The People Issue

The People Issue Winter 2012 | Vol. 42 Issue 2

Jornalera takes care of family through her hard work

Emerging to the Light: !e Story of Justine Gaytan

Father of AB 540 student seeks to give daughter a better life

Latina artist createsvibrant art to connect her person and culture

2 LA GENTE winter 2012

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.

By Long Beach artist Jose Loza. Inspired by depres-sion era artwork, he cre-ated this issue’s cover us-ing an art deco/futuristic design with a geometric styled cityscape of Los Angeles and a current UCLA student as a mod-el. To view more of Loza’s work or to contact him, visit 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

contentsfeatured art

OUR MISSION:

LaGENTEdotORG online preview

sigan luchando for those inside

tarado del mes the not-so-hot tamale

La Gente Lingo

“Chalchiutlicue, Esposa de Tlaloc.” By Ana Ruth Castillo. A Los Angeles based artist with roots from Guatemala. Inspired to reflect culture and ances-try, the beauty of the natural world, and the sacred feminine, she paints on walls and canvas to share and connect.You can visit her website at ajtun.com

ABOUT THE COVER

15 | From Within Contributions from our incarcerated readers

sigan luchando

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.

Join the conversation! Comment on our articles online, like us on facebook, and follow us on twitter. What should La Gente cover of the Latino student community? #estudiante

LaGENTEdotORG22 | Audio Preview: A Life Story Recounted A gentista shares his grandfater’s biography22 | Video Preview: Noche de Cultura Bringing Back an Annual Tradition

“Borders and Struggles.” Contributed by artist Ana Ruth Castillo.

11 |

“Galactic Golden Eagle.” Contributed by artist Ana Ruth Castillo.

17 |

tarado del mes4 | January Alabama

4 | February UCLA Store

4 | March Pi Beta Phi

8| the female day laborer Jornalera takes care of family through her hard work and optimism

10| the AB 540 parent Father of AB 540 student seeks to give daughter a better life

12| the latina artist Latina artist creates vibrant art to con-nect her person and culture

14| the mixed student Mixed ethnic students struggle against discrimination

15| the english learner Latina employee learning Eng-lish to be a part UCLA campus community

18| a UCLA student The Story of Justine Gaytan

9| the houskeeper House-keeper’s special bond with her employers helps her through the struggles of life

making a living16| Not Just Another Tire Shop Family business continues doing well despite recession

16| One Man’s Trash is Another’s Treasure Un-documented man makes a living recycling bottles in Westwood

overcoming obstacles20| Cleaning up his Act Young man wishes to remain free for his family20| The Land Without Suffering? Unaccompanied youth travels to US in hopes of a better life

7| “Si no van a la escuela van acabar como burros.”

7| UCLA Community Comes Together in SAC

going to UCLA

6 |“Heart of Seasons.” Contributed by artist Ana Ruth Castillo.

5| Letter from Grupo Folklórico de UCLA

winter 2012 LA GENTE 3

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFHelga Salinas

MANAGING EDITORMarcos Osorio

MARKETINGJon Sanabria

MANAGING ASSISTANTHelen Alonzo

COPY EDITORSHelen AlonzoMelissa MerrillHaidee Pacheco

Samuel Temblador

STAFFArmando Bustos Jr.

Magaly ChavezDiana Cuevas

Jacqueline Espinoza Gabriela Garcia

Brenda GutierrezPatty G.

Jeanelle HorcasitasAlma Huitron

Monica Ponce de LeonJacqueline EspinozaAranzazu MedellinMichelle Moreno

Blanca MunozCharlene Unzeuta

Maria Teresa Armendariz Guerra

DESIGNHelga Salinas

GRAPHICS & ILLUSTRATIONSJonthan Horcasitas

PHOTOGRAPHERSMelissa Merrill

Maria Revalcaba

STUDENT MEDIA DIRECTORArvli Ward

STUDENT MEDIA ADVISERAmy Emmert

LA GENTEVOL. 42 ISSUE 2

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

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.

Letter from the Editor

Helga L. Salinas

People’s stories. Underneath the large encompassing umbrella of La Gente are just stories determined by a set of students from year to year, writing the narrative of the Latina/o student mentality at UCLA.

For this issue, the staff have each interviewed someone to shade in nuances of archetype figures we encounter. A range of experiences that include immigration, building a new life, working to achieving dreams, as well as working through the obstacles that accompany it all.

Artwork is once again featured in this print issue, all contributed by Ana Ruth Castillo (who also contributed the art below). The three full page pieces are “Heart of Seasons,” “Borders and Struggles,” and “Galactic Golden Eagle.” In between the artist’s intent and in-terpretation, the art juxtaposed to the articles highlight three themes.

The heart representing passion or love as shown by an Latina art-ist’s drive to connect her existence to her heritage of her parent’s land through art. Borders and struggles representing the paths of transi-tion to a new home through language and education. The eagle rep-resenting determination in the face of the seemingly overwhelming economy and state.

However, it seems that all these stories carry the layers of lingering impressions of transnational connection that drives the passion to plant prosperous roots for fam-ily and future.

Admittedly, these profiles only offer one of many lives possibly represented, an acknowledge-

ment that is important as stereotypes still permeate even in diverse spaces such as UCLA as shown by this issue’s Tarados del Mes and the hate crime that occurr on a UCLA stu-dent’s apartment door.

La Gente always welcomes the readers’ contributions and point of views to further enrich the publication, as it also serves as a moment’s snapshot record of the UCLA Latino community. Enjoy!


tarado del mes

January: A

labam

a

February:

UCL

A S

tore The UCLA campus store has taken to selling negative stereotypes as clothing wear. The student store in Ackerman recently held a sale in honor of Valen-

tine’s Day, but the selection of sale shirts wasn’t so sweet. At $12.99, anyone can buy a shirt with the display of the iconic Mexican eagle-and-snake perched on a cactus paired with the words “Still Filthy.” On

the shirt, the snake spews the name of the clothing company responsible for this offensive insinuation, Billabong.There are many parties involved that deserve to be held accountable. First, there’s the matter of Billabong’s purpose in creating a shirt that, whether

intentionally or not, suggests an association of the Mexican flag emblem with the idea of being “filthy,” perpetuating the stereotype of the “dirty Mexican.” According to their website, the company created the shirt to promote a documentary about their surf team. Yet with a team consisting of mainly Anglo-

American males, the purpose for a t-shirt with a Mexican influence remains a mystery. But with over 600 stores internationally, the company has this shirt readily available for promotion of the Mexican derogatory term worldwide.

The artist that originally produced the Mexican symbol is Santiago Uceda, an Oregon-based Peruvian-American who has done artwork for a website in support of the DREAM Act. In an email, Uceda explained that Billabong asked him “to create a t-shirt design using one of their taglines and it had to have a Latin theme.”

He said it was understandable how Mexican students might get offended, but Uceda believes that censoring art in the fear of such would only weaken its meaning. “I am poking fun at the idea of governments creating these symbols and propaganda to try to create a sense of national pride when times are difficult.” Uceda ended the email with a sincere apology and a promise to be more mindful of tricky situations like this one.

The majority of people on campus are not caught up on their surf-documentary knowledge, nor will they have a chance to ask Uceda about his artistic intentions in creating this piece. When Mexican and Latino students encounter this t-shirt, their initial interpretation won’t be that it is an artistic socio-political commentary or a reference to a sports team. The most common thought will be to interpret this shirt as another visual perpetuation of “the dirty Mexican” that continues to marginalize this population.

Pepe Aguilar, a TA in the Chicana/o Studies department, commented on the issue: “This is the third time in my UCLA career that I see this exact t-shirt being sold. It seems like they put it away when we file complaints and a few years later put it back out. It’s definitely upsetting.” An urgent inquiry, then, is posed to the campus store: why has this shirt been allowed to sell on campus?

Alabama has finally solved its “immigration problem”

thanks to the policy-crafting genius of Kris Kobach. I ap-plaud Kobach’s initiatives for creating more job opportunities for American workers, who were so eager to fill the immense void left behind by undocumented immigrants for a whole two weeks.

These pesky immigrant workers were 100% guilty of being 860% more productive than the Americans, and as for patriotism, well you can’t really quantify the patriotism of an individual who places their faith in a foreign country and gives it every fiber of their being just to earn the right to belong to it.

