Local officials and county leaders broke ground on the ambitious $132.5 million North County Wellness Center that will be located at 1024 Mission Road, near BART and SamTrans stations. Photo: San Mateo County
Visitors to the North County Wellness Center will be greeted in a bright, naturally lit reception area with natural wood walls and windows overlooking a garden. They will be directed through wide hallways to a health clinic, dental suite and private areas where they can learn about and apply for health insurance, nutritional assistance and additional social services.
Local officials and county leaders have broken ground on the ambitious $132.5 million center that will be located at 1024 Mission Road, near BART and SamTrans stations.
“This center brings essential services closer to residents who rely on the county and our partners for health care, dental care and more,” said San Mateo County Supervisor Dave Pine, whose District 1 includes the Wellness Center.
“This center brings essential services closer to residents who rely on the county and our partners for health care, dental care and more,” said San Mateo County Supervisor Dave Pine, whose District 1 includes the Wellness Center. Photo: San Mateo County
“Once completed, individuals and families across North County will be able to meet with specialists to verify their eligibility and apply for assistance for programs like CalFresh and low-cost child care, all under one roof,” she said.
When it opens in 2026, the center’s clinics will primarily serve individuals and families who receive care for or are eligible for Medi-Cal, which offers free or low-cost programs.
In addition to the services provided by the County Health Department and Human Services Agency, the three-story, 77,000-square-foot building will also provide satellite offices for the District Attorney and Treasurer/Tax Collector.
The Wellness Center's design, described by the architect as contemporary, uses a large amount of natural wood instead of the synthetic materials commonly found in paneling and ceiling tiles.
“We want to create an environment where people are happy or feel encouraged to be here,” said Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman David Canepa, whose District 5 includes areas of South San Francisco.
“People can come here with a lot of stress: they are here to see a doctor or to seek some kind of public assistance. We want to avoid that feeling that you get in so many public buildings, where the concrete walls, the poor lighting and the narrow rooms seem to crush you,” he said.
County officials were joined at the groundbreaking ceremony by local officials and civic leaders.
The Wellness Center will be one of the first healthcare buildings constructed from cross-laminated timber, which consists of layers of wood bonded together with adhesives.
Timber construction and the inclusion of electric vehicle chargers, bicycle parking, native plants, solar power stations and other sustainable features put the County on track to achieve LEED Gold Certification.
Funding for this new facility comes from the County General Fund and Measure K, the countywide half-cent sales tax that provides local funding for local needs.
La ciudad de East Palo Alto está dando un paso importante hacia la concientización sobre la salud mental y la prevención del suicidio al designar oficialmente septiembre de 2024 como el Mes de la Prevención del Suicidio (SPM).
Esta proclamación se realizará durante la reunión del Concejo Municipal el 3 de septiembre de 2024, lo que refleja el compromiso de la ciudad de fomentar una comunidad solidaria y empoderar a los residentes para prevenir el suicidio.
El tema de 2024 para el Mes de la Prevención del Suicidio, “El amor sobre la soledad”, subraya la importancia de la conexión social para combatir la soledad, un tema crítico en la actualidad.
A principios de este año, la Junta de Supervisores del Condado de San Mateo aprobó una resolución que declaraba la soledad como una crisis de salud pública, enfatizando la necesidad de promover la conexión social dentro de nuestras comunidades.
Según la Encuesta de salud y calidad de vida del condado de San Mateo de 2023, 45 por ciento de los residentes informaron haber experimentado dificultades con la soledad y el aislamiento. Ahora más que nunca, es vital que encontremos formas de conectarnos unos con otros.
Cada año, la Oficina de Diversidad y Equidad de Servicios de Recuperación y Salud Conductual del Condado de San Mateo y el Comité de Prevención del Suicidio publican un Calendario de Eventos que promueve ampliamente las actividades del Mes de la Prevención del Suicidio entre los proveedores locales, los socios y la comunidad.
La ciudad de East Palo Alto hizo un llamado a sus residentes a que se apoyen mutuamente reconociendo las señales de suicidio, encontrando las palabras para iniciar una conversación y comunicándose con recursos locales, como la línea directa de crisis StarVista del condado de San Mateo al (650) 579-0350 o el Línea Nacional de Prevención del Suicidio al 988 o al 1-800-273-TALK.
