Sports teams are coming out against SB 1070.

The Suns wore a "Los Suns" jerseys tonite to show their support for the Latino Community.

Giants are going to wear their ''Gigantes'' uniforms during games against Arizona Diamondbacks. 

La Mission

Now playing in theaters: 

Census Door-to-Door Begins

Census data is collected once every ten years. The information determines congressional seats as well as the distribution of more than $400 billion in federal aid. The 2010 questionnaire was one of the shortest with only 10 questions.

68% of the LA population has returned the census. That means that during the months of May through July, the other 32% will receive a visit from a Census worker. The information is not specific to Wilmington so it may not accurately represent our community. Census takers will ONLY ask households to answer the 10 questions on the form. They carry picture badges and black Census bags. 

Although the information is confidential, suspicion of the government is not uncommon in the Latino community. To combat this problem, Both MALDEF and VotoLatino have campaigns encouraging Latinos to fill out the Census without fear. Lalo Alcaraz even created an informative comix.

Latinos were also confused about the question of race. None of the choices seem appropriate for Latinos. Because of this, every year most Latinos end up checking "White". This year’s fill-in-the-blank also allows Latinos to write in more appropriate ways that they identify.

For those who have a direct connection with their indigenous roots, they can check American Indian and write in their affiliation, such as: Aymara, Quechua, Mixtec, Maya, P'urépecha, Huichol or Yaqui, etc. If they don't know their affiliation-which is perhaps the case for most Mexicans/Chicanos and Hispanics/Latinos, the bureau will accept "unknown," "detribalized, "de-Indigenized" or "mestizo" or any other term that indicates the indigenous ancestry.

For more information, check out the Census Website or VotoLatino.

VotoLatino PSA

Local Author and Community Member: Abelardo de la Peña

Abelardo de la Peña has been a family friend for as long as I can remember. My mom met Mr. Peña when he was working as the director of Mahar House in Wilmington. He and his wife are my sister's ninos. It is great to see a story of the Mexican diaspora shared with everyone. Especially one so close to home. It is written in spanish.


Description of book:

Este libro narra las vivencias de un inmigrante platicadas a un amigo qué por cincuenta años desde la adolecencia no se habian visto. Su encuentro fue casual en un aeropuerto y se inicia una charla que sigue sobre las nubes evocando recuerdos y añoranzas desde su infancia y las experiencias tenidas del autor viviendo en los Estados Unidos en su lucha por sobrevivir su natal cultura en un mundo prejuicioso y racista. Tambien de sus logros y fracasos el autor desea que sus testimonios sirvan al lector como lecciónes y herramientas de educación. Por siete años fue parte del personal de la Américan Cáncer Society de Los Angeles en programas de educación y organización de Clinicas "Pap" en la comunidad, para la prevención del cáncer de la matriz en las mujeres. Como lider de la Union Mutualista de San José fue instrumento para adquirir un salon y oficinas; director del centro de la comunidad Mahar House, trabajo en programas de prevención de la delincuencia juvenil con la pandilla Canta Ranas de Santa Fe Springs patrocinadas por CYO (Organización de la Juventud Cátolica); fue protagonista, escritor y motivador de la pelicula "Una persona en Cada Seis" patrocinada por La American Cancer Society con actores voluntarios de La Union Mutualista de San José; logro la oficina de asistente de administrador del Beverly Hills Doctors Hospital y primer presidente de la Sociedad Civica Méxicana. Su vida fue marcada por la lucha cotidiana de resistir a la asimilación a la cultura américana en la formación de su familia defendiendo el biculturismo y el idioma español como segundo idioma. Abelardo de la Peña González es autor de "Chapala Olvidada" y "Nachin el Cristero".

His son Abelardo de la Peña Jr., Co-founder and Editor of LatinoLA, writes a review of the book on Amazon.com:

In this, my father's third book, Abelardo de la Peña Gonzalez recounts in loving detail his life pursuing the American Dream as an immigrant from Mexico. He gives a vivid chronology of momentous events, introducing readers to both the joys and hardships of leaving his home country to start a new life in the U.S. with his new wife, and to raise his family, fulfill his career ambitions, and attempt to create positive change within his community. I'm still reading it, and learning much about the struggles my father and mother faced as Mexicans living in Southern California in the 1950s and 1960s. But there is also laughter, happiness and pride in his words, as he recounts his many efforts - some successful, some less so - to improve his family's economic situation, to take on the tough problems confronting Latinos in his community and to put the community of Wilmington on the map in a positive way. En Español, which is a bit of a struggle for a pocho like me, but well worth it.

This book is available for purchase on Amazon.com

Schools Not Jails

There was recently an article in RaceWire about the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, and his plan to help Latino students not only get into college but be able to graduate as well.

Duncan’s plan involves a combination of helping with financial aid—an accomplishment his department can already claim after the monumental victory of the passage of the Student Aid and Financial Responsibility Act—and revamping high school curriculum. Duncan also says the success of Latino students in higher education is dependent on the presence of Latino educators in the classroom.

Latino students are more likely to face structural barriers to getting into and staying in school. Students of color come from disproportionately lower-income neighborhoods, where the most underfunded schools are concentrated. And even if they do get to college, students of color are more likely to drop out because of the high costs of tuition. A full 49 percent of Latino students delay or don't attend college because of the high cost of student loans.

Keeping students interested and involved in high school is the first step. The drop out rates right now are devastating. It is a complex issue that most people do not take the time to fully understand. Unfortunately, that lack of knowledge does not stop the blaming of poor communities for this problem. The National Women's Law Center and The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund have explored the causes of the dropout crisis for Latinas and identifies the actions needed to improve their graduation rates. Many Latina students face challenges related to poverty, immigration status, limited English proficiency, and damaging gender and ethnic stereotypes. The report can be found here.

Here is an inspiring video of Lucy Flores. She was a high school drop-out but is now a third-year law student.