The Home Issue

.

Sleeping at School

Winter 2011 | Vol. 41 Issue 2

CA Dreamin’:Bill for undoc. students to go to Gov. Brown

La Lengua Española:Dept. finds ways to prep students with life skills

Day Laborers:Why we shouldn’t protest them

The Home Issue

The unseen struggles of financially-strapped students searching for a place to lay their heads

Wildstyle: The art beneath graffiti’s spray

PAGE 12

La Gente Newsmagazine is for the UCLA student interested in Latino issues. We want to represent the diversity of our culture and cultivate pride in our community. We’re a forum for con-versation hoping to inspire readers to get involved and make their voices heard.

notibreve information, rápido

¡topen esto! all things opinionated

tarado del mes the not-so-hot tamale

arte y cultura need we say more?

sigan luchando for those inside

expresiones all things creative

comunidad local insights

universidad exclusively osito

La Gente Lingo

By Long Beach artist Jose Loza.To view more of Loza’s work or to contact him, visit his site:lpmurals.com

ABOUT THE COVER

Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the La Gente editorial board. All others columns, cartoons, and letters represent the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editorial board. The UCLA communications board has a media grievance procedure for resolving grievances against any of its media. For a copy of the complete procedure contact student media at 310.825.2787. Copyright 2011 ASUCLA Communications Board

Start a conversation!La Gente accepts outside submissions of all sorts for review and possible publication. Email [email protected] with“Submission” in the subject line.

contents

JULIET FALCE-ROBINSON

Students atop Tenochtitlán's Temple of the Sun pyramid during UCLA's 2010 summer travel study program to Merida, Mexico.

Street art on a temporary surface outside Palacio Nacional in Mexico City.

11 |

6 |

¡topen esto! 14 | Undocumented, Unprotect-ed, & Unwanted Anti-Immigrant gropus unfairly persecute workers priori-tizing citizenhship over human rights15 | Scrubbing Out Car Wash Industry Dirt Student shares learning experiences from working with car wash workers

SAMANTHA LIM

4 | In Case You Missed It: Chevron ordered to pay for Amazonian damages; Obama to visit El Salvador

notibreve

7 | 20 Years of Building Hope Through Jobs Homeboy Industries founder promotes new book at UCLA

universidad6 | Learning Beyond La Biblioteca UCLA Spanish & Portuguese Depart-ment offers many ways to learn language

9 | Reviving the Dream State bill may bring new possiblities for undocu-mented students10 | Photo Essay The Streets of LA11 | Writings on the Wall Piecing together graffiti art & culture

comunidad8 | Art & Activism by Colorful Mujeres UCLA alumna founds group to empower creative women

feature12 | Homeless at UCLA Finan-cial strain causes sudents to make their school a home

16 | From Our Readers Art & poetry

expresiones

17 | Confessions of a Muslim Latina How one Latina found a new life by merging two worlds

arte y cultura18 | From Prada to Impresionada Film shows some “Sense and Sensibility” towards Latino culture19 | A Peek at Latino Style Students share culture through fashion

sigan luchado21 | From Within Contributions from our incarcerated readers

photo contest22 | Hidden Treasures Staff’s pick of the contest’s winners

23 | March and April Watch out for these local events!

calendar of events

tarado de mes5 | January: The UC Regents5 | February: Carmen Trutanich

2 LA GENTE Winter 2011

13 | Estudiantes Indigentes Dificultades económicas causan que los estudiantes hagan UCLA su casa

en español6 | Aprendizaje en La Vida Real El Departmento de Español y Portugúes de UCLA ofrece diferentes opciones para aprender un idoima

a look inside...

OUR MISSION:

I’ve always admired how turtles are so resilient and serene.

Maybe this is because, metaphorically speak-ing, they carry their homes on their back. Their shells

provide instant protection and refuge wherever they are.

The ability to retreat back to a home – for sleep, a bite to eat or just breathe easy – is a familiar comfort we take for granted.

Not all of us at UCLA are so lucky. The University doesn’t acknowledge the presence of homeless students as a pressing problem. A population of homeless

students looks bad for the school’s image, and there may be concern that making resources for homeless students will only encourage students to take advantage of the

system.

Our feature piece focuses on these homeless students. We explore this issue, recognizing that students don’t always have a welcoming place to return to every night to sleep.

At UCLA, the smaller-scale resources such as the Community Programs Office’s food bank or the student-initiated “crash catalogue” are initiating the relief for homeless students, a great example of how communities are our most accessible and reliable support system. As students we have the responsibility to look out for one another, especially when the greater institutions overlook and neglect such deficits.

Still, home is more than a shell or simply a tangible shield from the elements. Home is what comforts you. It can be the people around, the air of activism, the spiritual home in religion, or in the freedom of a creative space. Home is where the heart is.

This February, La Gente celebrates its 40th birthday. In this issue we’ve brought back translations of our articles along with a calendar of local events.

As when we began, La Gente’s heart remains rooted in our community because we believe that a strong supportive community offers a

sense of home.

Wherever you are, pull up a seat and take refuge in the news of your community as you

immerse yourself in La Gente. Bienvenidos—welcome to The Home Issue.

Yours,

[email protected]

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFSamantha Lim

MANAGING EDITORHelga Salinas

MANAGING ASSISTANTLucia Prieto

COPY EDITORSPaulina Aguilar

Lucia Prieto

STAFF WRITERSMaribel CamargoEmilio Hernandez

Mariana MaciasMarcos Osorio

Monica Ponce de LeonArmando SolisJessica Torres

DESIGNSamantha Lim

Maria Esmeralda RenteriaHelga Salinas

GRAPHICS & ILLUSTRATIONS

Paulina AguilarMaribel Camargo

Helga SalinasSamantha Lim

Maria Esmeralda Renteria

CONTRIBUTORSYannina CasillasMiguel MedinaRudolfo Perez

STUDENT MEDIA DIRECTORArvli Ward

STUDENT MEDIA ADVISERAmy Emmert

la GenteVOL. 41 ISSUE 2

From the Editor

Community profiles, arts, culture and politics for the Latino college student

CONTACT INFO:118 Kerckhoff Hall308 Westwood Plaza

Los Angeles, CA 90024

[email protected]

Facebook: La Gente Newsmagazine

This magazine was made possible with the support of Campus Progress, a project of the

Center for American Progress, online at CampusProgress.org.

Campus Progress works to help young people — advocates, activists, journalists, artists — make their voices heard on issues that matter. Learn more at CampusProgress.org.

Winter 2011 LA GENTE 3

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President Barack Obama will visit El Salvador on March 22 and 23 to discuss immigration and the spread of Mexico’s drug vio-lence with President Mauricio Funes.

With one of the highest murder rates in Central America, El Salvador has pleaded with the US for aid. While El Salvador is Central America’s smallest country, violence and drug trafficking to El Salvador’s neighboring countries are on the rise.

El Salvador’s economy currently relies on remittances sent from the millions of Salvadoreans working in the US. According to the Washington Post, El Salvador’s foreign minister, Hugo Martinez, stated that investing in the local communities of mi-grants would offer alternatives to out-migration.

Emilio HernandezInstability in El Salvador Spurs Obama to Visit1

Have you committed one of the seven deadly sins and urgently need to confess?

There’s an app for that. According to BBC, the newly released iPhone app can be

used to prepare and guide Catholics through confession. The Vatican has not officially approved the app, but churches in Indianapolis are promoting it. App promoters say that once you say your confession, it will delete all of your sins.

Yahoo! News reports an announcement from Cuba’s mail firm, which declared it has stopped postal delivery to the US. Postal deliveries were originally suspended in 1963 following Cuba’s communist revolution led by Fidel Castro, but in 2009 Barack Obama negotiated a reinstatement of indirect mail delivery through countries such as Mexico and Canada.

The progress the Obama administration seemed to be mak-ing with the Cuban government halted when the Cuban postal company released a statement that “until further notice Cu-ban post offices cannot keep accepting any type of mail for the United States.”

This announcement comes as a surprise, as Obama’s recent decision to renew mail delivery to and from Cuba, as well as his decision to ease travel restrictions to Cuba, were seen as steps to improve US-Cuba relations.

4Lucia PrietoCuban Postal Delivery to US Halted

2

Artifacts from an Incan civilization are being returned to Peru after al-most a century of American possession. After a long dispute, Yale Uni-versity is returning some 5,000 relics to Machu Picchu. The artifacts were discovered in 1912 by an American explorer, containing things such as stone tools and human and animal bones. BBC reports that Peru’s president, Alan Garcia, even wrote a letter to President Obama to help persuade the university to return the artifacts.

