-- by Gabe Gonzalez, for Fox News Latino:

I have been a community organizer for 20 years, for more than half of that in my local neighborhood. Street organizing they call it. Working at that level you see things, some miraculous, some disturbing. I have seen neighborhood leaders take leaps of faith, engage in acts of courage that would humble the most cynical. I have also seen things that shook me. That made me angry or frightened or sad. Some unforgettable.

I remember a middle aged man, standing in his doorway, pleading with me to help him get gangs out of his neighborhood, shrunken with fear but desperate to protect his family. I remember a mother walking me through her basement apartment. Water six inches deep in places. She showed me the holes where the rats came in, and where her daughter’s crib was, and explained that her landlord charged her $800 cash every month for these luxury accommodations.

I remember the fear and the desperation these people experienced, and I remember how it felt when we won those issues, and those leaders could feel safe again.

But when I am really down, I remember Elena.

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-- by Stephanie Czekalinsk, National Journal:

While millions of people turned to their retirement accounts to make it through the Great Recession, a greater percentage of blacks and Hispanics did so, according to two recent studies from investment companies.  

-- by Stuart Elliot and Tanzina Vega, The New York Times:

ALTHOUGH the word “upfront” is English rather than Spanish, the broadcast networks and cable channels that aim programming at Hispanic viewers are again increasing their presence during the annual television upfront week.

-- by Stephanie Strom, The New York Times:

In much the same way their ancestors on the prairie had to check their guns at the door of the saloon, the 320 students in the Faulkton Area School District in tiny Faulkton, S.D., will be required to dispose of all carbonated soda containers before stepping into school buildings.

-- by Matt O'Brien, Contra Costa Times (CA):

America's decades-old immigration system should be replaced with an auction of work permits, says a UC Davis economist who is attracting attention on Capitol Hill.

His market-based reform, which is being unveiled Tuesday, would have American companies compete in a quarterly electronic auction to buy permits to hire foreign workers.

In essence, U.S. firms' willingness to pay for work-based visas would supersede family connections and fixed quotas in determining who gets to move to the United States.

"This would be quite a new system," said Giovanni Peri, a professor who studies labor economics, explaining how it would replace today's first-come, first-served waiting list and random lottery that dictate who gets work visas.

Each auctioned permit would be tied to a temporary visa. Visa-holders would be free to move from one job to another, making it harder for hiring companies to exploit them. Those who remain employed could later apply for permanent residency.

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-- from The Associated Press:

President Barack Obama's shift to support gay marriage is energizing young Hispanic voters who have been working side-by-side with gay activists in their push for immigration reform. The alliance has been growing across the country, helping dispel what many say is an outdated notion that Hispanics are less tolerant of gays than the general public.

-- by Ian Millhiser, ThinkProgress.org:

Earlier today, the Department of Justice filed a formal legal complaint against Sheriff Joe Arpaio and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) alleging widespread constitutional violations and lawless mistreatment of Latinos. According to the complaint, Arpaio and his staff engaged in widespread, violent and demeaning mistreatment of Latino residents of Maricopa County, often targeting individuals solely because of their race:

-- by Lindsay Rubino, Broadcasting & Cable:

Telemundo Media will launch a new brand identity this fall which will convey the "duality" of Hispanics living in the U.S., the company announced Monday in advance of its upfront presentation on Tuesday evening.

-- by Jennifer Bendery, The Huffington Post:

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez (R), whose named has been floated as a possible Republican vice presidential pick, slammed Mitt Romney on Monday for his immigration strategy.