San Mateo County is recruiting advocates who will work closely with law enforcement at the scene of domestic violence calls.
Professionals who complete the training will have the opportunity to serve on San Mateo County’s first Domestic Violence Emergency Response Team, which will be staffed by trained advocates with law enforcement to help ensure survivors get the services they need by connecting with victims at the scene of the call when they are most likely to be receptive to support.
The advocates will be hired and supervised by CORA (Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse), a nonprofit that is serving as a partner in launching the Domestic Violence Response Team along with the county, Sheriff’s Office and police departments in the cities of San Mateo and Daly City.
The county especially encourages survivors of domestic violence to apply if they meet eligibility requirements, which include being bilingual in languages such as Spanish, Tagalog, Mandarin or Cantonese, having experience working with domestic violence survivors and passing a background check.
Interested parties can find more details and the application by clicking here.
The county said in a statement that there are currently three open positions for advocates to serve North Fair Oaks, Daly City and San Mateo in this pilot program.
The duties of those on the team include providing immediate on-site assistance, such as safety planning with victims and their children, as well as crisis counseling. After a call, advocates will assist with needs such as obtaining restraining orders, identifying housing, and enrolling in public assistance.
As summer comes to a close and students prepare to return to school, the Redwood City Police Department is calling on all drivers to prioritize safety during the upcoming Back-to-School Month by slowing down, obeying the speed limit, and being extremely careful when driving in school zones.
“During Back-to-School Month, let’s prioritize driving safety to protect our children,” said Police Chief Kristina Bell.
“We urge all drivers to slow down, remain alert and take extra precautions when driving in school zones. By doing so, we can create a safer environment for everyone and foster a community where safety is a shared responsibility,” he stressed.
In light of the upcoming return to school, the Redwood City Police Department is urging everyone to slow down and respect the speed limit near schools, as well as to follow school policies and procedures for dropping off and picking up students.
In addition, in school zones, he urged people to stop for school buses, be alert for children rushing to catch or get off the bus, and, whenever possible, avoid blocking pedestrian crossings while waiting to turn right.
For parents with children who walk or bike to school, she urged teaching safe walking and biking behaviors, such as looking both ways before crossing the street, using sidewalks when permitted and available, and crossing at crosswalks marked with stop signs or traffic lights.
It is important to note that behind a school bus with a stop sign and flashing red lights, drivers must stop to allow students to safely board and exit the bus, while drivers must remain stopped while the red lights are on.
Last Thursday, July 11, for the third time, I experienced firsthand the effects of insecurity in the city of San Francisco, California. This time, my means of transportation, a bicycle, which I have used for more than two years as a way of helping to prevent pollution to the environment, was stolen.
It is an open secret that the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) is completely overwhelmed in dealing with the insecurity experienced on the streets, especially in areas considered to be “most unsafe.”
However, even in these areas you can be a victim of having your vehicle's windows broken to steal items inside, as well as being assaulted on public transport or on the streets.
I have even been a silent witness, because there is little that can be done, to robberies inside the vehicles of visitors who go to tourist places such as Alamo Square Park, in front of the famous Painted Ladies, which are visited daily by hundreds of people.
But let's return to my bad experience with the issue of insecurity in the county and port of San Francisco.
After five o'clock in the afternoon on July 11, 2024, I went to the well-known Folsom Street, which crosses between 5th and 6th, to run some errands.
As usual, I put two locks on my bike and left it parked in one of the areas designated for this type of vehicle. Not more than 30 minutes had passed when I left the place where I had gone, to have the unfortunate surprise that it had been stolen.
I confess that my first reaction was one of helplessness and anger. This is the third time that my vehicle has been stolen.
In 2022, at the door of a well-known supermarket located at 14th Street and Folsom, my electric bicycle, which I rented, was stolen, causing me a big problem and a loss of several hundred dollars.
A year later, in 2023, I parked my bike in front of the building where I live, in the neighborhood known as Lower Pacific Heights, considered quiet and safe, or at least that's what they tell you when you rent.
