By Armando Vazquez / Guest contributor It began at the turn of 1900s. That’s when my parents were born in the foreboding village of Ahualulco, Jalisco. My jefitos were children of miserable poverty, suffocating Catholic resignation, a caste system that…
Category: Cultural
Orozco, North, Rondeau guide KCLU to four awards
NPR station honored for newswriting, bullying special THOUSAND OAKS — National Public Radio station KCLU is the winner of three awards from the Associated Press Television and Radio Association and one from the California Teachers Association for its news coverage.??…
Bilingual report: Protest to cuts in state childcare budget set for June 9 in Oxnard
The Latin America Child Care Provider Association, a nonprofit group of bilingual childcare providers, will provide information on cuts to the state’s childcare budget at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 9 at Del Sol Park at the corner of Camino del…
Crowne Plaza’s Martinez receives top honor at Casa Pacifica Angels Wine & Food Festival
CAMARILLO — “Melt in your mouth” short ribs created by Luis Martinez, executive chef at the Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach, wowed the judges over the past weekend and took top honors at the 2012 Casa Pacifica Angels Wine and Food…
Linda Garcia joins VCCF as programs and grants vice president
Brings 20 years of community-engagement experience to the foundation CAMARILLO — Linda Garcia has joined the staff of the Ventura County Community Foundation as vice president for Programs and Grants, the organization reported on Thursday. With more than 20 years of experience…
El Concilio profile: Gilbert A. Romero
Editor’s note: Part of a continuing series of stories profiling the award-winners of El Concilio Family Service 2012 Latino Leadership awards — “Excellence in Education.” The awards gala was held on June 1, 2012 at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center. Click here or call…
Commentary: The Cristero War and an Oxnard family connection
By Mona AlvaradoFrazier / Guest contributor As a Latina and an American of Mexican descent, I often anticipate the release of films that highlight the history of Mexico or the Latino experience in the United States. That was the case with…
Bilingual report: Promotores, community health worker free disaster training in Spanish on June 7
A free disaster preparedness training workshop provided in Spanish for promotores and community health workers will be held on Wednesday, June 6, with a repeat session on Thursday, June 7 at Clinicas del Camino Real Inc., 200 So. Wells Road,…
Bilingual commentary: Catholics and Hatred
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor A news item published several days ago tells about two threatening letters sent to a Catholic church in Santa Cruz, California. A few weeks ago, someone had scribbled anti-Catholic graffiti on the walls of…
Bilingual report: Sponsors needed by June 15 for Young Writers Camp
Writer and educator Amada Irma Perez reports that the South Coast Writing Project is seeking individuals and organizations willing to help sponsor young people to take part in the 2012 Young Writers Camp from Monday through Friday, July 9-20. The…
June edition of Amigos805 has hit the streets
The June print edition of Amigos805 is now available. Click on image above for a pdf of the edition. Click here for a list of locations where you can pick up a copy of the 10,000-copy edition. Thank you readers…
Bilingual report: Fighting police checkpoints while pressing for a dream
Activists use the latest technologies to help undocumented immigrant motorists and hope 2013 could bring ‘license for all’ By Cesar Arredondo / Amigos805 Francisco Romero doesn’t like police checkpoints. He believes that towing companies and municipalities unfairly profit from undocumented…
Bilingual report: Colleges seek to change focus of their mission
National community college group urges equal emphasis on success as well as access, promoting funding that supports achievement, not just enrollment growth. Amigos805 staff report Lack of funding for community colleges is not just a problem affecting California. This challenge…
Veronica Valadez exhibit continues through June 8 in Ventura
The exhibit “Yo Soy Maíz, Solo Art Exhibition by Verónica Xochitl Valadez” will continue through June 8 at the Bell Arts Factory, 432 No. Ventura Ave., downtown Ventura. The exhibit is based on the artwork that complements her written master’s…
Bilingual Commentary: College and debt
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor It is becoming more and more difficult to sell to our young people the idea that going to college will allow them to better their lives, be a success, or, in general terms, to achieve something…
Oxnard Salsa Festival participants of ‘Dancing with Our Community Stars’ event
Pedro Chavez of Big Brothers, Big Sisters Ventura County, Yvonne Gutierrez of El Concilio Family Services in Oxnard and Martin Hernandez of Interface Children & Family Services are among of group of community members who will be participating in the…
El Concilio profile: Lorenzo “Lencho” Moraza