Armando SolisLong-Awaited Incan Artifacts Welcomed Home

5Emilio HernandezDeath Sentence for Minuteman leader

After just four hours, a Tucson jury sentenced Minuteman leader Shawna Forde to the death penalty for the murder of Raul Flores and his 9-year-old daughter, Brisenia Flores.

Forde, along with accomplice Jason Bush, posed as law enforcement officers and shot the victims during a robbery. The two were said to have been trying to raise funds for their border protection group.


The Pew Forum on Re-ligion and Public Life reports that Latinos make up one third of the 23.9% of Catholic Americans.

Maria Esmeralda RenteriaConfession App Now Available

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On Feb. 14, a court in Ecuador ruled that American oil con-glomerate Chevron must pay a fine of $8.6 billion. The suit is over rainforest territory that has been used to pump oil at large volumes since the 1970s. The plaintiffs in the case, a collection of Amazonian tribespeople and settlers, argue that approximately 18 billion gallons of toxic waste have been dumped into their waters. They claim this has caused above average incidence of disease, including cancer. Chevron refuses to admit liability and plans to appeal the decision.

Marcos Osorio

Chevron Ordered to Pay Tribe for Dumping Toxic Waste in Amazon

tarado del mes

The UC Board of Regents recently voted to raise tuition for the second time in two years. Now the

average student will see a rate hike of almost $900 a year, making UC tuition three times higher than it was a decade ago.

Recent estimates indicate the UC will lose $500 million in funding. The UC system is looking for all possible ways to decrease spending. Many sacrifices must be made in a recession, but the one thing that's never sacrificed is the salary of our UC officials.

The UC Board of Regents recently approved over $150,000 in pay raises, reducing the already shrink-ing state contributions to the university. In the last two years there have been rate increases for executives, and at the same time they announce furlough days for other faculty and staff.

With salaries ranging from $200,000-$900,000, the regents should be able to do just fine in this eco-nomic climate. But recently, 36 regents threatened to sue the UC system because they have not received a raise in their benefits as promised in 1999.

Thank you, regents. You are the perfect example of hypocrisy in our system.

Anyone can understand the need to take care of one's family. But when some of you are making more than the president of the United States, and the average American is in debt for student loans and is unable to find a job, it’s pretty difficult to feel sorry for you.

Honestly, students should be asking you for col-lege loans. Come on, a year's tuition at a UC isn’t even 10% of your monthly income. You know, in these hard times, we all need to make sacrifices.The

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What's your opinion on the UC Regents and Carmen Trutanich? Do you think another person or group deserved our award for

Tarado del Mes? Tell us what you think! Write to [email protected] and your response could get published.

Regents don't know how to take one for the UC. As their compensation continues to rise, so do student fees.

Illustration: HELGA SALINAS

Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich’s de-cision to file criminal charges against protestors for

unlawful assembly this February is a waste of public funds and an attack on free speech.

Looking at the dozens of activists arrested last July for participating in three separate protests against the AB 1070, Arizona’s controversial immigration law, Trutanich seems to target politics rather than tactics.

The activists in question – parents, college stu-dents, and even an Iraq war veteran – are hardly a threat to public safety. Yet Trutanich has altered the city’s long-standing protocol for dealing with first-of-fense non-violent protestors by seeking the maximum sentence of one year in county jail and a $1,000 fine. According to data released in 2009, a possible year-long conviction to house the dozens of protestors in in prison would cost over $600,000. All while, the city continues to suffer its massive budget deficit.

Trutanich claims traffic disruptions caused by these protests inconvenienced commuters and require a strong response. But by now you'd think that a city with the nation's most polluted and congested road-way would be used to the occasional traffic delay.

The notion that by prosecuting protestors to the fullest extent of the law will somehow deter future inconveniences to city trekkers is presumptuous.

Those exercising their first-amendment rights and bringing awareness to a national issue should take pre-cedence over the city’s failure to fix pre-existing traffic congestion. While the city attorney’s bullying tactics are done in the name of public safety, his draconian message is in line with the current anti-immigrant political climate. LA

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As city attorney, you should focus on perse-cuting dangerous criminals, not those ex-cercising their First Amendment rights.

JOHN MCCOY at The Daily News

January: February:

El segundo idioma más hablado en el hogar en los Estados

Unidos es el español, de acuerdo con la Encuesta sobre la Comunidad Estadounidense por la Oficina del Censo de los EE.UU.

Katie Hawkins, una estudiante de español de cuarto año, considera que es beneficioso ser bilingüe en español e inglés, ya que es útil para encontrar trabajo. Especialmente en una ciudad tan llena de hispanohab-lantes como Los Angeles, es necesa-rio para comunicarse con la mayoría de la población.

Dado el predominio de español, el Departamento de Español y Portu-gués de la UCLA ofrece opciones de práctica en la vida real para preparar


Maribel Camargo [email protected]

Learning Beyond La BibliotecaUCLA Spanish and Portuguese Department offers many ways to learn a language

The second largest language spoken at home in the United

States is Spanish, according to the US Census Bureau’s American Com-munity Survey.

Katie Hawkins, a fourth-year Spanish student, believes that it is beneficial to be bilingual in Span-ish and English because it is helpful in finding a job and because in a largely Spanish-speaking city like Los Angeles, it is necessary to com-municate with the majority of the population.

Given the prevalence of Span-ish, UCLA’s Spanish and Portuguese Department offers real-life practice to prepare students to speak the lan-guage proficiently and better serve the needs of diverse communities.

The budget crisis has made it difficult to maintain small class sizes, but according to the Chair of the Spanish and Portuguese Depart-ment, Maarten Van Delden, there are now capstone seminars, a new requirement in the Spanish major. These seminars give students the opportunity to practice their Span-ish in smaller class sizes and work

Katie Hawkins, fourth-year Spanish student

universidad

Maribel Camargo [email protected]

Aprendizaje en La Vida RealEl Departamento de Español y Portugués de UCLA ofrece diferentes opciones para aprender un idioma

MARIBEL CAMARGO

Extremely Enhanced Moderately EnhancedSomewhat EnhancedNot at all

To what extent were your Spanish language skills enhanced by the service-learning experience?

37.5%16.7%

47.1%

4.2%

Source: Design & Implementation of Service-Learning Projects in Spanish Language Courses, Juliet Falce-Robinson

Surveying the Students

0

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Extremely Enhanced Moderately EnhancedSomewhat EnhancedNot at all

Did participating in the service-learning class lead to a greater feeling of connection to the community?

37.5%

12.5%

50%

0%

Maribel Camargo

closely with their professor on a research project.

Spanish Professor Juliet Falce-Robinson believes that being im-mersed in the culture is important for language proficiency, otherwise, one remains disconnected with the language and much less likely to learn it.

For Hawkins, studying in Barce-lona was critical for her acquisition of Spanish. All of her classes were in Spanish and her professors did not speak English, so she was forced to speak it all the time. Performing rel-evant tasks in a foreign language in our everyday lives is what Professor Falce-Robinson defines as task-based learning.

Service-learning classes, which incorporate a community service component, are another option for practicing Spanish. Service-learning is required for the Spanish commu-nity and cultures major at UCLA, but are offered as electives for other students in the Spanish major.

Professor Falce-Robinson teaches a service-learning class that gives students the opportunity to use

cultural and linguistic knowledge acquired in Spanish classes in real-world settings. She believes service-learning classes help students at-tain language proficiency from which both the student and the commu-nity benefit.

Maggie Sosnowski, a fourth-year Spanish and linguistics student, takes a service-learning class through which she serves the Latino community 8 to 10 hours a week while practicing her Spanish.

“It’s been 100 percent beneficial. It’s getting me to use my Spanish in settings where I never had to,” she said.

Personal interaction is an essential part of learning how to make tangible connections between knowledge and practice.

The UCLA Department of Span-ish and Portuguese offers students

options which provide meaningful and relevant learning experiences, helping bridge language barriers in the community around them.

a los estudiantes a hablar el idi-oma hábilmente y para servir mejor las necesidades de una comunidad diversa.