But you can quantify blood, sweat and tears that the im-migrants south of the border have been giving to America at an exponential rate for decades. Indeed, Kobach has done a great service for Alabama business and the economic sphere. Through E-verify, an online database used

to check the status of immi-grants, Alabama employers and industries will be “protected” from inadvertently hiring undocumented immigrants and the un-American vices of the im-migrant work ethic.

I mean, whatever hap-pened to the Protestant work ethic? From Kobach’s perspec-tive, these immigrants just don’t seem capable of adopting traditional American values. So while Alabama’s agricultural industry continues to depend on the Protestant work ethic as the fields rot, the economy loses mil-lions in taxes from immigrants, and the state’s GDP is projected to lose from 2.3 to 10.8 billion dollars, the immigrants affected by this law will never be able to understand the ingenuity behind Kobach’s grand economic vision for states like Arizona and Ala-bama. Kobach’s brilliance is on a whole other level, so perhaps no one ever will.

Pi B

eta P

hi

March: Hola Fellow Bruins!

Want to bastardize the Latino culture? Well let me tell you just the right way to do it without thinking about it too hard. Through hosting a fundraising event for First Book, an organization that promotes literacy for children who cannot afford new books, Pi Beta Phi has completely outdone itself by stereotyping the Latino community. So here is their stereotypical agenda of the Latino community if you wish to follow….

First, make sure you make the title super legit. Ponle una palabra en Spanglish.

Let’s see…let’s see…Oh yeah why not call it a Pi Beta Phiesta! Wuuh lets party and eat Mexican food! Puro Phi-esta! No pero espérate métele más sazón. Put a Ranchero with his big mariachi hat and make sure he has a big bigote.

Now make sure the Ran-chero holds a Tapatío botella because let me tell you, Mexi-canos love their chile. Bien picosito con sal y limón. But then don’t be rude and only

serve burritos with meat. Make sure you include an option for the vegetarians.

Finally, the slogan has to be in Spanish. ¿A ver, A ver? Well duh, if you have the Ranchero, the bigote, and the sombrero just say, Ole! And if you are really trying to get your friends excited encourage them to bring a sombrero to be festive. Sale Vale! Nos vemos at Pi Beta Phiesta!

As a Chicana Bruin, I was offended by the stereotypical language and images used to promote Mexican food. Soy la hija de Mexicanos who hold great pride in their Mexican cuisine. In my familia, food represents cultura. Every dish exerts a flavor so tasty that your mouth melts.

A Pi Beta Phiesta!? Does your sorority promote Latino culture? Be self conscious of the images and stereotypical language you use and, not to mention, think about the of-fense you have created to your Latino community,

Your Fellow Latino Bruins!

Maria Teresa Armendariz Guerra [email protected]


Letter from Grupo Folklórico de UCLA Estudiantes

In an effort for all to be aware that there was a successful Chicano/Latino population on university campuses in the 1960s, Folklorico groups began

to form. It was also a way for them to have a part of home, culture and tradi-tions, away from home. The first of these groups started here at UCLA.

Professor Emilio Pulido-Huizar, the founder of the great Jaliscience folklorico group at Universidad de Guadalajara, established Grupo Folklórico de UCLA in 1966. Since then, the group has grown and flourished to consist of UCLA students, alumni, grad students, and community members beyond just Chicano/Latino students. The purpose of this group is primarily one of promoting and educating the UCLA community and the greater Los Angeles area about Mexican traditions and culture.

This is done through music and dance. Each individual dance represents a region of Mexico and tells a story of its people, animals, daily life, and rituals as it is accompanied by the regional music. The members of the group don’t

dance just for the sake of danc-

ing; it is for the sake of cul-tural art.

Today, Grupo Folklórico extends out to the Los Angeles youth in order to promote higher education among minorities and show them that our raza is still present even at the most prestigious universities, encouraging them to strive to better themselves as well. Starting this academic school year, the group has a membership of over 50 students, community members, and graduate students. The largest membership it has ever had since its inception. Our motto is: “No experience necessary.”

Our biggest struggle as a group, however, has been finding a space to dance. Every Tuesday and Thursday, folklórico members, without fail, dance to the beat of different regional songs at the McClure stage. The stage has served as a practice space for many years, but even this open space does not meet the need of such a large membership. The concrete does not allow for members to truly reach their full potential due to the risk of knee injuries. Using special dance shoes, similar to tap shoes, these zapatillas and botines have metal nails at the toe and heel of the bottom of the shoe. Concrete does not absorb the shock of a foot stomp as a wooden floor would. Aside from that, the lack of mirrors, which allow for one to witness his or her progress, are unavailable to us. The exception is the occasional Saturday practices when we book a room in the John Wooden Center, but even there we may not use our shoes because they may scratch the floors. Yet, once every other week does not suffice, even for the best dancers. We are currently hoping that the university provides us with a space to practice with mirrors, seeing that the

majority of members are UCLA students, whose needs should be met in order to achieve their greatest potential.

Even with these constraints, the love for dance and show must go on. Grupo Folklórico de UCLA’s primary goal is to perform at our annual Royce Hall perfor-mance, which takes place the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend (this year, landing on May 27th at 7pm).

Keeping true to our mission, we provide this educa-tional and cultural show to UCLA and the greater

Los Angeles community at a world-renowned theater free of charge.

Yet ironically, this becomes harder with budget cuts as things begin to cost more. Although we are a student group, the cost to put on the show this year has come to be about $18,000, which the student-run group simply does not have at hand.

Some funding is provided from the school, but not enough. As

a non-profit organization, we fundraise and reach out to the community in hope of being sponsored in order to continue these wonder-

ful traditions. We make as much an effort as pos-

sible, through performing on campus, by outreaching to youth

and by being a home away from home for many members. Despite the obstacles we must overcome, we strive to keep this 45-year-old tradition and organization alive.

Like us! Grupo Folklórico de UCLAFollow us! @GrupoDeUCLA

Contact us at [email protected]

6 LA GENTE winter 2012ANA RUTH CASTILLOO


Pascuala Ramirez made it across the border at the age of twenty-

seven with a coyote in 1987. In Salinas, she worked as a babysitter for three children where she cooked and cleaned. Ms. Ramirez earned fifty dollars a week for her assistance and Sundays were her only days off. After a year of helping another family, she came to Los Angeles.

She only completed elementary school because her family didn’t have money for her to proceed to the next level in school, “Tenia que ayudar a la familia,” she said. Ms. Ramirez is now working at minimum wage and has five children to look after. Her

second child, Brenda, graduated salu-tatorian of her class and is currently attending UCLA.

When Brenda was only in pre-school, Ms. Ramirez took her on a field trip to UCLA. Since then, Brenda said that she too wanted to to go there. She liked to read and write and her teachers were always pleasant to have her. Ms. Ramirez always knew her little girl was going succeed. “Estoy muy orgullosa de Michelle y todo lo a logrado,” one of Brenda’s successes is being part of the La Gente staff.

Although Ms. Ramirez didn’t get much education, she loved to read and watch movies, especially about history. She helped her daughter Brenda in her AP History classes and others as well. She did everything she could to help her children do well in school, “Si no van a la escuela van acabar como burros.” Though it may have been hard, Ms. Ramirez provided a computer with Internet, school supplies, and transportation to

school.Ms. Ramirez is not the type of

mother who showed affection. She wanted to show her children reality. “Todo tiene riesgos, lo bueno y lo malo,” she would say. She believed that they have to learn on their own and go with the flow, like learning how to swim. “Tienen que dejar [a] sus hijos que vallan y que vengan.”

In September 2009, Ms. Ramirez went back to Mexico to try to get her Green Card. During that time her family was living under limitations. Only their father was home, but he had to work and was barely around. Her third child, Geena, cooked for

her brothers and sisters. There wasn’t much to eat except mole and rice with torillas but they still made it through. Ms. Ramirez would al-ways talk to them about school and made sure they never missed a day. Her kids would walk their mother through their whole day because they all missed her. Brenda would say, “Tienes que venir, nos haces falta.” Tears fell down her face as Ms. Ramirez recalled this.

When she called to inform that she wasn’t getting her Green Card in November, Brenda broke out in tears. Ms. Ramirez then stayed another two months in Mexico. They gave her a Green Card on February 4, 2010 and returned home.

