Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Civil Rights

Occupy Santa Ana to begin on Saturday, Oct. 22

Posted on by Posted in Civil Rights, Entertainment, Free Speech, Occupy Orange County, Orange County 15 Comments

Occupy Santa Ana is set for Saturday, October 22 at 12:00pm – Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 3:00pm, according to their Facebook page, which includes this introduction:

Occupy Orange County is leaderless resistance movement in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%. We are using the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic to achieve our ends and encourage the use of nonviolence to maximize the safety of all participants. Join us in occupying Orange County, CA on October 22nd 2011 at the Ronald Reagan Federal Building in Santa Ana. We are the 99% and we DO exist in Orange County. Continue reading→

Tom Daly is a threat to Latinos in the 69th Assembly District

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Anaheim, Civil Rights, Democratic Party, Elections, homeless, Latinos, Michele Martinez, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana, Tom Daly 10 Comments

O.C. Clerk-Recorder Tom Daly held a fundraiser last night, at Original Mike’s in Santa Ana, although he is still being coy as to whether or not he will actually run for the 69th Assembly District, which has a distinctly Latino voter base.

Daly trotted out Santa Ana bookstore owner Rueben Martinez, who told the few people that were there that “Daly was good to Latinos when he was mayor of Anaheim, appointing many to prominent commissions,” according to the Voice of OC .

That is actually not true.  Martinez is either lying or misinformed. Continue reading→

Mayor Pro Tem Alvarez to host a forum about the Jewish-Latino experience

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Civil Rights, Claudia Alvarez, Entertainment, Latino Leaders, Latinos, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana 43 Comments

Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez and the City of Santa Ana are hosting a “Community Forum on Cultural Diversity and Conflict Resolution.”  The forum will “focus on the Jewish – Latino experience as it relates to their shared history and common desire to promote social justice and economic prosperity.”

Here is the invitation that Alvarez emailed to her constituents this week:

Please Join Us As An “Agent of Change” For Our Community

I would personally like to invite you to attend a Community Forum on Cultural Diversity and Conflict Resolution, hosted by the City of Santa Ana, on Thursday, October 27, 2011. The Community Forum will be held at the Santa Ana Police Community Room located at 60 Civic Center Drive, Santa Ana from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Continue reading→

Occupy Irvine begins today, Oct. 15, at 10 am

Posted on by Posted in Arts and Culture, Civil Rights, Entertainment, Free Speech, irvine, music, Occupy Orange County, Orange County, Poetry, Politics, Santa Ana 4 Comments

Occupy Irvinebegins today, October 15, at 10 am, at Irvine’s City Hall, located at 1 Civic Center Plaza, in Irvine, at Harvard and Alton.  Initial speakers will include both UCI professors & disenfranchised citizens.  Protesters are being urged not to bring any aerosol spray paint or weapons.

According to the OC Weekly, Oct. 15 has been referred to as a Global Day of Revolution by groups around the country protesting the stranglehold corporations wield over the government.

Occupy Irvine won’t be limited to Irvine residents (most of whom are more interested in occupying BMWs and Audis).  A contingent of artists, poets and musicians from Santa Ana will be traveling to Irvine to participate in an Open Mic forum led by Santa Ana’s own Theo Hirsch. Continue reading→

Rep. Sanchez promotes human rights & religious freedom in Vietnam

Posted on by Posted in Churches and Religion, Civil Rights, Free Speech, Loretta Sanchez, Politics, Santa Ana, Vietnamese Leave a comment

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, Representing California’s 47th Congressional District

PRESS RELEASE, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 20, 2011

MEDIA CONTACT: Adrienne Watson 202-309-0825

REP. SANCHEZ URGES AMBASSADOR SHEAR TO PRIORITIZE HUMAN RIGHTS AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ISSUES

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-47), Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Vietnam, today led a letter from a bipartisan group of lawmakers urging the newly confirmed Ambassador to Vietnam, David Shear, to prioritize human rights and religious freedom issues. Continue reading→

Sikh children report harassment to OC Human Relations Commission

Posted on by Posted in Arab Americans, Civil Rights, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 6, 2011

For More Information:

  • Rusty Kennedy, CEO 714-567-7465
  • Commissioner Carol Turpen 714-290-3165
  • Commissioner Nadia Saad Bettendorf 562-691-3428
  • Board Member Gurpreet Singh Ahuja 714-478-4008

