnización – Los Angeles (conocida como NCRR-LA por sus siglas en inglés), presentó la película Lucha por la Justicia – La Historia de Ralph Lazo durante el acto conmemorativo efectuado por el Comité Nihonmachi de San José. Dicho acto contó con la participación del templo budista local, la iglesia metodista y de una mezquita, así como de personalidades de la política y miembros de otras organizaciones americanas-japonesas. Como parte de este acto conmemorativo, también se llevó a cabo una marcha y un espectáculo cultural. Ralph Lazo era un joven chicano que, durante la segunda guerra mundial, vivió en los campos de concentración al lado de sus amistades de orígen japonés.
#SanJoséCA #News #AsianNationalities #RalphLazo #ComitéNihonmachiDeSanJosé #NikkeiPorLosDerechosCivilesYLaIndemnizaciónLosAngeles
San José, CA – Speaking from behind a symbol of the World War II concentration camps for Japanese Americans, Steve Nagano of the Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress – Los Angeles introduces the film Stand Up for Justice – The Ralph Lazo Story at the San Jose Day of Remembrance event organized by the Nihonmachi Outreach Committee. Ralph Lazo was a young Chicano who went to a concentration camp during World War II, along with his Japanese American friends. This year’s event drew almost 300 people, the largest audience since the 1980s struggle for redress and reparations for Japanese Americans. The event also featured statements from the local Buddhist temple, Methodist church and Islamic mosque, speakers from other Japanese American organizations and politicians, a candlelight procession and cultural performances.
#SanJoséCA #News #AsianNationalities #NihonmachiOutreachCommittee #RalphLazo #NikkeiForCivilRightsAndRedressLosAngeles
San José, CA -El pasado 15 de febrero unas doscientas personas se dieron cita en el Templo Budista de San José para rememorar la orden ejecutiva 9066, del entonces Presidente Roosevelt, por la cual más de 120,000 japoneses-americanos fueron enviados a campos de concentración.
San José, CA – On May 1, 1500 youth, families, workers and other community members gathered in east San José to demand legalization, an end to the raids and deportations and respect for human, civil, and labor rights.
San José, CA – Poco antes de las fiestas de fin de año, los republicanos en la Cámara de Representantes y en el Senado acordaron recortar programas sociales de ayuda para personas de bajos recursos y para las clases trabajadoras como son el “Medicaid” (servicios de salud para personas de bajos recursos), los prestamos para que los estudiantes asistan a la universidad, “TANF” (Ayuda Temporal para Familias Necesitadas) y el “Medicare” (servicios de salud para personas mayores). Al mismo tiempo, los republicanos aprobaron en la Cámara de Representantes una propuesta, respaldada por el presidente Bush, para reducir los impuestos para los negocios y para los ricos.
San José, CA – Durante los últimos cuatro años, los pensionados han tenido que enfrentar ataques en dos frentes. Por un lado las compañias los despojan de sus planes de seguro médico y pensiones, y por otro, con la caida de la bolsa, el valor de sus pensiones (conocido como “plan 401 k”) se ha reducido significativamente, obligando a muchos a trabajar.
San José, CA -Mientras que se amontonan los cesos y las ciudades reportan cada vez mas hambrientes y desamparados, Wall Street espera que la economía sea muy positiva en 2002. Esto ha producido el resultado de que los precios de las acciones en la bolsa de valores han ido subiendo desde el fin de Septiembre. Wall Street espera que los once recortes de intereses impuestos por el Banco Federal de Reserva produzcan una recuperación de ganancias, con la ayuda de los recortes de impuestos para las corporaciones y los ricos que los Republicanos Congreso pretenden otorgar.
On April 10, more than 35,000 people marched through San Jose to protest against House Resolution 4437. The bill would criminalize the undocumented, build 700 miles of walls along the U.S.-Mexico border and force local and state police to help enforce immigration laws. As the overwhelmingly Chicano and Latino crowd assembled, cars, trucks and semis drove by honking and waving Mexican flags. Marching through the barrio of east San Jose to the city hall downtown, the marchers chanted “Si Se Puede!” (Yes, we can!) and “Se ve, se siente, la raza esta presente!” (We’re seen, we’re felt, La Raza (Latinos) are here!). Contingents of students from high schools marched in with signs and banners and many youth were handing out cards advertising May 1 as a day to walk out of school, to not go to work and to boycott business.
#SanJoseCA #News #ChicanoLatino #immigrantRights #HR4437 #SensenbrennerBill
San José, CA – Hotel worker Ana Diaz, whose son is in the military in Iraq, speaks out against the war at a rally here, March 19, marking the 5th anniversary of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. The rally was sponsored by the South Bay Peace and Justice Center. Speakers included an Iraq war veteran, the Nihonmachi Outreach Committee, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and South Bay Mobilization. After the rally there was a march to a nearby mosque where there was an interfaith program.
#SanJoséCA #AntiwarMovement #News #Iraq #IraqWarVeteran #5thAnniversaryOfTheUSInvasionAndOccupationOfIraq #WomensInternationalLeagueForPeaceAndFreedom #SouthBayPeaceAndJusticeCenter
San Jose, CA – On June 2, members of the San Jose Japanese American community met at the Yu-Ai-Kai (Japanese American Seniors' Center). They were there to learn more about the attacks on Arab Americans, Muslims and civil liberties following Sept. 11. Susan Hayase moderated the program on behalf of the Nihonmachi Outreach Committee. In her introduction, Hayase said, “It is happening again,” and pointed the connection between the mass arrests of Japanese Americans following Pearl Harbor and the detention of Arab and Muslim Americans today.
San José, CA – The United States is now in its longest recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s. At the end of April, the recession that officially began in December of 2007 reached 17 months in length, passing the deep 1981-82 and 1974-75 recessions. The economy has lost almost 6 million jobs, or 4.1% of total jobs at the beginning of the recession, the worst downturn since the recession of 1948. Unemployment in the African American community hit a depression-level 15% in April, while unemployment for Asian Americans has risen the fastest, more than doubling over the last year.
San José, CA – On Friday, April 10, the U.S. Department of the Treasury reported that the federal government budget deficit for the first six months of Fiscal Year 2009 (which runs from October to September) was $957 billion. This was more than three times as large as the deficit was at the same time last year and is on track to a record $1.8 trillion ($1800 billion) deficit as projected by the Congressional Budget Office. This is the largest federal government budget deficit relative to the size of the economy since 1944 at the height of World War II.
663,000 More Jobs Lost in March
San José, CA – On April 3 the monthly jobs report by the Department of Labor showed that the official unemployment rate jumped from 8.1% in February to 8.5% in March, while the economy lost another 663,000 jobs. In addition, the number of jobs lost in January was increased by 90,000, to 741,000, which was the worst one-month job loss in 60 years. So far the economy has lost 5.1 million jobs since the recession began, making this the worst recession in terms of jobs lost in more than 50 years.