In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, coupon and business-card size advertisements will appear in Amigos805.com during September and October at a discount cost of $50 per advertisement per month, a $50 savings. Business Directory advertisements will also appear in Amigos805.com…
Author: Amigos805.com
Frank X. Moraga is publisher / editor of Amigos805, providing information for and about the vibrant Latino community in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties — "Bringing cultures together by sharing information."
Lacayo celebrating 80th birthday on Aug. 20
Henry “Hank” Lacayo will celebrate his 80th birthday at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 20 during the “Hank Lacayo 80th Birthday Tribute & HLI Fundraiser at Spanish Hills Country Club, 999 Crestview Ave., Camarillo. Join us in celebrating Hank’s lifetime of…
Clubes Zacatecanos celebrar treceavo aniversario 20 de Agosto
La Organizacion de Clubes Zacatecanos del Condado de Ventura los invita “A Celebrar su Treceavo Aniversario — Certamen Seõrita Zacatecas 2011-2012,” 6 pm a 12 am. domingo, 20 de Agosto del 2011, Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach Hotel, 2010 Mandalay Beach Road,…
Latino Links: Political trends
Rick Perry may have a challenge convincing Latinos to support him after the Texas governor announced on Aug. 13 that he was entering the race for the 2012 Republican nomination. Writer Yolanda Gonzalez Gomez reports in the Huffington Post that…
Commentary: WHAT THEY HAVE (Part 1)
A Personal Essay By Boyd Lemon / Guest contributor Not long ago I joined a small tour group to visit a village in Malawi, Africa, a small country east of Tanzania. “I will be your tour guide,” Kea said. “The…
Commentary: Searching For Aztlán—Part IV (final part)
By David Magallanes/ Guest contributor When I was young and my parents would take me and my siblings to Mass on Sundays, we would pass through the main doors at the back of the church, entering the vestibule as the ushers…
Latino artists, community well represented in Downtown Oxnard Art Beat on Aug. 13
The Downtown Oxnard Art Beat will feature a variety of art, music, dancing and dining opportunities from 5 p.m. to closing time on Saturday, Aug. 13 at various venues in downtown Oxnard. Area art spaces and restaurants will be offering…
De Colores fundraiser set for Aug. 13 in Santa Paula
The first fundraiser of the year for the De Colores Arts Festival will be held from 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13 at Los Arcos Restaurant, 978 E. Main St., Santa Paula. The event features Mariachi Orgullo de Mexico,…
Danza Folklórícas de México celebrar 14 de Agosto
Danzas Folklórícas de Méxîco de la Federacíon de Clubes Unidos Mexícanos, 1 a 5 p.m. domingo, 14 de Agosto, Pacifica High School, 600 E. Gonzales Road, Oxnard. Con “La Guadalupana” de Club Copándaro, Michoacán; “Los Huehues” de Tlaxcala; “Los Diablitos”…
Clubes Zacatecanos celebrar treceavo aniversario 14 de Agosto
La Orgaizacion de Clubes Zacatecanos de Condado de Ventura los invitar “A Celebrar su Treceavo Aniversario,” con presentacion de vestido regional, 2 p.m. a 5 p.m. domingo, 14 de Agosto del 2011, Performing Arts Center, 800 Hobson Way, Oxnard, (Ventura…
MICOP seeking donations for ‘Operation Backpack’
The Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project is seeking donations for “Operation Backpack,” its 2011 backpack drive. Backpacks filled with school supplies will be donated to children of indigenous farmworkers. MICOP is seeking supply-packed backpacks (scissors, crayons, pens, pencils, etc.) or cash to…
Reservations due Aug. 10 for SCE’s ENLACES Latino Community Forum
Southern California Edison will present the “2011 ENLACES Latino Community Forum and Capacity-Building Workshop” from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12 at Casa Lopez Restuarant, 325 So. A St., Oxnard, El Concilio Family Services reported this week. The…
Mexican Consulate releases information calendar for August
The Mexican Consulate in Oxnard on Monday released its schedule of events for August. Click here to view a pdf of the schedule.
Commentary: The debt ceiling debate: Was it lunacy?