On that occasion, I only used one lock for the vehicle, so the thug or thugs stole only the front tire. I spent another few hundred dollars to repair that loss.
Just last April, I bought a hybrid bicycle out of necessity, in which I invested almost two thousand dollars. After having had bad experiences, my boyfriend David decided to buy two chips and install them in our vehicles. I didn't know that this decision would save me from losing my "bike."
THE ODYSSEY OF THE STOLEN BICYCLE AND RECOVERED CAR
On July 11th, minutes after my bike was stolen on Folsom Street between 5th and 6th, I remembered David's wonderful idea of placing the chip to track the vehicle, so I unlocked my cell phone and, through the chip application, located the stolen item.
The unit appeared in the Mission area. So I walked down 6th Street to reach Mission Street and board a truck that would take me there. On the way, I found one of the locks that had been removed to steal my bike, and I kept it with me as proof of the crime.
The bike was indeed on Mission Street, between 17th and 18th. Next to my vehicle, there was an African-American man and a woman who looked affected by some kind of substance. Both looked like homeless people and consumers of substances that affect the brain.
Faced with this situation, the first thing I did was call 911, thinking that it would be easy to ask for police support, that some officer or officers would come and help me recover my bicycle, which I had well located.
On the emergency number, a person who spoke a little Spanish answered. I explained the situation to him, after which they asked me many questions, including a description of the person who had stolen the bicycle. I provided the information I had and the person who answered me said that a patrol car with officers was on the way.
More than 15 minutes passed and the patrol car did not arrive. It is worth mentioning that on Valencia and 17th Street, there is a police station, precisely at 630 is the Mission Police Station.
In the absence of a response, I had no choice but to approach the place where my bicycle was. In that area, people who sell all kinds of stolen items congregate, specifically on the sidewalk that includes Mission Street, between the intersections of 17th and 18th.
With fear and asking God for strength and protection, I approached the African-American person to tell him that the bicycle he had was my property.
Without the slightest surprise, he replied that he had bought it for $100 and that if I wanted to get it back I would have to pay him that amount.
The rage and helplessness came back to me. The guy got into my car and drove away on Mission Street, turned right on 17th and ran away. The police never arrived.
I did not have the courage to confront him further, many situations ran through my mind, one of them was the possibility that this person was armed with a sharp object, since I myself have witnessed that the assailants get on public transport with knives, screwdrivers and other objects with which they can attack anyone.
The police never arrived, even when the person was fleeing with my bicycle, a patrol car passed by the place, I waved to get their attention and was ignored.
WASTE OF TIME CALLING FOR HELP
Through my cell phone I watched the subject drive away in my vehicle, the chip showed me meter by meter the places he traveled, when he was in the Tenderloin and Civic Center area I called 911 again, I made at least 10 calls.
When I insisted on the phone, one of the answers they gave me was to go to the Police Station located on Valencia Street and 17th Street. It was after six in the evening on Thursday, July 11, I entered the building and approached the counter, however, there was no staff, which did not surprise me.
I waited for several minutes and finally two police officers appeared.
A woman helped me, but she didn't speak Spanish and my English isn't very good, especially when I'm nervous or in a hurry. The other officer, who was in charge of the station at the time, noticed my desperation, he spoke Spanish, so he turned to me only to tell me that before they could give me any kind of help, it was necessary to file a report of the theft of my bike.
I explained to him that I had located my vehicle, that I only needed the support of an officer to get me closer to the person who had it and be able to recover it.
Visibly uncomfortable with my insistence on asking for support, he responded that they did not have enough personnel to assign someone. He insisted that I file the report and told me that I had to go back to my vehicle, locate it, and then call 911 to request the presence of a police officer, but now using the report number.
With the report in my hand and three times as frustrated, I left the police station. They sent me out onto the street without a real solution and, most frustratingly, I watched from my cell phone as the person who had my vehicle drove around various points in the city, even returning to Mission Street between 17th and 18th.
