Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Latinos

Shocking video – Santa Ana school police caught red-handed

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Civil Rights, Crime, Latinos, Public Safety, Santa Ana, SAUSD 17 Comments

A brave young man named Ángel Juárez, of CopWatch Santa Ana, showed up near a Santa Ana school on Dec. 18, with a video camera after reports had come his way that a local Santa Ana school policeman was harassing young Latinos.  Sure enough the police officer pulled over a car and the cameraman began filming the action.

The police officer quickly called in backup and it got ugly.  The other police officers kept asking why the young man was in front of a school with a camera when it was pretty obvious he was there to catch a harassing cop in action.

There were five cops at the scene before long and they were all very intimidating as you will see in the video above.  The cameraman and his friends were ultimately detained for “suspicious activity” and searched, over their objections. Continue reading→

The Santa Ana Zoo shouldn’t be handed to organizations that lack diversity

Posted on by Posted in Charities, Latinos, Nature, Orange County, Parks and Recreation, Santa Ana, Santa Ana Zoo 9 Comments

The financially struggling city will seek proposals early next year for a private entity to take over Santa Ana Zoo operations,” according to the O.C. Register.

Sooner or later the City of Santa Ana is going to have to cut the Santa Ana Zoo loose.  “There seems to be consensus that the city-owned zoo should be privatized. But very much in play has been who would run it: The Friends of the Santa Ana Zoo (which made its public pitch last year), the Discovery Science Center (the subject of recent rumor), or some third entity,” according to Frank Mickadeit over at the O.C. Register. Continue reading→

The Santa Ana Public Library welcomes author Gustavo Arellano on 12/6

Posted on by Posted in california, Entertainment, Food, Gustavo Arellano, Latinos, Literature, Santa Ana Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County Community Alert:

Santa Ana Public Library Welcomes Author: Gustavo Arellano

SANTA ANA, CA (November 29, 2012) – The Santa Ana Public Library is pleased to present award winning columnist and author, Gustavo Arellano who will discuss his new book, Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America.

Arellano is the editor of the OC Weekly and writes the nationally syndicated column ¡Ask a Mexican!, which has a circulation of more than two million in thirty-eight markets (and counting). He has received the President’s Award from the Los Angeles Press Club, an Impact Award from the National Hispanic Media Coalition, and a 2008 Latino Spirit Award from the California State legislature. Arellano has appeared on the Today show, Nightline, NPR’s Talk of the Nation and The Colbert Report. Arellano is the author of two previous national bestseller books, ¡Ask a Mexican! and Orange County: A Personal History. Continue reading→

Copwatch meeting at El Centro Cultural de Mexico set for this Wed. night

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Latinos, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

An organization called “Copwatch” is hosting a meeting this Wednesday, Nov. 21, from 7 pm until 9:30 pm, at El Centro Cultural de Mexico, located at 313 N. Birch Street, in Santa Ana.

This meeting is supposed to be a “general meeting/discussion regarding the police state in our hood.” They’ll be sharing their experiences as well as bringing up possible solutions to the problems in our communities that have resulted from “criminalization by the police.”  They will also have a skill-share section showing people how to check a cop. Continue reading→

Can two Latinas in Santa Ana save the OC GOP from itself?

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Brett Franklin, Cecilia Iglesias, Charles Hart, Democratic Party, Latino Leaders, Latinos, Lupe Moreno, Myriam Tinajero, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana 11 Comments

Now OC GOP Chairman Scott Baugh is singing a different tune – in the wake of the overwhelming defeat of the Republican Presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, by President Barack Obama. I saw Baugh on Rick Reiff’s post-election TV show and he admitted that the GOP better figure out immigration. That is the message that both Iglesias and Onofre are now espousing as well.

Iglesias was victorious in her campaign for the SAUSD School Board. In fact she defeated two Democrats – Valerie Amezcua and Myriam Tinajero, who were supported by liberal SAUSD Trustee John Palacio and by the unions. Continue reading→

How Latino candidates fared in the O.C. Nov. 6 general election

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Anaheim, Angelica Amezcua, Cecilia Iglesias, Claudia Alvarez, Democratic Party, Elections, Jose Hernandez, Jose Moreno, Jose Solorio, Latinos, Loretta Sanchez, Miguel Pulido, Nelida Mendoza-Yanez, Orange County, Politics, Republican Party, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana, Steve Chavez Lodge, Tom Daly 6 Comments

Two winners – U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez and Pres. Barack Obama

Fullerton residents are in shock today as they deal with the fact that Assemblyman Chris Norby now needs a job, having lost to Fullerton Mayor Sharon Quirk-Silva. She ran an aggressive campaign and made heavy use of social media. Norby, on the other hand, seemed to be trying to coast to victory.

While Quirk-Silva’s victory is a great one for Orange County’s Latino voters, I am saddened to see that the 69th Assembly District is now represented by Tom Daly. There is no way he will win re-election in two years, but for now we are stuck with him.

Here is a rundown of how the County’s other Latino candidates fared in the Nov. 6 general election: Continue reading→

Day of the Dead Festival/Dia de los Muertos at The Muckenthaler

Posted on by Posted in Arts and Culture, Entertainment, Fullerton, Latinos, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Day of the Dead Festival/Dia de los Muertos at The Muckenthaler

Thursday. November 1, from 5 – 9 PM.  Free to the public!

