After a 67-year-old man opened fire on a farm on Tuesday afternoon, killing 7 people, members of the Board of San Mateo County Supervisors mourned the deadly shooting in Half Moon Bay and called for more to be done to prevent such tragedies.
Supervisor Dave Pine, chairman of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, said on behalf of the board that he was sickened by what had happened.
“We are sickened by today’s tragedy in Half Moon Bay. The scourge of gun violence has unfortunately come home to roost. We have not even had time to grieve for the people who lost their lives in the horrific shooting in Monterey Park. Gun violence must stop,” he stressed.
The official noted that the state of California has one of the strictest gun laws in the United States, but he said, "more must be done. The status quo cannot be tolerated."
For his part, Supervisor Ray Mueller, of District 3, spoke of the shock caused by the shooting that left families devastated.
"We are shocked and saddened by this news. Our hearts and support go out to the community."
Currently, he said, work is underway with the county to organize community mental health and counseling services.
"We are grateful to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office for apprehending the suspect in this matter. This scourge of gun violence that has plagued our state and our community over the past few days must end!"
Authorities are still working to determine the motives that prompted 67-year-old Chunli Zhao to commit such violence in this small coastal city in the Bay Area.
This is the third mass shooting to hit California this year. Just last Saturday, a 72-year-old gunman killed 11 people during Lunar New Year celebrations in Monterey Park.
The events have brought the number of mass shooting victims to 19 in just 44 hours, contributing to the 39th mass shooting recorded so far this year as a result of gun violence in the United States.
After shootings were reported on Monday afternoon in Half Moon Bay, a city in San Mateo County, police arrested the suspect of perpetrating the crime.
The shooting suspect was identified as 67-year-old Zhao Chunli and was arrested after being located in his car in the parking lot of a sheriff's office substation in Half Moon Bay, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office said.
The San Mateo Sheriff's Department responded to the shooting in the area of State Route 92 and the Half Moon Bay City limits, the Sheriff's Office said on Twitter at 3:50 p.m.
So far the motive for the shooting is unknown.
Según la oficina del alguacil, al llegar al lugar de los hechos, los agentes encontraron a cuatro personas muertas con heridas de bala. También encontraron a una quinta persona con heridas, la cual fue trasladada al Centro Médico de Stanford con lesiones potencialmente mortales, según el comunicado de prensa.
In a separate shooting at a nearby location, officers found three people dead.
According to the authorities, so far the motive for the shootings is unknown.
El supervisor del condado de San Mateo, David J. Canepa, confirmó que cuatro personas murieron en tiroteos en Half Moon Bay este lunes.
A través de un breve comunicado, el funcionario precisó que los asesinatos ocurrieron en dos tiroteos por separado.
«Primero Monterey Park y ahora Half Moon Bay», subrayó Canepa en el texto, refiriéndose al tiroteo masivo que ocurrió la noche del sábado en un salón de baile donde comunidad AAPI celebraba el Año Nuevo Lunar. «Ya es suficiente. ¿Cuántos más deben morir?»
Canepa refirió que si bien los detalles de los hechos aún eran escasos, una cosa era cierta, que las víctimas habían muerto por arma de fuego.
«Mi corazón se rompe por las familias», agregó.
El Departamento del Sheriff de San Mateo respondió al tiroteo en el área de la Ruta Estatal 92 y los límites de Half Moon Bay City, dijo la Oficina del Sheriff en Twitter.
The San Mateo County Department of Emergency Management is asking residents for help in assessing recent storm damage in unincorporated areas.
For this reason, the City Council has created a survey, which is available in English and Spanish, which will determine if the county qualifies for state or federal disaster assistance due to the storms that began on New Year's Eve 2022.
Please note that completing the survey does not guarantee that the region or property owner will be eligible for disaster assistance.
The survey is for homeowners and renters, specifically in unincorporated areas — areas outside of one of the county's 20 cities — as well as business owners and only takes a few minutes to complete.
