Diversity in Brief - June 5 Edition

California legislation would limit local police authority to detain suspects for ICE; Obama advisor says Marco Rubio pick as VP would be an insult to Hispanics and more.

Arizona Sheriff Faces Lawsuit in Death of Mentally Ill Vet
The family of a mentally ill Gulf War veteran who died under suspicious circumstances in an Arizona jail has retained legal counsel and is expected to file a wrongful death lawsuit against Maricopa County Sheriff Joseph Arpaio.

The Daily Beast reported Sunday that Marty Atencio, 44, died late last year of "complications of cardiac arrest" due to acute psychosis, law enforcement subdual and multiple medical problems, according to the medical examiner''s report.

Atencio is at least the 12th inmate to die under strange circumstances in the Maricopa County jail system, according to the Daily Beast. The medical examiner didn't specify whether Atencio's death was due to natural causes or if he was killed by the officers.

Read more here.

Bill Would Limit Secure Communities Program in California
A California assemblyman introduced legislation last month that would limit local police's authority to detain people for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement unless that person has a previous felony convictions, the North County Times reported.

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21-Year-Old Becomes Youngest to Receive M.D. from University of Chicago
A 21-year-old student from the University of Chicago has become the youngest person at the university to receive a medical degree. Sho Yano earned his undergraduate degree from Loyola University at the age of 12. His younger sister, Sayuri Yano, 15, is currently earning her second degree in violin performance at Johns Hopkins University.

While Yano's achievements had caused concern for some who worried that his adolescent development was being stunted, the young doctor contends that he is living a normal life.

Read more here.

Axelrod: Choosing Rubio as VP Would be an "Insult to the Hispanic Community"

Choosing Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., as a running mate would not help Mitt Romney gain support among Latino voters, said David Axelrod, President Obama's senior re-election strategist, in an interview with Univision on Sunday. In fact, he said, the selection would be an "insult to the Hispanic community."

Although many see Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, as a possible bridge between the GOP and Latino voters, his presence on the ticket will not make up for elements of Romney's record unpopular with Latino voters, said Axelrod.

Read more here.

NHL Tries to Attract Latinos
National Hockey League is trying to attract Latinos to the sport, through outreach efforts in minority neighborhoods and by increasing diversity among its players, Fox Latino reported on Saturday. Less than 10 percent of hockey fans are Latino, according to the report.

This year's Stanley Cup finals should offer the league an opportunity to attract more Hispanic fans--the Los Angeles Kings, whose hometown is the nation's largest Hispanic market, is vying for the cup. And one of the few Hispanic players in the league will be on the ice: Kings defenseman Alec Martinez.

Read more here.

Woman Arrested After Posing as ICE Agent
A woman was arrested after posing as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer to shake down illegal immigrants, the Sacramento Bee reported on Thursday.

Fourteen people reported that Araceli Martinez ordered them to pay up to $8,000 in exchange for legal resident status, which they were never given. Sheriff's deputies arrested Martinez at Los Angeles Airport just before she got on a flight to Mexico. She was charged with theft by false pretenses.

Read more here.

Lawsuit Charges "Bachelor" Producers With Racism
Television network ABC and producer Warner Horizon Television say their casting decisions for reality TV shows "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" are protected under the First Amendment, in court papers filed last Friday. The filing is in response to a class-action lawsuit filed by two Tennessee men who allege the television network was deliberately excluding black people from being the bachelor or bachelorette.

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As Tourist Season Arrives, Controversy Over Foreign Student Workers Flares

Critics of a State Department program that brings foreign students to the United States to work in seasonal jobs say that foreign workers are displacing U.S. born teens, the Boston Globe reported on Sunday. Officials from the tourism industry in Cape Cod, Mass., maintains that there aren't enough locals to fill the additional 25,000 seasonal vacancies.

Read more here.