Sikh Children Report Harassment to OC Human Relations Commission Continue reading→

Free screening of film about Mendez vs. Westminster on 9/3 at Old Courthouse

Posted on by Posted in Civil Rights, Education, Entertainment, Historical, Latinos, Movies, Santa Ana, Westminster 2 Comments

THE MUSEUM OF TEACHING AND LEARNING (MOTAL) IN CONCERT WITH OCPARKS- THE OLD COUNTY COURTHOUSE PRESENTS A CLASS ACTION EXHIBIT –  BEGINS ON SEPTEMBER 3, 2011 AND RUNS THROUGH JUNE 2012

The Museum of Teaching and Learning (MOTAL) and its collaborators bring their exhibit A Class Action: The Grassroots Struggle for School Desegregation in California- Mendez et al v. Westminster et al to Orange County. Collaborators include OCParks, the Center for Oral and Public History, California State University, Fullerton, the Orange County Department of Education, the Orange County Historical Commission and Chapman University.

According to Dr. Greta Nagel, President and founder of the Museum of Teaching and Learning, “We are excited to find an outstanding museum to showcase our exhibit, and we have an exciting group of educators, curators, historians, and designers to mount this exciting, interactive exhibit. Continue reading→

African-Americans targets of one third of Orange County’s hate crimes

Posted on by Posted in African Americans, Civil Rights, Crime, Entertainment, Orange County, Santa Ana 2 Comments

A Fullerton Republican emailed this picture to her friends but was exposed by the OC Weekly

Reports Shows Hate Crime Targeting African-Americans are One Third of all reported in 2010

OC Human Relations Commission Releases the 2010 Hate Crime Report

Thursday, August 18, 10:00 am

OC Human Relations, Conf. Rm A/B, 1300 S. Grand Building B, Santa Ana, CA 92705

In September of 2010 an African-American woman and a white man were walking together in their apartment complex when they heard a white male on an upstairs balcony yell, “Interracial relationships are wrong!” and call the woman a “nigger.”  The perpetrator then walked downstairs and confronted the couple, punched the man in the face knocking him down and then kicked his back causing concussions. The perpetrator then fled the scene. Continue reading→

Debunking the lies being spread by Santa Ana’s soccer-hating Usual Suspects

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Civil Rights, Neighborhood Associations, Planning, Santa Ana, Sports 28 Comments

The anti-soccer haters here in Santa Ana are actually very few in number – but like noisy chihuahuas they are a pain in the rear – and the media has been paying attention to them, even though they hardly represent the overall population of Santa Ana.

Now they have even started a very lame little blog, using antiquated Blogspot software – and they have even infected the Washington Square Neighborhood. The good news is that now we can go about debunking their silly arguments.

Here are the half-truths and exaggerations that these folks are passing along as if they were facts (my answers follow each of their allegations): Continue reading→

Santa Ana anti-soccer Klan of Usual Suspects rally tonight

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Civil Rights, Politics, Racism, Santa Ana 26 Comments

Few folks today remember that the KKK was big in Santa Ana back in the late 1800’s.  But they were – in fact a fellow named Dr. Henry William Head lived in Santa Ana, where he served as the leader of the Santa Ana KKK, according to the OC Weekly.  But they didn’t wear the usual Klan clothing or even call themselves Klansmen because they were ordered to abandon those ways – so they wouldn’t get caught.

Years later the heritage of these haters lives on.  Today we call them Santa Ana’s Usual Suspects – and they gathered at a “rally” tonight, at 6 pm, at the home of XXXXX XXX, at XXX N. Heliotrope, to complain about the Chivas USA, a soccer team in Los Angeles that is very unlikely to move here to Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Rep. Sanchez welcomes Viet activist Tran Khai Thanh Thuy to D.C.

Posted on by Posted in Civil Rights, Loretta Sanchez, Politics, Santa Ana, Vietnamese Leave a comment

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, Representing California’s 47th Congressional District
PRESS RELEASE, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 13, 2011
MEDIA CONTACT: Adrienne Watson 202-309-0825

REP. LORETTA SANCHEZ WELCOMES ACTIVIST TRAN KHAI THANH THUY TO WASHINGTON, D.C. Continue reading→

Rep. Sanchez issues statement regarding key human trafficking report

Posted on by Posted in Civil Rights, Federal Government, Loretta Sanchez, Politics, Santa Ana, Women Leave a comment

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, Representing California’s 47th Congressional District

PRESS RELEASE, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 28, 2011

MEDIA CONTACT: Adrienne Watson 202-309-0825

REP. LORETTA SANCHEZ ISSUES STATEMENT ON RELEASE OF KEY HUMAN TRAFFICKING REPORT

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-47), co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Vietnam, today issued the following statement regarding the Department of State’s release of the 2011 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report. The TIP Report outlines the challenges face in preventing and prosecuting human trafficking cases in the U.S. and around the world. It is the product of a collaborative process involving the Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons and embassies and NGOs of 184 countries.