Residents in the following areas are also asked to complete the survey if they have storm-related damage: Pescadero, La Honda, Inundación, San Gregorio, El Granada, Loma Mar, Miramar, Moss Beach, Ladera, Skylonda, Montara, North Fair Oaks, Emerald Lake, Harbor Industrial Park, Broadmoor, and San Mateo Highlands.
The survey will be open until January 28, 2023.
If you have questions or have trouble completing the survey you can call 650-363-4599 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. for assistance, while residents needing storm-related assistance should call 2-1-1 or at 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
It is worth noting that on January 3, the county declared a local state of emergency.
Since the beginning of 2023 and in the last months of 2022, experts have analyzed the importance of guaranteeing equal access to education in the United States.
Lawsuits by students of color at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina (UNC) have sparked a conversation about what should be done about the schools' admissions policies and student climate.
"All students deserve a fair chance at a quality education, no matter where they came from, where they grew up, or their race, but unfortunately while talent is everywhere in our country, opportunity is not," said Michaele N. Turnage Young, senior counsel for the Legal Defense Fund, at a press conference organized by Ethnic Media Services where experts met to discuss education policy for 2023.
Young said students of color have had to deal with “systemic interpersonal racism” that daily affects their educational opportunities.
Such is the case of the lawsuit by Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) against Harvard and UNC, which arose because these universities took into consideration aspects such as race in the application and admission processes, which the students and the organization itself said violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
"We're not talking about quotas, we're talking about the limited consideration of race as one of 40 factors in the case of UNC and one of more than 100 factors in the case of Harvard," he said, while denouncing that racism affected the admissions processes of many African-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans and Asian-Americans who are hard-working and talented.
Inclusive policies are needed in schools
AJ Link, a policy analyst for the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), pointed out the importance of having healthy school environments, as otherwise, students with disabilities, students of color, and non-binary students may be at risk.
In this regard, Liz King, Senior Director of the Educational Equity Program at The Leadership Conference Education Fund, denounced that people of color, natives, members of the LGBTQ+ community or with disabilities have been denied the opportunity to attend a school that is warm, welcoming and prepares them for the full exercise of their social, political and economic rights.
Link said that efforts must be made to ensure student rights, encourage schools to implement supportive and comprehensive discipline practices, address childhood trauma, implement protections against discrimination and harassment in schools, ensure accountability through accurate data, invest in school infrastructure, eliminate “enforcement” in schools—referring to restraint and seclusion tactics used as punishment for students—and eliminate threats to student health and safety.
“All students deserve safe, healthy and inclusive environments,” she said.
In his opportunity, Morgan Craven, National Director of Policy, Defense and Community Participation of the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA), pointed out that there are studies and evidence that show that culturally supportive schools are the key to student success, since a healthy and safe environment in which students feel welcome favors education and learning, compared to an environment in which students feel discriminated against or attacked because of their race, health conditions or preferences.
The economy: an obstacle for millions of students
Whitney Pesek, director of federal child care policy at the National Women's Law Center, noted that early education is sometimes much more expensive than public college.
"In more than half of the states in the country, child care and early education costs more than tuition at a public university. In addition, one study found that families spend more on their children's early education than they do on rent," she said.
He also pointed out that although there are subsidies and support, they are not sufficient for the less fortunate communities.
For her part, Genevieve "Genzie" Bonadies Torres, associate director of the Educational Opportunities Project, pointed out that African-American and Latino students are the most likely to take out student loans to continue their studies.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Biden administration has launched the student debt forgiveness plan, which borrowers can qualify for if they have a total income of less than $125,000 if they are single or $250 if they are married, and the total debt forgiveness can be up to $20,000. In addition, the plan also seeks to make payments affordable, reducing monthly payments by up to 50 percent.
"Without this relief, millions of borrowers would be pushed over the financial edge when student loan repayments resume," he said.
Finally, Torres also pointed out that studies have shown that after long pauses in payments – such as the one being experienced after the COVID-19 pandemic – there are spikes in delinquency, so the plan is designed to avoid those spikes through debt reduction and better income.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday issued a proclamation declaring the Lunar New Year and ordered flags at all state buildings to be flown at half-staff in honor of the victims of the Monterey Park mass shooting.
