Category: Opinion

Bilingual commentary — Slavery and the Catholic Church

by Community Contributor • May 13, 2022 • Comments Off

Throughout our history, Native and African Americans have been disrespected and despised. That was obvious to our entire country as recently as last March during the confirmation hearings for the nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson, an African American woman. During the hearings, several senators disrespectfully and contemptuously grilled her almost as if she were a criminal on trial.

Last week I wrote about the treatment of Native Americans at the California missions. Although it is rarely admitted, we may as well accept that Native Americans were in fact treated as slaves for the sake of the glory, power, and expansion of the Church.

Bilingual commentary — The Tragic Loss of Native American Wisdom and Knowledge

by Community Contributor • May 6, 2022 • Comments Off

I still remember my fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Knoll. It was her duty to follow the state tradition that had us studying the California missions. Our homework assignment was to craft a model of a mission of our choice. Mine, as I recall, was Mission San Gabriel Arcángel (Archangel), which was located not too far from my home. In class, we were taught that the “Indians” who worked at the missions were fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from the Catholic priests who taught them Spanish and converted them to Catholicism. The padres looked upon them as “children” and treated them “kindly.”

Bilingual Commentary — Their Indispensable Role of Libraries in Our Communities

by Community Contributor • April 15, 2022 • Comments Off

Last week was National Library Week, “a time to celebrate our nation’s libraries, library workers’ contributions and promote library use and support,” according to the American Library Association website.

Libraries are not the places we boomers knew as children. In the late 1950s, computers and the Internet were just a twinkle in technology’s eye. We may not all have walked to school uphill in neck-high snow, but we did work to get information.

Bilingual commentary — Learning From the Birds

by Community Contributor • April 8, 2022 • Comments Off

There is so much we have learned from birds, and there is much more to learn as we unlock the secrets of their magnificent abilities.

By observing birds over millennia, we finally figured out, just over a hundred years ago, how to emulate their flight and soar through the air—first in propeller planes, and now in jets. Birds gave us a solid starting point for developing our ability to fly.

Commentary — PODS® Local Helps Homeowners Sell Homes for More

by Community Contributor • April 6, 2022 • Comments Off

Home staging continues to save homeowners time and generate more money from a sale than homes that are not staged. According to a 2021 survey by The National Association of Realtors®, 41% of real estate agents said staging a home can increase the value of offers by up to 10%. It was also found that home staging can greatly decrease the amount of time a house spends on the market as buyers can better visualize a property as a future home. As staging often requires sellers to remove or significantly reduce the presence of their belongings in a home, PODS Local offers tips and solutions to help homeowners sell their homes quickly and for higher closing prices.

Bilingual commentary — Plastic – The Monster

by Community Contributor • April 1, 2022 • Comments Off

One of the memories I have from my childhood in the 1950s is the sound of the glass milk bottles in a small crate being delivered early in the morning on the side porch of our home. The “milkman,” a friendly, jocular, “older” man (who was probably in his 40s) always had a friendly greeting for my mother when she opened the door to retrieve the fresh milk.

But then just like clotheslines, answering machines, and typewriters, the milkman’s role faded away from our lives. Technology’s slow advance began accelerating and then, like an avalanche, seemed to suddenly overtake most facets of our lives. The milkman’s visits were no longer necessary in a world that now provided refrigeration and plastic.

Bilingual report — It Wasn’t Supposed to be This Way!

by Community Contributor • March 25, 2022 • Comments Off

On December 12, 2019, I finished teaching my last mathematics class at a local community college. I announced to my students that I was saying good-bye to my life as an educator. I was completely retiring after teaching for more than 40 years as both a full- and part-time math instructor. We were all looking forward to 2020 and beyond, with the kind of promise that only a new year can offer.

I walked out of the classroom thinking about the possibilities. I reflected on the many decades of work that I always had to come back to, even if I took a few days off for a vacation. Now, finally, I could consider more time with my family, longer trips, and the ability to pursue interests for which I never had the luxury of time.

Much of that was not to be—for several more years, at least.