As Ms. Ramirez talked about her interest in reading, she men-tioned how she helped her daughter in school, tying her struggle for her Green Card with her children’s struggle to help themselves. “Tienes que luchar,” she would say, “porque yo de donde.”

When she spoke about her struggle for her Green Card, she tied in her children’s struggle to help themselves. “Tienes que luchar,” she would say, “porque yo de donde.”

“Si no van a la escuela van acabar como burros.” Patty G.

UCLA Community Comes Together in SACBrenda Gutierrez [email protected]

The University of California of Los Angeles, founded in 1919,

started with 4 buildings. Today, it has grown to 163 buildings, with thousands of workers and students.

The Students Activities Center (SAC) is located at the bottom of Jans steps in Wilson Plaza. For students, it serves an oasis from the monoto-nous lectures. Inside SAC, you can find Olga Lopez working from 5 pm until 2 am on a regular basis.

Olga arrived to the United States in 1974. A friend recommended the job to her and has now worked at UCLA for five years. Olga sees her job as a great blessing.

She cares about the students and worries about them as if they were her children. Similar to her, the students also feel a very strong bond with her. “Los estudiantes son una belleza (the students are a beauty),” she said while looking around with a smile on her face.

Olga has taken time to get to know these students and grow to love them. One of her wishes is to win the lottery “para ayudar a los estudiantes (to help the students).”

“She is like a little piece of home to me, she always gives me advice and tells me things my mother would say,” said Cynthia Montano, first-year psychology student at UCLA.

One of the offices she cleans is the UCLA Community Programs Office (CPO). It is a student-run department that works towards helping communities within Southern California. “What is beauti-ful about CPO is that it takes advantage of students and develops them into leaders. It is the greatest place to really develop leaders,” said Layhearn Tep, a fourth-year political

science and Asian American studies student.

CPO aspires to encourage stu-dents from underserved communities to pursue higher education, graduate and give back to their communities. “We focus on the needs of all stu-dents, the major one is making the students feel they are part of a com-munity. The different projects offer different components that reach this goal,” said Emilio Hernandez, a fifth-year year transfer, Chicana/o studies student and Campus Retention Committee chair.

These students come from dif-ferent backgrounds and have differ-ent needs. They all help one another by working in unison in CPO. “On campus we work together to create a community, we also do wonderful work outside the university,” said Tep.

The CPO encourages students to learn about different cultures and the

issues that exist within the differ-ent communities. Through this, the students will see that although their communities are different, they sometimes face the same issues.

“I have learned about a lot of people from different backgrounds, it has given me different perspectives about different cultures,” says Kath-erine Herrera, first-year international development studies student.

SAC, CPO, workers like Olga, and students are all irreplaceable components to this amazing chain of life within the community of UCLA. This chain will hopefully produce amazing leaders that will take what they have experienced and learned back to their communities and make change. They will be the leaders who will encourage youth to become future leaders of their communities.

“She is like a little piece of home to me, she always gives me advice and tells me things my mother would say.”

going to UCLA


Every day Maria Elena Garcia enters the Community Job Center in down-town Los Angeles that is filled with male day laborers. She sits and waits

for a job as she watches another man get picked. The sign outside the center that reads “Hire Day Laborers and Household Workers” makes Garcia reflect on the journey that brought her here four years ago from Jalisco, Mexico.

Seeing no opportunity for work and desiring to provide her son with a thriving future, Garcia parted from her old life and set out on a solitary trip to the North.

Upon her arrival, she found assimilation into the host society extremely difficult. Missing her son and unable to find a stable job, she quickly slipped into a debilitating state of depression, which was also triggered by a stagnant cycle of searching but not finding. “I hadn’t been here even one month when I grew tired of this country’s persistent rejection. I couldn’t stand the loneliness, so I decided to bring my son over here.”

With her son in the states, Garcia had a even greater need to find stable employment. Although she had a steady job for some time and was providing for her son and her family, she unexpectedly got laid off. As a result, she was forced to move out of the room she was renting and into the living room of an apartment.

When asked to describe a regular day in her life she begins, “I wake up, thank God for another day, I feed my son, send him to school, and walk to the center. I spend most of my day there.” At the downtown center she spends hours waiting for a job. If she is offered one, she accepts it. If she does not, she begins making and distributing business cards with the domestic services she offers.

As one of the few women who attend this center, Garcia seems almost desensitized to being the only female presence there. Upon being asked if she feels out of place, Garcia responds, “No, the moment I step here, I forget that I am a woman.” More than just putting aside her identity as a woman and assuming the identity of a day laborer, Garcia also becomes male day laborers’ competition for work. When asked if she would perform a man’s job, without hesitating she responds, “Yes.”

As for the differences between jornalero men and women, Garcia is very clear in emphasizing her belief that women have an overall advantage over men. “We are charismatic; we can adapt better to situations, and can perform a greater array of domestic jobs,” she says.

Despite her certainty in the female advantage, she also expresses reserva-tions about potential disadvantages. The greatest of these is the position of subordination in which women are often put. Because this is a male-dominated environment, women mostly interact with men. Often, a woman is offered a job by a male, meets him at their agreed location, and quickly discovers that what she is being offered is in fact a different and morally degrading domestic job.

Another common situation is when housekeepers become victims of abuse

by the male of the household. Their fear of deportation combined with their need for money forces many of these women to allow this abuse to continue for long periods of time. Whether it is verbal or physical abuse, it ultimately transcends into psychological abuse, driving them into a state of constant fear, anxiety, and disgust.

It is experiences like these that shake the resolute faith of jornalero women like Maria Elena. “Things are really dangerous here now. Almost like Mexico, but without your family to support and look out for you,” she says.

In regards to where she sees herself in five years she says, “In Mexico, in my home. I’m tired of being alone here. I want to be with my family.”

If given the opportunity to do this again, she “would think twice now that (she) has seen the discrimination, abuse, and impossibility of assimila-tion.”

Despite her desire to return to Mexico, Maria Elena embraces life every day. She realizes that she has a responsibility here: “These things scare me, but they do not stop me from taking any jobs. I have a responsibility to my son.” Indeed, it is God, her son, her family, and her own positivity which keeps her motivated. “The dissolution I feel after getting a door slammed in my face is hard. But, the dissolution I feel after realizing that I am an invisible burden to this society is unbearable.”

With saddened eyes that reveal her sorrow that illuminate her face, Maria continues, “But even if I have to do it with tears in my eyes, I force myself to stay positive and be thankful for the things I have and the things I don’t.”

Michelle Moreno [email protected]

the female day laborer

Not Just a Man’s JobJornalera takes care of family through her hard work and optimism

At the downtown center she spends hours waiting for a job. If she is offered one, she accepts it. If she does not, she begins making and distributing business cards with the domestic services she offers.

staff MELISSA MERRILL


Writing a story about a housekeeper, I believed that I was writing about an invisible person who is normally ignored. For Bennie Herrera, her

life was intertwined with her employers. “La manera como soy, posiblemente me tienen confianza, mas que cualquier housekeeper,” she said.

Bennie came because of her employer Amelia. Bennie worked for Amelia, in Peru, by taking care of her three children, and then sold clothes at Amelia’s boutique. One day Amelia asked Bennie to come to the US with her and she accepted. She came to the United States from Lima, Peru when she was 20 years old.

When Bennie got to the US with Amelia and her family, the pleasant working environment changed. Amelia’s friends saw how well she treated Bennie and soon people started advising her to change. Amelia began to say that she would steal and she would not let Bennie leave the house.

With the help of her neighbors, Bennie was able to leave Amelia’s em-

ployment to begin her path towards working in convalescent homes and cleaning homes. At one of the convalescent homes, she was introduced to Barney Industrial Company.

Barney Industrial Company gave her two houses to clean. She was 25 years old when she began to train to clean houses. John, one of the managers, taught her how to run her own business of cleaning houses. She then put an ad in a Pasadena newspaper to find homes.

People started to call Bennie, and she was now self-employed, setting her own prices, making more money, and having a flexible schedule. “Me relajo. Puedo cantar, puedo hablar con Dios, puedo pensar,” she said. It is more than a job; it allows time for herself.