"As people across the country and around the world welcome the Lunar New Year today, California stands with our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities reeling from the tragedy in Monterey Park," the official said in the proclamation.
He added that hearts go out to all those lost and those injured in this horrific act of gun violence on what should have been a night of joyous celebration.
«Nadie debería tener que temer por su vida mientras se reúne en su comunidad. California continuará liderando la carga para poner fin a la epidemia de violencia armada sin sentido y proteger a nuestras diversas comunidades».
Explicó además que, ya sea que hayan llamado hogar a California durante generaciones o recién llegados, las comunidades AAPI ‒Asiático Americanos e Isleños del Pacífico‒ han dado forma al estado dorado a través de contribuciones fundamentales.
Sin embrago, dijo, es necesario reflexionar sobre la violencia y la discriminación contra los AAPI a lo largo de la historia del estado y el legado mortal de este odio que continúa hasta hoy. «Nos corresponde a todos continuar denunciando el racismo pasado y presente y luchar por la seguridad y la inclusión de estos californianos».
En ese sentido, Newsom subrayó que California acoge a las muchas comunidades diversas que llaman al estado hogar.
Este año, dijo, por primera vez, el estado está reconociendo el Año Nuevo Lunar como un feriado estatal oficial, honrando las invaluables contribuciones de los estadounidenses de origen asiático a la historia de California e invitando a todos a apreciar las ricas tradiciones de este feriado especial.
«Hoy y todos los días, mostremos apoyo y solidaridad a nuestros amigos, familiares y vecinos de AAPI y levantemos la diversidad y los valores que definen a nuestro estado», finalizó.
Y es que, el pasado sábado por la noche, una fiesta se llevaba a cabo en el Star Ballroom Dance Studio, ubicado en el corazón de Monterey Park, California, donde se reunieron personas de la comunidad china para celebrar el Año Nuevo Lunar, pero en algún momento después de las 10 de la noche, la fiesta se interrumpió por una serie de disparos emitidos por un hombre armado.
El resultado de la masacre concluyó con cinco hombres y cinco mujeres que fallecieron debido a los disparos, mientras que 10 más resultaron heridos antes de que el perpetrador, según cree la policía, abandonara la escena y entrara en un segundo club de baile en la cercana Alhambra, donde los clientes pudieron desarmarlo antes de que huyera en furgoneta de carga blanca.
Tras una persecución de una hora este domingo 22 de enero, un equipo SWAT inmovilizó dicho vehículo en un estacionamiento en Torrance, a unas 30 millas de la escena del tiroteo. Sin embargo, cuando los oficiales se acercaban, escucharon un disparo, para segundos más tardes descubrir que el hombre, identificado como Huu Can Tran, de 72 años, se había disparado, acto del que resultó muerto, dijo el alguacil del condado de Los Ángeles, Robert Luna.
El domingo por la noche, Gavin Newson acudió a Monterey Park, donde, de acuerdo con una publicación en su cuenta de Twitter, se reunió con líderes y personas afectadas por la terrible tragedia. «La fuerza de esta comunidad es increíble».
«Ningún otro país del mundo está aterrorizado por este flujo constante de violencia armada. Necesitamos una verdadera reforma de las armas a nivel nacional», escribió.
El rostro del abogado Ricardo Lagunes y del profesor Antonio Díaz han aparecido en diversos carteles y publications de redes sociales desde el día 15 enero de 2023, fecha de su desaparición. Lo que se sabe públicamente es que salían de una reunión en la cabecera municipal de Aquila, la comunidad de San Miguel Aquila, y se dirigían hacia Morelia utilizando la carretera que comunica Colima con la capital michoacana.
Su vehículo, una camioneta pickup blanca, fue encontrada en el tramo de Cerro de Ortega con las llantas reventadas a balazos, pero sin rastros de ellos en el vehículo.