Bilingual report — Environmental Justice Youth Leaders to host the second annual virtual ‘Other Strawberry Festival’ on May 1

by Community Contributor • March 18, 2022 • Comments Off

The Other Strawberry Festival virtual event is a place for conversations about the impact of pesticide use and racial injustice in conventional strawberry growing, bringing together community to create change for a more just and healthy food system for people and the planet.

Bilingual commentary — The Big Lie and the Flat Earth

by Community Contributor • March 11, 2022 • Comments Off

The vast majority of Republicans believe Trump’s Big Lie about last year’s election. They support the “alternative fact” that the election was “stolen” and “fraudulent” and that Trump indeed “won.” They cling to this belief despite the mountains of evidence and reams of data to the contrary. There are thoroughly fact-checked, credible reports about the 61 courts, including the Supreme Court, that struck down lawsuits claiming election malfeasance. This means nothing to the “True Believers” who consider themselves “real Americans” and “patriots.”

“Trump won.” That’s their belief and they’re sticking to it.

Bilingual report — The War on Education

by Community Contributor • March 4, 2022 • Comments Off

As I sit down to write this article, the Russian army is waging war on its neighbor, Ukraine. This is of enormous concern in Europe and around the world. But there is a different kind of war in our own midst that threatens to undermine the very foundations of our country’s success as a nation.

Until recently, education of our children and young adults was something that we valued – something in which we took pride and strove to provide for them. We thought it was important that our children were learning math and history and music. We used to admire young people who chose to go to our colleges and universities. Now we also recognize that higher education is not the only path to financial and personal success.

Bilingual commentary — Governor Needs to be ‘Schooled’

by Community Contributor • February 11, 2022 • Comments Off

As if we didn’t already have enough controversy around masking mandates in California.

Several days ago, Governor Newsom, along with Los Angeles and San Francisco mayors Eric Garcetti and London Breed, respectively, attended the National Football Conference Championship Game at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The problem that erupted shortly thereafter was the result of images of the governor appearing maskless at a mega-indoor event. These are precisely the types of gatherings that public health officials seriously warn us about attending. The governor’s pretext was that he had “removed the mask for a brief period,” but that excuse was widely dismissed as insultingly disingenuous.

Bilingual commentary — Bread and the Power of Redemption

by Community Contributor • February 4, 2022 • Comments Off

Several years ago, I was shopping for sliced bread at my favorite local supermarket. I headed over to the aisle where a cornucopia of breads, cookies, crackers, jams, and nut butters burst into view. The innumerable choices at American grocery markets are legend throughout the world.

And before I digress too far, let’s return to my quest for bread. I almost never buy the same kind of bread twice in a row because I enjoy experiencing the flavors, textures, and the very essence of “our daily bread.” Bread, after all, is an ancient food representing the life force. It possesses deep religious—even sacramental—connotations.

Bilingual commentary — The Threat to Affordable Medications

by Community Contributor • January 28, 2022 • Comments Off

Millions of Americans have come to depend on credentialed online pharmacies outside the U.S. for their prescription medications. These pharmacies have strict guidelines. They will sell only to adults who are able to produce a legitimate doctor’s prescription for a particular drug or medication. Quality control of their products is of utmost importance. Quantity limits are imposed.

For the struggling masses of Americans who would normally be unable to afford highly inflated prices for these vital pharmaceuticals, these online vendors based in Canada and other countries are a godsend. They offer a legitimate service that allows untold numbers of people to purchase lawful, medically prescribed drugs for a considerably discounted price. People shouldn’t be forced to decide which they can afford to pay in a particular month: food, rent, heat, or prescription medications.

Bilingual commentary — Workforce Training for a Post-Pandemic World

by Community Contributor • January 21, 2022 • Comments Off

Last week, the new mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, quickly found himself embroiled in a self-inflicted controversy. At a press conference, he casually referred to cooks, dishwashers, messengers, shoe shiners and fast-food workers as “low-skill workers.” That got the attention of some powerful and influential people.

Liberal U.S. State Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez fired back via Twitter. She claimed that calling workers “low-skilled” plays into a “myth perpetuated by wealthy interests to justify inhumane working conditions, little/no healthcare, and low wages.”

But looking past the outcry over the mayor’s remarks, we might want to pause and consider the implications of the issues at hand.