“The annual release of the Trafficking in Persons report by the State Department reflects the United States’ deep commitment to stop the brutal crime of human trafficking,” said Sanchez. “The exploitation of the world’s most defenseless and vulnerable citizens is immoral and unacceptable and I call upon all countries to confront this evil.

“Last year, as the most senior female on the House Armed Services Committee, I conducted military site visits and a security tour throughout critical parts of the Philippines, Cambodia, Singapore, and Taiwan. There, I had the opportunity to meet with a network of faith and community based NGOs to call attention to the plight of domestic workers and trafficking victims. It was so sad to see girls as young at 8 sold into domestic servitude, exploited for commercial sex, or forced into labor at factories and sweatshops.

“The TIP Report acknowledges countries that have made enormous strides in combating human trafficking around the world and these countries should be commended and encouraged to continue efforts. Other countries have willingly ignored the problem of human trafficking, failing to take steps to protect defenseless persons from those who seek to profit from a modern day slave trade.

“Vietnam, for the second year in a row, has been placed on the State Department’s Tier 2 Watch List. It is imperative that we secure a commitment from the Vietnamese government that they will strengthen their efforts to fight trafficking and will enact laws enhancing the government’s ability to prevent this terrible practice.”

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez is proud to represent California’s 47th Congressional District, which includes the cities of Anaheim, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, and parts of Fullerton in Orange County. She serves as Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces and a senior member of the Committee on Homeland Security. Rep. Sanchez is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and sits on the bipartisan, bicameral Joint Economic Committee.

# # #

United States House of Representatives
1114 Longworth House Office Building • Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-2965 • Fax: 202-225-5859

Community forum about stopping impounds of immigrants’ cars today

Posted on by Posted in automobiles, Charities, Civic Affairs, Civil Rights, Entertainment, immigration, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Community Forum:Public Safety for All

A report about the current unfair policy of the impoundment of cars and a brief presentation of the Orange County May Day Coalition

Saturday June 25
9:00am-12:00pm
(brunch will be provided)

Centro Cultural de México
310 W 5th Street
Santa Ana, CA 92701

For more information and RSVP: Gema (951) 378-0128.  Click here to RSVP on Facebook.

FREE EVENT

Join the Orange County May Day Coalition in a community forum on public safety, migration and immigration, transportation politics, and safety for workers.

They will discuss the historical context of transportation and criminalization of people of color.

There will be a report on the various campaigns for just tow and car impound policies in cities across the state, along with the current campaign in Santa Ana.

There will be two video viewings along with a performance from a day laborer in resistance from Orange.

Light breakfast and brunch will also be provided.

Speak up at Redistricting meeting this Saturday, at CSUF

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, california, Civil Rights, Elections, Entertainment, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The California Citizens Redistricting Commission is having a Public Input Hearing, on Saturday, June 18, at California State University, Fullerton, located at 800 N. State College Blvd., in Fullerton, at the Mackey Auditorium, Ruby Gerontology Center 13, from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

The 14 member Independent California Citizens Redistricting Commission will hold a public input meeting in Fullerton on June 18, 2011, from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at Mackey Auditorium, CSU, Fullerton. The Commission was created by California voters to draw state Congressional, Assembly, Senate and Board of Equalization Districts.

Public participation in drawing these districts is critical to ensuring that communities have the strongest voice possible to express their preferences. When voters with similar interests are drawn into a district together, their voices multiply giving them a greater opportunity to express their views, elect candidates of their choice and hold their leaders accountable.

The Commission is taking testimony from local area residents before drawing its first round of draft maps which will be released in June. Final district maps must be certified by the Commission and presented to the Secretary of State by August 15, 2011.

The maximum time for each speaker is 2 minutes. Speakers should provide copies for the 14 members of the Commission of documents they are submitting as testimony. Speaker numbers may be obtained one hour prior to the posted time of the hearing. The posted meeting time may not extend more than 2 hours beyond the original closing, subject to venue limitations and speaker demand. No speaker numbers will be given out after the end of the posted meeting time. Due to high speaker demand, it is possible that not all people who have been given numbers will have the opportunity to speak.

