Text Constanza Mazzotti
Photography Manuel Ortiz

They stare at the camera as if waiting for their portrait. Some of them have been working in houses or carrying out maintenance work at water plants for more than fifty years so that they can drink the vital liquid without toxins.

Others are responsible for keeping cities connected via the Internet to a population that, since the beginning of 2020, has sought refuge from the COVID-19 pandemic by working remotely from home. 

Some have been working in the fields since they were eight years old, while others are responsible for maintaining the respirators used to treat patients who have been intubated due to the pandemic.

These are the stories of migrant workers from San Mateo County that, in the framework of International Workers' Day, documentary photographer Manuel Ortiz and photography curator Pablo Corral of National Geographic, make visible through portraits that show the daily life of these forgotten voices.

The photographic work was made possible with support from the Redwood City Parks and Arts Foundation and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

Mele Baihola

Tonga /Household worker.

"We don't neglect our families, we take care of them"

She arrived in the United States on May 20, 1962. Her main occupation is and has been ever since that of a domestic worker. Through this activity, she managed to bring her ten sisters and brothers, most of whom also work as house cleaners, among other jobs.

Contrary to what people might think, Mele Baihola says that she enjoys her job because, in her words, "if we don't do this job, I don't think people will like cleaning their houses."

Coming from a culture that cares for and looks after the elderly, Mele Baihola mentions that in the homes where she works, she also tends to look after the elderly as if they were part of her own family.

Gerardo Ramirez

"Our work is behind the scenes but essential for the hospital's functioning"

Gerardo Ramírez, a specialist in the disinfection of medical instruments, including those used on COVID-19 patients and the respirators used to treat those who need to be intubated, has been a member of Kaiser Permanente Redwood City Medical Center since 2014. 

The health sector in times of pandemic, one of the most affected by the saturation of patients in intensive care, is supported by work such as that carried out by Gerardo, a specialist in disinfection of medical instruments at said hospital.

Of Mexican descent but born in Redwood City, Gerardo mentions that his work includes disinfecting basic instruments used in routine checkups to the most complex ones used in operating rooms. To do this, he has specialized and professionalized in medical instruments.

She also has a specialization in the use of flexible endoscopes - an instrument used to observe inside a cavity, duct or hollow organ during surgery - and is in her last semester of the Bachelor's Degree in Data Analysis thanks to the support of Kaiser Permanente and her mentor Margarita López. 

Eulalia Natividad Mendoza

Mexico/Peasant

«All my life, since I was eight years old, I have worked in the fields»

"I am from the state of Oaxaca, from a small town called Guadalupe Nundaca," says Eulalia, who has been a farmer since she was eight years old. 

In Oxnard, California, he has been working in the strawberry field for fourteen years. 

"This is the work I do every day, from the planting to the pipeline, which is the last thing to be raised." 

Reenu Ramana

Fiji Islands/ food service worker

“My work has been essential during the COVID-19 pandemic”

Reenu Ramana works at the San Mateo County Jail in Redwood City, California. 

Their work became indispensable during the COVID-19 pandemic, producing and distributing food to incarcerated people.

Born and raised in Fiji, he has worked in food service at the Redwood City Jail in California since 1996.

Koorinne Nickens

California/ Psychologist and nanny

«I try to integrate my work by guiding and supporting the children I care for»

Born in California to a Panamanian mother and a Nicaraguan father, Koorinne Nickens is a dedicated nanny and psychology student. 

She has been working with three students aged 12 and 15 for three years now. 

“People often think that my job is ‘just being a babysitter,’” says Kooeinne, who believes that it is important to combine her profession as a psychologist with the guidance of the children she works with.

Koorinne believes that it is necessary to create healthy environments for young people where they can be heard and seen, to nurture their world so that they can interact with the best tools and become better people.

Cesna Too

Descendant of Italian and Maltese grandparents / FedEx delivery person

«I think my job is essential because people need products that they cannot buy directly in stores. Delivery work has been essential during the pandemic because online orders have increased»

Marcello Anjos

Brazil/Dog grooming

An accessible and essential work

Although at first glance it might not seem so, Another of the essential jobs during the pandemic has been caring for pets, who also suffered, in their own way, from the drastic changes in their owners' habits.

Marcello Anjos is Brazilian and has been working in the United States since his arrival in 2010 in a dog grooming salon, beautifying dogs. He loves his job and takes care of the pets as if they were his own. The pandemic did not affect this work because it is an activity that is carried out with social distancing, since one only interacts with the pets. This type of work, he says, is “accessible and essential for everyone.”