Our celebration includes Mexican and Mexican–American entertainment, Dia De Los Muertos altars, papel picado (paper cut into elaborate designs), calaveras de azucar (sugar skulls), and all the fun of the holiday. Continue reading→

How Mayoral candidate Benavides ended up honoring the Minutemen

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Civil Rights, David Benavides, Elections, George Collins, Glen Stroud, immigration, Latinos, Lupe Moreno, Politics, Racism, Republican Party, Rosie Avila, Santa Ana 6 Comments

Hatergate: How Council Member David Benavides ended up honoring the Minutemen in July, 2010

By: Art Pedroza

It started out innocently enough.  The City of Santa Ana didn’t have the budget to put on their own 4th of July event, back in July of 2010, so they allowed a group of residents to put on their own event – and the City’s Parks and Recreation Agency let them use the Santa Ana Public Library, over in the Civic Center, to stage the event.

It made sense I suppose to have a Library Commissioner run the show.  She was also at the time heading up the Friends of the Library.  But upon closer scrutiny, there was a major problem. The lady in question was Lupe Moreno, a notorious Minuteman. These are folks who absolutely hate immigrants and who have been accused of hate crimes.  When Moreno found herself needing more volunteers it was her Minutemen friends who got the call. Continue reading→

Dia de Los Muertos event set for 11/2 at Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary

Posted on by Posted in Arts and Culture, Entertainment, Latinos Leave a comment

Media Contact: Cynthia Adair, 714.633.1442, cadair@fairhavenmemorial.com

FAIRHAVEN MEMORIAL PARK’S

“Dia de los Muertos”

Santa Ana, CA — Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary will host its Dia de los Muertos Service at 6 p.m. on Friday, November 2nd at the North Gardens Pavillion in Fairhaven Memorial Park.

Dia de los Muertos (or Day of the Dead) is a celebration of the lives of those who have passed, honoring the dead with art, music, altars, and plenty of smiles and is held on November 2, when tradition says the souls of departed loved ones return to partake of the offerings (flowers, candles, food and drink) set out for them on ofrendas by families and friends. The Day of the Dead is considered a day of celebration, instead of mourning. Continue reading→

Santa Ana’s voters should reject East L.A. style candidates

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, 2014 Elections, Claudia Alvarez, Culture, David Benavides, Elections, Eric Alderete, immigration, Latinos, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 100 Comments

As the stumbling “Santa Ana Spring” movement continues to unimpress, it is becoming obvious that David Benavides, the bogus revolution’s candidate for Mayor of Santa Ana, is going to lose on Nov. 6.  He is barely campaigning.  He is using recycled signs and he has yet to send out any campaign mailers.  His campaign appears to be centered on Facebook ads and ubiquitous blog comments by his number one supporter, Art Lomeli, a resident of Orange Park Acres.

Benavides, and his number one Council ally, Michele Martinez, were born here.  Benavides hails from East Los Angeles, according to his bio.  Martinez was raised here in Santa Ana, but apparently wasn’t born here as that information is absent from her own bio.  But she most certainly was born somewhere in the U.S. Continue reading→

Dr. Mijares is already making a difference as our new Supt. of O.C. Schools

Posted on by Posted in Al Mijares, Education, Latinos, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

“Dr. Al Mijares has stepped into his new role as Orange County’s new Superintendent of Schools. On Wednesday, Marian Bergeson, retired California legislator and former California secretary of education, administered the oath of office to Dr. Mijares, who was selected by the Orange County Board of Education,” according to OC Metro Magazine.

I emailed Dr. Mijares today and asked him to please consider adding a translator tool to the O.C. Department of Education’s website.  His predecessor, Bill Habermehl, blew me off when I made the same suggestion to him.  But Mijares came through! Continue reading→

SAUSD School Board candidate Ceci Iglesias addresses the Dream Act

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Cecilia Iglesias, Dream Act, Education, immigration, Latinos, Santa Ana 8 Comments

I asked SAUSD School Board candidate Cecilia Iglesias to clarify her position on the Dream Act.  You may recall that her fellow Republicans, Robert Hammond and Charles Hart, brow beat her at a meeting of the OC GOP Endorsement Committee into disavowing the Dream Act.

But now Iglesias says she is not against it at all although she does not refer to the Dream Act by name in her statement.  Here then is her statement clarifying her position on the Dream Act: Continue reading→

Georgetown student Jonathan Espinoza thanks the people of Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in Education, Jonathan Espinoza, Latino Leaders, Latinos, Santa Ana, SAUSD 5 Comments

A letter from Georgetown University student Jonathan Espinoza to the residents of Santa Ana:

October 14, 2012

Dear Fellow Residents of Santa Ana:

Three months ago, I gathered what little belongings I had to my name, packed them in my bags and headed out to LAX to catch a plane that was scheduled to depart at 6:00 am en route to Washington, DC. As my family and friends said their goodbyes, I did not know what to make of everything going on. I saw my mother burst into tears as I walked away into the terminal (I don’t know if they were tears of sadness as she saw me leave, or tears of happiness because I was going out and finally chasing my American Dream). I remember the smile on my friend’s face as he said his goodbye, and I remember the feelings that suddenly took over me as I realized that a new chapter in my life had just begun. After I passed the TSA checkpoint I had to wait about an hour to board the plane, and so emotions and memories began to rush through my mind. I felt happy, sad, joyful, anxious but most of all – afraid. Continue reading→