Tres días después de ocurrida esta desaparición, comenzó a circular en redes sociales un video en donde aparece el profesor Díaz dando cierta información de lo que aparentemente ocurre en Aquila, sin embargo, familiares del comunero han denial esto y afirman que en la grabación él está diciendo cosas falsas.
Un poco antes, el 12 de enero, poco antes de las 8 de la mañana, justo en el cambio de turno de la Guardia Comunal de la comunidad nahua de Santa María Ostula, integrantes del grupo criminal conocido como Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación ‒CJNG‒ atacaron un punto de vigilancia en las colindancias de las tierras comunales de Ostula y el territorio de la cabecera municipal de Aquila.
Guardia Comunal Santa María Ostula. Foto: Heriberto Paredes
Como resultado de este ataque, tres guardias fueron asesinados a mansalva, quien lo hizo conocía no sólo el terreno sino el momento para cometer este triple crimen.
Los asesinos también difundieron un video en redes sociales, en el cual mostraban la manera en que, con saña, dispararon en contra de los guardias, a pesar de que ya estaban sin vida.
Así lo consigna el comunicado que Ostula difundió con motivo de este ataque: «un comando de aproximadamente veinte sicarios, quienes acribillaron a nuestros compañeros, grabando diversos videos en los que hicieron ostentación de crueldad y de su pertenencia al mencionado CJNG, mismo que actualmente tiene su guarida y centro de actividad en la localidad de La Naranja, municipio de Aquila».
¿Quién está detrás de estos dos hechos violentos? ¿Quién tiene la capacidad logística y conocimiento de la zona para actuar con la certeza de impunidad? ¿Existe alguna relación entre la desaparición de Lagunes y Díaz y el asesinato de los tres guardias comunales de Ostula?
El común denominador que tienen es la empresa minera Ternium, la cual cuenta con la mina Las Encinas, justo en estas colindancias entre la cabecera municipal y las tierras comunales de Ostula.
Photo: Heriberto Paredes
The history of conflicts and violent acts encabezados por la actividad minera data desde la instalación de la mina en 1971, pasando por las denuncias hechas –ya en los años 80– por los activistas José Ramírez Verduzco y Efrén Capiz Villegas de la Unión de Comuneros Emiliano Zapata ‒UCEZ‒, en las cuales acusaban a la empresa de no pagar las regalías acordadas con el padrón de comuneros.
Ramírez Verduzco fue asesinado el 29 de abril de 1989 sin que se haya hecho una investigación que llevara a la justicia por su muerte. En 2005, Ternium compra esta mina y es bajo su administración que se registran varios conflictos con la comunidad, no sólo por las denuncias contra las afectaciones ambientales en las tierras cultivables y en el río Aquila, sino por el intento de la minera de no pagar las regalías o por intentar reducirlas a una cantidad mínima.
El 12 de abril de 2012, Las Encinas publicó el monto que pagaría a cada comunero y con ello, los Caballeros Templarios, organización criminal que imperaba en aquel momento, tenían certeza de que podían extorsionar a la población sin temor a equivocarse.
Faced with so many abuses, a group of inhabitants of Aquila rose up in arms on May 3, 2013 and referred to their reasons in a video, exposing the company Ternium.
Como parte de la respuesta dada por el gobierno federal a la crisis de seguridad en Michoacán, las acciones del comisionado Alfredo Castillo también alcanzan a este grupo y en un operativo militar se desarman a más de 200 comuneros, de los cuáles 40 enfrenta procesos penales y pasan poco más de 4 años en distintas cárceles del estado.
Actualmente, la intención principal de la minera es expandir el terreno de sus concesiones. Con 383 hectáreas, Ternium busca a como dé lugar ocupar más tierras y gracias a ello ha comenzado una serie de exploraciones ilegales para saber si existe más mineral de hierro u otros económicamente relevantes para su explotación, como el oro y la plata. Esta es la razón por la que ha puesto los ojos en el territorio comunal de Ostula, porque es ahí donde pretende expandirse.
Photo: Heriberto Paredes.
Se trata de un gran negocio en el que se concentran muchas ambiciones y en donde es necesario tener un control territorial, jurídico y político basados en el miedo que ocasionan las armas, las acciones violentas como la desaparición y el asesinato.
