Are Hispanics Only Aspiring to be Gang Members?

Dear State Senator Klein,

I was very disappointed to read on the Arizona Guardian your comments on the Senate floor quoting a letter from a supposed educator. On it implied that we Hispanics only have aspirations to become gang members and we disregard education.

http://www.arizonaguardian.com/azg/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3057%3Asen-klein-quotes-letter-calling-latino-students-gang-members-and-gangsters&catid=958%3Anewsfp&Ite

Your lack of understanding and knowledge of our (your) community is appalling.

Let me probe your ideas are mistaken.

Last Saturday the Carl Hayden Robotics Team won the FIRST Robotics Arizona Regional that included teams from Arizona, California, New Mexico, 2 teams from Mexico, etc.

Carl Hayden is about 90 % Hispanic.

The Carl Hayden Falcons beat teams of higher income High Schools with students whose parents are college graduates.

Some of the Carl Hayden Team members are undocumented immigrants and all are from low income families.

Along with this big win for the Falcons, another majority minority team from Tolleson offered an spectacular performance and was awarded a pass to the international competition.

Carl Hayden Falcon Robotics will be representing Arizona in the international competition.

These wins are just an example of the continuous successes of our Hispanic, minorities and low income communities.

I demand a public apology for your mistaken words and characterization of our talented youth at the AZ state senate floor along with a recognition of the teams on the Arizona State Legislature.

FYI: This is the Falcon's robot in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fiw9PZ2E08&feature=player_embedded#at=20

Here is the press release:

Press Release March the 21 st. 2011 MEDIA CONTACTS Maria Castro: mariac467@gmail.com 602) 312 4886 Carmen Cornejo:carmen0402@aol.com(480)324-6378

Falcon Robotics Wins the 2011 FIRST Robotics AZ Regional CNN Captures the Big Win for a "STEM in America" Special What: Carl Hayden Falcons wins of robotics competition Best mentor: Fredi, Lajvardi Best student: Eduardo (Eddie) Fernandez Best robot design The Carl Hayden Falcon Robotics Team, which has been profiled on Wired Magazine, the TV show Nightline, and international editions of Reader's Digest, among others, won the 2011 FIRST Robotics AZ Regional this weekend. This event reunited more than 40 teams and from Arizona, California, Mexico and New Mexico. FIRST is an acronym: For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. The name of the 2011 Robot is "Dulce's DREAM", to honor Dulce Matuz, a Carl Hayden High School alumni who is an undocumented electrical engineer graduate from ASU. The Falcon Robotics team also got the awards for Best mentor, Faridodin Lajvardi; best student, Eduardo (Eddie) Fernandez and best robot design. The team also won the competition by wide points margins and to cap it off four Falcon Robotics team members recieved W.W. Graingers scholarships: Gerardo Rodriguez, Ramon Balerama, Glenda Maldonado, Mike Kanaly. The Falcon Robotics team will be representing AZ in the Championship that will take place in the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis , MO, April 27th-30th 2011. Dulce Matuz is an inspiration for the members of the team. She continues to participate with the Falcons, offering her technical and fundraising skills, as well as encouragment to the students. Dulce Matuz, who graduated in 2009 from ASU, actively assists the neighborhood FLL (First Lego League) teams which introduce elementary and middle school students to robotic technologies. Dulce is a strong advocate for the DREAM Act, and she meets with elected officials at the federal level to promote this legislation that, if passed, will provide a path to legalization for undocumented students brought to this country as minors, like her. The FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is an event that teams professionals and young people to solve engineering design problems in an intense and competitive way. The program is a life changing, career-molding experience in a fun and positive environment framed by "gracious professionalism". This year the game for the competition is called LOGO MOTION ® . In the game, two alliances of three teams compete on a 27-by-54-foot field with poles, attempting to earn points by hanging as many triangle, circle and square logo pieces as possible. Bonus points can be earned for each robot that can hang and assemble logo pieces to form the FIRST logo. Robots can also deploy Mini-Bots to climb vertical poles for a chance to earn additional points. FIRST Robotic Competition (FRC) Arizona Regional unites teams from High School and their mentors to construct a functional robot in six weeks that can perform certain tasks pre-established by the game . Students participate on the design, construction, testing, and operation of the project as well as other activities like promotion and fundraising. The competion provides the students a hands on experience in the field of science and technology. Carl Hayden Falcon Robotics team will also participate on a new CNN documentary hosted by Soledad O'Brien. It is scheduled to air in May 2011. The organizing sponsor for the competition in Arizona is Microchip Technology, Inc. with the support of Science Foundation Arizona, Avnet, Craig and Barbara Barrett Foundation, Steve and Maria Sanghi, Wells Fargo Bank, On Semiconductors, US Airways and Critical Mass Communications LLC, among others.