Editor’s note: Part of a continuing series of stories profiling the award-winners of El Concilio Family Service 2012 Latino Leadership awards — “Excellence in Education.” The awards gala will be held on Friday, June 1, 2012 at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center. Click…
Cancer Prevention Fair served community in Santa Barbara
‘Connecting the Oaxacan Communities’ talk set for May 24 in Ventura
The Ventura County Community Foundation, the Fundación Comunitaria Oaxaca and the International Community Foundation will present the “Connecting the Oaxacan Communities” panel presentation from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 24 at the Museum of Ventura County, 100 E. Main…
MICOP seeks volunteers for May 26 community meeting
Volunteers are needed to set up and staff the children’s crafts area and provide clean up assistance when the Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project present its next monthly community meeting on Saturday, May 26 at Harrington Elementary School, 2501 Gisler St. in…
CLU Upward Bound receives $3 million
Grants will continue current services, allow expansion THOUSAND OAKS — The U.S. Department of Education has awarded California Lutheran University more than $3 million to continue and expand its TRIO Traditional Upward Bound services, the university reported this week in…
Bilingual commentary: The graduation ceremony
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor This past week, my beloved daughter received her master’s degree in education from Cal Lutheran, a prestigious and highly recognized university here in Ventura County. Her mother and I, together with her husband and two sons,…
El Concilio profile: Roxanne Reyna Miranda
Editor’s note: Part of a continuing series of stories profiling the award-winners of El Concilio Family Service 2012 Latino Leadership awards — “Excellence in Education.” The awards gala will be held on Friday, June 1, 2012 at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center. Click…
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme takes honors at national conference
OXNARD — The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme (BGCOP) recently received two prestigious Merit Awards for Program Excellence from Judith J. Pickens, senior vice president, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the organization reported in…
Local student awarded full-tuition scholarship from Boys & Girls Clubs, University of Phoenix
OXNARD – Boys & Girls Clubs alumni Kara Brown was one of 20 recipients nationwide to receive a full-tuition scholarship from Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and University of Phoenix to complete an undergraduate or master’s degree. More than 200 Boys…
Bilingual commentary: ‘Today, we are all Mixteco’
By Denis O’Leary / Guest contributor The Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project (MICOP), has started a campaign against racism and bullying of the Mixteco community in Ventura County. MICOP estimates that there are more than 20,000 indigenous Mexicans in Ventura County, mostly Mixtecos…
El Concilio profile: Kristine Guzman
Editor’s note: Part of a continuing series of stories in May profiling the award-winners of El Concilio Family Service 2012 Latino Leadership awards — “Excellence in Education.” The awards gala will be held on Friday, June 1, 2012 at the Oxnard Performing…
Clinicas del Camino Real is celebrating Women’s Health Week
Clinicas del Camino Real Inc. is hosting events this week in honor of National Women’s Health Week (May 13-19), the health care provider reported Thursday in a media release. Clinicas invites the community to visit one of its 13 locations…
Deadline approaching for June print edition of Amigos805
Also check out our Amigos805 On Scene email newsletter on May 24 for discount coupons The deadline is rapidly approaching for the June print edition of Amigos805. Thank you dear readers and advertisers for supporting our efforts to make Amigos805…
Bilingual commentary: Filing … not piling
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor Some time ago I felt completely inundated by mail, receipts and documents that I would receive — and, as a result, accumulate — day after day after day. The very volume of that paper was overwhelming…
Indigenous community to launch anti-bullying campaign on May 17
Indigenous Mexican leaders of Ventura County will publicly launch the “No Me Llames Oaxaquita!” (Don’t call me little Oaxacan!) campaign at a press conference at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 17 at the Center for Employment Training, 761 So. C St., Oxnard,…
8th annual Rebozo Festival, ‘Bringing Culture to Ventura County,’ set for May 20
Las Madrinas del Rebozo of Ventura County will be presenting their 8th Annual Rebozo Festival at the historic Camarillo Ranch House from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, May 20 in Camarillo. Las Madrinas, translated to “The Godmothers” are a…
Memo & Friends to perform May 20 at California Strawberry Festival
By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805 When the 29th annual edition of the California Strawberry Festival rolls around this coming weekend, the sounds of “Smooth Latin Soul & Raggae” will be heard from the Festival Stage come early Sunday…
