I feared I would not get into a University of California (UC) which I had dreamed of attending. I always had hopes and dreams of attending a school like Harvard, Stanford, or UCLA, but I did not believe I would get in. When application season came around my junior year of high school, I recall checking the box for UCLA on the UC application solely because I had an additional application fee waiver, not because I was confident I would be accepted.
Category: Opinion
Posted inOpinion
COMMENTARY: Congrats to the Class of 2023
As members of an ethnically marginalized community, we have the honor of sharing our accomplishments with those who may not have the privilege to do the same. So, I would like to dedicate our successes to the dreams of my people, our people, who could not be here today.
This is for the millions of Indigenous people who claimed their right to this land from birth before it was brutally taken from them.
This is for the thousands of incarcerated Chicanx/Latinx individuals, many wrongfully so, who continue to fight for their freedom in a corrupt justice system that works against them.
Posted inOpinion
COMMENTARY: My farmworker father believed in me
One thing is for certain between the pinky promise I made to my dad at 10-years-old – I was going to study and pursue higher education so that his hard work would pay off because he wanted me nowhere near the grapevines like him. Little did he know, I wanted to be just like him growing up. I realized all the sacrifices and obstacles he endured, and while Sundays were hard on me, they were hard on him too.
Posted inOpinion
COMMENTARY: My father never told me “I love you”
I ask, “Why was my father incapable of saying the three magic words—’I love you’—to his children and wife?” Without getting all Freudian, I’ve learned that it goes back to his turbulent and harsh upbringing in a small Mexican rancho in the beautiful state of Michoacán: Zajo Grande. At the rancho, along with his parents and 10 siblings, he experienced/witnessed poverty, violence and death.
Posted inCulture
Why do Latinos love LAFC so much?
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: If you are a true LAFC fan, you know there are a million reasons why local fans love the Los Angeles Football Club. That is why we dedicated this week’s coverage to LAFC super fans and club unions like the 3252. We give you an insider’s look at the pre-game and game experience. In addition, we are giving away game tickets to the June 21 match versus the Seattle Sounders FC.
Posted inOpinion
COLUMN: Eva Longoria’s “Flamin’ Hot” is the feel good movie we need this summer
The film came out Friday Hulu and Disney+ is important to the Latino community as we don’t see enough of our stories on the silver screen. There are many stories like Montañez’s out there. These types of stories should be championed and Longoria should be lauded for making this film that uplifts our community.
Posted inOpinion
COMMENTARY: I’m Latina, but what’s my race?
The truth is that I am indigenous to this continent, but in the United States I cannot claim my indigeneity. My ancestors were the Lenca people and lived in what is now known as El Salvador and Honduras. Even though I am proud to be Latina, the term still begs the question of what race really means. So, what is my race? When I come across that question, I answer in one of two ways; decline to state or other: human.
Posted inOpinion
COMMENTARY: Mexican president, LULAC and NAACP slam DeSantis’ plans to shut down border and his anti-migrant agenda
DeSantis recently signed legislation that among other things places criminal penalties on anyone who transports an undocumented person across state lines, requires employers with 25 or more workers to verify their immigration status, and demands hospitals who accept Medicaid ask immigration status to patients and report the data. It also repeals a law that allows some undocumented immigrants to obtain a license to practice law in the state. Barring any potential court action, the DeSantis legislation goes into effect on July 1.
Some undocumented workers in South Florida are not showing up for work or leaving job sites because of the law.
Posted inOpinion
COLUMN: Stop the attacks on drag queens and the LGBTQ+ community
The Dodgers controversy happened as many states are moving to ban or restrict drag shows.
Tennessee was the first state in the country to ban drag performances in public spaces and anywhere in the presence of someone under 18 years old. The law was set to take effect April 1 and now is tied up in the courts. A dozen other states have proposed similar legislation against drag performances, including Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia.
Posted inOpinion
COLUMN: On Prosperity featuring Farah Sosa
Farah Sosa identifies as a photographer with an emphasis on multicultural musical landscapes. She was born in Guatemala City and has been living in Los Angeles since 2006. She currently rents n Highland Park, California, and would like to own a home one day.
Posted inOpinion
COMMENTARY: Student loan payment freeze is ending
Almost 70% of Latino student borrowers have current debt, says a report by the Education Data Initiative. The same report says that Latino borrowers were “the most likely” of any race or ethnic group to delay marriage and children because of student loan debt, and are the second-most likely (after Black Americans) to borrow high amounts from private lenders – close to 70% of Latino students who borrow from private lenders take out loans of $40,000 or more.
Posted inOpinion
COMMENTARY: The privilege and challenge of being a first generation college student
According to Pew Research, in 1980 Latinos were 4% of students enrolled at degree-granting postsecondary institutions. By 2000, Latino enrollment had increased to 1.5 million, or 10% of all students. And by 2020, 3.7 million Latinos were enrolled, accounting for 20 % all postsecondary students.