Asimismo, manifestó seguir comprometido con la concientización sobre la salud mental como parte de la Iniciativa de Salud Mental de los Alcaldes del Condado de San Mateo. Dicho esfuerzo a nivel de condado reúne a alcaldes de 20 ciudades con el objetivo compartido de promover el acceso a recursos de salud mental y aumentar la conciencia dentro de sus comunidades.
Finalmente, el Concejo Municipal de East Palo Alto hizo un llamado a todos los residentes a encontrar su papel en la prevención del suicidio y unirse al esfuerzo para crear una comunidad más segura y solidaria para todos.
“Unámonos para ‘conocer las señales, encontrar las palabras y extender la mano’”.
Employers who cheat are a concern for San Mateo County. A grant of nearly $740,000 was unanimously accepted, which will serve to strengthen efforts to investigate and prosecute deceitful employers who try to defraud their workers out of the wages they are entitled to.
Listen to this note:
The the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors unanimously accepted a grant of nearly $740,000, which will be used to strengthen efforts to investigate and prosecute deceitful employers who try to defraud their workers out of paying them the wages they are entitled to.
The state grant will fund a new deputy district attorney and a supporting investigator, as well as provide additional forensic audit resources for the District Attorney's Office to investigate what are often complex cases.
The county noted that the $739,396 grant provides funding as county officials launch a new Office of Labor Standards and Compliance, which will be a partnership between the County Executive's Office, the County Attorney's Office and the District Attorney's Office.
“The Board of Supervisors’ approval of the District Attorney’s Wage Theft Program will allow my office to investigate and prosecute employers who rob their employees of their hard-earned wages,” said District Attorney Stephen M. Wagstaff. “With a full-time prosecutor and investigator, justice for employee victims is now possible.”
The office, once established, will also work with employers to inform them of their rights and the rights of workers.
“We are grateful to District Attorney Wagstaffe, Deputy District Attorney Jill Nerone, and the District Attorney’s Office for prioritizing the investigation and prosecution of these cases, providing justice for victims of wage theft, and ultimately deterring others from abusing vulnerable workers in this manner,” said Supervisor Ray Mueller, who along with Supervisor Dave Pine presented the proposal to create the office to the full Board.
Local officials say there is a pressing need to devote more resources to preventing and investigating wage theft.
According to experts, low-wage earners, women, people of color, non-English speaking workers, and the foreign-born are at particular risk of wage theft.
Examples of wage theft include unpaid wages, being paid less than minimum wage, failure to accrue sick leave or overtime pay, and unauthorized payroll deductions, among others.
Last year, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to create the Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement with the mission of helping victims of wage theft recover stolen wages.
The reform of the Judicial Branch has a process to conclude, so there is enough time to let the virtual president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, give her opinion and make the necessary adjustments, José Martín Íñiguez, professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
The Reform to the Judicial Branch promoted by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has generated criticism at national and international level for the election of judges through popular vote, an issue that will be left in the hands of Claudia Sheinbaum due to the procedural stage, time that will allow the president-elect to make personal changes, said José Martín Íñiguez, professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
José Martín Íñiguez Ramos, professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences at UNAM, commented in an interview during the radio program Península 360 Press and Hecho en California with Marcos Gutiérrez, that this reform still has a process to conclude, so there is enough time to let the virtual president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, give her opinion and make the necessary adjustments.
“They left the field cleared for the reforms to be approved, but this will not happen like this, because it would put Claudia Sheinbaum in a very weak position, especially before Mexican society, commercial partners and other countries… I do not believe that she would be capable of shooting herself in the foot, deep down she does not agree,” added the professor at the Universidad Iberoamericana (IBERO).
The document presented by the Mexican Government proposes modifying Article 95 of the Constitution, which would allow judges to be elected by direct and secret vote for a period of up to 12 years, changing the current 15 years; in the case of the ministers of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN), they would last 8, 11 and 14 years, depending on the results of the vote.
The Federal Judicial Council would lose the right to appoint judges and magistrates as it currently has, since the ministers are proposed by the president through a list of three candidates and the winner must have the support of at least two thirds of the current senators.
In this regard, Iñiguez stressed that, by electing judges, magistrates and ministers through popular vote, there would not be a good process, since in reality the winner would be the one who makes the best campaign, which opens a huge field to various powers such as organized crime, business, civil society, pressure groups and more, who can place their own candidates.
“It puts at risk the capacity of those who will lead in power, since a young graduate is not the same as a person who has spent years making a meritorious career for a position like these and that is when the important question arises: who is going to pay for the campaigns of these candidates? And if the number of candidates is exceeded, it will be decided through a raffle, which is illogical,” he pointed out.