Guest commentary — ‘Take Small Steps, Daily’ — VISIONALITY CEO Emily Barany and Senior Project Manager, Kristian Almeida, reflect on 2021 and makes predictions for 2022

by Community Contributor • January 20, 2022 • Comments Off

VISIONALITY CEO Emily Barany says, “Take Small Steps, Daily: We are NOT going to solve all the world’s problems in one sitting. In 2021, I really focused on taking small steps towards big goals. In the moment, that small step doesn’t feel like much, but after a year of small steps, you’ll realize you’ve gone far.”

Barany recently sat down with Senior Project Manager, Kristiana Almeida to discuss 2021 reflections and 2022 predictions. While their complete two-part discussion covering their perspectives on business, leadership, development, and the much used term, pivoting, can be found on the company’s website – www.visionalitypartners.com/resources, they share a few of their top level take-aways from 2021 and predictions for 2022 below.

Bilingual commentary — Stories of the Spanish Flu Pandemic

by Community Contributor • January 14, 2022 • Comments Off

We are all traversing this time that will remain in our memories the rest of our lives. If we are old enough, not only we but also our children and grandchildren are experiencing the disorientation, stress, and anguish of the COVID-19 pandemic. Someday, these children and grandchildren will be telling stories of the Great Pandemic of 2019 – 2022 (hopefully not longer than that) to their descendants, possibly including our great-great-grandchildren. We cannot begin to guess what technology will be used to record those stories for posterity. Some of us may even have venerable photographs of immediate ancestors who suffered and died during the Spanish Flu of 1918 – 1920.

Bilingual commentary — A Tale of Wealth and Privilege

by Community Contributor • January 7, 2022 • Comments Off

I never forgot a story I read in a college English Literature class about wealth, privilege, and compassion. The title of the story, The Garden Party, is simple and plain. Nonetheless, this narrative, written by Katherine Mansfield, encompasses a range of emotions ranging from the indifference of the wealthy to the suffering endured by the less fortunate. As seen in this story, the two groups often live side by side, hardly aware of each other’s existence. This is happening more frequently here in California as the state seeks to build more affordable housing, even if it happens to be adjacent to moneyed neighborhoods.

LULAC Warns A Repeat Of The January 6, 2021 Insurrection Is Still Possible

by Community Contributor • January 6, 2022 • Comments Off

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) issued the following statement on the first anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The protest and violence were carried out in an attempt to stop the ratification of the electoral ballot results from the November 2020 presidential election that defeated Donald Trump. The US Justice Department issued a report six months following the attack and stated that more than 535 people who took part in the insurrection were arrested in all 50 states. Five people died during the incident, a Capitol police officer lost his life the following day of stroke complications from injuries he suffered in the violence, and four other officers on duty during the attack died later from suicide. A full congressional investigation into the insurrection continues.

Guest commentary — Lady Whiskers and the Miracle of Christmas

by Community Contributor • January 2, 2022 • Comments Off

Roughly four Christmas ago Debbie and I where unceremoniously run out of Oxnard. We had lost our lease at the Café on A location that we had occupied and provided programs and services to at-promise youth and their families for three decades. No matter how much we “negotiated” with the landlords and the Oxnard City Manager at the time, they were determined to kick us out. They told us impatiently and obliquely that they had other plans. Yesterday, I returned to Oxnard, the pain of the eviction, almost gone. I bravely drove down the old part of downtown Oxnard, on to A Street. What has replaced our beloved Café on A is a smoke shop, soon I suspected they will sell cannabis products out the location. The irony of this building tenant change makes me both want to laugh and cry, all at the same time!

Bilingual report — Entering an Age of Virus Mutations

by Community Contributor • December 17, 2021 • Comments Off

Last summer, we started doffing our masks and reuniting with family and friends. There was a festive glee in the air we breathed as if we who were now vaccinated against COVID were celebrating “The End of the Pandemic.” There was a feeling that now, finally, we could get on with our lives and regard the previous year as something akin to a very bad dream.