No se trata de una estrategia nueva en la región, por ejemplo, al menos, en la comunidad de Ostula, fruto de la defensa de su territorio y de su libre determinación para ejercer sus usos y costumbres, 35 comuneros han sido cruelmente asesinados y otros 6 se encuentran desaparecidos desde 2008.
Los perpetradores de estos hechos han sido las organizaciones criminales –vinculadas a partidos políticos–, el Ejército y la Marina.
En análisis de un comunero de Aquila ‒que prefiere mantener su identidad oculta‒ las ganancias de la minería de hierro serían las siguientes: dependiendo la fluctuación del mercado el precio de la tonelada de hierro va de 130 hasta 311 dólares.
En Las Encinas se hacen 4 viajes diarios por cada camión y se cuenta con 100 camiones diarios y en cada uno se transporta 40 toneladas. Un aproximado de 2 millones 80 mil dólares al día teniendo el monto más bajo y 4 millones 976 mil dólares con el precio más alto.
Photo: Heriberto Paredes
Es lógico que la empresa piense en expandirse, reducir costos en los pagos de las regalías y aumentar ganancias.
El problema es que esta lógica capitalista es también una lógica criminal que no pretende detenerse, ni porque afecta y destruye la naturaleza ni porque genera violencia y fractura a las comunidades.
Son estos los vasos comunicantes que se pueden rastrear entre los dos hechos registrados, sin que por ello sean los únicos o los últimos. Existe además una continuidad entre la vinculación de Ternium con los Caballeros Templarios, entre 2012 y 2015, y ahora, con sus remanentes que operan bajo el nombre de CJNG.
Quienes son parte de estas organizaciones son clave para entender lo que ocurre en este municipio. Sin embargo, hay que subrayar que no se trata de una dinámica ajena o particular, por el contrario, es tal vez uno de los ejemplos más claros de que el origen y procuración de la violencia está en el despojo, el extractivismo y el sistema capitalista que se impone a punta de pólvora y crueldad.
Ya estamos a nada de cerrar el primer mes del año, y pareciera que apenas ayer estábamos alistando la cena de Navidad, sin embargo aún hay más festejos por delante y este domingo la comunidad china celebra el Año Nuevo Lunar o Fiesta de la Primavera, que en esta ocasión está regido por el conejo de agua. Así que preparen todo para cuatro días de celebración con actitud y ánimos renovados.
Por lo pronto, estas son las noticias locales del 14 al 20 de enero que debes conocer para estar al día.
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East Palo Alto's next city manager is returning home.
Melvin Gaines, an East Palo Alto native who served as deputy city manager for the nearby city of Portola Valley for the past two years, has been selected to become East Palo Alto's next city manager.
Gaines was selected after an extensive recruitment and selection process involving community members, local city administrators, city staff and the City Council.
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Autoridades del condado de San Mateo informaron que, pese a que una sección de la autopista 92 se encuentra cerrada al tránsito público, los residentes de Coastside pueden estar seguros que los servicios a respuestas de llamadas médicas al 9-1-1 no se verán afectadas.
En preparación para la tormenta de invierno, la división de Servicios Médicos de Emergencia ‒EMS, por sus siglas en inglés‒ del Departamento de Salud del Condado de San Mateo pre posicionó activos e implementó planes de contingencia existentes para prepararse para posibles impactos relacionados con la tormenta.
Antes de la tormenta, EMS trasladó un depósito de equipos y suministros médicos a la costa. Provisto por el estado y alojado y coordinado por el condado, el sistema apoya la respuesta local y regional ante desastres.
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Un profesor de inglés de San José fue arrestado bajo sospecha de agredir sexualmente a uno de sus antiguos alumnos, anunciaron las autoridades el pasado lunes.
Officers first responded to reports of sexual assault against a minor on Jan. 9, when a mother told police she found inappropriate messages sent between her underage daughter and her former teacher, Te Bin Jung, 31.
