Freehold man tapped for state immigration panel

[BrianSullivan]

By KIM PREDHAM • FREEHOLD BUREAU • January 17, 2010

TRENTON — Freehold resident Frank Argote-Freyre will head up a new state commission meant to help immigrants integrate into the "economic, social and civic fabric" of New Jersey.





His first order of business? To arrange a meeting with Gov.-elect Chris Christie.

"The goal is how can we work with the new administration to improve the lives of immigrants," said Argote-Freyre, who also leads the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey's Monmouth County chapter.

Corzine signed an executive order this week creating the Commission on New Americans, one of several recommendations made by the Governor's Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel on Immigrant Policy in March.

The panel also called for in-state college tuition eligibility and driving privileges for undocumented immigrants. Christie has criticized both ideas, and state lawmakers shelved plans Monday to vote on an in-state tuition proposal.

Argote-Freyre, 49, said he wants to meet with Christie to discuss the positive contributions the new commission can make. A Christie spokeswoman did not return a call for comment.

The 23-member commission's responsibilities include advising the governor on immigration integration issues and developing a resource guide to the state and local services available to immigrants. Those services would include English language and citizenship acquisition, accreditation and qualification services and employment support.

Corzine named 17 members to the commission this week. Argote-Freyre was the only appointee from Monmouth or Ocean counties.

Six others will also have voting power on the commission: the Governor's chief of staff, the Public Advocate, the commissioners of the Human Services, Health and Senior Services and Labor departments, and the director of the Division on Civil Rights.

The commission will be housed within the Department of the Public Advocate.
Kim Predham: 732-308-7752 or [e-mail]

This story includes material from previous Press stories.

[BrianSullivan]

Personally, I believe the article should have referred to a local "leader" being tapped for the commission. Whether people agree with Frank and the LLA or not, he has been a success at the local level.

The article mentioned the blue ribbon panel, which was mostly, if not totally comprised of people for the open borders/sanctuary/amnesty lobby. Any person who took the time to read that report will immediately recognize that Freehold Borough is well described in that report, a sanctuary town and will remain a magnet, for both legal and illegal immigrants for generations to come. Part of that is the result of Frank's activism which he has been successful at. I am sure he will use his gained experience while on this new commission.

[BrianSullivan]

Some more backround on the new commission....

www.state.nj.us/governor/news/news/2010/approved/20100112.html

Governor Corzine Signs Executive Order Creating Commission on New Americans
TRENTON - Governor Jon S. Corzine signed an Executive Order establishing the Commission on New Americans. A key recommendation of the Governor's Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel on Immigrant Policy, this new Commission will oversee inter-departmental collaboration regarding immigrant integration policies in New Jersey.

"Today, we are taking a necessary step in creating a comprehensive statewide strategy that will successfully weave immigrants into the economic, social and civic fabric our communities and our State," Governor Corzine said.

Major responsibilities of the Commission will include:

advising the Governor on how best to achieve immigrant integration in the delivery of services and programs, in a cost neutral manner, consistent with mission and quality;
developing a strategy for the implementation of those recommendations made by the Panel that will foster successful integration of the immigrant population in New Jersey;
creating a resource guide that will navigate and support the approximately 1.8 million immigrants through the maze of state and local resources that provide targeted services to immigrants, including referrals to nonprofit and faith-based organizations, English language acquisition, citizenship acquisition, accreditation and qualification services, and employment support.
Housed within the Department of the Public Advocate, the Commission will be comprised of seventeen (17) members from the public serving as commissioners in addition to six (6) ex-officio members, including the commissioners of Human Services, Health and Senior Services, Labor, Public Advocate and Governor's Chief-of-Staff. The Governor filed the following direct appointments to the Commission:

Appoint and designate as Chair Frank Argote-Freyre (Freehold, Monmouth)

Appoint Emiliano Lemos (Dover, Morris)

Appoint Marlene Lao-Collins (Trenton, Mercer)

Appoint Maneesha Kelkar (Summit, Union)

Appoint Lucilo A. Santos (Hackensack, Bergen)

Appoint Douglas K. Chia (Princeton Junction, Mercer)