The party did not last long. Just as we were putting away the champagne glasses and summer party hats, the Delta variant emerged “from out of nowhere,” quashing our hopes of a return to near normal. We grumbled as we took our masks out from the drawers where we had stored them as “souvenirs” from a crisis that we had survived. Or, if we had ceremoniously burned or shredded our masks, we kvetched as we had to go out and buy new ones.

Bilingual commentary — See a Doctor? But I Feel Fine!

by Community Contributor • December 10, 2021 • Comments Off

“I’m not going to see a doctor. Why should I? I feel fine!”

I’m willing to bet that we’ve all heard this line, or variations of it, from people we know. Or perhaps we ourselves have this belief that if we are feeling well, then visits to doctors’ offices are futile, a waste of precious time, and a fool’s errand. Admittedly, for many people, visits to their doctor could also very well feel like a waste of their money if the test results indicate, over and over, that “all is normal.”

As one example of the cost of ignoring routine medical tests, let’s consider one “silent disease” that often goes undetected: glaucoma. According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, over three million Americans have glaucoma, a disease that seriously affects vision over time, but only half of them are aware of their condition. However, early detection can prevent the otherwise inevitable loss of vision.

Guest commentary — Despieto (Woke) and Seeing in Aztlan

by Community Contributor • November 19, 2021 • Comments Off

In Journey to Ixtlan, by Carlos Castaneda, Don Juan explains to Carlos, that after more than a decade, of “ordinary exploration” he is on the precipice of stopping the world and seeing for the first time, “You have simply stopped the world…Yesterday the world became as sorcerers tell you it is, in this world coyotes talk and so do deer, as I once told you, so do rattlesnakes and trees and all other living being. But what I want you to learn is seeing. Perhaps you know now that seeing happens when one sneaks between the worlds, the worlds of ordinary people and the world of sorcerers.”

Bilingual commentary — How We Can Stay Informed

by Community Contributor • November 12, 2021 • Comments Off

Last week I wrote about the importance of being informed. But as I mentioned in the article, it is even more important that we be properly informed and not misled by heavily biased news sources with ulterior motives.

So then the question we could ask ourselves is, “How can I stay adequately informed about news that matters?” What matters to us could be, for example, subjects such as politics, health, legal decisions, science, religion, family issues. We could also have a particular interest in specific regions of the world such as Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, or the Americas. It would be best for us to be aware of local issues, especially when they have a direct impact on our lives.

Let’s look at a list of twelve things we can—or should or shouldn’t—do:

Bilingual commentary — The Importance of Being Informed

by Community Contributor • November 5, 2021 • Comments Off

For me, keeping abreast of the news is a lifelong habit. For some reason, I tend to think that everyone keeps up with the news at least as much as I do. But then not everyone is as obsessed with the news as I am! And there are others who are far more diligent than I am about analyzing the affairs of the world.

I often talk with people I know about something in the news on the national, state, or local level. I mistakenly assume that “everyone” knows what I’m talking about, but I’m often faced with a blank stare. They may be interested but not aware of the circumstances that make something newsworthy. They may be embarrassed that they don’t know what I’m referring to. Or they flat-out may not care.

And then again, sometimes I’m the one with the blank stare.

Bilingual commentary — The “Day of the Living”

by Community Contributor • October 29, 2021 • Comments Off

In a few days, on November 2, we of Mexican heritage will be celebrating one of our most cherished traditions: honoring the departed souls of our family members on “Día de los Muertos”—the Day of the Dead.

This day is one of our cultural treasures. Our observance on this day is the culmination of the blending of three powerful influences: 1) the Aztec obsession with natural cycles, including life and death; 2) the medieval Spanish practice, brought by the conquerors of Mexico, of honoring the dead; 3) the Roman Catholic belief in the everlasting life of the dearly departed. The Aztec final resting place, Mictlán, was transmuted into the Christian heaven.

Bilingual commentary — What Became of Fernando Valenzuela?

by Community Contributor • October 22, 2021 • Comments Off

Last week I wrote about the demise of Chávez Ravine, originally a neighborhood of primarily Mexican American families and its metamorphosis into the world-famous Dodger Stadium. But initially this transformation came at a cost to the Dodgers.

