Hard work and dreams: two things Sandra Tovar always kept in mind when she arrived in the United States at 18 years old. Like any other immigrant family, Tovar came to the U.S. looking for a better life and explained that when she was with her family, she felt like she had everything she needed in life.
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CALÓ ON THE STREET: Should we be called Latinos or something else?
Most of our readers will know that Latinos/as/x comprise 37 percent of the 39 million people in California. But did you know that we also account for 18.9% of the world’s total population?
ANTHONY OCAMPO, proud to be Brown, gay and out with a second novel
Feeling like you have to choose between your identity of race or sexuality, not knowing who you are, and the immense pressure of being a first-generation immigrant child? These are just some of the topics tackled by Anthony Ocampo in his second book, “Brown and Gay in L.A.: The Lives of Immigrant Sons.”
GOOD JUJU COFFEE, a Latina and LGBTQIA+- owned coffee brand, supports gender equality and liveable wages
Good Juju Coffee is available and served at their coffee bar within Pocha LA, a modern, vegan-friendly Mexicana restaurant, merging both Mexican and American cultures, located in Highland Park.
As A DACA beneficiary, I’ve waited for this trip to Mexico all my life
De Los Santos is the host of a new LAist Studios podcast, How To L.A. He says: “It’s a dream job for this city boy. I get to help Angelenos discover, explore, affect change and connect with our beautiful — yet complicated — city. I don’t have all the answers, but let’s find them together.”
YOLANDA GONZÁLEZ, Chicana artist showcases exhibition at MOLAA
Ending July 30, the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) will be presenting the first in-depth exhibition, “Metamorphosis: the Evolution of the Visions and Dreams,” by Chicana artist, Yolanda González. A culmination of her earlier works in 1980 to those most recently created by González, “Metamorphosis: the Evolution of the Visions and Dreams,” is housed within two rooms.
COMMENTARY: Third-generation son of Cuban immigrants still fights drug war
The criminal justice system in the United States is in dire need of reform – for many reasons – but mental health remains among the top. Understanding the relationship between mental health and the criminal justice system is key to driving equitable policy practices that can improve health outcomes and reduce inequities faced by so many. Prisons and jails in the United States incarcerate a disproportionate number of people, including Latinos and Black people, with a current or past mental health problem. Many facilities are not equipped to treat these conditions.
COMMENTARY: Don’t allow Gov. DeSantis to define Western Civilization
Under the guise of promoting academic freedom and civil discourse, Ron DeSantis’ administration is suppressing drag shows, purging library books, and censoring content in AP African American Studies. Now, Florida’s self-styled “education governor” is promoting legislation to ensure “Florida’s public universities and colleges are grounded in the history and philosophy of Western Civilization” while banning critical race studies and courses dealing with gender and LGBTQ identities. Cuban Americans and Puerto Rican Floridians who handed Mr. DeSantis a landslide electoral victory for governor may want to think twice about whether their culture, their lives, and their experience counts as part of “Western Civilization.”
Mami & Me: Here’s what my emergency C-section experience was like
I should have researched more before my first birthing experience so that I could have been mentally prepared. Truthfully, no one is ever prepared to give birth for the first time, and I understand that now because it’s not an easy task. Because it ultimately saved my baby’s life, I don’t regret getting a C-section.
Latino teens deputized as Health Educators to sway the unvaccinated
Community health groups in California and across the country are training teens, many of them Hispanic or Latino, and deputizing them to serve as health educators at school, on social media, and in communities where covid vaccine fears persist. According to a 2021 survey commissioned by Voto Latino and conducted by Change Research, 51% of unvaccinated Latinos said they didn’t trust the safety of the vaccines. The number jumped to 67% for those whose primary language at home is Spanish. The most common reasons for declining the shot included not trusting that the vaccine will be effective and not trusting the vaccine manufacturers. And vaccine hesitancy is not prevalent only among the unvaccinated. Although nearly 88% of Hispanics and Latinos have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine, few report staying up to date on their shots, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
JOSE BARRERA, LULAC state director discusses moving past City Hall scandal
CALÓ NEWS interviewed Barrera to further discuss how Latino and other LA communities who were harmed by the scandal can heal, what is crucial for the LA City Council to focus on that can help Latinos, whether Latinos have appropriate representation on the LA City Council and more.
LINDA LOERA brings awareness to how Alzheimer’s impacts Latinos
Alzheimer’s Disease remains an Alzheimer’s Disease remains front-and-center for many Latinos and family members. There is a high chance that most of us are aware of someone whose life has been affected by Alzheimer’s disease, whether it is family or a friend. Approximately 13% of Latinos who are 65 or older have Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Loera is a community outreach specialist with the Alzheimer’s Association, in Southern California. In addition to educating the community about Alzheimer’s disease and participating in community events to bring awareness, she provides information and support to families and caregivers.