I always knew that part of my American dream included home ownership as being the daughter of an architect, I grew up going to his “obras” and seeing the foundation with rubble grow and convert into magnificent structures. My dad always said one must invest in “Books and Bricks,”meaning, focus on education and invest in homeownership to succeed. He was right. Once in America, I worked hard being an immigrant who did not know anyone and did not speak English well. I went to school, completed two postgraduate degrees and eventually my MBA. I purchased my first condo at age 30 with the guidance of my Latina friends and a wonderful realtor who taught me what I know now. That was my first step of many that followed to get me where I am today.
Category: Opinion
Posted inOpinion
COMMENTARY: SCOTUS ruling hurts Latinos in STEM
My story starts off as an undocumented immigrant at CUNY who infiltrated the Ivy league for a decade to pursue a career in the sciences to work towards my American dream. Since then, I became a U.S. citizen, the first person in my family to earn a Ph.D. in the sciences, spearheaded and collaborated on mentorship initiatives to support students of color in graduate school and founded a science organization to improve the pipeline of students of color into higher education in the sciences.
Posted inOpinion
COMMENTARY: Angelenos, let’s compost!
Over the past 10 years LA Compost has worked alongside thousands of LA County residents keeping food scraps local, supporting local green spaces through the creation and redistribution of compost, and hosting workshops and knowledge sharing events. From building a network of over 50 drop off locations at farmers markets, urban farms, and community gardens, to establishing the framework for composting at public parks, we’ve continued to work with our network of partners to make composting more accessible.
Posted inOpinion
COMMENTARY: White privilege still exists in academia
It is shameful to consider how this decision will only further prevent students of color from advancing their academic career and beyond.
The social capital that is granted to affluent white individuals is the greatest gift that comes in addition to having ancestry from Europe. The exclusivity of higher education that comes with generations of networks and connections is a privilege which will take decades for people of color to achieve a fraction of the same.
Posted inOpinion
COMMENTARY: Tony Tijerino, advocating for Latinos in the arts and beyond
Tony Tijerino is President and CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. He is a native of Nicaragua and a graduate of the University of Maryland. Tijerino’s experience includes stints at the public relations giant Burson Marsteller, and at Nike and the Fannie Mae Foundation. He’s been showered with numerous honors and awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National PTA, and recognition from Hispanics in Philanthropy and the MALDEF Award for Human Rights. Tijerino is also a recipient of the Ohtli Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Mexican government to an individual. He’s also worked on immigration issues and was recognized by FWD.US for his work with migrant families on the border.
Posted inHealth
Mami & Me: How I found out I had gallstones with Biliary Colic
At the ER, they asked me all types of questions, but they couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. It wasn’t until they did an ultrasound that they found one stone in my gallbladder. You have no idea how shocked I was to learn that. I’ve never had any health issues in my life.
Posted inOpinion
COMMENTARY: Homeboy Industries: An Ode to Father Gregory Boyle and the Homies
In 1992, after working with residents and staff to help the homies to secure employment through a non-profit, Jobs for a Future (JJF), Father Boyle founded Homeboy Industries. While Father Boyle deservedly gets credit for founding Homeboy Industries, any successful organization requires the collective work of many individuals who believe in the mission of the organization, especially for progressive non-profits or social enterprises. As the mottos of the embryonic Homeboy Industries included “Jobs not Jails” and “Nothing stops a bullet like a job,” this gang rehabilitation and re-entry program initially started with a few social enterprises to provide viable employment opportunities for marginalized individuals who were/are regularly blocked from the racist labor market. This includes Homeboy Bakery; Homeboy Silkscreen; Homeboy Graffiti Removal Services and Homeboy Maintenance Service and Homeboy Merchandise.
Posted inOpinion
COMMENTARY: I’m not a flag waver
I agree with the James Baldwin quote: “I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.”
I struggle to reconcile all the conflicts in our country such as police brutality and political violence against immigrants. I struggle to celebrate our independence.
Posted inOpinion
Latino journalists honored by Los Angeles Press Club
Fernández left broadcast news for a period and started her own company. In 2018, she came back to Spectrum News 1 in Los Angeles.
Fernández anchors the morning news and is host and executive producer of “LA Stories with Giselle Fernández.” This fall John Leguizamo is hosting a three-part documentary on PBS called “American Historia.” Cultural segments will feature visits to historical sites and interviews with notable historians and Latino cultural figures.
Posted inOpinion
COMMENTARY: U.S. Supreme Court Affirmative Action ban will hurt students of color
The high court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina wipes away decades of SCOTUS precedence upheld even by justices named by Republican presidents. According to a recent report in The Quarterly Journal of Economics, ending affirmative action in admissions to the flagship University of California system “caused underrepresented minority (URM) freshman applicants to cascade to lower-quality colleges” and that a greater number ending up leaving higher education without completing their degree. According to the most recent data, while 53% of high school graduates in California are Latino, just 22% were enrolled in the UC system in 2020.
Posted inOpinion
COMMENTARY: The political violence of relocating immigrants
Since early 2022, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Taxes Gov. Greg Abbott have been weaponizing immigrants’ suffering to gain political clout. They have used their constituents’ tax dollars to relocate migrants into Democratic-led states. They are using this tactic to gain influence within the Republican party and win future elections.
Posted inOpinion
COLUMN: On Prosperity featuring Lauren Fernandez
I have deeply always had a need for a place. I think that ties back directly to being a Cuban American and not being able to visit Cuba. I have the understanding that my father and his family were displaced and we moved around a lot for his career, so it took 18 tries before we found home. For me, that was not just a connection to home ownership and prosperity but really a need to have a place and to set down roots. We needed to have roots over having prosperity. Ultimately, when we did put down roots and my father had arrived at a successful career and it reflected our values and our aesthetic, it did become a sign of prosperity.