Steve Silva

Son of Mexican immigrants/Technician for ATNT, works in fiber optic maintenance in Redwood City.

"If the system goes down, we will all be left without services"

The son of a father originally from Chihuahua, he is the youngest of five siblings and the second generation of union workers on his father's side.

He works on improving technological and telecommunications services. “Everyone has their cell phones and they always need more data, more streaming.” That is what his job is about, he says, making sure people stay connected. During the pandemic, work never stopped because the community must always stay connected.

Gurpal Sandhu

India/ Technician in Silicon Valley Clean Water 

«Better water treatment provides greater safety for users»

He arrived in the United States in 1999, after finishing his formal education, and began working in different agencies. Since 2013, he has worked as a technician at Silicon Valley Clean Water, managing automated control systems, schemes, networks and everything involved in the process.

As technologies change day by day, improving the automation of water cleaning, production costs rise. 

International Workers' Day

It should be noted that within the framework of International Workers' Day, unions and political organizations will carry out around 40 actions on May 1 to raise awareness throughout the United States about the presence of immigrants and thus highlight the need to take action in Congress and the executive branch on immigration reform.

According to the Public Policy Institute of California's March 2021 report, California has more immigrants than any other state, with a total of 11 million immigrants. The counties with the largest immigrant population according to the report are: Santa Clara with 391 TP3T, San Mateo 351 TP3T, Los Angeles 341 TP3T, San Francisco 341 TP3T, and Alameda 331 TP3T.

With information from EFE and the Public Policy Institute of California

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La semana culmina y en esta última semana de abril estas son las noticias locales de Redwood City que debes conocer del 25 al 29 de abril.

Aproximadamente 5 mil enfermeras en Stanford Health Care y Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital en Stanford se declararon en huelga el lunes por la mañana. Los funcionarios sindicales dijeron que el 93 por ciento de las enfermeras elegibles votaron para autorizar la huelga.

Las enfermeras notificaron a sus hospitales su intención de hacer huelga el 13 de abril, dijeron los funcionarios sindicales, luego de que la gerencia de Stanford «no logró negociar de manera justa las propuestas del sindicato para abordar la escasez de personal, crear carreras de enfermería sostenibles y apoyar la atención de pacientes de clase mundial».  Los contratos laborales de las enfermeras expiraron el 31 de marzo.

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Residentes del Área de la Bahía con medicamentos recetados sin usar en casa pueden deshacerse de ellos de manera segura en el departamento de policía local y en otros lugares este sábado durante el Día Nacional de Devolución de Medicamentos Recetados.

El evento, organizado en asociación con la Agencia de Control de Drogas de EE. UU. ‒DEA, por sus siglas en inglés‒, ayuda a mantener las sustancias químicas nocivas fuera de los sistemas de agua locales y fuera del alcance de cualquier persona que pueda consumir accidental o intencionalmente la medicina de otra persona, un problema que se ha vuelto particularmente importante debido a la epidemia de opiáceos.

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Un peatón falleció luego de ser atropellado por un automóvil la madrugada del lunes en East Palo Alto, dijo la policía. La colisión se informó alrededor de las 5:09 h en East Bayshore Road en Oakwood Drive.

El hombre vestía ropa oscura y empujaba un carrito de compras en el carril de tráfico hacia el sur cuando fue atropellado por un auto que iba en la misma dirección, según un comunicado de prensa de la policía. El nombre de la víctima no fue revelado pues se espera la notificación de los familiares.

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Por decisión unánime, la junta directiva de «Twitter» aceptó vender a Elon Musk la red social por un acuerdo valorado en 44 mil millones de dólares, según la compañía, que anunció la transacción el lunes.

Musk comprará la empresa con sede en San Francisco por 54.20 dólares por acción ordinaria, por lo que se convertirá en una empresa privada tras el acuerdo que se espera culmine este año.

Por su parte, Musk detalló a través de un comunicado que «la libertad de expresión es la base de una democracia funcional, y Twitter es la plaza pública digital donde se debaten asuntos vitales para el futuro de la humanidad. Agregó que habrá mejoras en la red y se agregarán nuevas funciones.

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Funcionarios de la ciudad de San Francisco lanzaron un programa de subvenciones por 11.4 millones de dólares para ayudar a las pequeñas empresas y organizaciones sin fines de lucro a recuperarse de la pandemia.