By Boyd Lemon / Guest contributor Polls show that the vast majority of Americans were appalled this week at the debate over the debt ceiling that seemed to take the country to the edge of economic catastrophe. Did this debacle…
Boys & Girls Clubs launch Million Dollar Raffle fundraiser
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme has launched its Million Dollar Raffle fundraiser, with ticket holders eligible to win the grand prize of $1 million cash. Other prizes include a 2012 BMW Mini Cooper, 2012 Chevrolet Corvette,…
Commentary: Searching For Aztlán—Part III
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor On April 3, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, Martin Luther King gave, in retrospect, an eerily prophetic speech that hinted at his assassination one day later. He also appeared to shred the veil between our perceived…
LULAC charges mismanagement of Oxnard gang suppression grants
The League of United Latin American Citizens is calling on the city of Oxnard to halt the practice of hiring former Oxnard Police Department Officials as “gang suppression” consultants and hire an external auditor to examine “perceived conflicts of interest,”…
Commentary: Why read multicultural literature?
By Mona AlvaradoFrazier / Guest contributor Last month a survey found that nearly 80 percent of U.S. adults believe multicultural books are important for children, but one-third say they are hard to find. The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, a non-profit organization…
It was ‘Magic’ for Tri-Counties Sheet Metal Workers Apprenticeship Program
Instructor opens the door of opportunity to high school students during MAGIC Camp for high school girls. Members of the Tri-Counties Sheet Metal Workers Apprenticeship Program in Ventura, were thinking pink the week of July 15 at MAGIC Camp (Mentor…
Lacayo named grand marshal of Ventura County Fair Parade
Henry “Hank” Lacayo will be the grand marshal of the 2011 Ventura County Fair Parade. The parade will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 6 on Main Street in downtown Ventura. He was selected by the board of directors…
Mexican Consulate posts latest video update
The Mexican Consulate in Oxnard has released its latest video update. *** El nuevo Boletín Digital Consultanos es una herramienta audiovisual que provee información sobre las actividades del Consulado. Click here for a link to the video
Commentary: Expectations
By Boyd Lemon / Guest contributor Our minds generally are responsible for determining how “happy” we are in life, assuming we have enough to eat and shelter from the weather, though I have seen homeless people who are happier than…
The real models to roll with…
Picture this: Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Snookie, The Kardashians, The Girls of the Playboy Mansion… as our current role models. Don’t our young people deserve better than learning about bizarre sex scandals, open promiscuity, drugs and…
Commentary: Searching for Aztlán, Part II
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor In my article last week, the first regarding the search for Aztlán, I mentioned that I first heard about this mysterious place during my college years. Since I was an engineering major, and not a…
Latino Links: Economic trends
Median household wealth among Hispanics fell by 66 percent from $18,359 in 2005 to $6,325 in 2009, according to a new report by the Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends project. That was the largest percentage drop for any racial…
Tickets still available for July 30 Ozomatli concert in Thousand Oaks
Tickets are still available for the Saturday, July 30 Ozomatli concert at Open Borders, 125 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks. Doors open at 6 p.m. The Central Coast Alliance for a Sustainable Economy is collaborating with Larry Janss of Open…
CSUCI named a “2011 Great College to Work For”
CSU Channel Islands (CI) has been named one of the best universities in the nation to work for, according to a new survey by The Chronicle of Higher Education, the university reported this week in a media release. This is the…
Commentary: Why write?
By Mona AlvaradoFrazier/ Guest contributor Today was one of those days when I just didn’t want to write. It was chilly outside my warm blankets and overcast. My character, Juana Maria, pobrecita, had just received a letter from her mother-in-law, Mrs.…
Commentary: Recovering from divorce or the breakup of a committed relationship
By Boyd Lemon / Guest contributor Breakups and divorces are so common in our culture that it is a topic that cannot be discussed too much, in my opinion. It leaves many deep scars. I am not a psychologist or…
Commentary: Searching for Aztlán
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor This article is the first in a series on the concept of “Aztlán.” It is such a deep concept, and despite the Hispanicization of the original native Mexican word from which it sprang, its essence…
Poet Enedina Castañeda to speak at July 23 conference
Santa Maria educator and poet Enedina Castañeda, author of Del Puño y Mente de Una Mujer… Poemas, will speak at the seminario “El Desafío de Triunfar,” at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 23 at the Holiday Inn, 14299 Firestone Blvd., La Mirada.…
Oxnard Salsa Festival events kick off with annual Salsa Dash on July 23