From 1996 to 2001, Bennie went through a divorce, which took up a lot of her time and money. Her ex-husband tried to provoke her employers to fire her and even told the judge that she worked too much and did not have time for their kids. The judge made her choose between her business and her kids. She chose her kids.

Despite her ex-husband’s efforts, there were three households who re-mained by Bennie and these are the three that have meant the most to Ben-nie; that of Mrs. Rives, Judi, and Dr. Lavine. “Estas tres no creyeron en el,” says Bennie.

They all called her on the first day that her ad ran in the newspaper and they are the ones who have continued to be by Bennie’s side. “Con el cariño de ellos, no me he sentido sola,” said Bennie.

For the past five years, she has been Mrs. Rives’ personal caregiver. She is the one person Bennie works with everyday, while Bennie balances cleaning houses four days a week and working at convalescent homes the other three days of the week.

Their close relationship grew when Bennie was there to console Mrs. Rives for the death of her two sons and, later, the death of her husband. She would be the person Mrs. Rives could cry to, while also making sure Mrs. Rives did not forget to eat. Bennie remembers them crying together and

holding each other to get through each death. Mrs. Rives’ daughter, Nancy, has even told Bennie that it is because of her that Mrs. Rives is still alive.

Just as Bennie was there to console Mrs. Rives, Mrs. Rives and her other employers were by Bennie’s side when she broke her wrist last year.

Judi stood by Bennie throughout her whole divorce and would try to take care of Bennie as much as she could. She gave Bennie furniture, plates, clothes, and other necessities. Bennie remembers that Judi called her when she went to the market just to ask if there was anything Bennie needed. “Ella fue una persona especial, se preocupaba de mi ropa, se preocupaba de mis niños, y se preocupaba si tenia comida en la casa,” said Bennie.

At one point Judi moved to Palm Springs. Bennie drove the distance to continue to work for Judi. While Bennie no longer cleans Judi’s home, they still have a very close relationship. In just talking about Judi, Bennie is re-minded that she needs to call her to catch up.

Dr. Lavine was also a household where Bennie transitioned from house-keeper to caregiver. Bennie would arrive at the house, and instead of clean-ing as soon as she got there, Dr. Lavine invited Bennie to sit down and have breakfast with the family.

Dr. Lavine would even make Bennie lunch by buying Bennie’s favorite things like turkey, tuna, muffins, Diet Seven-Up, and bananas. Bennie re-members Dr. Lavine, “¿Que patrona da eso? Ella se preocupaba que yo desa-yunara y que yo lonchara. Y cuando no me hizía comida, me daba diez dolares y me decia, ‘you promise honey that you’ll stop and get lunch.’” Bennie took care of Dr. Lavine until the day she passed away.

Just as many people might believe there is disconnect between the employer and the employee, Bennie realizes that her relationships have been special. “No las veo como extrañas personas.” Her relationships tell a different story than just the one of an employee working for a paycheck.

“Mas que todo me miran como familia y no me tratan como housekeeper o como una empleada.”

Offering More than Support

Charlene Unzueta [email protected]

the housekeeper

MARIA REVALCABA

Writing a story about a housekeeper, I believed that I was writing about an invisible person who is normally ignored. For Bennie Herrera, her life was intertwined with her employers.

Bennie Herrera at her El Monte home.

Housekeeper’s special bond with her employers helps her through the struggles of life


Just outside the where he works in the mid-city area, Gerardo Becerra

anxiously waits to buy his coffee at a parked food truck. His work-day begins at 4 a.m. and usually ends twelve to thirteen hours later. Becerra is a family man who enjoys spending time with his four children; however, lately he has spent more time at work than at home. His oldest daughter, 19-year-old Denise, is an AB 540 student who was admitted to Califor-nia State University, Long Beach last fall, causing a strain on the family’s income. “My co-workers, and my immediate boss know that I need to come up with around $4,000 every semester to put Denise through school, so they help out by trading their days off with me, or letting me work overtime,” said Becerra.

As an AB 540 student, Denise does not receive any financial aid. She is responsible for covering tuition and book costs for her education. Commuting every day and living in the two-bedroom home with her parents helps the family save some money.

Becerra was born and raised in Jalisco, Mexico and migrated to the United States in 1994 with his wife and daughter. He fled poverty with the hopes of finding a better future in el norte [the north]. He was persuad-ed by a cousin to come and try his luck in the US, only to find “that you do earn more money here, but you also pay more bills.”

Not having finished high school himself, he admits that sometimes it’s hard to help his daughter. How can a parent guide his child through something that is unknown to him? “The best way to help is offering an incredible amount of support and

love,” said Becerra. Upon arriving in the US, Becerra

was faced with the reality of liv-ing in a capitalist nation. One must work very hard, in the presence of a language barrier no less, in order to survive. Finding a job was difficult.

Him and his wife thought about returning home to Mexico to try to make a living there; however, a few months after arriving to the US, his wife Norma became pregnant, and they decided to wait until after the birth of the child. After 17 years, they now formed a life here, a home they can’t simply renounce. “I came here for myself, to find a better life,

and I stayed here for my children. I want to see them succeed, to see that they live out this better life,” said Becerra.

As the head of household, he feels obliged to provide for his daugh-ter’s education; however, he admits it is financially overwhelming. “It feels like I am paying two houses. I have to take as much overtime as my boss is willing to offer me to make it through the month. Family and friends have been very supportive.”

His wife Norma does not work. Instead, she takes care of the younger children at home who are all US-born citizens. They host family events to raise money for Denise. “My wife makes tamales. Friends and family help out by selling them. They try to have Tamaleadas [tamale sales] once every month,” said Becerra. At work, he also raffles tequila bottles, perfumes, movies, and anything that will help buy Denise that one very expensive textbook or her bus pass.

Now that his daughter has the opportunity of attending one of the

top schools in the state, does he feel like his dream of a better life has been fulfilled? He smiles and re-sponds, “Pues en parte si [well, in part yes].”

“There are things out of my control,” reiterated Becerra, like his daughter’s legal status or his own permanent status here in the US. “Making ends meet has become so difficult and now there is such a strong anti-immigrant sentiment that you just don’t know anymore. It feels like we can get kicked out any day.”

As an AB 540 parent, Becerra faces many challenges. He wishes to

give his daughter the necessary tools to succeed in life; however, the unre-liability of his le-gal status prevent him from fully

doing so. He wishes he could have a better job, so he can make more money, educate himself, and help his daughter in choosing the right path. “No puedo hacer mas por mi hija, [I can’t do more for my daughter],” he said.

The biggest challenge is know-ing that his daughter will have to work twice as much as any student because of a decision he took years ago: migrating to a different country with different customs that was not his home then, but has become his home now.

“There are days,” described Ge-rardo, “when Denise gets sad because she can’t do things that her friends can do like travel, study abroad, work, drive, or simply vol-unteer at schools.” For the Becerras, “there is

always that fear in the back of our minds about what will happen once she gets through with school. If she will be recognized as a professional, if she will be able to work, to be what she is studying for, a teacher.”

As much as he tries not to let his fears show in front of his daugh-ter, these are things that he wor-ries about. “Seguir Adelante,” said Becerra, a phrase he is known for. He believes in moving forward to work hard for his children’s dreams, which are now his own.

“She is my first daughter; I came to this country for her. I wanted a better life for her and I will give her as much as I can,” affirmed Becerra.

Blanca Munoz [email protected]

Working Hard for His Daughter’s DreamsFather of AB 540 student seeks to give daughter a better life

“Seguir Adelante,” said Becerra, a phrase he is known for. He believes in moving forward to work hard for his chil-dren’s dreams, which are now his own.

the AB 540 parent

winter 2012 LA GENTE 11ANA RUTH CASTILLO


Art hangs from the painted green walls in an apartment filled

with paintbrushes and containing a canvas with a work in progress. In a small apartment near Echo Park, there lies bright paintings that have helped a young woman reconnect with her heritage.

Ana Ruth Castillo was born in Los Angeles in 1982 to Guatemalan parents, eco-nomic refugees during the civil wars of the 1970s. She grew up in various parts

of LA such as Ingle-wood, Southbay,

and eventu-ally

graduated high school in South Central. At six years old, she had the opportunity to visit Guatemala because of the access allowed by the government to the refugees. Her parents took Ana and her sister to

visit the family members that still resided in

the country.It was

through those visits when she first realized the

difficulties in relating to her parent’s country. “I was always considered gringa,” she

says when

talking of her childhood visits. It was her first time she was introduced to poverty. Before then she didn’t know another world less privileged existed, fueling her desire to learn more about her parent’s native coun-try.