From the moment of the theft, I kept in touch with David, my boyfriend, who encouraged me at all times to continue fighting to recover my vehicle. He is a witness to how much I like using my bike to get around the city.
I was about to give up on my bike, but the thought of losing my investment of almost two thousand dollars, and above all, the discomfort of knowing that I knew where it was, gave me the strength to board another vehicle and go back to the address where the bike was indicated.
This time I went to 9th Street and Tehama Street, and the GPS located my bike there. When I arrived, I again followed the police instructions to call them at 911. For the umpteenth time, I explained what had happened, but the questions continued, including the name of the person who had stolen the vehicle. Once the long questionnaire was over, they told me they would send police support, although they refused to tell me how long it would take.
Minutes passed and they did not arrive. My bike was now on Tehama Street, between 8th and 9th. However, the African-American man was no longer there. I deduced that he had abandoned it there. Instead, there was a white man next to a tent along with other items. It was obvious that the person was under the influence of drugs.
While I waited for the police to arrive (I naively thought they would help me), I walked around the area where my vehicle was, not daring to confront a person under the influence of drugs for fear of their reaction.
Fortunately, there were some Latinos on the street at that moment, a group of three Venezuelans, who, noticing my concern, looked at me strangely. More than 15 minutes had passed and police support had not arrived, so I decided that I had no choice but to talk to the Latinos and explain my situation.
After telling them my story, their reaction was one of annoyance, “but don't have an accident and crash, because dozens of patrol cars will appear immediately,” one of them said ironically.
I showed them the document that contained the robbery report number and, to make sure that my story was true, one of them called 911. There they confirmed that they had the report and that help was on the way. Of course, they didn't say which way.
After several minutes and no police help showing up, the three Latino boys accompanied me to claim the vehicle. The guy guarding my bike reacted scared, he managed to say a few words in English that I didn't understand and he shook his head from side to side.
The Venezuelans shouted “get on your bike and go, don’t wait any longer!” I recovered from my shock and fear, and started the (hybrid) bike, but not before thanking the boys for their help.
It seemed incredible to me to recover my vehicle on my own (with the help of the three Venezuelans, obviously), but without any response from the Honorable San Francisco Police Department.
It is worth mentioning that on that same day, July 11, when I was at home and after recovering the stolen vehicle on my own, I received a phone call from the San Francisco Police Department. I answered, but no one spoke. Nothing happened.
The idea of narrating my experience with insecurity and the lack of support from the police in the city of San Francisco has no other objective than to reveal the problems suffered by hundreds of people, who find ourselves helpless, because there is no real police support.
Those of us who live in this city know that there is a lack of police elements, in addition to a significant renovation of the police units, since even on the streets, you see obsolete patrol cars, vehicles of old models.
A police officer acknowledged that there are not enough police officers to assist the population. He said that it was impossible for a police officer to help recover a bicycle even though it had been fully located.
The question that must be asked is: What is the purpose of the Honorable San Francisco Police Department? And, in whose hands is the safety of the inhabitants of the city, port and county?
I would like to point out that those of us who live in the United States know about the high taxes that must be paid to be here. In the case of the city of San Francisco alone, the city government collects taxes on various items, so it is important that part of those resources be allocated to public safety, as well as updating staff and infrastructure.
The Stranger is a hopeless but very interesting novel due to its unusual way of narrating. It shows an apathetic sense of existence. The story begins with the death of the protagonist's mother, and from then on we accompany the character on a rather strange journey.
If you are looking to read something different and have an unexpected experience, this hopeless novel is for you.
The Stranger by Albert Camus is the recommendation of Camilasbooks, a very interesting novel that shows an apathetic sense of existence, The story begins with the death of the protagonist's mother, and from there we accompany the character on a rather strange journey.
Meursault, the protagonist, is shown to be totally indifferent to what he experiences, with profound apathy for everything around him and without any reason for hope, experiencing a feeling of losing absolutely everything.