If approved, elections to renew ministers, magistrates and judges would be held in 2025, the head of the Ministry of the Interior, Luisa María Alcalde, reported in February.
The reform is at the federal level, the positions that would be put to popular election are 1,600 and it is divided into two stages, June 2025 and 2027, two years later, but this is only a proposal that should be approved by both chambers.
Professor Íñiguez explained that not everything is due to the popular vote, since it is necessary to mention that within these modifications many benefits that are excessive and unnecessary will be removed, it is the part that can be rescued and that is important to adjust.
The Stanford Law School Rule of Law Impact Lab and the Mexican Bar Association warned that this reform “constitutes a direct threat to judicial independence, violates international standards, and undermines democracy in Mexico.”
The letter issued by the United States ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, on August 22 was very drastic, said Íñiguez, saying that it is putting at risk not only the T-MEC (Free Trade Agreement between Canada, the United States and Mexico), but also foreign investments, since it has already been approved by the committees, which is why it attracts the attention of foreign investors.
The reform of the Judicial Branch is an issue that must be analyzed in due time, as Claudia Sheinbaum has stated, leaving the opportunity to make her own reform with sufficient time to analyze, adjust and propose for consideration, she specified.
“She has not yet taken power and can only give her opinions for the moment and, unlike López Obrador, her cabinet is more technical, more professional, since the people who will be at her side are more professional and there will be two forms of government, so it remains to be seen what she decides,” emphasized also a professor of the armed forces at the Center for Higher Naval Studies.
This Wednesday, August 28, Claudia Sheinbaum called on the Morena bench in the Chamber of Deputies not to accelerate the discussion of the reform to the Judicial Branch, which is part of a package of 20 reforms to modify various parts of the Constitution, because she assures that the procedural stage must be respected and that she will send her own proposal after October 1, a fact that confirmed what was stated by Professor Íñiguez.
Labor Rights Week, in its 16th edition, is taking place at the Consulate General of Mexico in San Francisco, and in 2024 the motto is “Rights, health and working people: The power of collaboration.”
At the inauguration ceremony held on Monday, August 26 between ten and eleven in the morning, not only the new Mexican consul, Ana Luisa Vallejo, was present, but also representatives of federal and state agencies such as the National Department of Labor Relations and the California Agricultural Labor Board, among others.
Labor Rights Week, in its 16th edition, is taking place at the Consulate General of Mexico in San Francisco, and this 2024 the motto is “Rights, health and working people: The power of collaboration.”
Referring to the theme of these events, Consul Vallejo said that the objective of the diplomatic representation, during the week, as throughout the year, is to work together with the agencies so that the cases of Mexicans whose rights at work are affected are brought before these authorities and a solution can be found.
According to Vallejo, it is imperative and urgent that his fellow citizens who live and work in the Bay Area know what their rights are, regardless of their immigration status.
Consul Vallejo said that the objective of the diplomatic representation, both during the week and throughout the year, is to work together with the agencies so that the cases of Mexicans whose rights at work are affected are brought before these authorities and a solution can be found.
"We want them to know that they can count on the Consulate as a safe space," said the diplomat, for example: if they have done a job and have not been paid, and are afraid to complain; or if they are injured and are not paid what they are owed, she stressed.
“We want them to know that the Consulate is a safe space,” said Consul Ana Luisa Vallejo.
“The Consulate is here to support you,” said Vallejo.
Some of the panels in this series can be viewed on Facebook Live, such as “Know your family rights” this Wednesday, August 28 at 11 a.m., led by lawyer María Antonieta Grasso.
On Thursday the 29th, José Nevarez (Cal-OSHA) will be speaking on Facebook at 12 noon about preventing heat-related illnesses. The talk will be repeated on Friday the 30th at the same time.
Other talks will take place at the consulate, located at 545 Folsom Street, in the city's financial district and very close to the Embarcadero. Admission is free.
Exhibitor calendar for August 29 and 30:
Thursday 29th:
– 8 to 10 am: Gisselle Pérez, Federal Commission for Equal Employment Opportunities.
– 9 to 11 am: Evelyn Prieto, Salary and Hours Division of the federal Department of Labor.
– 12:30 pm to 2 pm: Armando Islas, Department of Labor.