Police believe the alleged assault occurred when the victim attended Silver Creek High School, where Jung was a student. The suspect is currently a teacher at Yerba Buena High School in East San Jose.
Jung was arrested at his home in San Jose on January 10 and booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail.
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East Palo Alto city officials called to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. by planting trees in the park.
La cita es este sábado 21 de enero en el Joel Davis Park en East Palo Alto ubicado en el 1960 de Tate St.
Personas de todas las edades son bien recibidas en este evento voluntario de plantación de árboles, organizado por Canopy y la ciudad de East Palo Alto, donde además de plantar nuevos árboles para el parque habrá actividades familiares, recursos comunitarios y bocadillos ligeros.
El registro para el evento será a las 12:30 horas del mismo sábado 21 de enero, y la plantación será de 13:00 a 16:30 horas. El alcalde de la ciudad, Rubén Abrica plantará a las 14:30 horas.
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Agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff del condado de San Mateo arrestaron a un residente del condado el jueves pasado en Gilroy al que consideran sospechoso de un tiroteo relacionado con pandillas registrado el día anterior cerca de Half Moon Bay.
Los agentes respondieron a un informe de tiroteo a las 17:58 horas el miércoles en un área no incorporada cerca de Miramontes Point Road y Oleander Way cerca de Half Moon Bay. Una investigación preliminar condujo a la identidad del sospechoso como Jonathan Vega, de 23 años, y los agentes concluyeron que se trataba de un tiroteo relacionado con pandillas.
El anuncio de la oficina del alguacil no proporcionó más información sobre el incidente del tiroteo.
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The San Francisco 49ers ofrecerán fiestas para que aficionados de San José, San Francisco y la Ciudad de México que no pueden ir en persona al juego de playoffs divisionales de la NFC del domingo en el Levi’s Stadium en Santa Clara.
This Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
The scheduled parties will feature live game screenings, fan chants and special songs played when the home team scores. Raffles will also be held. Limited food and drink menus will be available.
All locations will open at 2:30 p.m., with the party in San Jose taking place at San Pedro Social at 163 W. Santa Clara St.; while fans in San Francisco can watch the game at The Crossing at East Cut at 200 Folsom St.; and in Mexico City, the gathering will be at Pinche Gringo BBQ Warehouse.
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The City of Redwood City is inviting all of its residents to provide feedback and suggestions to shape the redesign of Hoover Park.
Hoover Park, located between Woodside Rd, Spring St, Charter St and Hilton St, is in need of renovation, as some park amenities date back to 1966 with several updates over the past 57 years.
To learn more and get involved in the Hoover Park Master Plan, interested parties can attend the meeting on Thursday, January 26 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Boys & Girls Club, located at 2100 Spring St. This event will be held in English.
If you prefer to attend the session that will be held with interpretation into Spanish, you can attend on Saturday, January 28, which will take place in Hoover Park from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
On Christmas Eve 2022, a young Asian couple had an unpleasant encounter while filming a TikTok video that went viral at an In-N-Out restaurant in San Ramon, California.
In the video, both young people are enjoying their meal when a man approaches them shouting comments, however, these were of a homophobic and racist nature.
The incident culminated in the arrest of a man named Jordan Douglas Krah, 40, of Denver, Colorado, for violating California's hate crime laws.
The incident did not escalate to serious matters, despite the fact that the man waited for these young people outside the establishment for at least 15 minutes. But when does an act like that become a hate crime or incident? How can you recognize the signs to report it as such?
How to recognize a hate crime.
Hate and Crime
Let's start with some terminology, which can often be confusing.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, in the simplest terms, a hate crime must include both the element of “hate” and a “crime.”
The term “hate” can be confusing. When used in the context of a hate crime law, the word itself does not mean rage, anger, or general dislike. In this context, “hate” means a bias against people or groups with specific characteristics defined by the law.
At the federal level, hate crime laws include crimes committed on the basis of a victim's actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability.
The “crime” element in a “hate crime” is usually one of a violent nature such as assault, murder, arson, vandalism, or threats to be committed. It can also include conspiracy to commit such acts or asking another person to commit them, even if the crime is never committed.
