SANTA BARBARA — Santa Barbara City College’s MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement) Program reached a milestone this spring surpassing the 100-student mark for members who successfully completed their studies at SBCC and will or have transferred to four-year colleges or…
Category: News
11th annual Rebozo Festival to be held in Camarillo on May 17
CAMARILLO — The Rebozo Festival will celebrate its “10-year Diamond Anniversary” from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 17 at Camarillo Ranch, 201 Camarillo Ranch Road, Camarillo. The event will honor the “1st Annual Honorary Madrina of the Year” — the…
Oxnard College’s Latino Thought Makers Series to present ‘Create Option C’ on May 13
OXNARD — Oxnard College’s Latino Thought Makers Series will present “Create Option C” — with special guest Esai Morales at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 13 at 4000 S. Rose Ave., Oxnard. The documentary by Morales takes the audience through the painful and raw…
UCSB Multicultural Center to present the discussion ‘Dreaming of Selena Twenty Years Later’ on May 11
SANTA BARBARA — The UCSB Multicultural Center will present the discussion “Dreaming of Selena Twenty Years Later” with Deborah Paredez at 6 p.m. Monday, May 11 at the MCC Lounge. 2015 marks the 20th anniversary of the passing of Selena Quintanilla…
El Concilio profile: Marisa Montgomery
Editor’s note: Part of a continuing series of stories profiling the award-winners of El Concilio Family Services’ 2015 Latino Leadership Awards. The awards gala will be held on Saturday, June 6 at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center. Click here or call 805-486-9777 for…
Book written by Allan Hancock College professor named a finalist for prestigious international Latino book awards
SANTA MARIA — Allan Hancock College English professor Marc García-Martínez, Ph.D., has been selected as a finalist for the 2015 International Latino Books Awards. García-Martínez’s book, The Flesh and Blood Aesthetics of Alejandro Morales’ – Disease, Sex, and Figuration, is a…
May cover story: Helping youth make the right lifestyle choices
Santa Barbara Healthy Futures program seeks to improve health options for Latino, other youth in the region By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805 One in five children between the ages of 6 and 17 is now considered overweight in the…
Commentary: El Concilio Family Services to present Latino Leadership Awards
By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805 From a university professor and a Vietnam veteran to a successful high school senior, El Concilio Family Services will honor a wide variety of deserving community leaders and programs as it presents its annual…
El Concilio profile: Richard Camacho
Editor’s note: Part of a continuing series of stories profiling the award-winners of El Concilio Family Services 2015 Latino Leadership Awards. The awards gala will be held on Saturday, June 6 at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center. Click here or call 805-486-9777 for…
Local news
CARPINTERIA — Girls Inc. of Carpinteria, a nonprofit organization seeking to inspire girls to be strong, smart and bold, recently hosted its Eureka! College Road Trip, with a group of local eighth-grade students spending Spring Break exploring college campuses between…
Guest commentary: The Oxnard Multicultural Mental Health Coalition Latino Mental Health Survey
Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805. By Armando Vazquez / Guest contributor We all…
UCSB Multicultural Center to present ‘Challenging the Borders of Education: Undocumented Students …’ on April 30
SANTA BARBARA — The UCSB Multicultural Center will present the Race Matters discussion of “ Challenging the Borders of Education: Undocumented Students and Public Pedagogy – Jennifer Nájera” at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 30 at the MCC Lounge. Who are our teachers? A critical…
Oxnard College Theatre Club to present ‘A Stand-Up Comedy Fundraiser’ on May 1
OXNARD — The Oxnard College Theatre Club presents “A Stand-Up Comedy Fundraiser” at 8 p.m. Friday, May 1 at the Oxnard College Performing Arts Center, 4000 S. Rose Ave., Oxnard. The event features comics Jason Love, Frank Lucero, Mary Patterson Broome and Dwayne…
UCSB Multicultural Center to present film screening of ‘Cesar’s Last Fast’ on April 29
SANTA BARBARA — The UCSB Multicultural Center will present the film screening of “Cesar’s Last Fast” at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 29 at the MCC Theater. In 1988, César Chávez embarked on what would be the final act of protest in his…
El Concilio profile: José Alamillo
Editor’s note: Part of a continuing series of stories profiling the award-winners of El Concilio Family Services 2015 Latino Leadership Awards. The awards gala will be held on Saturday, June 6 at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center. Click here or call 805-486-9777 for…
CSU Channel Islands chosen to host 2016 national conference for Hispanic-Serving Institutions
CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands has taken a lead role in a national organization dedicated to helping Hispanic-serving institutions or HSIs. In March of 2016, the university will become the first of the CSU campuses to host the Alliance of Hispanic…