Appoint Maria R. Juega (Princeton, Mercer)

Appoint Shehnaz Sheik Abdeljaber (South Plainfield, Middlesex)

Appoint Roy Garcia (Hawthorne, Passaic)

Appoint William E. Escobar (Paterson, Passaic)

Appoint Honorable Peter C. Eagler (Clifton, Passaic)

Appoint Christine Thurlow Brenner, Ph.D. (Laurel Springs, Camden)

Appoint Lizette Delgado-Polanco (Kendall Park, Middlesex)

Appoint Rev. Gabriel A. Salguero, M.Div. (Newark, Essex)

Appoint Louis A. Marino (Pennsauken, Camden)

Appoint Marien Casillas-Pabellon (New Brunswick, Middlesex)

Appoint Dr. Anastasia Mann (Princeton, Mercer)

A copy of the Executive Order is below:

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 164

WHEREAS, immigrants make up twenty percent of New Jersey's population and have made substantial contributions to the state's economic, social, cultural, political, and academic sectors; and

WHEREAS, New Jersey's population of foreign-born individuals is the sixth largest in the nation and ranks third nationally in the proportion of its immigrant population to its total population; and

WHEREAS, immigrants help power New Jersey's economy, making up twenty-eight percent of the workforce in New Jersey and bringing in twenty-three percent of all earnings statewide; and

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 78 (2007) created the Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel on Immigrant Policy ("Panel"), which, among other things, was charged with developing recommendations for a comprehensive and strategic statewide approach to successfully integrate the rapidly growing immigrant population in New Jersey; and

WHEREAS, the Panel also was tasked with making a recommendation to the Governor as to whether a more permanent body is necessary for the continued implementation of immigrant policy in the State; and

WHEREAS, on March 30, 2009, the Panel publicly released its final report which, among other things, included the recommendation that the Governor establish a Commission on New Americans ("Commission"); and

WHEREAS, the Panel concluded that New Jersey would benefit from the creation of a permanent entity within state government such as the Commission that would lead the discussion in implementing a holistic statewide policy of immigrant integration and ensure that all state agencies provide services in an efficient and culturally and linguistically competent manner; and

WHEREAS, by providing efficient and culturally and linguistically competent services New Jersey will enhance the capacity of its immigrant workforce which contributes to the overall well-educated and well-trained workforce and promotion of economic growth opportunities for the State;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JON S. CORZINE, Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:

1. There is hereby established, in the Department of the Public Advocate, the Commission on New Americans.
2. The Commission shall be composed of twenty-three (23) members. The following officials, or their designees, shall serve on the Commission, ex officio, and with a vote: the Governor's Chief of Staff, the Public Advocate, the Commissioner of Human Services, the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, the Commissioner of Labor, and the Director of the Division on Civil Rights is the department of law and Public Safety and Workforce Development.
3. There shall be seventeen (17) public members of the Commission, appointed by the Governor. The Governor shall appoint each public member for a term of three years, except that of the public members first appointed, six of whom shall be appointed to a three-year term, six of whom shall be appointed to a two-year term, and five of whom shall be appointed to a one-year term. Public members shall serve until their successors are appointed and qualified, and any vacancy in the membership of the Commission shall be filled for the unexpired term in the manner provided for the original appointment. Public members of the Commission shall serve without compensation.
4. The public members shall be residents of the State, chosen with due regard for geographic representation, diversity, education, knowledge, experience, and academic post-graduate level degrees related to the immigrant community in New Jersey. The public members may include representatives from immigrant and immigrant-serving community based organizations, philanthropic organizations, advocacy groups, businesses, including immigrant entrepreneurs, unions, academia, and faith-based organizations.
5. The Governor shall select a chair, and the members of the Commission shall elect annually from among their members a vice-chair.
6. Through the redirection of existing resources, the Commission shall be appropriately staffed by State employees may be available and as assigned by the Governor or Public Advocate and provided with the necessary resources that will allow it to accomplish its mandate as delineated within this Executive Order.
7. The Commission shall be authorized to call upon any department, office, division, or agency of this State to supply it with any information, personnel, or other assistance available to such agency as the Commission deems necessary to discharge its duties under this Order. Each department, office, division, or agency of this State is hereby required, to the extent not inconsistent with law, to cooperate fully with the Commission within the limits of its statutory authority and to furnish the Commission with such assistance on as timely a basis as is necessary to accomplish the purposes of this Order. The Commission may consult with experts or other knowledgeable individuals in the public or private sector on any aspect of its mission.
8. The Commission shall be the central coordination and oversight entity for the inter-departmental collaboration regarding immigrant integration policies. The Commission shall work for and on behalf of the Governor to oversee the implementation of a statewide policy for immigrant integration and work collaboratively with community organizations on ensuring that public input into the process is consistently maintained.
9. The Commission shall evaluate the structure and organization of government in New Jersey, including State agencies, instrumentalities, and independent authorities, local and county government, and school districts, and advise the Governor on how best to achieve immigrant integration in the delivery of services and programs, in a cost neutral manner.
10. In its evaluation and examination of any aspect of immigrant integration in New Jersey the Commission shall identify any measures that will bring enhanced economy, efficiency, and accountability to government operations.
11. The Commission is charged with developing a strategy for the implementation of those recommendations made by the Panel that will foster successful integration of the immigrant population in New Jersey.
12. The Commission shall develop a resource guide that will navigate and support the approximately 1.8 million immigrants through the maze of state and local resources that provide targeted services to immigrants, including referrals to nonprofit and faith-based organizations, English language acquisition, citizenship acquisition, accreditation and qualification services, and employment support.
13. The Commission shall be a repository of best practices models for effective immigrant integration at the local governmental level and may provide technical assistance to any municipal or governmental entity that requests such assistance.
14. The Commission is authorized to elicit input by conducting public hearings to take testimony from individuals, community groups, and other interested parties and by arranging for those who are not able to testify in person to forward their testimony by mail or by electronic communications.
15. The Commission shall establish a schedule of meetings and shall report periodically to the Governor on its activities and recommendations. An initial report to the Governor shall be submitted within six months from the date of the first meeting and an annual report shall be submitted six months from that date or as soon as practicable thereafter. Henceforth, the annual report shall be submitted on the one-year anniversary of the submission of the first annual report.
16. Any reports of the Commission shall be provided to the Legislature and shall be made available to the public.
17. The Commission's members shall be appointed within 30 days of the signing of this Executive Order. The Commission shall meet as soon as practical after the chair and a majority of the members have been appointed. The presence of a majority of the authorized membership of the Commission shall constitute a quorum and shall be required for the conduct of official business.
18. This Order shall take effect immediately

[richardkelsey]

Jan 19, 2010 6:31:37 GMT -5 BrianSullivan said:

Some more background on the new commission....

www.state.nj.us/governor/news/news/2010/approved/20100112.html

Governor Corzine Signs Executive Order Creating Commission on New Americans
TRENTON - Governor Jon S. Corzine signed an Executive Order establishing the Commission on New Americans. A key recommendation of the Governor's Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel on Immigrant Policy, this new Commission will oversee inter-departmental collaboration regarding immigrant integration policies in New Jersey.

"Today, we are taking a necessary step in creating a comprehensive statewide strategy that will successfully weave immigrants into the economic, social and civic fabric our communities and our State," Governor Corzine said.

Major responsibilities of the Commission will include:

advising the Governor on how best to achieve immigrant integration in the delivery of services and programs, in a cost neutral manner, consistent with mission and quality;
developing a strategy for the implementation of those recommendations made by the Panel that will foster successful integration of the immigrant population in New Jersey;
creating a resource guide that will navigate and support the approximately 1.8 million immigrants through the maze of state and local resources that provide targeted services to immigrants, including referrals to nonprofit and faith-based organizations, English language acquisition, citizenship acquisition, accreditation and qualification services, and employment support.
Housed within the Department of the Public Advocate, the Commission will be comprised of seventeen (17) members from the public serving as commissioners in addition to six (6) ex-officio members, including the commissioners of Human Services, Health and Senior Services, Labor, Public Advocate and Governor's Chief-of-Staff. The Governor filed the following direct appointments to the Commission:

Appoint and designate as Chair Frank Argote-Freyre (Freehold, Monmouth)

Appoint Emiliano Lemos (Dover, Morris)

Appoint Marlene Lao-Collins (Trenton, Mercer)

Appoint Maneesha Kelkar (Summit, Union)

Appoint Lucilo A. Santos (Hackensack, Bergen)

Appoint Douglas K. Chia (Princeton Junction, Mercer)

Appoint Maria R. Juega (Princeton, Mercer)

Appoint Shehnaz Sheik Abdeljaber (South Plainfield, Middlesex)

Appoint Roy Garcia (Hawthorne, Passaic)

Appoint William E. Escobar (Paterson, Passaic)

Appoint Honorable Peter C. Eagler (Clifton, Passaic)

Appoint Christine Thurlow Brenner, Ph.D. (Laurel Springs, Camden)

Appoint Lizette Delgado-Polanco (Kendall Park, Middlesex)

Appoint Rev. Gabriel A. Salguero, M.Div. (Newark, Essex)

Appoint Louis A. Marino (Pennsauken, Camden)

Appoint Marien Casillas-Pabellon (New Brunswick, Middlesex)

Appoint Dr. Anastasia Mann (Princeton, Mercer)

A copy of the Executive Order is below:

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 164

WHEREAS, immigrants make up twenty percent of New Jersey's population and have made substantial contributions to the state's economic, social, cultural, political, and academic sectors; and

WHEREAS, New Jersey's population of foreign-born individuals is the sixth largest in the nation and ranks third nationally in the proportion of its immigrant population to its total population; and

WHEREAS, immigrants help power New Jersey's economy, making up twenty-eight percent of the workforce in New Jersey and bringing in twenty-three percent of all earnings statewide; and

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 78 (2007) created the Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel on Immigrant Policy ("Panel"), which, among other things, was charged with developing recommendations for a comprehensive and strategic statewide approach to successfully integrate the rapidly growing immigrant population in New Jersey; and

WHEREAS, the Panel also was tasked with making a recommendation to the Governor as to whether a more permanent body is necessary for the continued implementation of immigrant policy in the State; and

WHEREAS, on March 30, 2009, the Panel publicly released its final report which, among other things, included the recommendation that the Governor establish a Commission on New Americans ("Commission"); and

WHEREAS, the Panel concluded that New Jersey would benefit from the creation of a permanent entity within state government such as the Commission that would lead the discussion in implementing a holistic statewide policy of immigrant integration and ensure that all state agencies provide services in an efficient and culturally and linguistically competent manner; and

WHEREAS, by providing efficient and culturally and linguistically competent services New Jersey will enhance the capacity of its immigrant workforce which contributes to the overall well-educated and well-trained workforce and promotion of economic growth opportunities for the State;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JON S. CORZINE, Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:

1. There is hereby established, in the Department of the Public Advocate, the Commission on New Americans.
2. The Commission shall be composed of twenty-three (23) members. The following officials, or their designees, shall serve on the Commission, ex officio, and with a vote: the Governor's Chief of Staff, the Public Advocate, the Commissioner of Human Services, the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, the Commissioner of Labor, and the Director of the Division on Civil Rights is the department of law and Public Safety and Workforce Development.
3. There shall be seventeen (17) public members of the Commission, appointed by the Governor. The Governor shall appoint each public member for a term of three years, except that of the public members first appointed, six of whom shall be appointed to a three-year term, six of whom shall be appointed to a two-year term, and five of whom shall be appointed to a one-year term. Public members shall serve until their successors are appointed and qualified, and any vacancy in the membership of the Commission shall be filled for the unexpired term in the manner provided for the original appointment. Public members of the Commission shall serve without compensation.
4. The public members shall be residents of the State, chosen with due regard for geographic representation, diversity, education, knowledge, experience, and academic post-graduate level degrees related to the immigrant community in New Jersey. The public members may include representatives from immigrant and immigrant-serving community based organizations, philanthropic organizations, advocacy groups, businesses, including immigrant entrepreneurs, unions, academia, and faith-based organizations.
5. The Governor shall select a chair, and the members of the Commission shall elect annually from among their members a vice-chair.
6. Through the redirection of existing resources, the Commission shall be appropriately staffed by State employees may be available and as assigned by the Governor or Public Advocate and provided with the necessary resources that will allow it to accomplish its mandate as delineated within this Executive Order.
7. The Commission shall be authorized to call upon any department, office, division, or agency of this State to supply it with any information, personnel, or other assistance available to such agency as the Commission deems necessary to discharge its duties under this Order. Each department, office, division, or agency of this State is hereby required, to the extent not inconsistent with law, to cooperate fully with the Commission within the limits of its statutory authority and to furnish the Commission with such assistance on as timely a basis as is necessary to accomplish the purposes of this Order. The Commission may consult with experts or other knowledgeable individuals in the public or private sector on any aspect of its mission.
8. The Commission shall be the central coordination and oversight entity for the inter-departmental collaboration regarding immigrant integration policies. The Commission shall work for and on behalf of the Governor to oversee the implementation of a statewide policy for immigrant integration and work collaboratively with community organizations on ensuring that public input into the process is consistently maintained.
9. The Commission shall evaluate the structure and organization of government in New Jersey, including State agencies, instrumentalities, and independent authorities, local and county government, and school districts, and advise the Governor on how best to achieve immigrant integration in the delivery of services and programs, in a cost neutral manner.
10. In its evaluation and examination of any aspect of immigrant integration in New Jersey the Commission shall identify any measures that will bring enhanced economy, efficiency, and accountability to government operations.
11. The Commission is charged with developing a strategy for the implementation of those recommendations made by the Panel that will foster successful integration of the immigrant population in New Jersey.
12. The Commission shall develop a resource guide that will navigate and support the approximately 1.8 million immigrants through the maze of state and local resources that provide targeted services to immigrants, including referrals to nonprofit and faith-based organizations, English language acquisition, citizenship acquisition, accreditation and qualification services, and employment support.
13. The Commission shall be a repository of best practices models for effective immigrant integration at the local governmental level and may provide technical assistance to any municipal or governmental entity that requests such assistance.
14. The Commission is authorized to elicit input by conducting public hearings to take testimony from individuals, community groups, and other interested parties and by arranging for those who are not able to testify in person to forward their testimony by mail or by electronic communications.
15. The Commission shall establish a schedule of meetings and shall report periodically to the Governor on its activities and recommendations. An initial report to the Governor shall be submitted within six months from the date of the first meeting and an annual report shall be submitted six months from that date or as soon as practicable thereafter. Henceforth, the annual report shall be submitted on the one-year anniversary of the submission of the first annual report.
16. Any reports of the Commission shall be provided to the Legislature and shall be made available to the public.
17. The Commission's members shall be appointed within 30 days of the signing of this Executive Order. The Commission shall meet as soon as practical after the chair and a majority of the members have been appointed. The presence of a majority of the authorized membership of the Commission shall constitute a quorum and shall be required for the conduct of official business.
18. This Order shall take effect immediately

It's cheap politics for an outgoing Governor to put togther a politically motivated commission and dump his appointees, including open borders advocates, on the new Governor.

Christie should rescind the executive order and put this politically charged committee on the back-burner while he addresses budget issues. IMHO

[BrianSullivan]

Rich Wrote:

It's cheap politics for an outgoing Governor to put together a politically motivated commission and dump his appointees, including open borders advocates, on the new Governor.

Christie should rescind the executive order and put this politically charged committee on the back-burner while he addresses budget issues. IMHO

This is the post where I have to express my strong disagreements with the LLA and other like minded groups. I agree with Rich, this committee should be not only on the back burner, but abolished. It is no surprise that Corzine did this, his original Blue Ribbon Panel was a fraud and very dishonest.