Hate crime: At the federal level, it is a crime committed on the basis of race, skin color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability.
Hate or bias incident: Acts of prejudice that are not crimes and do not involve violence, threats or property damage.
Under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, people cannot be prosecuted or targeted simply for their beliefs, the agency explains. People may be offended or bothered by beliefs that are untrue or based on false biases, but it is not a crime to express such offensive beliefs or to join others who share the same beliefs.
However, the First Amendment does not protect people who commit a crime simply because the conduct is based on philosophical beliefs.
Hate crimes have a broader impact than other types of crimes. Victims of hate crimes include not only the immediate target of the crime but others who are like them. Hate crimes affect families, communities, and sometimes the entire country.
Why should you report a hate crime?
The gap in the reporting of hate crimes is important, since various organizations consider that the real numbers of these acts triple those registered or those that are reported to the authorities.
This is why it is essential to report hate crimes not only to show support and get help for victims but also to send a clear message that the community will not tolerate these types of acts.
Reporting hate crimes allows communities and law enforcement to understand the scope of the problem within the community and dedicate resources to preventing and addressing bias and hate-based attacks.
According to California state authorities, if you are the victim of a hate crime, you should do the following:
Contact local law enforcement immediately.
Seek medical attention (if needed).
Write down the exact words that were said.
Write down any other information.
Save all evidence (e.g. graffiti, eggshells, writing on the victim's vehicle, etc.). If it is safe, wait until the police arrive and take photos.
Get the names, addresses, phone numbers and emails of other victims and witnesses.
Try to get a description of the offender or the vehicle from any witnesses who were present.
Contact community organizations in your area that respond to hate crimes.
What you and your community can do:
Denounce hate and intolerance.
Attend community rallies to support victims.
Offer support and assistance to victims.
Ask public officials to report hate crimes.
Establish a human relations commission or hate crimes network that includes law enforcement, local government, schools, faith-based organizations, and community organizations, and ask them to respond to hate crimes immediately when they occur and to promote prevention and awareness.
Hate incidents must also be reported. Some examples of hate incidents include:
Offensive nicknames.
Abuse.
Displaying hateful materials on property one owns.
Posting hate material that does not cause property damage.
Distribution of materials with hate messages in public places.
Where to find help:
It is important to call 911 or go to a local hospital if immediate attention is needed. To file a report, you can contact local law enforcement.
The California Attorney General's Victim Services Unit provides crime victims and their families with support and information throughout the criminal justice process. For more information, call (877) 433-9069 or visit www.oag.ca.gov/hatecrimes.
The Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) is the state agency charged with enforcing California's civil rights laws and protecting people not only from illegal discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations, but also from hate violence and human trafficking.
The DFEH accepts reports from victims of hate violence or threats of violence based on the victim's actual or perceived protected social group. For information on how to file a report, please visit the DFEH website. www.dfeh.ca.gov.
The Victim Witness Assistance Center of the local District Attorney's Office works directly with the California Victim Compensation Board (CalVCB) to assist victims in all counties. For information on a local office and resources visit the website www.victims.ca.gov/victims/localhelp.aspx.
Remember that the California Victims' Rights Act, known as Marsy's Law, grants legal rights to the victim(s) such as:
Get money for your losses. Use the money to cover property losses, medical expenses, lost wages, and other losses.
Tell how the crime affected you. Tell the court how the crime has affected your life before the defendant is sentenced.
Obtain information about the criminal case. Ask the prosecutor for certain information about the case.
Obtain court orders. The court may issue a protective order to keep the defendant away from you or an order to pay an attorney's fees if you hired one to help you with your case. In addition, the court may order the defendant to pay you $25,000 or more for violating your civil rights. Talk to an attorney about your rights under the Ralph Act and the Bane Act.
California law prohibits law enforcement from asking people, including those reporting or being victims of possible crimes, about their immigration status unless the information is necessary to certify the victim for a U visa — a crime victim visa — or a T visa — a human trafficking victim visa.
This publication was supported in whole or part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.