She became attracted to the trajes of Guatemalan’s indigenous villages. It was difficult to learn about the culture she was not part of, but loved since a young age.

In the US, she was disheartened that there was never a space where she could learn more about her par-ents’ country. Her visits to Guate-mala showed her there was another world, and she looked for its history, her ancestor’s heritage, but could never find it.

Ana asked her-self, “Where

the hell am I from?” That sense of displacement was

a big push for Ana who graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 2006 with a degree in Latin American and Latino Studies. It was in college where she first took a chance in art. Ana and her friends began to have “art nights” by bringing different art supplies to paint for a fun night in on a Friday night. Soon creativity took over. She took art as a means to put onto canvas everything she had learned and felt about her culture. “How do you give continuity to everyone who came before you?” said Ana.

Ana sees her paintings as a responsibility toward

her culture and her ances-tors. Through her most personal

art pieces, called

Connecting to Her Ancestors through ArtLatina artist creates vibrant art to connect her person and culture

Alma Huitron [email protected]


“My Ancestors Presente” (pictured below), Ana believes that she honors her ancestors for this space and time.

Her sense of cultural displace-ment from it is a “big part of why I paint what I paint,” said Ana. “The more I paint the more I want to get better. At this point I have to get better.” Her art incorporates Guate-malan cultural myths like her paint-ing “Ixel” depicting grandmother

moon, or the common problem of searching for

identi-ties in a

world with man-made

borders shown in “Borders and

Struggles”

(page 10). Her art is like a collage of everything that she associates with on a personal or cultural level to her parent’s homeland. Ana looks toward the future on how art can now allow her community to connect to their culture

Ana is a strong supporter of the reviving the LA mural movement. In addition to taking part in the Restoration Project at the Great Wall of Los Angeles, she is also painting a mural in Xela, Guatemala, her mother’s hometown, at Café R.E.D.

Café R.E.D. focuses on the arts as a way to support the local the community and its economy. She explains that whenever she is tak-ing part in creating a mural, many people, especially the youth, come to help. “Public art is important,”

said Ana, “[it] has that function to bring people in and public art should represent the people who live there.”

“As central Americans, my par-ents were the first generation to come to America and stay here,” said Ana. She believes it is important to create something for the next generation. She hopes a museum would be avail-able for children so they could have a place that would teach them where they come from. She believes that

this is the responsi-

bility of the Latino community, which she expresses through her art.

She recently became a part of the Central American Writing Arts Collective in Los Angeles. It is a one-year old collective where painters, writers, musicians, poets, and media makers of various generations come together to share their work.

Ana’s vision is the same as the collectives: a space where artists and other members of the Central Ameri-can community could teach history through art to the children of future generations.

“I can not go back to practices that have become lost over time and conquest, but I can honor what I have learned and retained and put in canvas,”

said Ana.

the latina artist

“Public art is important,” said Ana, “(it) has that function to bring people in and public art should represent the people who live there.”

ANA RUTH CASTILLO


When an elderly woman walked into Super-cuts that day, Raquel Alexander wasn’t

expecting to be insulted simply for being herself, especially not at her job.

“What ethnicity are you? Are you Indian?”

“No, actually I am mixed. I am Black and Mexican.”

“Ugh! Those Blacks and Mexicans need to stick to their own race and stop mixing with one another!”

Stunned and grossly offended, Raquel com-plained to her manager, who ignored the racist comment and sent her to lunch.

This moment has stuck with Raquel for years, and it is only one of the many times she has en-countered this type of discrimination as a mixed individual.

According to the US Census Bureau, the amount of people identifying with two races or more increased by 32% from 2000 to 2010. The nation’s mixed population is growing as more people identify with multiple ethnic backgrounds.

Unfortunately, they may also experience the same discrimination that Raquel faced at her job. For some mixed people, it is easier to identify with just one race so as to avoid being judged, insulted, or scrutinized.

Raquel is one of those victims who felt that she had to hide a part of who she is so as to avoid being an outcast.

“I tell people that I am just Black because it is most people’s first impression of me,” she said.

Raquel is an African and Mexican American female with her associate’s degree in social science. She stated that because she does not speak Spanish, she feels that she cannot truly identify with her Mexican roots. She cannot relate to her Mexi-can-half since she does not feel that she was exposed to this culture, especially the language. “It has limited me from more job opportu-nities,” she said.

Yet, she believes “be-ing mixed is a good thing because it means more diver-sity.”

Mackenzie Rossi is a female Mexican and Cau-casian, a second-year business economics student. “I tell people that I am ‘White,’ so as not to con-fuse people, or explain why or how I am mixed,” she said. Unlike Raquel, she was exposed to her Mexican culture, but given a negative view by her grandfather.

“My grandpa (who emigrated to the US from Mexico) felt that I should identify solely with being White, especially when going to school, because he felt that in US society, it was not OK to be Mexican.” The schools she attended while growing up influenced her decision to identify with one race.

“It wasn’t until high school I began to identify with both ethnicities. It’s a struggle to be mixed because other ethnicities don’t accept you; you feel like you don’t have a ‘home.’ ”

Fortunately, Mackenzie also found being mixed to be a positive characteristic, “You are get-ting the best of both worlds!”

Ivan Pena-Aparicio, a third-year human biol-ogy in society student, had a different perspective on being mixed in the US, especially because he was raised in Latin America.

Ivan is Panamanian, Spanish, and Brazil-ian. Although he identifies

with one race to

avoid confusion, he appreciates being mixed. “I embrace all of them and don’t necessarily choose one over the other, but I say Latino because it is an ethnicity that most people can recognize.”

Originally from Latin America, Ivan realized that the perception of mixed people in the US differs significantly from the perceptions of those in Latin America. “In Latin America, it is more common to be mixed. It wasn’t until I came to the US that I realized people who were mixed were affected in a negative way because they felt they couldn’t fit in with the majority or the minority that they are mixed with.”

Ivan feels that because he is not from the US, he doesn’t face the same struggle as those who were born mixed in America. “It is not that I’m mixed but that those from the US that are mixed aren’t okay with being that way.”

For this reason, he co-founded the UCLA Mixed Student Union. An organization that fo-cuses on multi-cultural dialogues which encourage people to become more open-minded and learn something new about someone else’s culture.

“Being mixed is talking about mixed experi-ences, something that many of the students at UCLA share in common – that they may not iden-tify as being mixed, but in many ways are.”

These individuals have different views of what it means to be mixed and the

struggles that go along with it. The Census Bureau has proven that there is an increase in the mixed population, which prob-ably continue to grow in the future.

Thus, it appears, as said by Raquel, “I want people to see me as both ethnicities, not just one.”

Blurring the LinesMixed ethnic students struggle against discrimination

Jeanelle Horcasitas [email protected]

In 2000, a total of 6,826,228

people identified with at least two racial

backgrounds. In 2010, numbers increased to 9,009,073. SOURCE: US Census Bureau

the mixed student

JONATHAN HORCASITAS

Did You Know:


the english learner

It’s 5 am, around the time when most stu-dents who have procrastinated head for bed.

For Gloria, it’s time to wake up and head to work.

She works a full eight-hour shift, cleaning the dorms of Hedrick Hall, but at noon she takes a

break to learn English. Gloria is an employee for UCLA Housing and

Hospitality Services. She participates in Project SPELL (Students for Progress in Employee Lan-guage Learning), a program on campus that offers English as a Second Language (ESL) tutoring for employees to improve their English skills. A volunteer-based program in its second year, SPELL matches employees with student tutors, each pair meeting twice a week for one-hour lessons. The employees range from those who have basic Eng-lish skills to those studying for their GED. SPELL is a Volunteer Center Initiative that welcomes any non-native English speaker.

SPELL produces many stories of success like Gloria’s. As her personal tutor, I have seen an im-mense im-prove-ment in her English skills, as well as her confidence with the language. “ Cada oportunidad a aprender es bueno [every opportunity to learn is good],” Gloria explained as the main reason she decided to participate in the program. She answers in the quiet yet serious voice of someone who gives constant advice from experience. Although sometimes serious, Gloria is mainly a cheery woman who enjoys describing her life experiences and family stories in comical ways. Originally from El Salvador, she arrived in the US in the early 1990s and has since made it a top pri-ority, though a slow process, to learn English.

