Before she became the first person to fill this newly created leadership role, the first such position with the LA Chargers and the NFL, Pérez had a few obstacles to overcome. Pérez was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and at the age of 2 immigrated to the United States with her mother. She grew up in Pico-Union, located west of downtown Los Angeles. Undocumented until she was 18, Pérez said that she felt a looming fear of deportation, especially throughout her time in elementary school. “There would be emigration vans and sweeps,” she said. In July 2019, Pérez was approached for the first LA Chargers’ Senior Director of Cultural Affairs position. That happened four seasons ago. What she lacked in knowledge about football and sports, she made up for in her understanding of LA’s cultural landscape and her ability to network with leaders among multiple industries due to her years in politics.
Tag: California State University
Posted inRepresentation
Newport Beach Film Festival hosts their annual Mexican Spotlight event
On Wednesday, October 18, the Newport Beach Film Festival’s (NBFF) annual Mexican Spotlight event will take place at Triangle Starlight Cinemas in Costa Mesa. Beginning at 7 p.m., along with a red carpet, afterparty, dance performances, live music and a hosted bar, the central focus of the night is the screening of Radical (2023), starring Eugenio Derbez, and an exclusive Q&A with those behind the film, which is all completely open to everyone who purchases tickets. Along with the festivities the Mexican Spotlight holds for its guests, the centerpiece of the event is the screening of the Mexican drama Radical (2023), starring Mexican actor and comedian Eugenio Derbez, known for his roles in How to Be a Latin Lover (2017), Overboard (2018) and Instructions Not Included (2013), who will also be in attendance.
Posted inHealth
East LA Latinos reflect on mental health and cultural stigmas
The cultural “machismo” stereotype is upheld in many Latino households, forming a stigma around therapy and seeking help, which is often associated with weakness. When this practice is passed from one generation to the next, it becomes a difficult cycle to break. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, annually, 33% of Latinos suffering from a mental illness seek treatment, compared to the U.S. average of 43%. Gaithri Fernando is a psychology professor at California State University, Los Angeles, who recognizes how difficult having these conversations can be. “I hear many parents say, ‘If only [my kids] knew what I went through,’ and they don’t want to disclose those personal stories because of the trauma and they don’t want to burden their children,” he said.
Posted inEducation
Fighting the odds, increasing the Latinx pipeline to graduate school
Raised by migrant farmworkers in Washington State, Dr. Janette Mariscal was brought up on the principles of the value of hard work and perseverance while picking apples and cherries. Today she is dedicated to ensuring that students of color like her have the same three letters by their name: PhD. The McNair TRiO program seeks to help first generation, low-income undergraduate students who wish to ultimately pursue their doctorate degree. It is the mission of the program that McNair strives to center racial and ethnic identity in research and graduate school preparation.
Posted inHealth
LESLIE PRISCILLA, Latinx Parenting founder seeks to end chancla culture
Latinx Parenting, both an online and in-person bilingual organization, is not only rooted in social justice and intergenerational healing, but in the rights and well-being of Latinx children, who, make up 26 percent of the nation’s total child population. To best serve Latinx families, Latinx Parenting offers a multitude of workshops and courses, such as Decolonized Nonviolent Parenting, Ending Chancla Culture and Healing the Madre Wound, for families and current and former Latinx children. CALÓ NEWS spent time with Leslie Priscilla, Latinx Parenting’s founder, to discuss her own Latinx childhood experience, the inner workings and offerings of the organization and additional resources.
Posted inGovernment
LA City Hall scandal aftermath, Latino academics talk about future
Having Bass as the new mayor of LA has sparked a conversation about whether she will hold the council members accountable for their actions and support honest and adequate representation in City Hall and the city’s districts. “It’s too easy of a political campaign,” said Alexandro Hernandez, associate professor of Chicanx Studies at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH). “I don’t think electing Bass as Mayor of LA is something [City Hall and voters] can use to sweep everything with the audio leak under the rug and act like everything is better now.”
Posted inHealth
ROSA MORENO, dedicates psychology practice to helping Latinx, POC students
Moreno is now a psychologist and faculty counselor at California State University, Long Beach. She has been a counselor at CSULB for the past 24 years. She has been in charge of a drop-in space at CSULB called Latinas at the Beach for the past 24 years. It’s where Latina students can openly share their struggles and thoughts with their peers.
Posted inHealth
ZULY GARCIA, from contractor at Google to working full-time at the iconic tech company
Traveling back and forth with their father from Oaxaca to Los Angeles, Zuly Garcia found it difficult to assimilate to American culture and their Mexican counterparts. In addition to always feeling split in two between the two countries, they also faced brutal racism and had difficulty finding a supportive community. When Zuly was 15 years old, they began to struggle with their identity and loving themselves. That is until they found a creative outlet through Photoshop and photography.