I again invite readers to go back to the report from the panel. It is a disgrace. First thing is the failure to recognize the difference between legal and illegal immigration. No person in their right mind can say that illegal immigration has been good for our town. There has not been one positive benefit from it for Freehold Borough and we have been dealing with it for many years. That accusation is not one directed at the people or any culture. Those issues are superficial and diversionary. It comes down to economics, numbers and the rule of law. If it were not for II, our schools would not be overcrowded with people who do not pay their fair share. We would not have had the rise of slumlords renting out beautiful homes, running them down and causing overcrowding.

And last but not least, the most negative consequence- the activists who support the illegal immigration population. Most people completely under estimate these groups and have no idea what to expect. The history from these groups in Freehold Borough is not one with promise for the better of the town. Quite the contrary, these groups have worked against the town, hurt the town, and have not done the things they really should have been doing. What Corzine has done is empower groups that have been hostile to the majority of our town. That is both dangerous and foolish. People of New Jersey should look at what has happened in FB and realize this commission will not work for the good of the state.

BTW, II is not the problem in this town, but a symptom and byproduct of the real problems. More on that another time

[admin]

newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2010-01-20/Front_Page/Freehold_resident_named_to_chair_new_state_panel.html

Freehold resident named to chair new state panel

BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer
Frank Argote-Fryre FREEHOLD — Frank Argote-Freyre of Freehold Borough has been named the chairman of New Jersey’s Commission on New Americans.

The commission was created last week through an Executive Order issued by Gov. Jon S. Corzine in the waning days of his administration. The creation of such a panel was a recommendation of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Immigration Policy.

The administration of Republican Gov. Chris Christie took control of the governor’s office on Jan. 19. Asked to comment on the creation of the new group, Maria Comella, a spokeswoman for Christie, said the state’s new chief executive “will have to take a closer look at this commission.”

In a press release, Corzine said, “We are taking a necessary step in creating a comprehensive statewide strategy that will successfully weave immigrants into the economic, social and civic fabric of our communities and of our state.”

In an interview, Argote-Freyre said the Commission on New Americans would oversee interdepartmental collaboration regarding immigrant integration policies in New Jersey.

Argote-Freyre said he was excited about taking the reins of the commission and is looking forward to the challenges the position will hold. He said the commission would focus on immigrants of all ethnic backgrounds.

“Not just Hispanic immigrants,” he said. “We have many ethnic groups in New Jersey, including a very large Eastern Asian population. My goal as chairman of the commission will be to bring together the community, to integrate immigrants into the fabric of the statewide community.”

Argote-Freyre said the Commission on New Americans will be a nonpartisan body.

“These issues exist regardless of political power,” he explained. “Good ideas are not Democratic or Republican. We were created by Gov. Corzine, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be valuable to Gov. Christie, too.”




According to the press release, the major responsibilities of the Commission on New Americans will include advising the governor of the following:

• How to best achieve immigrant integration, the delivery of services and programs in a cost neutral manner, consistent with mission and quality;

• Developing a strategy for the implementation of those recommendations made by the panel that will foster successful integration of the immigrant population in New Jersey;

• Creating a resource guide that will navigate and support the approximately 1.8 million immigrants through the maze of state and local resources that provide targeted services to immigrants, including referrals to nonprofit and faith-based organizations, English language acquisition, citizenship accreditation and qualification services, and employment.

Corzine’s Executive Order states that immigrants make up 20 percent of New Jersey’s population and have made substantial contributions to the state’s economic, social, cultural, political and academic sectors, and that immigrants power the state’s economy, making up 28 percent of the workforce in the state and bringing in 23 percent of all earnings statewide.

Argote-Freyre is the chairman of the Monmouth County Chapter of the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey. A native of northern New Jersey who is of Cuban descent, he calls himself an “accidental activist,” being led to the issue by people and events, more so than him finding it.

He began his career as a journalist after graduating from Rutgers University, New Brunswick. He later earned his doctorate in Latin American history at Rutgers University.

While working for the Asbury Park Press, from 1987-93, Argote-Freyre wrote a column about minority issues called “Crossroads.” The content dealt with civil rights issues involving many ethnic groups. He later became the press secretary for Congressman (now U.S. Sen.) Robert Menendez.

Argote-Freyre was appointed to the Freehold Borough Human Relations Committee in 2001 by Mayor Michael Wilson.