As it is for a majority of immigrants, the fact that LA has a prominent Spanish-speaking com-munity is a major reason why becoming fluent in English has been difficult for her. “At work, I try to speak English, but at home I speak mostly Spanish,” she said. She also mentioned that su-pervisors speak English to their employees, but many opt to direct their workers in their first language—Spanish. Bilingual managers make em-ployees comfortable in using mostly Spanish.

Outside the work place, Gloria realized that learning English was crucial in order to commu-nicate with UCLA staff and, especially, students.

“When I first started out, tenía mucho miedo para hablar en Inglés y contestar sus preguntas que me preguntaban [I was afraid to speak in English and answer their questions they would ask],” she confessed, commenting on the miscommunication that occurred between herself and students she encountered every day.

During the past four years, Gloria would avoid conversation with students who approached her, always due to a lack of confidence in English. Even the little thank-you notes some left at the end of the year were difficult to understand. “I wanted to know what they said and answer them (the students) when they ask questions. I also need to tell them when I have problems,” Gloria said, “I knew that I had to speak better English.” Gloria’s insistent tone in making this statement, accompa-nied by a head nod, shows she accepts the situa-tion as more of a challenge rather than a looming obstacle. She believes that English is important because it is how workers, staff, and students interact with each other.

Gloria also encoun-ters the lan-guage prob-lem at home. Her children,

first generation Salvadoran-Americans, balance both languages. Yet, with her grandchildren, English is more dominant. “My youngest nieta [granddaughter] speaks mostly English,” Gloria said, “they learned it first, so they always answer me in English even when I speak Spanish.”

While this occurs, Gloria said that she does not want them to prefer one language, “I want to be able to speak to them in English and Spanish.” She wants her grandchildren to speak both lan-guages fluently, emphasizing that “los dos lenguas son importantes igualmente [both languages are equally important].” This is the philosophy that Gloria carries to our weekly lessons: to learn English and set an example for her grandchildren. At home, she sings the English alphabet with her granddaughters to practice phonetics, and at least once a day she takes time to complete an English crossword puzzle to build up vocabulary.

On our first day together, Gloria was ner-vous about practicing her speech skills because of frustrating experiences in the past. These days she happily chats with any student, taking every opportunity to practice her English skills. “The students, the RAs, are always very nice. They say,

‘Hi Gloria, how are you?’ I talk more English with them, and they say, ‘You are doing very good with English!’ ”

Encouragement from students and family is what influences Gloria to continue improving each quarter. Her face grows into a wide smile as she says, “English provides more opportunidades y beneficios. Estoy contenta a aprender mas y mas [English provides more opportunities and benefits. I am happy to learn more and more]!”

SPELL-ing Success In Both LanguagesLatina employee learning to be a part UCLA campus community

Maria Teresa Armendariz Guerra [email protected]

“The students, the RAs, are always very nice. They say, ‘Hi Gloria, how are you?’ I talk more English with them, and they say, ‘You are doing very good with English!’”

Did You Know:There are currently 30 Adult Education centers in the city of Los Angeles

8 Adult Education centers within a

5-mile range of UCLA offer ESL-adult courses

6 Adult Education centers within a

5-mile range of UCLA offer U.S. citizenship preparation classes

53% of working-age adults in the city of LA are under-educated, the highest rate of any major metropolitan city in the U.S.

LAUSD Education Board proposed in

early January 2012 to eliminate all 30 Adult Education schools in the LAUSD area due to budget constraints.SOURCE: californiaadultschools.org, aalausd.com, Los Angeles Workforce Literacy Project, Cara Onofre

Adult Education programs in the city of LA

serve approximately 347,000 adult ESL-learners and high school dropout students earning GED/high school credits

Do you want more information on Project SPELL?

Email Maria at [email protected]


Jacqueline Espinoza [email protected]

One Man’s Trash is Another’s TreasureUndocumented man makes a living recycling bottles in Westwood

“Going green” is for many Californians a way of life, but for Juan Lorenzo, it is his way to

make a living. For the past four years, the 34-year-old undocumented Guatemalan native has come to Westwood every day for 10 to 12 hour shifts. He searches for aluminum cans, plastic

water bottles, and glass containers from other people’s trash.

Sometimes he works from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. or from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m., or simply until when there are no recyclables left to sort. He goes around the perimeter of Veteran, Gayley, Kelton and Landfair “porque (las botellas son) más accesibles [because the bottles are more accessible].”

“No he tenido problemas porque saben que es mi trabajo...me tienen confianza. Hasta me las tienen (las botellas) guardadas [I haven’t had prob-lems because they know it is my job, they have faith in me. They even have the bottles saved for me],” said Juan, referencing UCLA students who live around campus.

According to the 1988 case California v.

Greenwood, 486 U.S. 35, there is no harm in recy-cling through others’ trash bins if it is on the curb since it is considered public property. However, it is prohibited on private property.

Juan is conscious of this, but sees it in a differ-ent light, “Pues reciclo porque número uno, de ahí vivo [I recycle because first of all it is how I make a living].” It is his source of income to support

himself, his wife and his two sons, as well as to send money to his family in Guatemala. He is the only one in his family in the states. “Número dos, ahorramos para la ciudad, para usarlos nuevamente [secondly, it helps the city to save and reuse it again],” said Juan.

But he is not alone. There are ten other men who also recycle for a living. They work with each other instead of competing, tied with the common motive of survival.

Juan makes about $200 for a full truckload of

recyclables, earning a yearly income of $33,500. Recycling is not a stable job. Since Juan

depends on UCLA students to obtain recyclables, he is aware of the school schedule and makes sure to save money for the expected school breaks. He searches for jobs during breaks between quarters, “E buscado trabajo en restuarantes…y en costura, pero no me dan trabajo porque están llenos [I have

looked for work in restaurants and tailoring, but there is none because it is full].”

For a time, he was hired to clean at a McDonald’s for three hours a day. He would make minimum wage of $8 an hour.

Lorenzo realized he makes more money recycling instead of working at a fast-food restaurant.

Like other immigrants, Juan came to the United States for the opportunity to achieve the American Dream, but attaining money was not as easy as he was told. He does not regret coming to the US. The working conditions “es igual como si estuviera en mi país, pero llegué a conocer el mundo un poco mejor [are the same as if I were in my country, but at least I got to know the world a little better].”

It is his source of income to support himself, his wife and his two sons, as well as to send money to his family in Guatemala. He is the only one in his family in the states.

Not Just Another Tire ShopFamily business continues doing well despite recession

Gabriela Garcia [email protected]

The little tire shop on Baseline Road might just seem like one of many in Southern

California, but Margarita Velasco owns this small shop in the city of San Bernardino. She started this small business with little economic help from her family. One month’s worth of paperwork later, she was able to begin getting it on its feet.

Currently, this business is fully operated by Margarita and her husband. Her duties include “todo lo del papeleo….de hacer los pagos...firmar papeles...regresarlos...y a veces contestar el teléfono [everything concerning paperwork…making payments…signing papers…returning them…and answering the phone].” She is also in charge of the financial management of the shop. Her husband installs tires and selling auto parts. But it wasn’t always this way.

When asked about how the economy has af-fected her family business, she said, “Cuando baja el trabajo es cuando descansamos a las dos personas

que estaban [when business was low, we laid off the two workers we had].”

The machines and parts used in the shop are all bought with their own money, and the clientele is, according to Margarita, “de toda

clase [all types]”--not just Latino. Open Mondays through Saturdays from 8 am to 6 pm, and sup-porting a family of four, this little tire shop is described as “regular...ni muy bajo ni muy alto...en todo (incluyendo ganancias y clientela) {regular, not too low or too high...in everything (including

clients and income)}.”“En un día malo, 15 (clientes) y en un día

bueno, 25 [on a bad day, 15 (clients), and on a good day, 25],” says Margarita when asked about the average client visits per day. Margarita predicts the business will stay at the same pace in the near future. With no work-related accidents, no dan-gers of closing down, and no barriers for Margarita to be actively involved as a mother and wife, this small business is a blessing for the Velasco family.

