current U.S.rate.

The Andean nation is one of the

world's largest producers of silver,cop-
per and zinc-and after the signing of
a new free-trade deal with the United
States last December, foreign invest-
ment is guaranteed to shoot up.
HOT Peru's newfound success comes
TOPICS at the hands of the same man whom
some critics argue nearly ruined
the country: President Alan Garcia.
.inLatinos
Action
During the former leftisfs first term,
from 1985 to 1990, he closed Peru to
. Poet Caridad "La
Bruja" de la Luz
foreign investors. This time around, (above) launched
Garcia has aggressively courted inter- LatiRas 4 Life a year

national business. Besides the new ago to empower

New York City high
U.S. agreement, Peru signed a trade school girls and help
deal with Canada in late January at them avoid
becoming dropout,
the World Economic Forum in Davos,
pregnan~, drug-
Switzerland. Ifs the second South use or suicide
American country to sign with Canada statistics. This year,
the program seeks
(Chile did so in 1997). And as host of
to expand to 20
this year's Asia-Pacific Economic schools in NYC.
Cooperation summit in November, . As part of the
Peru is also seeking free-trade accords American Red
Cross's seventh
Former leftIst
Alan Garcia Is
. PERU with South Korea, Singapore and annual National
Japan. A deal with China is already Celebrity Cabinet,
Peruvian and
proud. The Next in the works.
Peru is now poised to export
TV stars Sara
Ramirez
Anatomy and
of Grey's

Superpower
TALK ABOUT A turnaround. Peru's
billions in wood, furniture, natural
gas and agricultural products. Still,
economists warn ofa lingering billion-
Judy Reyes of
Scrubs are also
saving lives off-
screen. Along with
economy is officially the fastest grow- dollar question: How much will all 13 other new
ing in Latin America, far outpacing its this growth help the 40 percent of members, they will
participate in public
neighbors. This from a country that in Peruvians still living in poverty? The service announce-
the late 1980s struggled with an infla- education system in this nation of ments, donate blood
tion rate that topped out at 7,000 per- 28 million must also be revamped. and help with
disaster relief
cent Today,after sweeping budget, tax Otherwise, Peru could find itselfwith
throughout the
and bank reforms, Peru's inflation rate lots of new high-tech jobs and no one year. -Dorkys
is around 2 percent-roughly half the to fill them. -Franziska Castillo Ramos

. ARIZONA
Don7tCall Me an Anchor Baby
BORN IN THE United States, born a citizen, right? Well, not if Arizona anti-
immigration activists led by a woman named Della Montgomery get their way. The
Birthright Citizenship Alignment Act, filed by Montgomery through the Secretary
"'WANT of State's office, would force the state's hospitals to check parents' immigration
RIGHTS FOR status and deny birth certificates to suspected Ilega/es's newborns, insultingly
PEOPLE. WE called "anchor babies." To get the bill onto Arizona's November 2008 election
CAN'T SHUT
OURDOORS. IF ballot, alongside the state's own presidential hopeful Senator John McCain,
WESHUT OUR supporters must submit signatures of at least 153,365 voters by July 3. But even
DOORS,WE'RE if the Arizona law passes, it's unlikely to stand. To get rid of birthright citizenship,
NOTAMERICA." those activists-and supporters in Congress such as state Rep. Russell Pearce
-ROSARIO
DAWSON (R-Mesa) -would have to convince the Supreme Court to reinterpret the
14th Amendment, a long and difficult process. -F.G.

90 WWW.LATINA.COM . JUNE/JULY 2008