La crisis de presupuesto ha hecho difícil mantener clases peque-ñas, pero de acuerdo con el direc-tor del Departamento de Español y Portugués, Maarten Van Delden, ahora hay seminarios de capstone, un nuevo requisito en la especialización del español. Estos seminarios ofre-cen a los estudiantes la oportunidad de practicar su español en una clase pequeña y trabajar en colaboración con su profesor en un proyecto de investigación.

Profesora de español, Julieta (continua página 7)


universidad

Falce-Robinson, cree que la inmer-sión en la cultura es importante para la competencia lingüística; de lo contrario, se desconecta con el idi-oma y es mucho menos probable que lo aprendan.

Para Hawkins, estudiando en Barcelona fue crítico para su adquis-ición del español. Debido a que todas sus clases eran en español y sus profesores no hablaban inglés, se vio obligada a hablarlo todo el tiempo. En nuestra vida cotidiana, realizar las tareas pertinentes como estas en un idioma extranjero es lo que la profe-sora Falce-Robinson define como el aprendizaje basado en tareas.

Clases de aprendizaje mediante el servicio son otra opción para prac-ticar el español en las interacciones de la vida real. Estas clases son un requisito para la especialización de comunidad y culturas de español en UCLA, pero se ofrece como un curso electivo para los estudiantes de otras especializaciones en español.

Profesor Falce-Robinson enseña clases de aprendizaje mediante el ser-vicio. Aquí los estudiantes la opor-tunidad de utilizar los conocimientos culturales y lingüísticos adquiridos en las clases de español en situacio-nes reales. Ella cree que las clases de aprendizaje mediante el servicio ayudan a los estudiantes alcanzar la competencia lingüística de la que tanto el estudiante como la comuni-dad benefician.

Maggie Sosnowski, una estu-diante de lingüística y español de cuarto año, esta tomando una clase de aprendizaje mediante el servicio a través de la cual sirve a la comunidad latina por 8 a 10 horas a la semana y donde practica su español.

“Ha sido 100 por ciento benefi-cioso. Me está haciendo utilizar el español en lugares donde nunca tenía que hacerlo,” ella dijo.

La interacción personal es una parte esencial del aprendizaje de cómo hacer las conexiones reales en-tre el conocimiento y la práctica.

El Departamento de Español y Portugués de UCLA ofrece opcio-nes de práctica a los estudiantes que proveen experiencias de aprendizaje significantes y relevantes, ayudando a crear un puente a las barreras del len-guaje en la comunidad que les rodea.

Father Gregory Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, spoke of

his gang intervention experience at the Chicano Studies Research Center on Jan. 26, as he promoted his first book, “Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion.”

He began his mission as a priest looking for a safe spot for neighbor-ing youth and now Father Boyle is an award-winning speaker, gang consultant to various agencies, and member of the National Gang Cen-ter Advisory Board.

Growing up in the Los Angeles area in a large Irish-American fam-ily, Father Boyle knows the dangers youth face in gang involvement. He accredits his family support system as the reason for not joining the gang life. “I never would have joined a gang, but that doesn’t make me morally superior,” said Father Boyle.

After receiving his master’s in English from Loyola Marymount University, he received a Master of Divinity from the Weston School of Theology and a Master of Sacred Theology from the Jesuit School of Theology. After doing missionary work outside of the United States, he returned to Los Angeles in 1992 and established Homeboy Bakery, an independent nonprofit organization that provides former gang members with a safe environment and skills to join the workforce. It has expanded to Homegirl Café and Catering, Homeboy Silkscreen and Logo Service, and Homeboy Maintenance. The organization offers services

including counseling, free laser tat-too removal, and skill development workshops.

As the largest gang interven-tion center in the United States, he admits that he and the organization have had their share of difficulties financially, as well as with the public and the police. He has had to endure bomb and death threats, receive hate mail, see his bakery burn in 1999, and survive leukemia, but he still holds strongly onto his mission. “There is no ‘us’ or ‘them;’ it is an il-lusion,” said Father Boyle in relation to how people may be reluctant to

relate to gang members. The book, which took 20 years

to write, is meant for a broad au-dience. He describes the novel as talking about what matters, “It is a string of stories bound together using vague themes. It is about the lethal absence of hope,” said Father Boyle.

Rather than promote his achievements at the reading, he did as he has done throughout his 20-year career: promote understanding. “Knowing my truth is your truth; your truth is the gang member’s truth,” said Father Boyle.

Mariana Macias [email protected]

20 years of Building Hope Through JobsHomeboy Industries founder promotes new book at UCLA

Father Gregory Boyle speaks at the Chicano Studies Sesearch Center on Jan. 26CHICANO STUDIES RESEARCH CENTER

The National Coalition for the Homeless ranks

Los Angeles as number one on their list of

meanest cities in the US for the homeless. The

list is based on the enforcement and severity

of laws that criminalize homeless people.

MEANEST CITY

(continuado de página 6)


In 1997, Felicia Montes, study-ing world arts and cultures and Chicana/o studies at UCLA,

wanted women artists to come together at a time where a powerful Chicana/o movement was happen-ing in Northeast Highland Park. This led Montes to ask her profes-sor to allow to her organize an event instead of writing a final paper. Only planned for one night, this event blossomed over 14 years into an or-ganization of called Mujeres de Maiz (MdM).

“I was trying to make [my educa-tion] relevant [by] not just writing a paper but trying to do something,” said Co-founder Felicia Montes.

The event was organized around

Art and Activism by Colorful Mujeres

Monica Ponce de Leon [email protected]

UCLA alumna founds group to empower creative women

Want to learn more about Mujeres de Maiz and their

upcoming events?

Check out their website:www.mujeresdemaiz.net

comunidad

International Women’s Day, where a local poetry collective band, In Lak Ech, decided to get together with anyone interested in sharing their work and poetry. “We were only sup-posed to perform once…but people kept asking. They had never seen the presence of women on stage [like that],” said Montes.

Just as corn is grown all around the world, mujeres of any color rang-ing from the lands South America, Africa, and the Philippines come together to “network and organize around global, social, and political issues,” as stated on their website.

A multimedia women’s art collec-tive, MdM gives space for female art-ists who want to express themselves

politically and spiritually through art, no matter their level of training.

Corn is peeled to expose its in-ner core in the same way that these women use their art. They find healing when expressing their inner thoughts and activist ideas to others while creating awareness of transna-tional issues.

MdM holds spoken word and cultural music performances, and showcases sculptures and paintings. They actively participate in events that support and celebrate women as well as helping to build different collaboratives.

Another outlet to contribute to women’s empowerment in the arts is their magazine publication “Zine.” “Not a lot of publications are out there consistently outreaching…so it was important to have that,” said Margaret Alarcon, a member of MdM.

As Alarcon recounts her decision to join MdM, she said that it has helped her empower her gift. An illustration student at the Art Center College of Design, she had a dream of a woman of corn. She decided to paint this image, which later became the symbol for the group.

Before MdM, Alarcon saw her-self as an isolated artist; alone and unsure how to share her art with others. MdM gave her the validation

and the empowerment she needed to share her creations.

In her biography, Alarcon de-scribes her artmaking as bringing new meaning and healing to her life. Now she is the core organizer for MdM.

The women plan to make MdM a nonprofit organization that will give the group more structure. However, they want to be cautious to preserve the grassroots atmosphere. They wish to have a place where women can express their ideas and form other groups in Los Angeles. “[This would be] very beneficial to the women who are trying to make art,” said Alarcon.

Just as the Mayans saw corn as sa-cred, MdM views women that same way. Both women and corn com in many shapes, sizes, and colors.

“Empowerment, conscious-ness, and healing,” are the words Co-founder Claudia Mercado uses to describe who they are and their contributions to the community. They outreach to women of color who want to combine their artistic kernels to help grow the organiza-tion that celebrates women, the arts, and activism.

As Montes wrote in her book “Overcompensating Xicana Com-plex,” these women are planting their “seeds of resistance.”

Get involved with similar organizations at UCLA!

Connect to MALCS de UCLAon Facebook, a group which provides

a space for female minorities.

Born of my mother’s cornI am a movimiento seed of resistanceA red-diaper babyChicana feminist since birthbut I never dreamed casually in the city of Lost Angels‘Cuz I was readyfrom the first day I saw the sun.– A poem by Felicia Montes, Founder of Mujeres de Maiz

The proposal of the California Dream Act of 2011 at the state

Assembly on Jan. 11 reinvigorates hope for proponents of immigration reform.