Many immigrants are forced to take jobs where the danger might not be worth the little money they work hard to earn. Most importantly, they aren’t able to pay as much attention as they would like to their family matters when they arrive home tired and hungry from a long day of difficult work.

The Velasco family business is much more than what you get at first glance- a small building, perhaps easily overlooked on a busy street close to a supermercado and taqueria.

With no work-related accidents, no dangers of closing down, and no barriers to Margarita being actively involved as a mother and wife in her household, this small business is truly a blessing for the Velasco family.

making a living

winter 2012 LA GENTE 17ANA RUTH CASTILLO


Some say that people live up to their names. The meaning of Justine is “fair and upright.” Those

adjectives embody her in the quest of her life. Justine Gaytan sits on the couch with a smile,

generously offering me her sandwich. Her energy radiates excitement to tell her story. “I remember those things everyday,” she said, “it’s just nice when people ask me about it and I can talk about it.”

Her long black hair, cute pink shirt, and the positive energy that she brought to her story re-minded me of a striking lotus bud that grew from the swamp, struggling to the surface, where it found enough light to blossom into a flower.

The swamp was Justine’s world before, filled with drugs, loneliness, depression, alcohol and dis-appointments; yet, the woman she is today doesn’t leave much of a trace of what she lived through. “Five years ago I never thought or could’ve even imagined or have the capability of imagining to be here at UCLA.”

Justine grew up in the Los Angeles area, mov-ing around several times during her childhood. She was the younger of two sisters. “I don’t think I got a lot of attention growing up,” she said.

She watched her sister mature while she spent a lot of time by herself. Her loneliness developed into a feeling of not being accepted or loved. She looked for a solution for her emptiness.

In middle school, her experiences started to create the swamp. At the age of 11, she was intro-duced to smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol. “I just really liked that attention: being accepted by other people. Being down to, you know, do dif-ferent things. Down to kick it, and down to hang out, and do all these crazy things.”

“I grew up in a good suburban neighborhood and a good school. I was the one who brought the bad influence into my surroundings,” she contin-

ued, “I would end up in a mental hospital, or I would get suspended, so my grades would suffer, but if I came back to school, I was able to pick up and do really well.”

She started taking pills that she would buy or steal from the stores. By sixth grade, she had run away from home “too many times to remember.” These addictions sent her to the psychiatric hospi-tal, but even this did not stop her.

At 12, Justine was introduced to harder drugs, such as meth, amphetamine, and cocaine. In sev-enth grade, she was finally expelled from school for bringing drugs and being under the influence. She faced probation and house arrest.

Justine attended a continuation school in order to be able to pass middle school and she excelled. “I even got a most courageous award,” she chuck-led, “but during all this time I did not stop taking drugs or drinking.”

Transitioning from summer to high school was not what she expected. Still wanting to fill her emptiness, she decided to run away from home during her first semester. Justine ended up on Grove and Hollywood Blvd.

“When I see that area, it makes me sad. It makes me sad because it reminds me of a lot of different memories, of the things I saw and things I did,” she reflected, “I think of the people that I knew and the situation that they were in, and I wonder if I’m going to see them (again). When I came back to Hollywood, I found out (about) this girl (I knew) who was raped and strangled. It is surreal to think that I was there, that I was living that life and now here I am. It seems like it was a dream but it’s not.”

Missioner, Justine’s street name, tried to sur-vive in the streets of Hollywood at only 14 years old by stealing and selling mp3 players or car parts from stores. She met her boyfriend in Hollywood

and then got adopted by a street family of drug dealers who would protect them.

Passing through Hollywood, she remembers every corner, church, dirty stairwell, step or side of the road where she slept through the cold winter nights. She still is fascinated by the rooftops, re-membering where she slept underneath a clear sky and the Hollywood lights.

She also recounts how she got a foot condi-tion from walking so much with a pair of Chucks. “When I would take off my socks, my skin would come right off with it. I just had the mentality to keep on going one step at a time no matter what.”

Justine lived in the streets for three months until something triggered her to go back home: her sister’s birthday. “We were very close. I wanted to be there on her birthday. I was so selfish because I was gone all other holidays. I wasn’t there all the other times.”

Justine called her family informing them that she was coming home that day. “I was nervous. I was afraid of what was going happen when I walked in the door and my mom waiting there for me.”

Her family received her with open arms. They had been searching for her for months; her friend even showed her the posters they had posted.

“I didn’t realize it at the time, but another friend and my sister said that I wasn’t the same…I haven’t been the same after that.”

In 2007, Justine went back to high school. “It was an adjustment. People knew that I was miss-ing, so walking down the hall people would stare at me, but I think I still wanted that lifestyle,” she said.

Something needed to be planted for Justine to start growing into a flower. “I just wanted to be free,” she said, “A woman who worked in my high school, invited me to church one day, I didn’t

Monica Ponce de Leon [email protected]

Emerging to the LightThe Story of Justine Gaytan


think much of it, I was usually down for anything, so I thought I might as well go to church.” She met the leader of the teen ministry who asked her if she wanted to study the Bible. She agreed to it.

During the studies, Justine continued her way of life, but something started to change. “I got a lot of support and encouragement from the women to change my life for the better, but a part of me still wanted the same life,” she continued, “but I did start to change. I always knew that if you are going to commit yourself to anything you have to want it for yourself first. I just remember crying, and I decided to commit myself to not do drugs or alcohol for me and for God and that’s it.”

Attending church and studying the Bible motivated Justine to go through the chemical re-covery program they offered. “It focused on God, and I really loved it because it helped me to see my powerlessness, that the main goal, to see your powerlessness over your usage,” she recalled.

After chemical recovery and her Bible studies, Justine was able to grow out of the swamp and started reaching for the light at the surface.

She continued going regularly to church and started living her life according to the Bible. “I started taking AP classes, I graduated with hon-ors, I was a member of many clubs, and I lead our Bible discussions for the Truth Be Told Club,” she said smiling proudly.

Justine applied to UCLA at her mentor’s suggestion and was accepted into the sociology program, for which she was given a standing ova-tion at her church. She joined an organization at UCLA called Simple Truth, which is a part of her church, the International Church of Christ, con-necting her to other Bruins like her.

Could this change have come in any other way? “No,” she giggled, “because a lot of people change, but from what I experienced, God is the only one that can really transform me in the way that He has. Everything that is in my heart, the

inner strength, the ability to persevere, healing, and the accomplishments

I have attained, I wouldn’t even have

had the opportunity

without God.” Justine Gaytan reached

the surface of the swamp and blossomed into a flower. “Everyone needs hope, and

when you have hope, it gives you something to fight for so you have to keep your head up,

so you can see the goal you are moving towards,” she said.

“It is surreal to think that I was there, that I was living that life and now here I am. It seems like it was a dream but it’s not.”

staff MONICA PONCE DE LEON

Emerging to the LightThe Story of Justine Gaytan

a UCLA student


Arrested. Again.Guero got a text from an unknown number asking to buy some

weed. He called the number back, and it sounded like a white girl. He asked his brother, “Should I slang to her?”

“No, don’t do it dude,” the brother replied.His mom, who was listening, barged in, “No te vayas a meter en esas

ondas. Es una trampa! [Don’t get involved in those activities. It’s a trap!]” “Mom, don’t worry about it!” said Guero.

A few hours later, the dreaded phone call from the Hollywood jail came.Guero is one of the many young adults

that get caught up in the thug life. At 18 years old, he stands six feet tall and sports a full-grown mustache. His lean and tall stature exudes power, yet his warm smile and eyes can put one at ease. His confi-dence and demeanor are characteristics of someone with leadership potential.

“Since my last arrest, I have been going to tutoring at my sister’s house every Tuesday, and I’m looking for a job to help my mom out a bit. But there are no jobs,” said Guero as he leans forward in his seat with his elbows on his knees and hands wringing together.

The easiest way to make some money is to sell marijuana to some friends. “I got a medical card, so I can go to the dispensary and buy some bud for my homies, just until I get a job, you know,” explained Guero.

This is reflective of how institutional racism plays a role in the lives of youth; laws are stricter concerning drugs used by minorities. For example, five grams of crack cocaine, which is mostly used by people of color, is equivalent to 500 grams of powder cocaine, which is primarily used by white people. Both amounts result in a minimum of 5 years of jail time, acccording to RealCostOfPrisons.org.

