Latest news with #Tenorio
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Three Assembly members form Wisconsin's first Legislative Asian Caucus
Reps. Angelito Tenorio, Francesca Hong and Renuka Mayadev in the Wisconsin State Assembly chambers. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner) After two sessions as the only Asian American lawmaker in the Wisconsin Legislature, Rep. Francesca Hong (D-Madison), who was first elected in 2020, stood alongside freshmen Reps. Angelito Tenorio (D-West Allis) and Renuka Mayadev (D-Madison) Thursday to announce the formation of the state's first Legislative Asian Caucus. The lawmakers announced the creation of the caucus on the first day of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, saying that they have a responsibility to represent Asian American Wisconsinites, who make up 6% of the state, and to work to advance their rights, visibility and improve their daily lives. 'I'm deeply grateful, and I couldn't think of a better team to be in the Asian caucus with… We have the distinct opportunity to make all of our communities stronger,' said Hong, who is the daughter of Korean immigrants, said. At one point during the press conference, Hong said she felt like she was going to cry. Tenorio is the first Filipino American to be elected to the state Legislature, and said during the press conference that his parents immigrated to the U.S. 'in hopes of finding a better life.' He said that growing up he didn't see people that looked like him in leadership positions, including in government. 'That lack of representation stuck with me, and I knew I wanted to change that,' Tenorio said, adding that he was an activist in college, served in the Wisconsin Army National Guard and has become an advocate for addressing climate change and protecting the environment. Tenorio said the creation of the caucus is 'historic' and a 'declaration' that Asian Americans deserve to help shape the future of the state. 'For too long, our stories, struggles, strengths and victories have been overlooked,' Tenorio said. 'As members of the Legislature, we have a seat at the table, and we carry the responsibility to make this table bigger, more inclusive and more representative of our state.' Tenorio noted that the lawmakers have introduced a resolution to recognize 2025 as the 'Year of the Snake' and a resolution to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the conclusion of the Vietnam War, the Secret War in Laos and of the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Phnom Penh in Cambodia — conflicts that led to people from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam resettling in the U.S. 'Such communities largely resettled in Wisconsin, overcoming adversity to establish vibrant communities that have significantly contributed to the social, cultural, and economic fabric of our state' the commemorative resolution states. 'Wisconsin is now home to the third-largest Hmong population in the United States, with communities thriving in cities like Appleton, Sheboygan, Green Bay, Wausau and Milwaukee.' 'These resolutions aren't just ceremonial. They're a part of our broader efforts to write our stories into the narrative of our states, to affirm that we are not outsiders,' Tenorio said. 'We are part of the fabric of Wisconsin.' The caucus members said they will host events throughout the month to highlight the contributions of Asian Americans, including one focused on Japanese internment, another on celebrating the Hmong community and one to uplift Filipino stories. 'There is so much to celebrate, so much to be proud of and so much to feel honored by being an Asian American,' Hong said. Maydev is the first South Asian elected to the Assembly and represents the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus and other parts of the state's capital city. She noted that her district is about 17% Asian American and she represents the highest concentration of Asian Americans in the state. Mayadev said that her journey to hold public office didn't start when she submitted her nomination papers. 'It started when my parents decided to leave everything they knew in their homes more than 50 years ago, and traveled from India as immigrants to the United States,' Mayadev said. 'Like the representatives beside me, we are all first-generation Americans — proud children of immigrants.' Mayadev also emphasized that the lawmakers will bring in the voices of others in the community. She said people have reached out to her for that reason already. 'They said they've never reached out to an Assembly person before, but they reached out to me because they felt that they would have an empathetic ear and an understanding that goes deeper that maybe they felt that somebody else wouldn't be able to be,' Mayadev said. Hong said caucus members will also make sure to go to different communities in the state and work to identify leaders who want to build relationships. The formation of the caucus comes as Republicans at a federal and state level have targeted immigrants as well as diversity and inclusion efforts. 'We must do more. We know the reality on the ground. AAPI folks, like so many immigrants, workers and people of color, continue to face threats and challenges — from the underrepresentation and political exclusion of Asian Americans to the surge in anti-Asian hate crimes to growing economic inequality,' Tenorio said. 'We are navigating a landscape that too often undermines our dignity and our safety.' Mayadev acknowledged the caucus is being established during a time of upheaval for immigrants as the Trump administration has proclaimed its aim of carrying out mass deportations and has detained even immigrants who are in the country legally. Wisconsin Republicans have supported those efforts, seeking legislation that requires local law enforcement to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and to discussing removing a Milwaukee County judge who was arrested by the FBI and is accused of impeding the arrest of a man that ICE followed to her courtroom. 