The Senate fell five votes short of passing the Federal DREAM Act last December. In light of the failure of the Federal DREAM Act, advocates are vying for Gov. Jerry Brown’s support of a different bill called the California Dream Act. This bill had originally been proposed in 2006 by State Assemblyman Gil Cedillo, but was vetoed four times by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The California Dream Act consists of two separate bills. The first is AB 130, which would allow undocumented students access to in-stitutional aid and fee waivers. This would include access to university scholarships, enrollment fee waiv-ers, and a large private pool of funds including scholarship awards from

alumni associations. The second, AB 131, would allow undocumented students who are already California residents to apply for Cal Grants at California community colleges, California State Universities, and UC schools.

The difference between the federal DREAM Act and the Cali-fornia Dream Act is that the latter is not a path to legalization. Consti-tutionally, immigration is under the jurisdiction of the federal govern-ment, and thus the California Dream Act will only widen the availability of financial aid to undocumented students at the state level.

Barbara Rodriguez, a fourth-year biochemistry student and member of the Improving Dreams, Equality, Access and Success (IDEAS) organi-zation on campus, insists that it is important to inform people about the distinction between the state and federal legislation.

Rodriguez explains that the California Dream Act will only pro-vide financial assistance for school-related expenses; it is not a path to legalization.

After last year’s defeat, activists across the country, including student activists at UCLA, are reflecting on their campaign efforts to gather sup-port for the DREAM Act.

Jose Ortiz, a second-year molec-ular cell and developmental biology student and external representative of IDEAS, explains that although the defeat was disappointing, he now understands what strategies were most helpful in mobilizing people, and seeks to improve on the ones that were not.

Proponents of AB 130 and AB 131 work hard at the legislative level and undocumented students also share that same determination on a personal level.

“As an undocumented student

I feel the struggle of working twice as hard for what I want to see in my future,” said Gustavo Sanchez, a second-year student at Mt. San Antonio College.

Although the recent defeat of the federal DREAM Act still serves as a constant reminder of the opposi-tion undocumented students face, the possibility of change provides motivation. Sanchez mentions that his goal to have a career in public service is directly influenced by the inequality that he sees affecting undocumented immigrants. “Today [they] see us as undocumented, but in the years to come…we will say ‘you crushed the act, but not the dream.’”

The California Dream Act would provide undocumented students similar financial support available to citizens and legal residents. If signed by Gov. Brown, it would come into effect July 1 of this year.

Yaquelin Perez [email protected]

Reviving the DreamState bill may bring new possibilities for undocumented students

comunidad

The California Dream Act is reintroduced as SB 1 Dec. 4, 2006

If signed by Gov. Brown, the California DREAM Act will go into effect

July 1, 2011

The Califronia DREAM Act is referred to the Committe of Higher Education

Feb. 3, 2011

The bill is introduced for the third time, as SB 1460Feb. 19, 2010

SOURCE: leginfo.ca.gov, Library of Congress

Feb. 8, 2005

State Assemblyman Cedillo first introduces the California Dream Act as SB 160

Gov. Schwarzenegger vetoes SB 160Sept. 30, 2006

Gov. Schwarzenegger vetoes SB 1Oct. 13, 2007

Gov. Schwarzenegger vetoes SB 1460Sept. 30, 2010

California Dream Act is introduced once again, as AB 130 and AB 131

Jan. 11, 2011

Currently, California State Assembly-man Gil Cedillo continues the push to enact two bills, collectively known as the California Dream Act, which would allow for financial aid eligibility for AB 540 students in the Golden State.

The University of California Student Associa-tion is organizing support for AB 540 students with a postcard campaign urging Gov. Jerry Brown to sign the California Dream Act this year.

For more information, or to get involved, please visitwww.ucsa.org

Looking out for AB 540 students



1 & 2: On walls near Nevin Ave. and East Adams Blvd. 3: In an alley off Washington Blvd. and Long Beach Ave.4: On the wall of a market at Long Beach Ave and 54th St. (on p. 11)

MARIA ESMERALDA RENTERIA

The Streets of LAPhotos: Paulina Aguilar [email protected]

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Britsh street artist Banksy executed a recent piece on an alley wall behind Urban Outfitters in Westwood.

comunidad

Check it out!

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From park benches to art galler-ies, graffiti has moved into the

mainstream, but along the way has cultivated risk, fame and contro-versy.

Much of the controversy about graffiti and graffiti art stems from a lack of understanding about it as

culture. “Graffiti is an art form; that is all it is,” said Luis Hernandez, a former graffiti artist.

The allure of getting recognized for their artwork pulls a lot of graf-fiti artists into the scene. Graffiti artist Disk One explained that many artists do this to get their name out.

“Artists aren’t there to threaten the government; they are out there to promote their art,” said Disk One.

Graffiti’s transition into main-stream culture has also increased its bankability. “The dream and motiva-tion of one day becoming a rich art-ist or designer inspires many to tag,”

said Hernandez. Although there are

many artists out there trying to make a name for themselves, there are few prominent artists who have obtained inter-national success.

British street art-ist Banksy creates art pieces in locations all over the world. Cur-rently, Banksy’s signed aerosol stencil of Abra-ham Lincoln on card-board is being auctioned for $20,000-30,000 at Sotheby’s auction house. That is just a modest ex-ample of what his pieces go for; several of his art pieces have been sold for millions.

Graffiti art isn’t just art; there are stan-dards and a culture that develop around it. Disk One explained that what differentiates true graffiti art from tagging is the

purpose that it serves. The mean-ing becomes compromised when art mixes with different motives.

For some, it becomes a form of rebellion. Hernandez explained that the pull factor is being a part of a culture that deviates from main-stream society. “[Tagging] is every-where just like rock used to be all over; kids wanted to be rock stars. Now graffiti is all over, now kids want to start tagging,” said Hernan-dez. He added that kids know the criminal risks involved when they start tagging, but this contributes to the excitement.

Graffiti’s relationship with crime and violence differentiates it from other art movements. The dangers come not only from people outside the culture, but also other artists. Graffiti artists are often part of a culture that can turn on them.

Hernandez recalled that a few years ago, a member from a tagging crew Hernandez was a part of shot at him because he created a piece which covered a portion of his peer’s art-work. The relationship between this subculture and violence still does not prevent people from attempting to create what they feel is art.

The risks they take appear reck-less to observers, yet the idea of re-wards and recognition keeps graffiti artist active. “When you strip [graf-fiti] down, it’s all art, it’s beautiful,” said Hernandez.


Writings on the WallPiecing together graffiti art and culture

Marcos Osorio [email protected]

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comunidad

Wildstyle: One of the most complex. Usually a larger work involving a compilation of interlocking letters and symbols.

Graffiti Styles

Heaven: A piece in a difficult to reach place, such as a billboard.

Piece: Short for masterpiece. Usually involves three or more colors and is very time consuming.

Throwup: Slightly more difficult than a tag. Usually consists of a name/words in bubble letters and an outline.

Tag: Artist’s stylized logo/signature. Often used to sign larger works.

Stickers: Graffiti artists place personalized stickers anywhere. Can simply be tags, or more creative and detailed images.

During midterms and finals, UCLA becomes a temporary home for fatigued students

slumped over half-opened books. But for some, sleeping on campus has be-come more permanent.

“The longest I stayed was last quarter. I stayed here for two whole weeks,” said Jose, a second-year mo-lecular cell and developmental biology student.

As an AB540 student, Jose doesn’t receive financial aid, and is unable to afford housing. Sleeping on an office floor three days a week has become the norm. Jose’s commute lasts five hours round trip; he boards four buses, trav-eling 30 miles each way.

Packing up a large duffle bag as if going on va-cation, Jose prepares for his two-week stay on the floor in a small corner office.

The US Department of Housing and Urban Devel-opment states that a person is classified as homeless if their nighttime residence is a public place, not intended as “a regular sleeping ac-commodation for human beings.”

While he does not consider himself homeless, Jose does not deny the im-pact his situation has on his academic performance.

“Sleeping on the floor gets to you, your back hurts and then you don’t sleep sometimes; you just do all night-ers, so it does affect you academically,” said Jose. “Not having food to eat, that affects you mentally.”

Jose is reluctant to contact admin-istrators out of fear of being told he can’t sleep in the office he regularly occupies.

“I can’t categorically tell you that I’ve dealt with a homeless student,” said Enku Gelaye, Executive Officer of Student Affairs.