Mexican Americans resented the disrespectful treatment that the inhabitants of the early Chávez Ravine had received at the hands of government. They had been on the land for generations, yet the City of Los Angeles appeared to dismiss their concerns, rights, and sense of dignity when the land was earmarked for “redevelopment.” The families were told that they had to move, but they were promised “first choice” of the new units in the proposed housing project.

Bilingual commentary — About “Hispanic” Heritage Month

by Community Contributor • October 8, 2021 • Comments Off

During the current National Hispanic Heritage Month, we might note that the discussions regarding the proper label to be affixed to “Latinos” are often animated, if not contentious.

This cherished “month” extends from September 15 (the anniversary of several Central American countries’ declaration of independence from Spain) to October 12 (“Columbus Day,” which has morphed into “Indigenous Peoples Day”). That this special month was instituted in 1989 by a Republican president, George H.W. Bush, makes it all the more significant.

Bilingual commentary — Choices in Education

by Community Contributor • October 1, 2021 • Comments Off

I used to read story books to my grandson. I would entertain him with action heroes, wooden cars and board games. Suddenly (or so it seems), he is asking me questions about colleges and career choices. My grandson is, after all, a high school senior. So he should be asking those kinds of questions and seeking guidance, and I am grateful that he is doing so.

His growing awareness of the urgency to make some of his life’s most impactful decisions is welcome. I would like to see him avoid the scenario in which so many other college students find themselves. Too many students have no clue whatsoever regarding their choice of career or even area of interest, which of course determines their program of study in college. My grandson still has not nailed down any clear choices, but we have narrowed down the list to two or three possible pursuits.

Bilingual commentary — Wild Geese and White Pelicans

by Community Contributor • September 24, 2021 • Comments Off

A number of years ago, I was pursuing a college degree in liberal arts at Oxnard College (OC). I wanted to soften the sharp edges of the decades of technical education that I had acquired up to that point. The classes that I took at OC imparted to me a vision of the world that no physics, math, or engineering class could ever have given me.

Some of my most cherished classes in the liberal arts program taught me to appreciate poetry. Those classes in poetry were taught by one of my colleagues, English professor Shelley Savren.

One of the poems that deeply impressed and mesmerized me was Mary Oliver’s Wild Geese. It conveys sheer, unvarnished truths—the ones that are not easy to confront and that we don’t want to admit are relevant to our lives.

Bilingual commentary — The Shifting Landscape of Work

by Community Contributor • September 17, 2021 • Comments Off

I have a family member who works at a fast-food restaurant. Several in my extended family work at medical offices and retail stores. Several others who were from the “old country” (Mexico) worked in agriculture. Some in the family drive trucks for a living. My brother worked at a warehouse, manually tracking inventory. A sister’s entire career was dedicated to serving as a grocery cashier. My father was a linotype machine operator. In her first working years, my daughter was a bank teller (relatively few people work as bank tellers anymore). I myself worked in the college classroom as an educator.

What do all these jobs have in common?

Answer: they have either disappeared, are being judged as less essential, or are about to exit stage left.

Bilingual report — Choosing the Enemy

by Community Contributor • September 10, 2021 • Comments Off

Sometimes we reach for an artifact, a bauble, a seashell, or a book because something—we don’t know what—attracts us to the object. It’s almost as if the object chooses us.

I’ve often randomly reached for books or watched a movie or documentary. For reasons unknown to me, they caught my attention and ended up giving me a new perspective that helped me understand more about the world around me. These sources of information have pulled my life into different orbits, and at times even changed the course of my existence completely and irrevocably. One of my latest book choices certainly had me reconsidering some of the things that I had observed and learned throughout my life.

Bilingual report — When Science Becomes the Enemy

by Community Contributor • September 3, 2021 • Comments Off

There has always been a certain degree of distrust toward science in this country—sometimes justifiably so. But over the past year and a half, that distrust has been amplified to literally dangerous levels, mostly via social media (many people’s only source for “news”) and extreme right-wing hysteria on the news channels.

The severe lack of science education in this country has fomented the massive paranoia that brings many of our fellow citizens to misunderstand, misinterpret, despise, and deny scientific information. National and state leadership that plays into the hands of an insidious disinformation campaign are decimating conservative bastions throughout the country with completely preventable illness and death.