"You can see that hopeless feeling and the author transmits it very well to the reader who, when he was reading the book, saw everything so depressing, it was so sad, it was really so nothing and in the end you manage to connect with the protagonist's feelings in a very personal way.”, he mentioned.
Camilasbooks highlighted that The story is shown without any marked feeling, it is just what happens because it is something that could not be avoided simply because life is like that.
He also added that the novel becomes quite interesting because the protagonist is alien to everything moral and his actions do not really lead to a feeling of repentance, although he commits many morally inappropriate actions such as murders, being in places that are not appropriate, all of this narrated from the same line of total hopelessness, this makes this book so interesting.
To learn more about this book and others, don't miss Camilasbooks' reviews with Península 360 Press.
Immigrant workers are facing constant hate speech in the context of the upcoming US elections. This speech has generated racial and ethnic tensions, spreading fear, pain and anger in communities, even among responsible workers who are part of the American economy.
The United States is made up of large migrant communities, with between half and a third of all US farmworkers living in California alone, and between 500,000 and 800,000 farmworkers facing hate speech, from former President Donald Trump to other candidates who call immigrants criminals, mentally ill, and “trash.”
In California, 751% of farmworkers are undocumented and 961% identify as Hispanic.
According to data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a total of 2,542,074 migrant encounters were recorded on the southwestern border of the United States in 2023, as the majority of migrants entering Mexico do so with the intention of reaching the United States border.
Tulelake farmworkers plant and harvest with effort and dedication, but they fear the anti-immigrant political rhetoric that is being generated in the community. Photo: Manuel Ortiz
For years there has been a double discourse in the history of migration, on the one hand, they are invited to work in the country, but on the other, hate speech is created against them, as mentioned by Manuel Ortiz Escámez, sociologist, audiovisual journalist and co-founder of Península 360 Press, during an informative session held by Ethnic Media Services.
The Irish were the first migrant group to have a great influence on the United States in the 19th century. At that time, there was a lot of propaganda inviting them to work, but at the same time, they were not widely accepted.
The Chinese must also be considered part of the immigrant history in the United States. The Chinese came to work in the gold mines and built the most important railroads in the country, but then they wanted to be expelled.
She also commented that the main reason why people support Donald Trump is based on two things, the first is because of his anti-immigrant rhetoric and second, the sexist or macho rhetoric, Ortiz says that if Trump were to start an administration, a fascist period would begin, in which it is okay to be racist.
“A second Trump administration could lead us to a fascist period, where the first to suffer are migrants, but they will not be the only ones affected; over time, the enemies will be those in power and anyone who questions their power.”
It is dangerous to have a person in power who generates hate speech among communities, but not only for migrants, but also for businessmen, media outlets, public figures, academics and anyone who seems to contradict their speech and ideas.
Manuel Ortiz has traveled to meet the farm workers of California. During his last trip to Tulelake, he interviewed Juanita, a farm worker who has felt attacked and discriminated against by Donald Trump's racist comments. She says that she does honest work to have better opportunities in life. She is not in the United States to hurt or cause harm as Trump says.
Negative comments continue to spread and people no longer feel safe, "“People are very afraid to speak out. I do interviews with people who then call and say, ‘Please don’t publish anything, because I’m afraid of what might happen,’” Escámez said.
Gustavo Gasca Gómez, coordinator of the Stop the Hate project and Immigration specialist at the Foundation for Education and Leadership, shared his experiences. He was a farm worker for a time and accepts that it is a very hard and difficult job that not everyone can handle. “It makes your mind feel numb in many ways.”
In their daily work within the organization, people come from many places and are looking for support, understanding and a safe space. The organization provides that safe space for those who have been victims of discrimination or acts of hate.
Gasca says that people in the organization say they are afraid to speak or express themselves, and that most of the members are agricultural workers, communities that work to put fruits and vegetables on the table, people who drive the country's economy.
