Posted inEquity

THOMAS A. SAENZ, MALDEF president and general counsel on Latino leadership

Currently, the LA City Council consists of 14 council member: three Blacks, two Asian-Americans, four Whites, one Armenian-American, and four Latinos. District 6 is currently vacant after the resignation of Nury Martinez. Thomas A. Saenz, president and general counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense Education Fund shares how common it is for Latinos to face under-representation when it comes to positions of leadership in LA.

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 inRepresentation

JORGE NUÑO, political activist on what needs to be done about LA scandal

During the 1980s and 90s, Nuño grew up in a house nestled near Vernon and Main street in South Central Los Angeles with his sister and their two immigrant parents from Jalisco, Mexico. “I grew up adjacent to the [LA] Coliseum,” Nuño said. “When you grew up in the hood, you’re like, ‘Where you live?’ ‘Ah, I live by the Coliseum,’ so that you can give people some context of what part of LA you live in.” Nuño founded The Big House, a small business incubator housed in the 10-bedroom mansion that Nuño purchased in South Central, where nonprofits can have physical offices in their community.

Posted inGovernment

Kevin de León’s physical fight at holiday event reignites calls for his resignation

Ongoing efforts to push de León out of office in LA turned into a physical confrontation on Friday, December 9, at a toy giveaway and Christmas tree lighting event in Lincoln Heights. While de León says he was assaulted, others say he was the aggressor. As police launch an investigation, community leaders continue to call for his resignation.

Posted inLA Elections

HENRY PEREZ, and his social justice group ask Kevin de León to resign

Kevin De León has served as the LA City council member for District 14 since 2020 and said his resignation is not an option. “I have a moral obligation to my constituency, to give them a voice,” he told Smiley. But for Henry Perez, associate director of Inner City Struggle, a social justice non-profit organization in CD-14, de León no longer represents the community of the Eastside.

Posted inAnti-Hate

EDITORIAL: New Latino leaders needed on LA City Council now

If there is a lesson to be learned from the recent racist controversy that has rocked Los Angeles, it is that we need new Latino leadership on the City Council. Nury Martinez has resigned.  Ron Herrera, the leader of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, who also was part of the racist conversation, resigned. City Council Members Gil Cedillo and Kevin de Leon, who were part of the racist dialogue, have refused to resign. We need Latino leaders who want to build up our community and also support the diverse and working people of Los Angeles. We need leaders who won’t condone or stay silent when bigoted and racist comments are made.

Posted inLA Elections

CALÓ RECAP: LA City Hall scandal, BLM, Oaxacans react and more

It’s been two weeks since the nation’s second-largest city was overshadowed by the audio recording that captured openly crude and racist remarks involving former Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez, LA Labor Federation president, Ron Herrera, and councilmembers Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo. It is still unknown who recorded the private conversation that took place last October while discussing the redrawing of districts. CALÓ NEWS has gathered important updates and events that have occurred and been brought to life amidst the content of the audio, which was first published by the LA Times.

Posted inRepresentation

Q&A: LUIS LÓPEZ RESÉNDIZ on Nury Martinez and Reaction by Indigenous, Latino Communities

The audio leak comes one month before the city election, where multiple council seats are sought, including the mayor’s position. “We hope this new election will spark a movement holding our local politicians accountable and having them be more transparent and honest in their work,” says Luis López Reséndiz. Following the news of Nury Martinez and city council members, CALÓ NEWS recently spoke with Luis López Reséndiz, CIELO’s director of the center of language and power department, to understand the feelings within the Indigenous and Latino communities after the leak in-depth.