This morning, while drinking coffee, I looked at the sleeves of my sweater and wondered: How old is it? It's my custom to get out of bed in my pajamas, put on this old sweater, and walk around in zombie mode to prepare my breakfast. I took the first sip of coffee with a slice of bread spread with butter and jam, remembering how long I've been drinking coffee with bread. I guessed at least 70 years.
I am grateful to life for having this tranquility in which time goes on forever, encouraging me to connect with myself and to be myself again.
I remembered my mother's voice calling us to breakfast: "Girls, breakfast is already served! Hurry up or you'll be late for school." On school days we only drank a banana smoothie, which we found shocking, and she added an egg and a little cinnamon to disguise the taste and the vitamins. She put the cake in our backpacks to eat at recess.
The sweater my mother knitted. Photo: Estela Calápiz
In Mexico, in my time, in my family, on weekends it was customary to drink coffee with milk and bread, orange juice and eggs prepared in many ways; my mother managed to vary them every day: lukewarm - 3 minutes with pieces of bread inside a bowl -, scrambled with potatoes or ham, with chorizo, green beans, chayote, Mexican style, ranchero, hard, etc.
When I was older, as a teenager, my mom tried to give me the smoothie, but it wouldn't go down. It tasted awful! So she let me have black coffee and bread, like I do now. I didn't have time to eat much for breakfast because I had to get to the vocational school, which was very far away. My mother wasn't usually very affectionate. She showed her love by feeding us well, she tried to make us eat as healthy as possible. I think it worked because my family has been very healthy.
It's been a long time since I thought about my mom, I never had "mamitis." This thought came to me when I looked at the sleeve of this sweater. Knitting was another way for us to show her affection; embroidering the sheets and tablecloths. She was very tidy and clean, as well as being an excellent cook.
This sweater represents my mother's love; when I wear it, she is with me. I travel back in time, to those hours when I was knitting or embroidering while waiting for my father to come home from work. She spent all her time creating, feeling satisfied with her crafts; I never saw her upset about it, even when my father came home late and tired from work. She was not submissive either, she had a very strong character, she could get angry about many things, except for knitting.
The sweater my mother knitted. Photo: Estela Calápiz
The remaining fabrics are her mark. Now I am aware of her love, that of the newly pregnant woman who was waiting for her children - us - to be born, for whom she knitted little jackets, embroidered the little sheets for our cribs and later those for our beds; a custom that she continued to the next generation. Knitting and embroidering the baskets for her grandchildren.
At one time I judged the difficulty of showing her affection by hugging us or playing with us. She never did! However, she was always at our side when we were sick, giving us medicine or bringing us food to bed, even though she did not like us to eat in the bedroom. Now I understand that many parents in those times were more concerned about feeding us and doing school.
My mother always thought it was important to feed us well so that we would grow up healthy. My father brought in the money and she took care of everything related to the interior of the home.
During this time, life changes in different ways, as both parents work, I have noticed that in some families, children eat very poorly - junk food. I have heard that the relationship is to monitor them through the cell phone, their demonstration of love is at least, when saying goodbye to them, to say a routine "I love you."
Due to the lack of funds, many children spend their time in daycare as babies. I do not mean to judge. Both in the past and in the present, there have been and continue to be parents who are aware of the responsibility of bringing children into the world, parents who can show their affection and emotional support for them. They are not only concerned with their grades.
Returning to the sweater my mother knitted, it is still in good condition and when I put it on I feel her love and affection, all of her is here in the present. Not only is her energy there, perhaps her traces are in the DNA of the knitting. She is in my blood! There are those intimate moments with herself, there are her warm hands on the yarn that rested on her legs as I would have liked to be when I was a child, touching her body with my little arms, in the same way as the yarn and the knitting were in contact with her.
I feel the nostalgia of her physical contact, that is why every night I cover myself with this sweater, I feel that she is the one who covers me when I dream. Sometimes I hug myself with this perfect knit, I know that not only was she there for me since she knitted it, but she continued to be with me and will continue to be there for my daughter when I die.
