Franc at Brave New Films

The abolition of bilingual education in Arizona - 13 Nov 08

2008-11-17T22:55:34Z

As Washington continues its crackdown on undocumented migrant workers, laws in several US states say English is the only language that can be taught.

This has Spanish-speaking students struggling to learn the language while completing the classes they need to graduate.

Al Jazeera's Franc Contreras reports.

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Battling for US citizenship 22 Oct 2008

2008-10-23T12:53:28Z

US federal officials in the state of Texas have refused to give passports to some Americans of Mexican descent because they are questioning the authenticity of birth certificates written by midwives.
Al Jazeeras Franc Contreras reports from Hildalgo county in Texas on the border with Mexico.

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Mexican activists remember 1968 massacre - 2 Oct 08

2008-10-31T21:30:34Z

October 2 is an auspicious date in Mexico, when the nation remembers the bloody massacre of 1968.

That is when Mexican security forces opened fire on a public square crowded with thousands of democracy activists.

No one knows for sure how many people were killed and to this day, no one has been punished for the crime.

Franc Contreras reports from Mexico City.

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Mexican HIV/Aids sufferers battle discrimination - 03 Aug 08

2008-10-28T15:30:03Z

Almost two million people are living with HIV in Latin America.

In Mexico, those with the virus say they're not just fighting battle against the disease, they're also trying to end discrimination against sufferers.

Franc Contrares reports from Mexico City.

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Mexico accepts US fuel migrants - 21 Jun 08

2008-10-28T03:30:32Z

With riding fuel prices causing American's too feel the pinch, many have begun driving to Mexico looking for a better deal. With gas prices heavily subsidized there, US motorists are taking home as much gas as they can. Al Jazeera's Franc Contreras has more from Tijuana, Mexico.

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Mexico battles illegal drug trade - 18 July 2008

2008-10-27T21:31:13Z

Mexican authorities are coming down hard on drug traffickers but the country is seeing an increase in drug-related violence, raising doubts as to the effectiveness of the government's efforts to stamp out the drug trade.

Al Jazeera's Franc Contreras reports.

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Mexico Migration: The long train to Texas - 15 Feb 08

2008-10-25T03:31:17Z

Every year, hundreds of thousands of migrants cross into Mexico ... where many hitch a ride north through the country - on top of freight trains.

The final stop - the US city of El Paso, Texas.

Those who make it will have spent nearly one month illegally riding the trains.

And as Al Jazeera's Franc Contreras reports from the Gulf coast state of Tabasco, along the way, they're exposed to all sorts of harm.

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Individual rights in Mexico city- 12 Jan 08

2008-10-22T09:30:57Z

In Part Three of our three-part series on the Changing Faces of Mexico City, Al Jazeera's Franc Contreras reports on the battle for individual rights.

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Mexico's squatter communities - 11 Jan 08

2008-10-20T09:30:11Z

Mexico's squatter communities - 11 Jan 08
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In our look at the Changing Face of Mexico City, Al-Jazeera's Franc Contreras reports on the problem of over population in the cit In our look at the Changing Face of Mexico City, Al-Jazeera's Franc Contreras reports on the problem of over population in the city's squatter communities.

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Mexico's

2008-10-19T15:31:54Z

Kidnappings are big business in Mexico and the number of people being abducted is astonishing.

Last year, the country averaged 900 kidnappings per day - that's about one kidnap victim every 90 seconds.

Many Mexicans complain that the police are part of the problem, not the solution.

In the first part of a special series, Al Jazeera's Franc Contreras looks at how Mexicans are coping in such a state of insecurity.

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High prices, low profits for Mexico's oil company - 2 Feb 08

2008-10-19T09:29:31Z

Rising oil prices haven't translated into profits for every oil company across the globe.

Mexico's state owned Pemex is losing money. The company exports crude oil, but is forced to import 40 per cent of its petrol because they haven't built enough refineries to keep up with demand.

Low investment in infrastructure has also led some serious accidents.

Al Jazeera's Franc Contreras reports from Villahermosa, Mexico.

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Testing the ice in Mexico City - 27-Dec-07

2008-10-21T09:29:29Z

A giant ice rink in Mexico city is the brainchild of the city's mayor, but while the attraction has seen a spike in his approval ratings, critics question whether the funds could have been better spent.

Al Jazeera's Franc Contreras reports from Mexico City some 50,000 people came out to test the ice.

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Thousands homeless after Mexico floods - 4 Oct 07

2008-10-22T21:29:59Z

Thousands of people in Southern Mexico are clinging to roofs, desperate to be evacuated from flooding that's killed at least eight people.

Eighty per cent of the state of Tabasco is under water after seven rivers burst their banks in the flood-prone region.

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Mexico's poisoned rivers - 24-August-2007

2008-10-25T09:30:27Z

The Mexican government is keen to attract investors from abroad and promote itself as "business-friendly".

But Franc Contreras, reporting for Al Jazeera from Mexico, found that many local people feel the authorities are not doing enough to protect them and the environment from the side-effects of industry.

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