The Commission encourages the public to use alternative methods to submit testimony by e-mail at votersfirstact@crc.ca.gov, fax at 916-322-0904 or by mail to the Citizens Redistricting Commission, 1130 K Street, Suite 101, Sacramento, CA 95814.

Please visit the Commission’s website at www.wedrawthelines.ca.gov for complete information on the hearings and to access a guide to help you prepare your testimony. The guide can be found on the home page under “Guide to Participation.”

All public input hearings are ADA accessible. Any person who wishes to request auxiliary aids or services, including translation, to participate in the hearing of the Commission, in accordance with State or Federal law, should contact Janeece Sargis at 1-866-356-5217 not later than five (5) business days before the noticed hearing date.

The next regular meeting of the Orange County Redistricting Commission will be held on June 23, 2011, at 6:00 P.M., at the Mission Viejo City Council Chambers, at 200 Civic Center, in Mission Viejo.

Other public meetings coming up include:

  • June 30, 2011 Regular Meeting, 2:00 P.M., Hall of Administration, Board Hearing Room, 333 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana
  • July 7, 2011 Regular Meeting, (if necessary) 2:00 P.M., Hall of Administration, Board Hearing Room, 333 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana

 

The OC Supervisors go nuts over a Spanish word

Posted on by Posted in Civil Rights, Latinos, Orange County, Republican Party, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The letter below was delivered to the  County Board of Supervisors by Jamie Ross, Deputy Clerk to the Board by Rob Richardson, Assistant Chief Executive Officer – prior to this morning’s Board meeting, on behalf of Zeke Hernandez, the President of the Santa Ana LULAC Council #147, regarding apparently racist comments made by most of the O.C. Supervisors at a recent board meeting.

The OC Weekly, by the way, fingered Supervisor Janet Nguyen as well:

Okay, so Janet Nguyen is REALLY stupid–I mean, stupider than what we already knew. Unlike the other supervisors, she knows exactly what Latino Health Access is about–she received an award from them a couple of years ago, according to sources who requested anonymity. In addition, Nguyen was present at a LHA community fair highlighted in Bill Moyers’ Journal back in 2009 where LHA head America Bracho specifically said her organization, while obviously concerned about Latinos in SanTana, helps ALL. Nguyen can’t excuse playing the dumb innocent in this story, although it’s hardly hard for her to do so.

League of United Latin American Citizens
Santa Ana LULAC Council #147
Established: National – 1929 | Santa Ana – 1946
Orange County LULAC District #1
PO Box 1810, Santa Ana , CA 92702-1810

June 14, 2011

Chairman Bill Campbell and
Members of Board of Supervisors
County of Orange
333 West Santa Ana Boulevard
10 Civic Center Plaza
Santa Ana , California

Chairman Campbell and County Supervisors ,

On behalf of our general membership, I strongly urge the Board of Supervisors to call upon fellow Supervisors John Moorlach and Shawn Nelson to apologize for their comments that were meant to belittle the great work Latino Health Access has accomplished over the past 18 years in Orange County .

That Supervisor John Moorlach stopped a very normal process because he did not like the use of the word promotora in the language of the mental health outreach agreement. Clearly Supervisor Moorlach this time has stooped so low as to suggest the county to “hold up” critical services to persons who are in need of these mental health services by suggesting a non-English word should be removed for an English word.

Of course this was uncalled for – but then for Supervisor Shawn Nelson to be so up-front with his statement that he would lean towards what many would say is a blatant attempt to get the message across, that is, change your name or you wouldn’t get my vote. Santa Ana LULAC is now asking, “How many Latinos and Latinas did Shawn Nelson ask to support and vote for him as Orange County Supervisor? The answer is plenty, because he had two Latinas as opponents in pursuit of the same elected position.

While we recognize that it can be difficult to serve as a public servant, we urge You Chairman Campbell to assist our community to quickly mend things in the best way possible. Santa Ana LULAC recognizes your great leadership as Chairman and that you will be taking steps to have the full Board recognize that this incident should have been avoided.

I wish to thank you in advance for your ability to get things right; please contact me at 714-661-4428 for any developments for a positive closure to this unfortunate incident.

Sincerely,

Zeke Hernandez
President