“We are not here to cause harm, and I know this because when my parents brought me here 31 years ago, they had good intentions,” he concluded.
Arcenio López, executive director of the Mixtec Indigenous Community organization in Ventura, California, said that its members are Mixtec people but also indigenous people from diverse cultures, and they seek to protect these communities and take care of their culture.
Indigenous communities have suffered discrimination for years, so they have always struggled to be accepted but also recognized. It seems that borders have been created with the purpose of dividing, controlling and taking away the people's resources, beliefs, culture, vision and dreams, as mentioned by Arcenio López.
He also commented that it is important for each person to know their own history and feel proud of it, because if they do not know it, then people believe that they should act like Americans, speak like Americans and be like Americans, which is why it is so important to recognize and learn about one's own roots.
“Appreciating the culture of origin is the only way to give it the value it deserves, because indigenous people have been discriminated against for centuries for their dialect, their traditions, their culture.”
In addition to the political discourse, López mentioned that in schools indigenous youth are called “Oaxacans” and suffer constant bullying by their peers that is fueled by other people or public figures such as Trump. The number of acts of hate due to racism has increased and we see it in the numbers.
As part of these migrant and indigenous communities, what must be done is to break the negative narrative that has been generated, López concluded.
Kamala Harris, the first African-American woman of Californian descent to serve in the Senate, is now also the first person of Indian descent to appear on a presidential ticket, an action that has earned her a series of criticisms and lawsuits.
Listen to this note:
Kamala Harris was nominated by President Joseph Biden to be the Democratic Party's candidate for president of the United States, from that moment on, an endless number of opinions for and against were unleashed, the most controversial being those of the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, who has attacked her with racist and sexist comments.
This was pointed out by sociologist Dr. Anna Lee Mraz on the radio show Hecho en California in collaboration with Peninsula 360 Press, where he recalled that Harris is a 59-year-old woman with a long career, in addition to being the first woman in the history of the United States to hold the position of vice president, marking a milestone by being the first African-American and South Asian-American woman elected to the post after being named Biden's running mate in the 2020 election.
She was the first African-American woman from California to serve in the Senate, and is now also the first person of Indian descent to appear on a presidential ticket, a move that has earned her a series of criticisms and lawsuits based on false information, Mraz noted.
“The attacks are racist, sexist and sexualized, with Trump calling her crazy and stupid, attacking her ability as a woman,” Mraz added.
In addition, she said, mental health conditions have been used to attack and humiliate her as a woman, generating the idea of superiority, as if “normal” is the most capable.
In this regard, she pointed out that these attacks use the term “crazy” as a socially powerful tool to silence women.
“Women who are strong like Kamala are immediately disqualified when the word crazy is used as a strong signal,” the sociologist commented.
On the other hand, she explained that her ability to be president is being attacked in terms of DEA (diversity, equity and inclusion) hiring, which seeks to generate the idea that she is not capable, that she is not qualified for the position and was only taken into account based on her race and gender, regardless of her knowledge and her great work.
Manuel Ortiz, a sociologist and journalist, added that in 2017 a group of 35 mental health professionals warned that Donald Trump was not capable of being the leader of a nation and, nevertheless, he completed his term.
“At the time, there was talk about Trump’s mental health and specialists said he was not fit. Now Kamala is being attacked without conclusive evidence, since any person has the right to take care of their mental health and that does not make them any less capable of fulfilling their duties,” he said.
In an emotional ceremony full of patriotism and pride, the Peruvian flag flew in the heart of San Francisco, right in the respectable City Hall, on the occasion of the celebration of the 203rd anniversary of Peru's independence.
This significant event became an annual tradition through a proclamation, which brought together a vibrant Peruvian community, local leaders and supporters from diverse cultures who came together to commemorate this important date.
The event organized by Consulate General of Peru in San Francisco, was headed by Consul General Juan Miguel Miranda and his wife Maria Monica Budge, who coordinated the entire event. The ceremony was attended by prominent personalities of the city such as representatives of the various consulates such as Sonia Pereira from Colombia, and the new consul of Mexico in San Francisco, Ana Luisa Vallejo Barba.