The Oxnard Salsa Festival will launch its 18th annual season at 8 a.m. Saturday, July 23 with the annual Oxnard Salsa Dash through the streets of downtown Oxnard. The race begins at Heritage Square, 715 So. A St. and concludes…
Ruiz wins at Desert Showdown in Coachella
Andy Ruiz, 17, defeated two opponents at the 2011 Desert Showdown held July 16-17 at the Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella. The recent graduate of Oxnard High, fought his first fight July 15, flooring his opponent early in the first…
Commentary: Writing memoir and life history
By Mona AlvaradoFrazier / Guest contributor Three years ago, “The Bucket List” came out in movie theaters across the nation. Two terminally ill men drew up a wish list and then hit the road to accomplish those things before they “kicked…
Tickets available for Aug. 6 Santa Barbara Mariachi Festival
Tickets are now available for the Santa Barbara Mariachi Festival concert at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6 at the Santa Barbara Bowl. The event features Pedro Fernandez, Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlan and Mariachi Los Toros. Tickets are $48.50, $58.50 and $83.50.…
Latino Links: Demographic trends
Births have overtaken immigration as the main driver of Hispanic population growth in the United States, the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington, D.C. reported recently. In a story on www.msnbc.com, the center found that the Mexican-American population grew by 7.2…
Taller de Lenguas Indígenas 19-21 de julio en la Universidad de Channel Islands
“Me permito informar a la comunidad que en el Taller de Lenguas Indígenas que se realizará en la Universidad de Channel Islands, CA., se inscribieron cerca de 70 personas. “La finalidad del taller es conocer la riqueza de las Lenguas Indígenas de México, apoyar…
Commentary: The importance of place
By Boyd Lemon / Guest contributor I was born in Alhambra, California, 9 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, and at the age of 63 I hadn’t strayed far across L.A. to the west side. For many years I felt…
Commentary: Dealing with prejudice
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor Prejudice has not been a major problem in my life — at least as far as I know. I’ve brushed against it throughout my lifetime, as we all have in one form or another, whether…
Mexican Consulate releases July schedule
The Mexican Consulate in Oxnard on Tuesday released its schedule of events for July. Click here to view a pdf of the schedule.
Commentary: So you want to write
By Mona AlvaradoFrazier / Guest contributor There is a saying that “everyone has a story,” and that is true, but few know how to translate stories into books for readers. What motivates a person to write? What are the tips and…
Amada Irma Perez to unveil new book on July 12
Amada Irma Perez will unveil her new book and give a presentation at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 12 at the Pleasant Valley Senior Center, 1605 Burnley St., Camarillo. For more information, call Kathleen Kaiser at 805.524.6970. *** Amada Irma Perez…
Oxnard City Council to consider Spanish-language broadcast at July 12 meeting
The Oxnard City Council will consider a policy to broadcast meetings of the city council with interpretation into Spanish during its next meeting at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, July 12 at the council chambers, 305 W. Third St., Oxnard. “LULAC believes…
Barrera named next opponent for Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios
Marco Antonio Barrera has been named the next opponent for Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios, who retained his WBA World Lightweight Championship with a third-round knockout of opponent Urbano Antillon at the Home Depot Center in Carson on July 9. Rios…
Bilingual report: Mexican Consulate posts video of photographic exhibit
The Mexican Consulate in Oxnard has posted a video on the photographic exhibit on immigration by José Hernández Claire — “Exodo Natcional,” featuring images from Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. *** José Hernández Claire literalmente retrata estas historias…
Latino Links: Media Trends
Biculturalism is a key to understanding the advertising, marketing and media consumption habits of Latinos in the United States, according to a recent study by Horowitz Associates. In its annual FOCUS: Latino Report, 18 percent of those Latinos surveyed identified…
Commentary: Eating in the 805 (and the rest of America)
By Boyd Lemon / Guest contributor I recently returned from living in Paris for about a year. Of course, everyone raves about French food, but we have great chefs here in the United States. Is it really true that French…
Commentary: On Becoming An “Old Guy”
By David Magallanes/ Guest contributor The Fourth of July was a glorious summer day in Ventura, as are many summer days in our coastal county region. But the Fourth was particularly joyful for me because I was able to spend the…
Amigos805.com video calendar for July
Welcome to the Amigos805.com video calendar for July 2011. Please click on image above to get a full-screen version and then click on the icons on the collage to get additional information on events during the coming month. — Mariana…
Vons launches ‘Help Us End Hunger’ food drive to benefit FOOD Share
Vons supermarkets in Ventura County on Wednesday launched the “Help Us End Hunger” food drive to benefit FOOD Share. Over the summer months, food donations to FOOD Share tend to drop dramatically, despite the fact that demand for food assistance…