Gelaye leads the Economic Crisis

Response Team (ECR) in the office of the Vice Chancellor, a group of 12 university administrators that develop solutions for students experiencing financial crisis.

Through a referral system, the ECR Team connects students with on-campus and off-campus resources.

Though Gelaye is confident that solutions for students experiencing housing issues due to financial crisis can be found in their financial aid package, she acknowledges that for undocumented students this is not an option.

“Where I’ve seen the most direct impact with the increase of tuition has been for undocumented students; we

just don’t have a financial aid solu-tion,” said Gelaye.

With the recent increases in tu-ition and proposed $500 million cuts to the University of California system, students face increased financial chal-lenges.

Anticipating a rise in commuter students, Gelaye stated that talks have begun regarding possible sleep options on campus, although she is not sure what those would look like and they will not be implemented soon.

For the past few years, AB 540 students have organized a “crash catalogue” to address housing needs through the student group Improving Dreams, Equality, Access and Success (IDEAS).

According to Charlene Gomez,

Membership Chair for IDEAS, the catalogue currently consists of six off-campus residences that can house students.

Of the 100 students on the list, 50 to 75 utilize the service each quarter by contacting Gomez. Gomez then arranges accommodations for the stu-dent.

The catalogue officially began in 2010, though it was informally prac-ticed prior to this time.

“AB 540 students are not wel-comed institutionally as far as what resources they have access to,” said Go-mez, “so we have to create our own.”

While Jose has used the catalogue service in the past, the limited avail-ability has forced him to continue sleeping on the office floor. Until an alternative housing option becomes available, he will roll out his sleeping bag and settle in for another night on campus.


Emilio Hernandez [email protected]

Homeless at UCLAFinancial strain causes students to make their school a home

feature

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development states that a person is classified as home-less if their nighttime residence is a public place, not intended as “a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.”

housing

On Campus Resources:

food

Community Programs Off icewww.studentgroups.ucla.edu/cpoSAC, Ste 105

Bruin Resource Centerwww.brc.ucla.eduSAC, B44

Student Legal Serviceswww.studentlegal.ucla.edu70 Dodd Hall

Student Loan Services & Collectionswww.loans.ucla.eduA227 Murphy Hall

Economic Crisis Response Teamwww.studentincrisis.ucla.edu/[email protected]

For students experiencing financial distress contact:

Do you spend your nights on-campus? Share your story. Write to Emilio or email [email protected]

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feature

Durante los exámenes parciales y finales, UCLA se convierte el hogar

temporal para estudiantes fatiga-dos y desplomados sobre sus libros medio abiertos. Pero para algunos alumnos, hospedarse en la escula se ha convertido en algo más perma-nente.

“Lo más que me he quedado aquí fue el trimestre pasado, me quedé aquí dos semanas enteras”, Dijo José, alumno en el segundo año de biología molecular.

Como estudiante AB540, José no recibe asistencia financiera y no le alcanza el dinero para una vivi-enda. Dormir en el piso de las ofi-cinas, para él, es lo típico. Su viaje desde la casa a la escuela y viceversa duraría cinco horas, tomando cuatro autobuses y recorriendo un total de 30 millas.

Empacando sus pertenencias como si se fuera de vacaciones, José se prepara para su estancia de dos semanas en el piso de una oficina pequeña y arrinconada.

El Departamento de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano de EE.UU. estipula que a una persona se cla-sifica como indigente si su sitio de residencia nocturna es un espacio público, no previsto como “aloja-miento regular para pernoctar.”

Aunque él no se considera in-digente, José no rechaza el impacto que esta situación ha tenido en su rendimiento académico.

“El tener que dormir en el piso es molesto y enfadoso, te duele la espalda, no duermes o a veces estudias toda la noche…te afecta académicamente,” dijo José. “No tener que comer te afecta mental-mente.”

José prefiere no contactar a los administradores por miedo de que le digan que no puede dormir en la oficina que ocupa regularmente.

“No puedo decirte categóri-

camente que he tratado con es-tudiantes indigentes,” dijo Enku Gelaye, funcionaria ejecutiva de asuntos estudiantiles.

Gelaye encabeza el Equipo de Respuesta a Crisis Económica (ECR) por medio de la oficina del prefecto auxiliar, un grupo de 12 administradores universitarios que desarrollan soluciones para estu-diantes impactados por la crisis financiera.

Mediante un sistema de ca-nalización de casos, el equipo ECR ofrece a los estudiantes recursos dentro y fuera del plantel escolar.

Aunque Gelaye está segura de que dentro de su paquete de

asistencia financiera hay soluciones para estudiantes con problemas de vivienda por la crisis económica, reconoce a la vez que estudiantes indocumentados no disponen de las mismas opciónes.

“Donde he visto el impacto más inmediato es con el aumento de matrícula para estudiantes indocu-mentados, simplemente no tenemos una solución de asistencia finan-ciera”, dijo Gelaye.

Con el aumento reciente a la colegiatura y los recortes propues-tos de $500 millones de dolares al sistema Universitario de California (UC), los estudiantes enfrentan difi-cultades financieras incrementadas.

Anticipando un aumento de estudiantes que viajan de zonas lejanas, Gelaye dijo que se ha ini-

ciado una serie pláticas con respeto a opciones de hospedarse en el plantel escolar. Pero aún no se han confirmado los pormenores y las fechas proyectadas.

Durante los últimos años, estu-diantes AB540 han organizado un catálogo de hospedarse para hacer frente a las necesidades de vivienda por medio del grupo estudian-til Improving Dreams, Equality, Access and Success (Mejorando Sueños, Igualdad, Acceso y Éxito IDEAS). De acuerdo con Charlene Gomez, presidenta de IDEAS, la red actualmente consiste de seis si-tios residenciales fuera de la escuela donde pueden hospedar a estudi-

antes.De los 100

estudiantes en la lista, entre 50 y 75 utilizan el servicio cada trimestre por medio de Gómez, quien posterior-mente organiza el hospedaje para los estudiantes.

El catálogo se inició en en 2010, aunque ya se había puesto en marcha desde tiempo atrás.

“Los estudiantes AB540 no son bien recibidos institucionalmente con respeto a los recursos a los que tienen acceso,” dijo Gómez, “enton-ces tenemos que crear alternativas.”

Aunque José ha usado el servi-cio de catálogo en el pasado, la dis-ponibilidad limitada le ha forzado a seguir durmiendo en el piso de la oficina. Hasta que haya alternativas disponibles de hospedaje, seguirá extendiendo su saco de dormir e instalándose una noche más en el plantel.

Emilio Hernandez [email protected] | Traducido por Miguel G. Medina

El Departamento de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano de EE.UU. es-tipula que a una persona se le cla-sifica como indigente si su sitio de residencia nocturna es un espacio público, no previsto como “aloja-miento regular para pernoctar.”

On Campus Resources:

loans veterans

Community Programs Off icewww.studentgroups.ucla.edu/cpoSAC, Ste 105

Bruin Resource Centerwww.brc.ucla.eduSAC, B44

Student Legal Serviceswww.studentlegal.ucla.edu70 Dodd Hall

Student Loan Services & Collectionswww.loans.ucla.eduA227 Murphy Hall

Economic Crisis Response Teamwww.studentincrisis.ucla.edu/[email protected]

For students experiencing financial distress contact:

Estudiantes IndigentesDificultades económicas causan que los estudiantes hagan UCLA su casa

¿Tiene una opinión de la situación del estudiante indigente? Escríbale a Emilio o [email protected].

Undocumented, Unprotected, and Unwanted

Armando Solis [email protected]

Anti-Immigrant groups unfairly persecute workers, prioritizing citizenship over human rights

Day after day, men and women gather at the local job sites in

search of an honest day’s work.They are the men and women that

cook, clean, build and work for afflu-ent neighborhoods of the Los Angeles area. While their presence here is denounced as unwanted and a threat to America; their labor continues to be exploited.

Immigration reform has been long overdue. Although some may be here “illegally,” that should not stop them from being treated as equals.

Citizenship status shouldn’t de-prive anyone of basic human rights.

In 2009, researchers from the UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment found that un-documented workers were the likeliest victims of workplace violations. Of the laborers surveyed, 85 percent of undocumented workers had been victims of weekly overtime violations.

Hidden behind anti-immigrant sentiment, the masses ignore the treat-ment of day laborers and blame them for complex economic problems. Popular misconceptions are that undocumented immigrants steal jobs from American citizens and contribute to high unemployment rates. However, the numbers show otherwise.

