Diversity in Brief "“ May 17 Edition

A digest of all the best: How the Violence Against Women Act will affect immigrants; exploring Hispanic shifts across America's cities and towns; and more.

VAWA Renewal Is Latest Victim in Immigration War

Women's rights advocates, members of Congress and others are speaking out against the pared-down update by the Repulican-led House to the 1994 Violence Against Women Act, which has some worried that out of fear of their legal status in the country, victims of domestic violence will no longer report incidents. The GOP's version of the bill strips away the anonymity for victims and witnesses of domestic abuse who are applying for residency visas. The House-version of the bill was passed Wednesday in a mostly partisan vote, 222 to 205.

Read more: Los Angeles Times (5/16); National Journal (5/16)

Obama's Health Care Law Will Give New Access to Legal Immigrants

In 2014, the Affordable Care Act's key provisions will take effect giving new health care coverage options to millions of currently uninsured U.S. citizens, including legal immigrants. While the law excludes illegal immigrants, they still make up a large part of the remaining uninsured population, which states will have to figure out how to reach somehow, Politico reports.

Read more: Politico (5/16)

After 75 Years, Goya Foods Remains Staple in Hispanic Communities

This year, Goya Foods joined Michelle Obama's initiative to encourage healthy eating among Hispanic communities, cementing the food manufacturer's role as not only a producer of Latin cooking staples but also an active member of its community.

Read more: The Huffington Post (5/16)

Hispanic Communities Growing Faster in Cities and Rural America

The increasingly diverse Hispanic community is morphing both cities and small towns as more Hispanics of varying countries of origin move around. For example, although Dominicans once dominated New York City, Mexicans are now poised to overtake them, according to a NYTimes.com blog report. Almost two-thirds of Latinos in the U.S. identify as Mexican origin, and all but six states in the country have experienced growth of at least 40 percent in their Latino population, VotoLatino reports.

Read more: The Huffington Post (5/16)

Census: Latinos Comprise Nearly Half of San Bernardino County

The Inland Empire region in California credits its growth from 2010 to 2011 to the influx of 76,000 Latinos and Asians. The area would have effectively stopped growing otherwise. Latinos now make up almost half of San Bernardino County's population, as the white population continues to decline, according to new census data.

Read more: The Press Enterprise (5/16)