Ballet Folklórico Mestizo Spring 2015 to be held April 24, 25
OXNARD — Ballet Folklórico Mestizo Spring 2015 will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25 at the Oxnard College Performing Arts Center, 4000 S. Rose Ave., Oxnard. The event will feature a special performance by the Oxnard…
Guest commentary: Oxnard Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training is a Fraud
Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805. By Armando Vazquez / Guest contributor As with…
El Concilio Family Services announces 26th Annual Latino Leadership Awards
OXNARD — A university professor, a Vietnam veteran, a registered nurse, a successful high school senior, a military officer and a police sergeant will be recognized when El Concilio Family Services presents its 26th annual Latino Leadership Awards at a…
Teatro de las Américas to present ‘The Truth Can’t Be Trusted / La verdad sospechos’ through April 19
OXNARD — Teatro de las Américas will present “The Truth Can’t Be Trusted / La verdad sospechosa” at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 5 p.m. Sundays, April 9 through 19 at the Oxnard College Performing Arts Center, 4000 S. Rose…
County Chief Probation Officer Mark Varela named president of statewide association
VENTURA – Ventura County Chief Probation Officer Mark Varela has been named as the president of the Chief Probation Officers of California (CPOC), county officials reported in a media release. The 55-year-old organization is based in Sacramento and Varela is…
CSU Channel Islands to present ‘Si, Se Puede — Four Latina recent Math Ph.D’s share their journeys’ on April 8
CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands will present “Si, Se Puede — Four Latina recent Math Ph.D’s share their journeys” beginning with a reception from 4 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 8 at El Dorado Hall 110. Join four Latina recent PhDs to…
LULAC to present inaugural ‘Health & Awareness Summit’ in Oxnard on April 9
OXNARD — The League of United Latin American Citizens — District 17 — Ventura County will present its inaugural “Health & Awareness Summit — Don’t mess with the Seniors” from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, April 9 at the Oxnard…
CSU Channel Islands to present ‘Farmworker Immersion Project with VC CLUE’ on April 10
CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands will present the “Farmworker Immersion Project with VC CLUE” from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, April 10. The project places students in the community learning about farmworker rights and immigration issues. We will visit farmworkers, their…
Literary Quinceañera for author’s ‘My Very Own Room / Mi propio cuartito’ to be held in Ventura on April 12
VENTURA — In honor of Dia del Niño/Dia del Libro (Day of the Child/Day of the Book) the community of Ventura County is invited to a literary Quinceañera, a special birthday party for Amada Irma Perez’s (Ventura) first picture book, My…
April cover story: The legacy of César E. Chávez continues
Community marches, forums, service-learning projects and film screenings to be presented in the region By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805 It’s hard to imagine that César E. Chávez, who was born in the desert lands near Yuma, Arizona, was a big…
April cover story: One reporter’s view of a 20th-century icon
Coverage of march from Santa Paula to Cabrillo Village in Saticoy opened up the world of reporting on local, national events By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805 Was it really more than a quarter of century ago when I first…
Commentary: Pew Research Center provides timely info on Hispanic trends
By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805 How many of you dear readers know that the number of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. holding down blue-collar jobs is still below levels seen before the Great Recession? Guess we don’t need to…
Local news briefs
VENTURA COUNTY — Moorpark College, Oxnard College and Ventura College are offering a variety of classes this summer from general education to career technical education, basic skills and transfer courses, the Ventura County Community College District reported in a media…
Local business information
> The Economic Development Collaborative — Ventura County has launched its “Virtual Business Advisor,” a web-based economic development tool at http://www.qlbs.com/Qonline/EDC/ The free assessment and business assistance program is for businesses of any size, in any industry. EDC-VC is hosting…
Historian, author Vicki L. Ruiz to speak on ‘The Right to Remember: Latina Labor Leaders in California Agriculture’ at CSUCI on April 1
CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands (CI) will host Latina scholar, historian and author Vicki L. Ruiz for “The Right to Remember: Latina Labor Leaders in California Agriculture, 1939-1961,” Wednesday, April 1, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the John Spoor Broome Library,…
Oxnard College to present César Chávez Celebration on March 31
OXNARD — Oxnard College will present a free César Chávez Day Celebration and documentary screening from 7 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, March 31 at the Oxnard College Performing Arts Center, 4000 S. Rose Ave., Oxnard. Part of the Latinologues / Rick Najera…