The Pew Research Center reports that in 2010, 11.2 million undocu-mented workers lived in the US and the unemployment high was 12.5 percent. However the unemployment rate from just three years ago was 5.8 percent. The number of immigrants has actually declined in the last three years. The economic downturn is a large factor in the unemployment rate, but it is worth noting that the argument that undocumented immigrants create in higher unemployment rates is unsubstantiated by this data.

But as the masses stay uninformed, the day laborer’s plight goes un-noticed. What gets lost in the midst of anger and frustration is that this


¡topen esto!

How do you feel about day-laborers? Write to Armando or [email protected]. Follow Armando’s blog, A Little Solace, at LaGente.org

Weekly Overtime Violations1

Off-the-Clock Violations2

Legal Status

Authorized 58.7% 72.5%

Unauthorized 85.2% 75.6%

Duration in U.S.

Less than 6 months 86% 61%

More than 6 months 75.1% 81.2%

1 Weekly overtime violations occur when workers have worked the full 40 hour work week for an employer and did not receive time-and-a-half com-pensation or additional hours worked.

Illustration: MARIA ESMERALDA RENTERIA

SOURCE: UCLA’s Institute for Research on Labor and Employment

2 Off-the-clock violations occur when a worker has worked his scheduled hours, but is forced to continue working without pay.

group of men and women is not very different from past groups of immi-grants trying to build better lives in a new land.

Most undocumented immigrants today come to the US from countries with huge poor populations regardless of federal laws because of the oppor-tunity for economic mobility. It’s no wonder why they risk so much to get here, and why they don’t mind the hard labor.

At the age of 45, Arturo, one of many jornaleros at the Central Ameri-can Resource Center, wakes up at 4 a.m. almost every day to arrive at the local job site before it opens at 5 a.m. He explains that showing up just a few minutes late can mean being the last in a line of 20 to 30 people already there looking for work.

Arturo’s undocumented status limits his job opportunities and increases his chances of being exploited, but he feels desperate so the risk is well worth the money. Arturo, who said he hadn’t worked in two weeks, recalled that his occupations in the US consisted of picking fruit (which he had never done back home), landscaping and several types of construction. In Mexico, his trade of masonry would earn him about 70 pesos a day, which is roughly six US dollars.

“I can make more money in an hour here than I make all day back home,” Arturo said. When asked if the money was worth the ridicule and exploitation he has faced or could face as an undocumented worker, Arturo reluctantly said, “the poverty in Mexico right now is very different than that of the US…poor people here can work for a living, while the poor people back home have very little options.”

Yet a lot people here still contend that immigrants come to the US to exploit public resources. If anything, immigrants have done and continue to do the jobs nobody else wants to do. The least this country could do is have more respect for them.

After nearly four years of hard work with sleepless nights, papers and reading assignments, I find

myself months away from graduation. But, I have to say, one of my greatest satisfactions as a student didn’t come from the classroom. It occurred recently during my work with a labor justice campaign in Los Angeles. I got in-volved with the Community-Labor-Environmental Action Network (CLEAN) Carwash Campaign, which has been fighting for the rights of car wash workers

In the process of helping with the campaign’s commu-nity outreach efforts, I met Juan Torres, a car wash worker from Los Angeles. Despite being only 28 years old, Juan has worked in the car wash industry for 11 years.

The working conditions of the car wash industry are dangerous, and often times workers find themselves unprotected by their employers. One Sunday afternoon, Juan was washing a car when he slipped and the vehicle he was washing ran over his left leg. He was taken to a nearby hospital to treat his broken leg, but he was never the same. He is in constant pain and now must use a cane.

“The pain was so intense that I [took] seven Advil to numb it. I couldn’t tell them at work that I was hurting because they could fire me,” said Juan. Along with not having medical insurance, he suffered many other forms of abuse as a car wash worker. For example, he never received a wage increase in

Scrubbing Out Car Wash Industry Dirt

Rudolfo Perez, Contributor

Student shares learning experiences from working with car wash workers


¡topen esto!

the 11 years he worked there. According to the CLEAN Carwash Campaign, car

wash workers often work up to 10 hours a day, making approximately $3 or $4 per hour without any overtime compensation. Juan joined CLEAN to organize against these labor injustices. He heard about the CLEAN cam-paign the way many others do: from fellow carwash workers.

Juan still has not received proper compensation for his injury, and he is very active in the CLEAN car wash campaign. Through pickets, he helps inform the public about the injustices occurring in the carwash industry. More importantly, he reaches out to other carwash work-ers and informs them of their rights. “I don’t want others

to go through what I went through, I want show them there are people out there that care. That they are not alone,” said Juan.

Though he has been through much, Juan’s fighting spirit keeps him go-ing and has made him a role model for me and for others in the campaign. I challenge all UCLA students to take their education outside the university walls to build better communities. I will graduate with a much deeper un-derstanding of the suffering that occurs outside of UCLA because I worked with CLEAN and because I met Juan. I can only hope other students at UCLA meet the Juans of their community and learn from them.

Since January 2008, Immigration and Customs Enforce-ment forcibly deported more than 390,000 undocument-ed persons from the US, more than doubling the depor-tation rate over a ten-year span.

SOURCE: Office of Immigration Statistics/Department of Homeland Securtity 2009 Yearbook Immigration Statistics

Sent “Home”

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Undocumented persons

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expresiones

Infinitesimally thin, brown, paper bag. Wrinkled, grease-stained, paper bag. Everyday you bear the realities of my impoverished family. Revealing to no one the paroxysmal nature of hunger;A sandwich with no mayo, no lettuce, no tomato.Ink-tainted with the calculations of a family’s debt—Every first of the month, the bag gets lighter but never empty.Blood-stained from their fight last night—Their brutish yells, my enduring torment.If only hugs could be kept in my brown paper bag.If dreams! If love! If—Mom do not lament. We will be ok, the child says.Brown paper bag, infinitesimally thin, wrinkled,Ink-tainted, blood and grease-stained. Brown paper bag, speak! Let ‘em know. Brown paper bag, it’s just you and me. Brown paper bag, you are my plea.

If I could write the words of my parentsTo say the things they never could sayIn their final moments together,

My mother would apologize forAll those human faults that women have—For vanity—and pride—and foolishness. My father would plead for his actionsThat made a man a Man in Their eyes;For leaving her behind for selfish dreams. And I would have them cry together—Together for all they have lost,And the extent to which they have hurt.

Have them remember the love they once shared,The hope of a nation of immigrantsEmbodied by the naïve faith of a young couple Who thought all life wanted from themWas the love they had for each otherAnd the sacrifices they would make for their daughters.

(Untitled)Christina Hughs, 21, Los Angeles

Brown Paper BagDavid Velazquez, 20, Oceanside

Beautiful Birds of a Latin FeatherMelody Parra, 19, Los AngelesMedium: Color Pencil


Confessions of a Muslim Latina

As a child of Mexican immi-grants, I grew up culturally

Catholic. But since I couldn’t find God there, I decided to seek Him for myself. I never lost faith in God and after years of searching, I finally found peace in Is-lam.

Even though I was extremely con-tent with my new religion, I felt lonely at UCLA. I quickly found myself bound between two completely different mi-nority groups in America—Muslims and Latinos. Already a minority on cam-pus as a Latina, I was also a minority in my religious community since the ma-jority of Muslims at UCLA are of Arab or South-Asian descent.

I felt like an anomaly, so I began to overcompensate my Latina identity by rolling “r’s” in conversation and carry-ing Tapatío hot sauce everywhere I went. I became known as “The Latina” of the Muslim Students Association (MSA).

After two years, I stumbled on an old issue of the Muslim student news-magazine, Al-Talib, that discussed the Los Angeles Latino Muslim Association. I soon began inquiring about the stories of other Latino Muslims and found out that a friend of mine named Karla (also a Mexicana) had converted to Islam.

I finally found someone with whom I could share my experience. We ex-changed stories about how our families confused Islam for Hinduism, the pain of having to give up chicharrones and ultimately, how our friends and loved ones felt about our conversions. Sharing this experience with Karla helped bal-ance my identity as a Mexican and Mus-lim woman.

I have been a Muslim for over three years and am actively involved in the Muslim community through MSA UCLA and MSA West.

Participating in such organizations has allowed my distinct identity to be expressed. It has also provided a channel through which my political drive can be exercised – by educating my two different communities on is-sues ranging from the DREAM Act to Ramadan.