The ceremony was attended by prominent figures from the city, such as representatives from various consulates such as Sonia Pereira from Colombia, and the new consul of Mexico in San Francisco, Ana Luisa Vallejo Barba. Photo: P360P
The ceremony began at 11:00 a.m., when an enthusiastic group gathered on the main balcony of City Hall. The Peruvian flag was raised and the group, led by Consul General Juan Miguel Miranda, sang the Peruvian national anthem a cappella, which added a special and emotional touch to the occasion.
Cultural performances included traditional Peruvian dances, including the Marinera, the Danza de las Tijeras and the Huayno, which delighted the audience and showcased the richness of Peru's cultural heritage. These dances, performed by talented local dance groups from Trujillo, were received with great enthusiasm and applause by the audience.
Cultural performances included traditional Peruvian dances, including the Marinera, the Danza de las Tijeras and the Huayno, which delighted the audience and showcased the richness of Peru's cultural heritage. Photo: P360P
One of the highlights of the ceremony was the presentation of an official proclamation from the city of San Francisco to the Peruvian consulate.
This proclamation, presented by San Francisco Mayor London Breed, recognized the valuable contribution of the Peruvian community to the cultural diversity and development of the city.
This significant event became an annual tradition through a proclamation, which brought together a vibrant Peruvian community, local leaders and supporters from diverse cultures who came together to commemorate this important date. Photo: P360PThe talented local dance groups from Trujillo were received with great enthusiasm and applause from the attendees. Photo: P360P
In her speech, Mayor Breed praised the entrepreneurial spirit, rich cultural heritage, and vibrant presence of Peruvians in San Francisco, visible in the city's new Peruvian restaurants, while Breed stressed the importance of inclusion and unity in current times.
Consul General Miranda, upon receiving the proclamation, expressed his deep gratitude to the city and to all those present.
“Today we celebrate not only the independence of our homeland, but also the strength and resilience of our community abroad,” said the consul. “This proclamation is a symbol of the bonds of friendship and cooperation that we have built with San Francisco and that we will continue to strengthen in the future.”
“This proclamation is a symbol of the ties of friendship and cooperation that we have built with San Francisco and that we will continue to strengthen in the future,” he said. Consul General Juan Miguel Miranda. Photo: P360P
The ceremony concluded with a tasting of Peruvian delicacies, including Pisco prepared especially for the occasion by Mrs. buddy, stuffed potatoes and quinoa, as well as cookies decorated with the Peruvian flag, allowing attendees to enjoy a little piece of Peru in the heart of California.
Attendees were visibly moved and proud, reaffirming their commitment to keeping their traditions alive and sharing them with the global community.
This event was highlighted by the richness of cultural diversity that San Francisco hosts, strengthening ties between cultures and reaffirming the spirit of unity and mutual respect.
In the history of bullying, the tactics of attacking and harassing immigrants in the United States are as old as its very formation, however, they continue, are perpetuated and exacerbated by racist and xenophobic speeches such as those of the Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump.
When you think of a bully, do you think only of the attacker or also of the one(s) who applaud and incite bullying? In political matters, the tactics of attacking and harassing immigrants in the United States are as old as their formation, however, they continue, are perpetuated and exacerbated by racist and xenophobic speeches such as those of the Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, and his running mate, JD Vance.
This was highlighted by sociologist and journalist Manuel Ortiz during the radio program Por La Libre, where he recalled that the attacks that Trump and his base of followers have made and continue to make are, in fact, “textbook,” since they follow a methodology that has been followed for a long time.
From Irish and Chinese, to Mexicans and Latin Americans in general, the chains of hate advance through various discourses of hate, racism and xenophobia, to which people from communities of color have also joined.
"There is this population that is not only white and Anglo-Saxon, even some from the Latin American community end up echoing these racist xenophobic messages that spread hatred against us," Ortiz said.