Según un comunicado de prensa de la oficina del alcalde London Breed, el objetivo del programa es ayudar a estabilizar y hacer crecer a las pequeñas empresas y organizaciones sin fines de lucro en dificultades con subvenciones para capacitar y establecer empresarios nuevos y existentes, desarrollar nueva programación, organizar festivales y eventos, reclutar nuevos negocios y ofrecer asistencia técnica a las pequeñas empresas.

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Después de más de dos años de reuniones virtuales, la Junta de Supervisores del Condado de San Mateo volverá a las reuniones presenciales en mayo, anunció el condado el martes.

La próxima reunión, el 3 de mayo, tendrá lugar en las cámaras de la junta, ubicadas en el 400 de County Center, Redwood City. Pero la reunión aún se transmitirá virtualmente y algunos supervisores seguirán asistiendo de forma remota.

Habrá capacidad limitada en las cámaras de la junta y los asientos estarán espaciados para permitir el distanciamiento social. Las personas también podrán ver las reuniones en el vestíbulo fuera de las cámaras de la junta y se recomienda encarecidamente el uso de mascarillas dentro de las cámaras, pero no es obligatorio, independientemente del estado de vacunación.

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Detectives del alguacil del condado de San Mateo arrestaron a un hombre de Half Moon Bay de 25 años bajo sospecha de violentar sexualmente a una menor.

César Gómez Pérez fue arrestado el martes bajo sospecha de tres delitos: violación de un menor de 14 años, encuentro con un menor para actos sexuales y sexo con un menor.

El arresto culmina una investigación iniciada en octubre de 2021 después de que los detectives recibieron un informe de agresión sexual a un menor, según un comunicado de prensa emitido el miércoles por la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de San Mateo.

Durante la investigación, los detectives identificaron a Gómez Pérez como el sospechoso y se enteraron de otro menor que tuvo relaciones sexuales con el detenido en un incidente separado. Con base en la evidencia, a los investigadores les preocupa que pueda haber otras víctimas.

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Detectives del Equipo de Supresión de Delitos Callejeros del Departamento de Policía de Redwood City arrestaron a Matthew Hendrysiegfried, residente de Union City, en la cuadra 400 de Veterans Boulevard, luego de que tras una revisión en su persona y vehículo se encontró una cantidad significativa de fentanilo, heroína, metanfetamina y evidencia de venta de drogas, por lo que fue fichado en la Cárcel del condado de San Mateo.

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Policías de San Mateo arrestaron este jueves a Jesús Acosta Pasos, de 28 años, del condado de San Mateo, y Julie Kennelly, de 43, de Half Moon Bay, ambos bajo sospecha de recibir un vehículo robado y posesión de metanfetamina.

Acosta Pasos también fue arrestado bajo sospecha de posesión de herramientas de robo y resistencia, retraso y obstrucción a un oficial.

El arrestó se dio luego de que el jueves a la 13:07 h, oficiales del Departamento de Policía de San Mateo respondieron a un reporte por vehículo robado cerca del Centro Comercial Bridgepointe, donde encontraron a Kennelly dentro del vehículo y a Acosta dentro de una de las tiendas del centro comercial.

With information from Bay City News.

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Ante actos de prohibición de libros en diversas partes de EE.UU., el director de la Biblioteca Pública de Redwood City ‒RCPL, por sus siglas en inglés‒, Derek Wolfgram, aseguró que la censura no tendrá cabida en dicho espacio, pues todos los puntos de vista son bienvenidos.

A través de una carta, el funcionario precisó que, en los últimos meses, la prohibición de libros se ha vuelto alarmantemente frecuente en el país, mientras que los textos que han sido cuestionados y vedados son en su mayoría títulos que exploran poblaciones históricamente marginadas.

«La censura no tiene cabida en las bibliotecas y la Biblioteca Pública de Redwood City da la bienvenida a todos los puntos de vista en nuestras colecciones», subrayó.

De hecho, dijo Wolfgram, la Biblioteca Pública de Redwood City centra sus prioridades de servicio en torno a programas, servicios y libros inclusivos que conducen a resultados equitativos para los miembros de la comunidad tan diversa a la que sirve. «Nuestros lectores tienen derecho a elegir lo que leen y hacemos todo lo posible para preservar esta elección».

En ese sentido, refirió que el espacio que dirige, se centra en compartir el placer de la lectura y el aprendizaje.