Hancock graduate selected as ‘One of Top 30 Students in California Community Colleges’
SANTA MARIA — A recent Allan Hancock College graduate has been recognized as one of the top 30 students enrolled in California’s 112 community colleges. Daniela Calderon was one of 30 students from 24 community colleges selected to the Phi…
Guest commentary: The Oxnard Multicultural Mental Health (OMMH) Coalition is established
Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805. By Armando Vazquez / Guest contributor I have…
Bilingual commentary: Wellness Center provides help for those struggling with mental health conditions
Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805. By the Wellness Center Depression,…
CSU Channel Islands panel explores local Latina women baseball teams around WWII during presentation on March 25
CAMARILLO — With the men off fighting World War II, women were left to take over jobs and in some cases, baseball diamonds. The 1992 Movie “A League of Their Own” dramatized the creation of the wartime All-American Girls Professional…
‘Oxnard Caravana (43) — Todos somas Ayotzinapa’ el 26 de marzo en Oxnard
OXNARD — “Oxnard Caravana (43) — Todos somas Ayotzinapa — ¡Su dolor es nuestro dolor!” comienza a las 5:30 pm el 26 de marzo in la Placita de Oxnard, 500 S. C St. Caminaremos a Café on A, 438 S.…
Frank Barajas to speak on the ‘Rise of the Chicano Movement in Southern California, 1960-1975’ starting March 27
CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands Professor Frank Barajas will present the program “Curious Uprisings: The Rise of the Chicano Movement in Southern California, 1960 to 1975″ starting March 27 as part of the six-week Osher Lifelearning Institute (OLLI) course at CSUCI.…
Ventura College to host 28th annual Latina Leadership Network Conference through March 28
VENTURA — Ventura College will host the Latina Leadership Network’s (LLN) 28th Annual Conference, “Latina Leadership: Pursuing Equity in the 21st Century” from March 26 through 28, college officials reported in a media release. The conference will focus on the impact…
Video Watch Party for the ‘Arriba Con Hillary’ video to be held in Oxnard on March 27
OXNARD — A video watch party for “¡Arriba Con Hillary!” will be held at 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 27 at Downtown Sol, 328 W. Third St., in the Lopez building in downtown Oxnard, organizers reported in a media release. The…
Trudy Arriaga selected as ‘Woman of the Year’ by Assemblymember Williams
SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Das Williams (D – Carpinteria) has selected Ventura Unified School District Superintendent Trudy Arriaga to represent the 37th Assembly District as the 2015 Woman of the Year. “It has been a privilege to work with Dr. Arriaga…
Café on A to present ‘La Cosecha / The Harvest’ photo exhibit, film screening on March 21
OXNARD — The Dr. Rodolfo F. Acuña Art Gallery & Cultural Center at Café on A will present “La Cosecha / The Harvest” photo exhibit and film screening from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 21 at 438 S. A St.,…
Former Allan Hancock College ESL instructor to walk nearly 500 miles to fundraise for scholarship in memory of Fidel Herrera
Michael McMahon plans to help his former mentor fulfill a lifelong dream of creating a scholarship at Hancock for ESL students SANTA MARIA — For more than 20 years, Fidel Herrera taught English as a second language (ESL) classes…
Bilingual commentary: Banning the American Flag?
Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805. By David Magallanes / Guest contributor I’m…
12th annual Santa Barbara Brazilian Carnaval ‘Cultural’ to begin March 14
SANTA BARBARA — The 12th Santa Barbara Brazilian Carnaval “Cultural” will kick off at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, March 14 with the “Feijoada Sabor Carnaval” and the open house at the Brazil Arts Café, 1230 State St, Santa Barbara, event organizers…
Guest commentary: Oxnard — The Arts City of Ventura County
Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805. By Armando Vazquez / Guest contributor The city…
Guest commentary: Impaction meeting bizarre
The illusion in the making Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805.…
Early Academic Outreach Program brings colleges and universities to high schools in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties
By Andrea Estrada / UCSB The Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP) at UC Santa Barbara will hold its annual spring Higher Education Week, a four-day event beginning on Tuesday, March 10. Representatives from universities, colleges and other institutions of higher…
March cover story: Opening their hearts, home to foster children
Foster VC Kids seeks to double amount of foster caregivers in Ventura County By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805 While National Foster Care Awareness Month actually falls in May, Elizabeth Thasiah wants to raise that awareness immediately because of the…
Commentary: Hispanics more likely to believe humans causing climate change
By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805 It was an interesting bit of political theater presented in Congress last week. Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe wandered onto the Senate floor during a discussion questioning the science behind climate change. “Do you know…