And, he recalled, the main resource against immigrants is to promote the discourse that they are dangerous invaders who put the nation at risk, all by generating fear, anguish and more hatred.
Previously, politicians used masks to hide their racism and xenophobia under the guise of being “patriots.” Today, that has been left behind, giving way to a series of officials, candidates, leaders, professors and artists, among many others, who express their hatred under the guise of “freedom of expression.”
To learn more about the topic, listen to the full Por La Libre program from this Saturday, July 27.
Transgender students face discrimination, Rob Bonta joined his peers in filing an amicus brief in the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals against Oklahoma legislation that bars transgender students from accessing school facilities that correspond to their gender identity.
The Attorney General of California, Rob Bonta, joined 17 of his peers today in filing an amicus brief in the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals challenging Oklahoma's legislation that bars transgender students from accessing school facilities that correspond to their gender identity, which the attorney general called discriminatory and unlawful.
The case arises from a lawsuit challenging Oklahoma Senate Bill 615 (SB 615), which categorically prohibits transgender students from using single-sex school facilities consistent with their gender identity.
After the Western District of Oklahoma granted the state defendants' motion to dismiss the case, the plaintiffs (three transgender students) appealed the decision to the Tenth Circuit.
The coalition claims in its amicus brief that SB 615 violates Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause, while outlining the serious harms to transgender youth that result from unlawful discrimination on the basis of an individual's gender identity.
“Legislation that prohibits transgender students from accessing school facilities that correspond to their gender identity is discriminatory, unlawful, and deeply egregious,” said Attorney General Bonta.
“We urge the Tenth Circuit to reverse the district court’s ruling to ensure that the rights and well-being of our most vulnerable student populations are upheld. As some states seek to undermine vital protections like Title IX, California remains committed to upholding stronger safeguards amid a rising tide of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric,” she added.
SB 615 is part of a dangerous wave of discriminatory legislation across the United States targeting transgender children.
More than 1.6 million people in the United States, including approximately 300,000 youth ages 13 to 17, identify as transgender.
The Attorney General's Office said in a statement that transgender youth suffer levels of discrimination, violence and harassment that far exceed those experienced by their cisgender counterparts.
Such discrimination, she stressed, predictably inflicts physical and mental harm, so legislation preventing transgender students from using sex-segregated facilities, including bathrooms, in accordance with their gender identity is unnecessary and illegal.
In that regard, Bonta pointed out that, unlike Oklahoma's discriminatory law, all California schools must allow students to use sex-segregated facilities in accordance with the student's gender identity.
In its amici brief today, the coalition supported the plaintiffs’ effort to block enforcement of SB 615, arguing that the law violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution by stigmatizing transgender students and denying them access to regular school facilities based on their gender identity.
Additionally, she says, it violates Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 by denying transgender children access to the same communal facilities that other children can use, and fails to recognize how inclusive laws and policies produce important benefits without compromising the privacy and safety of others.
The other attorneys general who joined the amicus brief were those of New York, Washington, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island and the District of Columbia.
For Ramón Zárate, a gameplay engineer at Los Angeles-based Uncapped Games, the path that led him to developing video games was also difficult, as he shares with us in an interview for P360.
All of us who enjoy video games as a favorite pastime have been interested at some point in working in this industry. I cannot deny that it was also a personal dream when I was younger to be able to participate in the creation of the worlds that I enjoyed so much. Unfortunately, for many young people (and not so young) in Latin America, this is nothing more than an unattainable dream.
For Ramón Zárate, a gameplay engineer at Los Angeles-based Uncapped Games, the path that led him to developing video games was also difficult, as he shares with us in an interview with P360.
Battle Aces is a real-time strategy title influenced by classics such as Starcraft, and the Uncapped Games team is made up of veterans from Blizzard, Relic, among others.