Agregó que, parte del trabajo del equipo de equidad racial en 2021, consistió en auditar todas las políticas de la biblioteca para garantizar que no sólo evitaran los enfoques no equitativos o la discriminación, sino que centraran proactivamente las experiencias de las poblaciones históricamente marginadas. 

Subrayó además que uno de los fundamentos filosóficos centrales de cualquier biblioteca pública, es su política de selección y mantenimiento de materiales, que establece los parámetros de los artículos que pertenecen a la colección de la biblioteca. 

«Las recientes revisiones de la política de RCPL ponen de relieve nuestro compromiso con la libre expresión de ideas, incluso aquellas que pueden ser controvertidas, poco ortodoxas o inaceptables para otros. La censura socava la capacidad de los individuos o las comunidades para comprometerse con múltiples perspectivas. La Biblioteca, por el contrario, celebra la diversidad de nuestra comunidad proporcionando materiales y servicios que reflejan y refuerzan esa diversidad», precisó Wolfgram.

Ante ello, llamo a todos aquellos residentes que se oponen a la prohibición de libros y al silenciamiento de voces, y quieren saber más del tema, a leer la Declaración de la Asociación de Bibliotecas Americanas sobre la Censura and to join the campaña Unidos contra la Prohibición de Libros. 

Otro poderoso acto de resistencia, señaló, «es leer libros “prohibidos”». 

La Biblioteca Pública de Nueva York ha puesto en marcha recientemente su colección descargable Libros para todos, que incluye una pequeña selección de textos comúnmente prohibidos o cuestionados. 

Wolfgram aseguró que la biblioteca cuenta con muchas listas de lectura que incluyen libros “prohibidos”, incluyendo: Top Banned Books 2021, Building Tolerance, LGBTQ+ stories y listas contra el racismo para todas las edades en su página RCPL CARES. 

Por último, agradeció las aportaciones de la comunidad sobre lo que podría faltar en su colección a través del purchase suggestion form.

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They hold each other's arms facing each other, leaning their faces together until they meet in an intimate gesture of belonging, both wearing suits, one in light blue and the other in lilac, both have grey hair but only one of them hides it in a dark shade, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon in the centre of a group of people celebrating their wedding. This is the photo that went around the country and tells of a lesbian cry for freedom in California.

Esta semana, en el marco del Día de la Visibilidad Lésbica que se celebra cada 26 de abril, recordamos a dos pioneras de la lucha por los derechos de las lesbianas en California y el país.

Del Martin nació en San Francisco el 5 de mayo de 1921 y Phyllis Ann Lyon en Tulsa el 10 de noviembre de 1924, ambas constituyeron la primera pareja de lesbianas en contraer matrimonio de manera legal en San Francisco en 2004 aunque al mes de haber celebrado la unión, la Corte Suprema de California invalidó su matrimonio.

Sin embargo, la historia de Del Martin y Phyllis Lyon primer matrimonio lésbico de San Francisco comenzó muchos años antes.

Corrían los años más prósperos de Estados Unidos por la posguerra, los años cincuenta, cuando los grupos minoritarios comenzaban a asomarse en la esfera pública que reprimía, sobre todo, la diversidad sexual.

Dorothy Louise Taliaferro «Del» Martin y Phyllis Lyon decidieron crear en 1955 la organización Las Hijas de Bilitis ‒DOB, por sus siglas en inglés‒, nombre acuñado a raíz del personaje lésbico contemporáneo a Safo del autor francés Pierre Louÿs. 

Dicha organización social y política fue la primera para lesbianas en Estados Unidos para después unirse en 1967 a la Organización Nacional de Mujeres ‒NOW, por sus siglas en inglés‒.

Las Hijas de Bilitis lanzó su propia revista, «The Ladder», en los años cincuenta, una publicación que en sus inicios era apenas un panfleto engrapado repartida de mano en mano entre las lesbianas que poco a poco se iban conociendo y cuya finalidad era la de crear comunidad fuera de la esfera pública en donde fácilmente podrían ser reprendidas y reprimidas. 

Cabe mencionar que «The Ladder» se convirtió en la primera revista de y para la comunidad lésbica de tiraje nacional hasta su desaparición en la década de los setenta. 

Activists Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon passed away on August 27, 2008 and April 9, 2020, respectively, in San Francisco.

Ambas activistas trabajaron conjuntamente por más de cincuenta años por la lucha de los derechos LGBTI entre las lesbianas.

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After a wet fall and warm, sunny days in the first three months of this year, the Bay Area’s 2022 strawberry crop was exceptionally promising, growing earlier and faster than usual. However, rains destroyed 80 percent of the season’s first crop.