Friday 30th:
– 9 to 11 am: Olive Kersey, Clara Nowinski and Michela Panichella, International Rescue Committee (Trafficking in Persons).
– 11 am to 12:30 pm: Tania García-O'Higgins, Introduction to labor trafficking, SHADE Movement.
If you are experiencing problems at work, including discrimination, physical or verbal abuse, sexual harassment, non-payment of wages, threats of dismissal or deportation, etc., the Consulate urges you to call the toll-free telephone line 1-877 – 55 – AYUDA (1 – 877 – 552 – 9832).
The largest affordable housing project in San Mateo County history received key financial support from the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, August 27.
By unanimous vote, supervisors approved a $14 million loan that will spur construction at Midway Village, located near Cow Palace in Daly City's Bayshore neighborhood.
“This is probably one of the most transformative projects in terms of housing in San Mateo County ever,” said board Vice President David Canepa, whose District 5 includes Midway Village. “We’re looking at building 555 units. This is incredible.”
The County, through the Housing Authority, is working with partners to transform and expand Midway Village into a neighborhood that showcases affordable housing in the modern era.
The new housing will also help achieve the goal of “zero functional homelessness” — when the social services system can prevent homelessness whenever possible and ensure that when it does occur, it is infrequent, brief and one-time only, the county said in a statement.
“This area in particular needs a lot of help,” Canepa said, noting that the area has lower median incomes than most other areas on the peninsula. “We’ve talked about the need for affordable housing. This is really going to do that.”
Facilities will include a daycare center, a community garden, an exercise room, a meeting space and outdoor recreation areas.
Local officials say residents will include former foster youth, who will be offered a variety of support services, as well as individuals and families and people who previously experienced homelessness.
The original Midway Village, with 150 units, opened in the mid-1970s to provide housing for low-income individuals and families on the site of a former gasworks and World War II Navy housing. Redevelopment is taking place in stages.
Led by nonprofit housing developer MidPen Housing, construction of Phase 1 was completed in May 2024, providing 147 affordable housing units and a parking garage that will serve Phase 1 and Phase 2 residents. Current Midway Village residents have priority for the new housing.
The approval of the loan granted on Tuesday will kick off the development of Phase 2, which includes a total of 111 units ranging from studios to four bedrooms along with two additional units for on-site managers.
“We applaud San Mateo County for its critical commitment to the final piece of funding for Phase 2 of Midway Village, which will bring 111 affordable homes for families and a new child care center to Daly City,” said Matthew O. Franklin, President and CEO of MidPen Housing.
“We welcomed 147 families and individuals to Phase 1 this year, and with Phase 2 starting in early 2025, we are excited to continue moving toward a total of 555 new affordable homes over four phases,” he added.
Qualified applicants must meet certain income and other requirements. Most units, for example, are reserved for individuals or families earning between 15 and 60 percent of the area median income.
Of the 111 units, 29 are reserved for clients of the county's Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, which offers supportive services such as case management and counseling.
All 150 existing Midway Village households are eligible to live in Phase 1 or Phase 2 apartments without having to undergo temporary relocation.
Phases 3 and 4 will provide additional affordable housing, including some homeownership opportunities. Phase 5 will provide a large public park with playing fields and play structures operated by the City of Daly City.
“This field will give access to a community that does not have a field, whether it is for soccer or American football,” said Canepa.
The adulteration of facts is a political instrument: UNAM. In image: Raúl Trejo Delarbre, researcher at the UNAM Institute for Social Research, Geysha González, director of operations at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), based in Washington, DC Screenshot from the video of the conference “Does disinformation demand media literacy?was born."
Education is a powerful tool to counteract disinformation, a phenomenon that has become a “cancer” for societies. In the face of the manipulation of information, a digital citizenship is needed that is well-versed in the ability to discern between contents, experts said.
At the press conference “Does disinformation demand media literacy?, organized by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and the United States Embassy in Mexico, Raúl Trejo Delarbre, researcher at the Institute for Social Research of this university, stated that the distortion of facts has been a deliberate practice throughout world history.
Along the same lines, Geysha González, director of operations at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), based in Washington, DC, explained that disinformation is the manipulation of information with the intention of blurring the line between what is reality and what is fiction.
Today, “aggressor actors are trying to push false narratives” that attempt to suppress that line, he said.
Adulteration is a political instrument, but the characteristic of today is that with the rise and global and multitudinous use of social-digital networks “we are more exposed to the fabrication of falsehoods.” Unlike what we see in the media, the information that appears in them is de-hierarchized, jumbled, confusing and brief, Trejo Delarbre said.