Bilingual commentary — The Mask Wars

by Community Contributor • August 27, 2021 • Comments Off

Several months ago, I was sitting in a doctor’s office waiting to be called in. Facial masks are required. After all, this is a medical building. Given our circumstances over this past year and a half, medical staff is intensely focused on maintaining an atmosphere in which patients can feel relatively safe.

I was reading a book as I waited. I didn’t notice that my mask had fallen below my nose. The receptionist kindly reminded me to lift the mask up so that it covered my face properly. I apologized and immediately took care of the problem.

Bilingual commentary — Pregnant People—What’s That About?

by Community Contributor • August 13, 2021 • Comments Off

I was calmly reading an article in my favorite newspaper one morning when I came across the term “pregnant people.” I nearly choked on my coffee. Words get my attention, and I had never in my life seen those two words together.

I started to mumble about “liberals” (although I am one, with conservative leanings). I wondered if this was some far-left conspiracy to ignore womanhood or reduce it to “peoplehood.” Before I went off writing letters to the editor and state representatives or clamoring to appear on talk shows to rant about liberalism gone amok, I thought I had better investigate. I needed to find out what this nomenclature was all about.

Bilingual commentary — Coming to Terms with My Heritage

by Community Contributor • August 5, 2021 • Comments Off

At the time, it was hard to imagine that patiently spitting into a plastic tube would unlock some of the secrets of my ancestry. But such is the process that allows 23andMe, a “genetic service” that provides DNA testing, to provide ancestral information to their customers.

The results of such genetic inquiries can range from shocking to embarrassing to simply confirming what we may already know—or at least suspect—about our family background.

Following Robbery of Senator Boxer, CDAA Calls for Withdrawal of Dangerous Theft Legislation

by Community Contributor • July 28, 2021 • Comments Off

There was nothing petty about what happened to former U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer yesterday—it was a violent robbery, and it was awful. This crime occurred in broad daylight in Oakland’s Jack London District, a popular tourist destination that also happens to be in the California Senate District of Senator Nancy Skinner. The same Nancy Skinner who proposed declaring such horrific crimes misdemeanor petty thefts under SB 82.

Bilingual commentary — A Week Without a Car

by Community Contributor • July 22, 2021 • Comments Off

I thought I would try something new and different this week. I’m pretending that I don’t have a car. I have had a car ever since I graduated from high school, so I knew this was going to feel “different.”

Several weeks ago I started studying the bus routes in Oxnard and saw that, except for the harbor area, I could take a bus just about anywhere I want to go within the city of Oxnard from my home in Port Hueneme, provided I was willing to walk a bit. But I walk or run just about every day of my life, so that’s not an issue for me.

Bilingual commentary — Are We Painting Over Our History?

by Community Contributor • July 2, 2021 • Comments Off

In 1949, George Orwell’s novel, “1984,” was published. What was predicted to happen in “1984” in a fictionalized Britain came about for us in the U.S. quite recently. “Orwellisms” seem to be guiding our country into a dark forest from which we seem unable to emerge, and possibly never will. Just as in “1984,” truth at this time appears to be amorphous, fluid, and often inverted.

Bilingual commentary — The Fear of “Socialism”

by Community Contributor • June 25, 2021 • Comments Off

Politicians of the rightist persuasion often attack their Democratic opponents with round condemnations of their “socialist” platforms. The word “socialist” drives hard-right conservative voters into paroxysms of rage and disgust. Its impact is much the same as the label “commie” was in the 1950s when “Communists” were being pursued under every rock and wooden plank. There are aspects of socialism that should be of concern to us, but it is not an ideology to be feared without understanding what it is and what it is not.

Bilingual commentary — A Man Named “Tonto”

by Community Contributor • June 18, 2021 • Comments Off

I can recall evenings sitting around the new television in the home I shared with my parents and siblings in the 1950s. The TV with a small screen that displayed black-and-white images was a new and wondrous phenomenon for Americans, who were just beginning to experience it. My father seemed enthralled by the magic of images beamed from across Los Angeles to the antenna mounted on our roof and into the television—that mysterious apparatus that was powered by glowing red vacuum tubes and voltages that could kill a horse.

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