'There's much uncertainty and fear,' Mayadev said, adding that caucus members are committed to providing 'guidance and leadership during this time, so that all feel welcome in Wisconsin.' Asked about the targeting of inclusion efforts by Republicans in the state Legislature, Hong mentioned a recent hearing in the Joint Audit Committee, where Republican lawmakers grilled state agency leaders on their inclusion efforts. 'I plan to speak with the chairs of that committee about my experiences when I first got here of deep xenophobia and racism,' she said, adding that she hoped by being 'very truthful, honest and vulnerable' she and other members of color could 'dispel some of the preconceived notions that racism and discrimination isn't happening right here in the halls of power amongst colleagues.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Yahoo
Woman kidnapped as a toddler in the US 25 years ago found alive in Mexico
A woman who was abducted in Connecticut as a toddler has been found alive 25 years later in Mexico. Andrea Michelle Reyes was two years old when she was taken by her mother, Rosa Tenorio, in October 1999, according to a news release from the New Haven police department. Tenorio did not have legal custody of Reyes, who was in the care of her father at the time of the kidnapping, police said. New Haven police and the FBI obtained a felony arrest warrant for Tenorio, who was suspected to have fled with her daughter to Mexico, police said. Andrea's father traveled to Mexico several times but did not make contact with either of them. Related: Atlanta child missing for seven years found safe in Colorado The missing persons case went cold until 2023, when a police detective began to re-investigate Andrea's abduction. 'Using a combination of interviews, search warrants and social media,' detective Kealyn Nivakoff determined that Reyes was residing in the Mexican city of Puebla – with a population of more than 1 million people – after her abduction by Tenorio, police said. Advanced DNA testing confirmed the relationship between Reyes and her father, who were finally able to reconnect after more than two decades. 'Over the years, Andrea's father searched tirelessly, but never heard from his daughter or her mother,' the DNA testing company Othram, which was involved in the case, said in a news release. The identification of Reyes was part of an initiative to resolve more than 500 cases involving minors and contained in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, the company said. 'This case reflects the hard work of our officers and detectives,' the New Haven police chief, Karl Jacobson, said. 'While cases may have investigative leads exhausted at the time, no cold case is ever truly closed. 'We remain committed to resolving every cold case, and this is a perfect example of that effort.' Reyes, who is now 27 years old, is a resident of Mexico, Othram said. An arrest warrant for Tenorio remains active and valid within the United States, according to police, adding that they believe the kidnapping suspect is still in Mexico.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Yahoo
ABQ man sentenced to 20 years in 2023 movie theater killing
Feb. 12—A judge handed down a 20-year prison sentence Wednesday for a man who opened fire during a dispute over seating in a crowded Albuquerque movie theater in 2023, resulting in a man's death. Enrique Padilla, 21, pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and two counts of tampering with evidence on Nov. 12, halting his trial on a charge of first-degree murder. The shooting at the Century Rio 24 movie theater near Jefferson and Interstate 25 killed 52-year-old Michael Tenorio as the two men struggled over a firearm Padilla carried into the theater on June 29, 2023. The volley of gunfire set off a panic in the sold-out theater as moviegoers dodged for cover and ran out of the building into the parking lot. Second Judicial District Judge Joseph Montano sentenced Padilla to the maximum prison term allowed under the plea agreement. Tenorio and his wife arrived at the theater and purchased tickets for an 8:50 p.m. showing of the romantic comedy "No Hard Feelings." The couple purchased seats 8 and 11 in Row F, which had them seated apart. A theater employee advised them to sit together and ask the two people in seats 9 and 10 to move down a seat so the Tenorios could sit together, according to a criminal complaint. When Padilla and his date arrived, the two couples began arguing over seats. Padilla's attorney, Nicole Moss, argued in court records that Padilla had been seriously injured by multiple gunshots in January 2023, just five months earlier, and felt threatened by the larger Tenorio. "Enrique (Padilla) was still recovering from the January shooting, had limited mobility in his left arm and was still very weak from his extensive injuries," Moss wrote in a sentencing memorandum. A theater employee reviewed their tickets and ultimately seated the two couples next to each other. Padilla felt uncomfortable sitting next to the Tenorios and decided to leave, the sentencing memorandum said. As they were leaving, Padilla heard the Tenorios laughing and turned and tossed popcorn toward the couple. Witnesses told police that Tenorio said, "What the hell?" and pushed Padilla into a wall when shots rang out. Three gunshots fatally struck Tenorio in the chest, abdomen and leg, and he died at the scene. Another gunshot struck Padilla in the abdomen. He collapsed outside the theater and was transported to a hospital. "While he did make a foolish decision to toss popcorn at the Tenorios as he walked away, he never expected to be violently attacked as a result," Moss wrote in court records.