The Bay Area strawberry crop looked promising, which was a pleasant surprise for Javier Zamora, owner of JSM Organics in Watsonville. And then the spring rains came. Now, more than 80 percent of the crop has rotted.

“It’s a total loss of income that we had really been expecting,” Zamora said, referring to the work he and his team did during the winter months while planting and tending to the crop. 

"We kept borrowing money to keep our payroll up. The first big sale we were going to make, we lost," said the resident of neighboring Santa Cruz County.

Strawberries in the Bay Area are typically planted in November and the first major crop begins producing in late March or early April. 

Now, the first two weeks of the Bay Area strawberry harvest, when berries typically fetch their highest price, have been lost. Although the damaged plants will eventually reproduce, it's a huge blow to growers.

«The first strawberries: the prices are incredibly good. Right now we can sell a box for between $34 and $36. But in July we will sell the boxes for between $16 and $18 because there are too many strawberries available at that time, and there are other fruits on the market.»

Thirty minutes away in Salinas, Rigoberto Bucio, owner of Bucio Organic Farms, says 50 to 60 percent of his strawberry crop has been destroyed, costing him about $15,000.

And it's not just the berries. Bucio said much of his latest lettuce crop has also been damaged.

"Changes in temperature, such as cold and rain, turn lettuce white and make it difficult to sell," Bucio said.

Rigoberto, who has been farming for more than 10 years and sells most of his crops to wholesalers, said he is stressed about how the rest of the seasons will turn out. He also stressed that farming is becoming increasingly complicated due to the climate.

Zamora said all farms in the area have been affected by the rains. Large conglomerates, however, have insurance policies and deeper pockets, which mitigate the impact when crops are lost. It is a safety net that small, family-run farms like his do not have.

It is worth noting that the financial ups and downs experienced by producers are accompanied by a roller coaster of emotions.

"People hear about farmers losing their farms, but they don't hear much about the mental health and stress they go through," she said.

In spite of everything, Zamora will not leave his farm.

"I'm not going to give up," he said. "I wouldn't do anything else. It's so beautiful to see people enjoying the vegetables we grow."

JSM Organics products can be found at the Diablo Valley Farmers Market in Walnut Creek on Saturdays and at the Fort Mason and Kensington Farmers Markets on Sundays.

With information from Bay City News

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Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith will be the artist who will bring to life the racial equity mural in Redwood City, after the local Art Commission recommended to the City Council and the mayor Giselle Hale the proposal and it was unanimously accepted.

Wolfe-Goldsmith, an Oakland native, said during a virtual presentation of her work to the Redwood City Arts Commission and residents at large that “creating an equitable world requires telling an honest account of history and sharing our hopes and dreams for the future.”

In that sense, she pointed out that her design for the racial equity mural illustrates historical moments along with achievements and visions. “The design I present has a non-linear timeline where stories intertwine with each other.”

“Creating an equitable world requires an honest retelling of history, sharing our hopes and dreams for the future. My design is a balance of these ideas, illustrating historical antics alongside achievements and visions,” added the creative director of the Bay Area Mural Program (BAMP).

The Racial Equity Mural Steering Committee met twice to review the results of the community survey conducted following the submission of the two semi-finalists' works, scored each artist, compiled the results, and held a final discussion to offer a recommendation to the Arts Commission.

Although the scores for both artists were very close, the Steering Committee recommended to the Arts Commission that Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith was the best choice for the particular location and application.

The Arts Commission subsequently voted unanimously to recommend that the same artist be selected to paint the Racial Equity Mural to the City Council. 

Voting for the artist selection was done with an eye toward reflecting community responses, the artist’s commitment to capturing the history of Redwood City in more detail in her vision/representation, and making the artist’s images easier to capture while traveling by car—due to the location of the future mural.

The Committee also confirmed that Rachel had the equipment and could complete the mural within one to two months.

On the other hand, she highlighted that Chicana artist Lucia González Hipólito ‒semifinalist‒ provided a wonderful and impactful story in her work and, although she was not recommended for this job, she was encouraged to be involved in future mural opportunities in the city.

The mural project, which will be located in the Jefferson Underpass at the entrance to Redwood City, was unveiled in 2020 following protests for racial justice, and the City Council allocated $100,000 for its construction. 

The funds were allocated to the Public Art Fund through the Utility Users/Capital Improvement Projects Tax, not from the General Fund.

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