“When I joined the committee, little did I know what crisis was brewing in Freehold Borough,” Argote-Freyre said, referring to the subsequent closure of a public gathering space that was being used by day laborers as an employment zone. A federal lawsuit followed the closure of the muster zone and “I was sort of thrown into it immediately, hence, the accidental activist,” he said.

Since that incident more than five years ago, Argote-Freyre has been an advocate for Freehold Borough’s Latino residents. He later helped to establish the Monmouth County Chapter of the Latino Leadership Alliance.

“We really needed local and county organization to represent civil rights for the Latino community,” he said. “After we succeeded in getting the muster zone back, after a federal lawsuit, the alliance became more active here working on civil rights issues. Some political battles are successful, others are not.

“Advocacy is not always in your face,” he said. “Some issues are more informative and genteel and include things such as a fundraiser for a sick child, the annual Latino Festival held in downtown Freehold Borough every year and the sanctuary program, which provides breakfast several days a week for anyone who needs it,” he said. “The alliance has become the voice of civil rights, not just for the Latino community, but for all ethnic groups.”

Argote-Freyre said his goal as chairman of the Commission on New Americans will be to ease the state’s immigrant community into the larger fabric of the county and state.

“It’s a worthwhile effort,” he said.

Argote-Freyre is currently an assistant professor at Kean University, Union, where he teaches Latin American history and Latino studies courses.

[BrianSullivan]

newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2010-02-03/Front_Page/Leaders_announce_new_Latino_Action_Network.html

Leaders announce new Latino Action Network

BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer
Agroup of Latino leaders from around New Jersey have created an organization aimed at uniting the state’s diverse Latino communities and promoting a public policy agenda committed to economic and political empowerment.
Frank Argote-Freyre, of Freehold Borough, has been asked to act as interim chairman of the Latino Action Network (LAN). He said LAN consists of 27 charter members who will meet to establish bylaws and elect a permanent executive committee.

“The network is a nonpartisan organization focused on issues of policy rather than political parties or personalities,” he said.

LAN is preparing an Internet website and can already be viewed on the Internet socialnetworking site Facebook.

“It is obvious that the Latino community in New Jersey has not been served particularly well by either political party,” Argote- Freyre said. “The most recent proof of this was the failure of in-state tuition to even come up for a vote in the state Senate.”




He was referring to a bill that would have allowed students in the U.S. illegally to attend New Jersey’s public colleges and universities at the discounted resident tuition rate. Under the bill, illegal aliens would have qualified for the lower tuition rates if they attended and graduated from a New Jersey high school or hold the equivalent of a high school diploma. Students would have been required to sign an affidavit with the university stating that they have applied for legal status.

Argote-Freyre, who is an assistant professor at Kean University, Union, said, “The network will seek to create a broader coalition to champion issues of great concern to our community. If we had had this network in place at the time of the vote (on in-state tuition), we may have been able to reach hundreds of people rather than dozens.”

The goal of this organization, which Argote Freyre referred to as a broad coalition, is to “connect public policy leadership with those on the ground.” He said the idea is to connect those who are working on making laws with the people who those laws will be affecting.

One of the priority issues for LAN will be a comprehensive immigration reform plan.

Other individuals who are involved include Albert J. Alvarez, the former deputy chief of staff for Gov. Jon Corzine; Christian Estevez, a member of the Plainfield Board of Education; Daniel H. Jara, president and chief executive officer of the statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Angel Matos, a charter member of the Keyport Cultural Harmony Program; Jose Perez and Anna “Cuqui” Rivera, community activists; Antonia Rivera, director of Union County Workforce Investment Board; and Milton Rosado, of the United Auto Workers.

Estevez said, “The Latino Action Network represents the next step in community advocacy, bringing together grassroots community organizers with established Latino policy leaders. The challenges faced by the Latino community in these difficult times require a new approach to advocacy that combines proven organizing methods with new techniques that take advantage of modern technology and existing social networks. It’s all about connecting people for community action.”

[admin]

The facebook group:

www.facebook.com/?ref=home#/LatinoActionNetwork?ref=search&sid=1248068345.1467547100..1