El Concilio profile: Margaret Cortese
Editor’s note: Part of a continuing series of stories in May profiling the award-winners of El Concilio Family Service 2012 Latino Leadership awards — “Excellence in Education.” The awards gala will be held on Friday, June 1, 2012 at the Oxnard Performing…
Free Oaxacan dance performance set for 6 p.m. May 11
The Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project is co-sponsoring a free evening of Oaxacan dance, music, hot chocolate and bread with the Rio School District and the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, May…
Bilingual commentary: Children, schools and food
By David Magallanes / Guest contributor Children delight us, although at times they may bother or even anger us. But our children are our treasure, and nothing is more important than their upbringing and their health. The success of our efforts is…
LULAC urges public to attend May 10 Rio School District meeting
The League of United Latin American Citizens — District 17 — is urging the public to attend the next Rio School District board meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 10 to show support for three trustees who may face a…
CLU honors alumna for language work
Julie Sykes’ digital games immerse users in Spanish THOUSAND OAKS — The California Lutheran University Alumni Association Board of Directors presented the 2012 Outstanding Young Alumna Award to a University of New Mexico faculty member who uses technology to teach…
Capps announces $3.2 million in grants to Clinicas to expand health services
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) on Monday announced that Ventura-based Clinicas Del Camino Real has been awarded two grants totaling nearly $3.2 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to fund renovation and construction projects…
Commentary: Single-member district elections will better serve Oxnard
By Denis O’Leary / Guest contributor Be it a smiling teacher at the door as a child walks in the classroom, a new school site or solar panels on the playgrounds to generate clean electricity, there are many ways to educate the…
El Concilio profile: Oliva Barajas
Editor’s note: Part of a continuing series of stories in May profiling the award-winners of El Concilio Family Service 2012 Latino Leadership awards — “Excellence in Education.” The awards gala will be held on Friday, June 1, 2012 at the Oxnard…
Amigos805 goes on KPCC’s ‘Patt Morrison’ show on 89.3 FM to discuss Cinco de Mayo
Dr. David Hayes-Bautista and Amigos805’s Frank X. Moraga joined KPCC’S Patt Morrison on 89.3 FM in a discussion Friday on the true history behind Cinco de Mayo and the battle against big American marketing efforts to turn the holiday into ‘Cinco…
Amigos805 May print edition has hit the streets
The May print edition of Amigos805 has hit the streets in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. Click on the image above to see a PDF of the edition.
Bilingual Commentary: Cinco de Mayo. Not Cinco de Drinko
By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805 A cultural battle is being waged on the streets of America and those fighting it must at times feel like the Mexican patriots on May 5, 1862 — shivering during a cold morning in…
Bilingual report: Briefs/Breves
COLLEGE ACCREDITATION VISIT: The Ventura County Community College District was visited by a site team from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges on April 16. The team was looking at the district’s…
Cinco de Mayo symposium set for May 4 at UCSB
The Symposium “Cinco de Mayo: Twenty-First Century Perspectives,” will be presented from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, May 4 at the University of California, Santa Babara in Mosher House — Alumni Hall. Presented by 150 De Mayo Puebla Defensa…
Cuban combo Tiempo Libre headlines Ventura Music Festival’s outdoor jazz concert on May 6
Group’s signature high-voltage fusion sound was developed while listening to forbidden American music growing up in Havana VENTURA — Three-time Grammy-nominated Cuban jazz combo Tiempo Libre will headline Ventura Music Festival’s annual Sunday afternoon outdoor jazz concert on May 6…
Free dental clinic in Santa Barbara draws large crowd on April 28
Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics hosted a free dental clinic on Saturday, April 28 where attendees were offered free dental services, which included cleanings, fillings, and extractions, the medical provided reported in media release. Due to the overwhelming need for affordable…
Montalvo Elemenary School student wins Strawberry Festival’s youth art contest
VENTURA — Eight-year-old Alys Campos, a second grade student at Montalvo Elementary School in Ventura, has been declared the winner of the 2012 California Strawberry Festival Youth Art Design Contest, sponsored by Valu Plus Food Warehouse, Festival Chairwoman Daisy Tatum…
Carmen Ramirez to hold campaign kick-off event on April 26 in Oxnard
Oxnard City Councilmember Carmen Ramirez will officially begin her campaign for mayor of Oxnard with a press conference at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, April 26 in front of the Oxnard Public Library, 251 So. A St., Oxnard. “I believe I can continue…