This institutional racism targets people of color and makes their struggle to survive in low-income communities a cycle of repeated offenses. The problem is compounded by the fact that there is a lack of support to establish

better lives for these people after the first offense.

Guero is determined to finish high school after realizing education is a way to a better life. To accomplish that, he asked his sisters for help. They host

tutoring sessions every Tuesday night, work on projects, and make sure he is not behind in any of his classes.

Guero was released without bail due to his persistence to finish school, but he still has to go back for court. If he is convicted, it will make it even harder for Guero to get a job, perhaps leading him back into a life of crime.

For Guero, this is when he will “clean up his act,” as he puts it. “I recent-ly found out my girl is pregnant, and so I want to do what my dad didn’t do for me and my family; I want to be there for mine,” said Guero.

Diana Cuevas [email protected]

Cleaning up his ActYoung man wishes to remain free for his family

This institutional racism targets people of color and makes their struggle to survive in low-income communities a cycle of repeated offenses.

“J” is an unaccompanied immigrant youth who left his home at the age of 14 due to the threat that surrounded him, looking for a better future in a

cold and unfamiliar place. At first glance, he seems like any other 17 year-old, wearing basketball

shorts and a Lakers hat, texting during the interview. The wall that at first glance seemed like apathy, was soon noticeable to be a defense mechanism that hid the pain and struggle J underwent at such a young age. As soon as we were introduced the first thing I was told was his identity and location could not be published for the safety of J’s life.

“Yo vengo huyendo por mi vida, es muy peligroso en El Salvador.” J left his home of El Salvador at the age of 14, when he found a job with

the circus that was passing by his hometown. He ended up in Mexico where he worked for a few months, but could no longer afford to support himself as all of the friends he had come with had been deported.

J saw the United States as his only option, his mind full of dreams of owning his own home and car. He would work in the US in whichever job he found. Just like many immigrants, he believed the US did not have poverty.

“Pensaba que todos vivian en casas enormes en los Estados Unidos, que no habia pobresa. Podia empesar a trabajar, tener mi propia casa y carro. Ayudar a mi familia.”

He had a sister who had offered to help him before so he decided to head his journey to the United States.

“Aqui tenia mi hermana, ella me iba a hechar la mano. Pensaba voy a tener un lugar en donde de vivir.”

J walked for 9 days, traveling on cargo trains from Chiapas, Mexico to the border of Arizona. The cargo trains themselves are extremely dangerous,

many die or lose a limb trying to climb on. “Pensaba en el peligro que iba a pasar, que me pudieran haber secuestrado, morirme al subirme al tren, o tam-bien la gente que se partia por mitad. Pero no tenia otra opcion.”

J was eventually captured by border patrol in the Arizona border. As a minor, his sister who obtained residency was able to gain his custody.

However, after a few months, his sister no longer wanted him to live with her, so he moved to a place for unaccompanied youth, where he currently lives.

“Cuando yo estaba en Mexico todo era differente, ella (mi hermana) decia que me queria ayudar pero a la hora de lo hora no fue asi.”

J realized that the life he thought he was going to have in the United States was not possible. He found himself in a home full of strangers, con-fused why he was there. Despite feeling lonely and missing home, he realized that he would never be able to return due to the violence that faces him there.

J does continue to have one hope: to make a better future for himself. He counts on furthering his education, and eventually entering the police acad-emy. However, he does not have a working visa, hindering his opportunities.

“Yo me imaginaba los estados unidos bien chido, para que te miento pen-saba que no habia tierra, puro granita verde. Pero estoy sufriendo igual que en Mexico, no sufro aqui por comida pero me siento solo, aqui no tengo a mi familia, pero nunca voy a poder a regresar al El Salvador.”

J still sees America as the land where hopes and dreams come true, but unfortunately for J he lives in reality.

Magaly Chavez [email protected]

The Land Without Suffering?Unaccompanied youth travels to US in hopes of a better life

overcoming obstacles

Dedicated to my Father, who was an unaccompanied child immigrant. Without him, none of this would be possible.


sigan luchando

A world filled of propaganda, how hard can it be to face the fact of reality? Blind sighted by ignorance and defeated by arrogance. I’m still here on my own in the silence wondering what’s really going on, trying to comprehend but can’t take it anymore…where did our conscience go?

It’s what my common sense demands, stop refusing of what we are and hiding from what it is. Our pain comes to be someone else’s glory but fxxx-up is their theory!

Once we find ourselves, the sky has no limits as we begin to listen to our destiny with fury. My individuality still fighting the controlling system is what’s keeping me alive. We’re strong enough to break the invisible shackles and pave our way to let our beliefs be known.

Lost in a dark world for so long, it’s our time to let our minds feel the power and show the world that we have a mind of our own.

We have been fighters, warriors and soldiers every single time the occasion knocked at our door, so let’s keep on fighting until we conquer our greatest enemy of them all as we earn that ut-most respect our gente deserves.

Let’s allow ourselves to see reality for what it is and learn to destroy that obstacle that has been holding us back for so long…Can you hear me scream the pain and sorrow running through my veins as I will never forget what we have been through, even after my last breath is long gone.

Let’s open our eyes and stare at reality straight in the eye so we can push on through in the same direction with our greatest weapon of all times….Nuestras Mentes!

RealityManuel Estrada | Kern Valley State Prison

About Sigan Luchando:La Gente Newsmagazine began correspondence with prisoners with our first issue in 1971. Beginning with the April/May 1993 issue, we created a section to fea-ture their letters as well as contributions that include short stories, poetry, and art.

Augie Carrion | Salinas Valley State Prison


LaGENTEdotORG

Haidee Pacheco [email protected]

Bringing back an annual tradition

Night of Cultura Prepares for the Big Show

Last time they impressed an audience, they left them wanting for more. This year, they are back and trying to bring something bigger to the

stage! UCLA’s Night of Cultura holds auditions and prepares for their perfor-mance of the year!

Night of Cultura is an “organization that strives to create a yearly the-atre, dance, and music production that unites and empowers the Chicano/a & Latino/a community on campus,” as their constitution states. Each year they attempt to not only entertain their audience, but also to open their eyes to various issues that are important to the Latino community. Issues such as politics, gender, nationality, and history, are present in their yearly produc-tions.

Their first production in 2004 was a great success, and so was every fol-lowing one. However, in 2008, because of the lack of funding their produc-tions came to a halt. This changed in 2011, when several students decided to bring back the club. After realizing the success of their production last year, they decided to keep their yearly tradition going. Watch the video to see as UCLA’s Night of Cultura prepares for their 2012 show, and/or to learn more about the organization.

And of course, you wouldn’t want to miss the show, so look for dates, times, and further information!

Visit lagente.org to watch the video

Armando Bustos Jr. [email protected]

A Life Story RecountedA gentista shares his grandfather’s biography

Imagine men in suits waiting in your boss’ office only to find out the FBI wants to ask you a few questions. Roberto Gonzalez, my grandfather, lived

a difficult life like many of Mexicanos born in the 1940s. As I sit with him in his apartment, he emotionally recounts his childhood

memories. His sentiments overwhelm him as he remembers the good and the bad of his memories and we have to stop the interview a few times for Ro-berto to regain his composure. His wife, Juana Gonzalez smiled, nodded her head as she put images to my Grandpa’s stories in her head.

My grandpa describes his noviaszgo as the most beautiful woman in the world. But, he didn’t always like her.

My grandpa decided to leave to the US in order to escape debt. His peers thought that his decision to cross the border with the entire family of four children was crazy. However my grandpa replied, “Si nos va bien, nos va bien a todos, y si nos va mal a todos, no va mal a todos (If it goes well, then it will go well for all of us, if it goes bad than it will go bad for all of us).”

My grandpa was working at a furniture company. After ten years he went from sweeping to supervisor on a false social security number. After ten years he decided to file for a passport. Almost a year passed and no word on the status of his passport. One day at work the owner of the furniture company calls Roberto up to his office. A man flashes his badge and say he is under arrest. They load him into an unmarked black vehicle. Find out about Ro-berto’s experience with the FBI at LaGente.org

Visit lagente.org to hear Roberto’s story

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The People Issue