It was not hard to gain acceptance in the Muslim community since the Muslim brothers and sisters shared similar values towards family as I did and also because…they love converts! It was, however, difficult to learn new vocabulary. For one, the Latino term of endearment “mijo” in Urdu is “beta.”

I connected with my peers in MSA through childhood stories and dis-cussions about food. After bragging rounds, I dispelled rumors that Mexican food didn’t just consist of tacos and burritos. I introduced them to albondi-gas, ceviche, and authentic tamales. And of course, they had to recognize the

How one Latina found new life by merging two worldsYannina Casillas, Contributor


“I felt like an anomaly, so I began to overcompensate

my Latina identity by rolling ‘r’s’ in conversation

and carrying Tapatío hot sauce everywhere I went.”

superiority of Mexican cuisine.I represent a growing population of converts in the United States. Ac-

cording to a 2010 report by The Pew Research Center, the Muslim popula-tion is around 2.6 million. Although the exact number of Latino Muslims isn’t known, Hjamil A. Martinez-Vazquez, author of “Latina/o y Musul-mán. The Construction of Latina/o Identity among Latina/o Muslims in the United States,” explains that it ranges from 75,000 to 100,000.

To this day, I am still reconciling my identity as a Mexican-Muslim woman. I am given the opportunity to shape the narrative of my community in this country. With my strong grounding in my faith, I look forward to contributing to the great legacy of the leaders in the Latino community.

Does religion play a part in your life or self-identification? Share your story! Email [email protected]

Illustration: MARIA ESMERALDA RENTERIA

expresiones

arte y cultura

From Nada to Impresionada

Helga Salinas [email protected]

Film shows “Sense and Sensibility” towards Latino culture

The mural featured at the end of the movie was created especially for the film.

The film “From Prada to Nada” is a rehashing of Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility.” When their Mexican father dies, sisters Nora and Mary are

forced out of their Beverly Hills mansion and in with their aunt in East Los Angeles.

The marketing of the film focused on the materialism of the two girls, especially because they are forced to move to a low-income neighborhood. I feared another attempt at repackaging Latino culture in a superficial film for the masses. Surprisingly, it sweetly and comically portrays two young women learning to embrace their roots and family.

Despite having Latino servants who cook traditional Mexican food and a Mexican father with a big bigote who has mariachi for his birthday, Latino culture hasn’t actually been a part of Nora and Mary’s lives. Moving to East LA with their aunt and being befriended by a tattooed neighbor may be the archetype of Latino neighborhoods, but the portrayal of this neighborhood moves beyond the cholos and helicopters they first encounter. It becomes a hub of Mexican heritage, Spanish language, artwork, and community.

Nora transitions easily to her new home, learning Spanish, and dressing in colorful indigenous clothing. She uses her lawyer skills to take on a pro bono case defending Latino maintenance workers who were unjustly fired and eventually setting up an office to give free legal advice.

Mary takes longer to adjust, at first only identifying herself as Mexican to protect herself from cholas who call her a white girl and to impress her

Mexican TA from school. In the end, she comes to accept her identity as something that is a part of her, not as something to portray.

Growing up, Nora and Mary experienced fragments of Mexican culture because of their father, but they did not have a community in which they could see all the pieces fit together and appreciate it until they moved in with their aunt.

One delightful aspect of the film is the featured street art. There is scene in which Bruno, the tattooed neighbor, teaches kids about the art and its significance (even referring to Judy Baca, a muralist and a professor at UCLA), creating the image of a flourishing community that also has beauty.

Another great perspective presented by the film is the diversity within the Latino community: their entrepreneur father, gardeners and servants in the mansion, the undocumented workers in East Los Angeles, the cholo in the low-income neighborhood, Latinos in the university, and the Latino artists. The range of Latino cast members is greater than a similarly mass-marketed film “Beverly Hills Chihuahua”, in which they only seem to exist as gardeners or in Mexico.

The last scene includes a mural with the words “Soy Americano? Soy Mexicano? Que Soy?” These are questions many Latinos—not just of Mexi-can background—are likely ask themselves as they experience Latino culture in an American society. This film may have felt superficial to some, but at least I cannot deny the depth it presented with those last words.

California ranks third in the nation for the highest home foreclosure rates.

Did you know?

One in every 200 housing units received a foreclosure filing in January 2011, totaling 363,329 foreclosed homes.

SOURCE: realtytrac.com U.S. Foreclosure Market Report™


ODD LOT ENTERTAIMENT

A Peek at Latino StyleLatinos value their sense of family and loyalty to their indigenous roots. These UCLA students’ style and apparel show their cultural pride.

More about Shepard Fairey...Fairey is most known for creat-

ing Barack Obama’s 2008 presi-dential election poster. The work became a symbol of inspiration and possibility. His artwork is a combi-nation of street art and graffiti and often carries a political message.

More about the morral…These handmade sacks represent

a large part of the spiritual beliefs and cultural practices of the Hu-ichol, an indigenous ethnic group in Mexico. The Huichol people use this bag to carry sacred offerings for special ceremonies.

More about the huarache...These handwoven leather shoes

have been a staple of Mexican foot-wear for hundreds of years. They were originally considered peas-ant shoes and were handmade from woven leather and rubber soles. Variations of the huaraches became popular in the US and can now easily be found in shoe stores during the summer season.

Nancy PinoSecond-year physics student

What she’s wearing: Nancy is wearing tan leather sandals with floral details and rubber soles, a variation of the Mexican huarache.

Why she’s wearing it: Every year she visits her parent’s native country, Mexico, and always brings back shoes and handmade jewelry because they have unique designs. She especially likes that they are made by the people and rep-resent their hard work. She also likes the raw and earthy material they are made from. She wears these items to express her culture and share it with others.

Cynthia JassoFirst-year political science student

What she’s wearing: Cynthia is wearing skinny jeans, which she feels is typical American clothing, and is carrying a morral, which she brought back from a trip to Mexico. What she especially likes about the morral are the vi-brant colors, each of which has a special meaning. If she were ever kicked out of her house, she said the morral is the one thing she would take with her.

Why she’s wearing it: Cynthia describes her style as “Ni de aquí, ni de allá,” in reference to her Mexican and American influences. She struggles to represent both cultures through her clothing and stay true to her indigenous roots.

Robert CastilloFirst-year political science student

What he’s wearing: Robert wears an OBEY shirt with the statement “The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress,” which he interprets as political corruptness.

Why he’s wearing it: Having first learned about OBEY when he watched "They Live," a film about propaganda, Robert often wears this brand of graphic tees to convey his own political opinions. His belief that government can be corrupt stems from the Mexican government and its relation with the drug cartels, which has personally affected his family living in Mexico.

arte y cultura

Jessica Torres [email protected]


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Visit us at: http://www.chavez.ucla.edu/


Courses in Chicana/o Studies at UCLA are exciting, eclectic, and build on existing skills that will provide you with tools to navigate our diverse society. Our mission is to train a new generation of scholars to research and analyze the life, history, and culture of the Latino/a populations in the United States and the Americas. Our courses explore race, gender, sexuality, work, and many other issues that encompass life. Our faculty is world renown and they’ve won multiple teaching awards for innovation and technology. During the spring quarter, consider enrolling in the following classes. Also consider taking our classes during the summer (to acquire your degree sooner, to take courses that you missed during the regular academic year), to take advantage of smaller courses, and to enrich your cultural and intellectual pursuits.

Check out our upcoming courses!

Spring 2011:CS 104 Comedy & CultureCS 120 Immigration and Chicano CommunityCS 123 Applied Research Latino CommunitiesCS M128 Race & Gender & U.S. Labor CS 141 Chicana & Latina NarrativesCS 143 Mestizaje: History of Diverse Racial/Cultural Roots of Mexico CS 148 Politics of Diversity: Race, Conflicts, and Coalitions.CS 166 Paulo Freire CS M175 Chicana Art & ArtistsCS 188-1 Historical StorytellingCS 188-2 Poetics and Politics in Central American Narratives

Summer 2011:CS M102 Mexican Americans and SchoolsCS M106 Health in Chicano/Latino PopulationCS M125 U.S.-Mexico RelationsCS 10B Introduction to Chicana/o Studies (Session C)

For more information and student advising, please contact Eleuteria (Ellie) Hernández at [email protected] or 310.206.7696 or just come to 7351 Bunche Hall.