What we know so far is that it will be a free-to-play title in which we will unlock units the more we play against other people in multiplayer. Personally, I'm excited about the release of a game that features the experience of the people responsible for real-time strategy gems like Company of Heroes (a title very close to my heart), Starcraft or the Dawn of War series.
From Cuernavaca to the world
Originally from Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico, Ramón Zárate spent his childhood in the state of Tabasco, where he remembers reading articles about Mexican developers in the magazine “Club Nintendo.”
“I have always liked video games… they have been very important in my life, but the perception I had was that it was not realistic (to work in video games) in Mexico, so I did not seriously consider it,” Zárate shared with Península 360 Press.
He decided to study mathematics at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and as he himself admits, “curiously, the subjects I took made me believe that I didn’t want to be a programmer.” By the time he finished his university degree, he had realized that what he really wanted was to make video games, although he admits that he felt it was a risk. An academic career was “a guaranteed future,” but it was not what he was passionate about.
“There is a lot of prejudice, like you are abandoning (the mathematics degree) and taking the easy way out.” Ramón says that although it was not openly stated, there was disdain among his peers towards video games, which even led him not to express his interest in working in the industry.
With a lot of dedication and perseverance, she won a scholarship to study for a doctorate in Vancouver, Canada, and thus began her journey across the American continent. With many uncertainties, but with only one goal in mind.
“I started with very small jobs, my first job was literally minimum wage, and I didn’t even program,” he recalled. Ramón soon realized that studying to specialize in video game development in Canada would have meant taking on a huge debt that would have changed his life. He had to take a leap of faith into the workforce and let his work speak for him.
How to start making video games?
Ramón told Península 360 Press that the biggest contrast between working in the video game industry and academia is diversity.
“You work with people from all over the world, from all kinds of careers and non-careers, all kinds of education, with people who have done everything and that’s amazing… it’s my favorite part of the job.”
Creating a video game is a collaborative effort of many people: artists, designers, writers, programmers, voice actors, animators; even our interviewee tells us: “I have worked with people who were in film or commercials and were hired for certain projects in very specific parts.”
“I don’t think there is one path to the industry, the most important thing is the interest in doing it,” Ramón stressed. “Of course, programming requires skills in the field, but the video game industry is so big that that is not the only path. You can pursue a career as an artist, designer, actor, or many other adjacent things. But, above all, the interest in doing it, the courage to venture and seek to participate in the creation of video games is the most important thing.”
For Ramón, Mexico is in a very good position to enter the video game development industry because “there is a lot of potential.” Unfortunately, what is lacking are companies and financing, because making video games costs money.
“The hardest part of making a game is getting a group of talented people together and giving them the resources they need,” said the Mexican programmer.
Migrating to achieve a dream
Ramón Zárate also acknowledged that he has had many privileges on his journey to the north of our continent: “Being able to migrate, for me, meant studying, being admitted to a university, having a scholarship, although there are still many challenges.”
Arriving in a place where people don't speak your language, being far from family and fighting for a visa to work, among many other things, are obstacles that he had to overcome. For him, having a plan, appreciating the situation you are in before taking hasty steps, is essential to tackle the challenges of migrating.
After living in Canada for 18 years, he admits that he still feels like a foreigner; even though his children were born in the northern country, he still feels “neither from here nor from there.”
In this regard, he said that he feels a “strange guilt” because sometimes he feels like an outsider. Faced with this, he repeats to himself: “I live here, I’m from here, I have an accent, I like different things and there’s no problem, it’s cool.” At the same time, when he visits the Uncapped Games headquarters in Los Angeles, California, he feels at home: “Everyone is Mexican, everyone speaks Spanish.”
Ramón, like many other Latinos, understands that migration is normal for humans, it is part of our history as societies and will never cease to exist. As he says in his own words: “as humans, no one is from anywhere, everyone has migrated, everyone came from somewhere else.”
Ramón's story is like that of many Latin immigrants who travel across the continent in search of a dream that drives them to fight against all odds.
Stay tuned for the release of Battle Aces, you can be sure we'll have more news about this game in the future.