Save the Date!!! César E. Chávez Graduation, Saturday, June 11 2011 for all

majors and minors

Gustavo Arellano is the instructor for CS 1881-1

Historical Storytelling and our 2011 Community Scholar. He is a staff writer with OC Weekly, an alternative newspaper in

Orange County, California, and his ¡Ask a Mexican! Column won

the 2006 association of Alternative Newsweeklies

award for the best column in a large circulation weekly.

From Within


sigan luchando

Free Aztlán, 2010 | Jesus Garcia from Pelican Bay State Prison

Hey Picasso!La Gente wants to showcase your talent! Send us your awesome artwork, short stories, poetry, songs and more. Come on, make your mamá proud!!

I’ll keep it short and simple. Keep your heads up and moving forward with your daily doings.

“Being incarcerated year after year away from familia y loved ones is a hard road. Some of us were forced upon this spiraling path. Others chose it for various reasons. Regardless it has led to a lifetime of hard heartaches and set backs. Now I can speak

for my circle of hermanos when I say, ‘We will not let the past define our future.’

The only limitations we have are the ones we place on ourselves and allow to be placed upon us. Yes, it is a daily struggle...yet a welcomed struggle. For individual and collec-

tive success is not easily achieved. Nuestra Gente will continue to push and continue to strive. Embracing and retaining meaningful

teachings and info.”

Nick Montemayor | High Desert State Prison

Loving You Enough to Say Goodbye

You and I, although we hidJustify with philosophyOur lives apart in agonyPunctuated with brief moments of ecstasyI know that you lie awake at night and cryWith the anticipation of our “Good-bye”Thoughts of someone else laying next to youAre the bitter thoughts I chewI wish you knewHow much longer can we keep this up?When will one of us say “enough!"To say that I love youWill only ensure that we are throughSshhhhh, don’t ruin what we have with words, With those we’ve already heardLet’s keep our secretTo come clean will end in regretJust a little while longer, I’m beginning to feel strongerYes, I think we will surviveI no longer want to hideLets just walk away without saying our goodbyePlease just say it with your eyesGoodbyeInside I have died....

Espanto Landrum | Pelican Bay State Prison

“

Sí se puede. We Mexi-can, not Mexican’t. Andres Gonzales | Pelican Bay State Prison

”


Theme: Hidden Treasures Thanks to all those who submitted photos! Our staff picked their favorites and here they are.

Picture/clip art of camera?

Photo Contest Winners

3Ray Luo, 25, Los AngelesOaxaca, Mexico, has a legend that a Zapotec princess was taken and decapitated by the rival Mixtecs during war. The buried body was found, but never the head. One day, a shepherd found a lirio flower on the ground. Instead of cutting it, he dug into the ground where it grew. He discovered a human ear, attached to the perfectly preserved head of the princess. It was reburied in Cuilapam, where this photo was taken. Local artisans believe making purses and wallets out of found materials allows them to preserve what is inside in mint condition, much as the prin-cess’ head was preserved by the found flower.

1Zsolt Beke, 38, Vasvari Pal, HungaryThis was a peaceful Sunday morning. No wind, no noises, but very cold. I was walking. Everything was static, no movement, no animals. Just like in a winter tale, everything slept or hid somewhere. The sky was beautiful and deep blue. As I was walk-ing by, I got a glimpse of this old temple. The sun shone and the colors and shadows were just perfect.

2 Michael Masukawa, 21, Los AngelesThis is a sunset I experienced from the window of my dorm room. My roommate noticed that the sunset was bloody fantastic. The sky was liter-ally on fire. I enjoyed framing it with one of the larger trees outside our window to give it perspective. Outside my window lay the treacherous path to Mordor.


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2 5 X Favela, Agora Por Nós Mesmos: A compilation of five short films written, directed, and acted by favela (slum) residents from Rio de Janeiro. James Bridges Theater, Melnitz Hall 1409, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095 From 7:30PM to 9:30PM.

2-3 The 1968 Walk Outs in East Los Angeles - “2011 Meets 1968”: A series of one act plays written by student historians and performed by professional actors. Margo Albert Theater at Plaza de la Raza, 3540 N. Mission Road, Los Angeles, CA 90031 Wednesday at 10:30AM and Thursday at 7:00PM.

3 & 10 2011 Latin American Film Festival: Featuring award-winning films from Mexico, Cuba, Guatemala and Bolivia, among others, that profile and dramatize the his-tory and traditional cultures of Latinos in the United States. Salazar Hall, Room E-184, CSULA, Los Angeles, CA 90032 From 6:00PM to 8:00PM.

4 20th Annual HOPE Latina History Day Conference: Workshops that explore opportunities for corporate advancement, the state of health-care reform, and improving financial literacy, as well as networking and sales for local vendors. Millennium Biltmore Hotel, 506 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90071 From 7:30AM to 4:00PM.

5-31 Cuba y Cubans: Photographs by Juan Luis Garcia: A photo-graph exhibit showcasing the debut of Juan Luis Garcia and the stills he shot during his 2009 trip to Cuba. Eastside Luv Wine Bar y Queso, 1835 E. 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033 Opening reception Saturday, March 5 from 5:00PM to 9:00PM.

17 Jornadas Mexicanas: Cuando los Migrantes Piensan su País: Análisis de las elecciones de Julio de 2010 frente a las de 2012. Restaurante La Guelaguetza, 3014 W. Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90006 At 7:00PM.

20 Holistic Health and Self-Defense Workshops and Mujer Merca-do: A self-defense workshop, holistic health workshops, and a vendor fair featuring Mujeres de Maiz artists, artisans, and vendors. Homeboy Industries & Homegirl Cafe, 130 W. Bruno Street, Los Angeles, CA From 10:00AM to 5:00PM.

26 César Chávez Day of Service: Under the direction of expert mu-ralists and civic leaders, corporate and community volunteers will come together to create five to ten murals to honor the life and legacy of César Chávez, which will then be donated to schools and libraries in Los Ange-les. Address disclosed after event-sign up, Los Angeles, CA From 9:00AM to 12:30PM.

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ril 2 Hike for the Homeless: Volunteers can hike either a 2-mile trail or

a 2.64-mile trail to raise money for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s Cardinal Manning Center Homeless Shelter. Griffith Park, 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027 From 8:15AM to 11:00AM.

24 Olvera Street’s 80th Anniversary Nuestra Tierra Conference: An eco-indgigenous Earth Day festival for kids and the community featur-ing environmental workshops and booths, dance performances and work-shops, and live music. El Pueblo/Olvera Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 From 10:00AM to 9:00PM.

30 UCLA Relay for Life: A event featuring live entertainment, aware-ness activities, games, prizes, a remember ceremony and a survivor lap to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer. UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095 At 12:00PM.

familiar crossingsTest your knowledge of some important facts in THE HOME ISSUE of La Gente and from LAGENTE.ORGPlus, if you bring your completed crossword to our office (Kerckhoff 149E) you’ll get some free La Gente swag!

Across:2. An unofficial Roman Catholic iPhone application used for absolving sins6. Handwoven Mexican-style leather shoes8. One of the two bills composing the California DREAM Act that allows undocumented students to apply for Cal Grants10. The Urdu translation of the Latino term of endearment, “mijo”12. LA city attorney filing criminal charges against peaceful immigrant rights protestors13. This ______ catalogue addresses housing needs for stu-dents whose homes are too far for commuting15. After the recent vote by the UC Board of Regents, UC tuition is ______ times higher than it was a decade ago16. The second largest language spoken in the US17. Father ______, founder of Homeboy Industries18. the American university returning about 5000 artifacts originally taken from Machu Picchu in Peru

Lucia Prieto [email protected]

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For solutions, visit LaGente.org

Down:1. Mujeres de _____, a multimedia women’s art collective2. Brazilian soccer club with whom recently-retired Ronaldo had a contract3. Smallest Central American country (geographically)4. Type of communication service recently stopped from Cuba to the US5. Gas company sentenced to pay $8.6 billion to an Amazonian tribe for 18 billion gallons of toxic waste in Ecuador7. 85% of undocumented workers have been victims of weekly _________ violations9. This agency will be auditing some 1000 business in search of undocumented workers

11. One of the most complex graffiti styles involving a compila-tion of interlocking letters and symbols13. Campaign fighting for the rights of car wash workers14. Prominent British street artist whose work includes an aero-sol stencil of Abraham Lincoln on cardboard

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