The specialist in media and social-digital media, and member of the Institute for the Democratic Transition, the Mexican Association for the Right to Information and the Mexican Association of Communication Researchers, added that there are people who only learn about political and electoral issues through the networks; they do not read newspapers and their prejudices are reinforced.
In this regard, he said that, additionally, we are currently faced with the possibility that these digital tools, in addition to the lies told by political actors, contain false content created with generative artificial intelligence resources, which create videos, audios or texts.
“This way of deceiving people is just one way of distorting the public debate that is necessary in any democracy,” he warned.
In light of this, he proposed that companies label their content in an indelible manner so that it is known whether each material is artificial or not. In addition, the role of the media is fundamental because “no one can assess or examine the content better than information professionals,” he explained.
Raúl Trejo suggested that society at least try to discriminate between false and true content, and that each person ask themselves whether it is true or not before forwarding it.
Freedom of expression is sacred and must be inviolable, he said, but it does not exist if there are no guarantees from the State; and this requires plurality.
"There are governments that set themselves up as truth-tellers, and want to tell society what is false and what is true. And here we face the risk that the biases that each one has will prevail and, instead of verifiers, we will have 'pontiffs' of truth," he said.
For this reason, he insisted, we must encourage digital citizenship, without forgetting that there is no freedom that is absolute and does not require laws. The same applies to freedom of expression to protect the privacy and honorability of people against defamation, he concluded.
Returning to the use of the word, Geysha González explained that this phenomenon is a “cancer in our societies,” which affects communication with each other, health (as occurred with the issue of vaccines during the pandemic), the way in which important issues are discussed, and “it separates us.” Moreover, it does so effectively.
Social media, he recalled, is a business that is not based on true or false facts, but on how much time the public spends on them. Therefore, he considered, the most appropriate way to counter misinformation “is the individual.”
In this regard, he mentioned that misinformation is like smoking: addictive; the world loves to know, “click,” follow; “but cigarettes cause cancer, and despite this, people decide to smoke.”
As citizens concerned about democracy and the future, the most important thing should be individuals, who must verify the information, and seek the truth and the facts. “The citizen has the responsibility, and the power, to know the truth.”
The most valuable thing about democratic societies is that no one can restrict freedom of expression; “you can say your opinion and express yourself.” In that sense, the solution is not to restrict it. Civil society and journalists, for example, can participate in verifying what is true, he stressed.
One in three people in the United States get their news information on TikTok. Each individual has a responsibility and needs the tools to identify it on social media, Gonzalez added.
Democracy is failing and losing in the global competition as to what is real and what is false; “we are not countering the falsehoods that are spread in society.” To achieve this, he reiterated, education is the most powerful tool.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador reported during his morning press conference that Mexico is putting relations with the embassies of the United States and Canada on hold, after speaking out regarding Judicial Reform, which seeks to have federal judges elected by direct vote. Photo: X @lopezobrador_
During his morning press conference, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced that relations with the embassies of the United States and Canada are on hold, after speaking out regarding the Judicial Reform, which seeks to have federal judges elected by direct vote.
“With all due respect, this is not a matter of dispute or enmity, but how can we allow him to give his opinion on what we are doing? We are not going to tell him to leave the country, no, but we do have to read him the Constitution, which is like reading him the riot act,” said the Mexican president.
The relationship with Ken Salazar, the United States ambassador to Mexico, he said, “is good, but it is on hold,” which he specified since he issued a letter on the proposal for Judicial Reform in Mexico on August 22.
“Pausing means that we are going to take our time, because hopefully the State Department… because it is not the State Department either, what a coincidence that at the same time that they are speaking out in Mexico, through the Embassy, the Canadians are doing so, which is also 'embarrassing', with all due respect to the Canadian government. It seems like an associated State,” he stressed.
In his remarks, Ken Salazar, while saying he respects the country's sovereignty, said that as leaders in Mexico consider judicial reform, he hopes the ultimate outcome will lead to a strong and independent judiciary.
“Based on my lifelong experience supporting the rule of law, I believe that the direct election of judges represents a major risk to the functioning of Mexico’s democracy. Any judicial reform must have safeguards that ensure that the judiciary is strengthened and not subject to the corruption of politics,” the U.S. ambassador said.
He also said that the debate over the direct election of judges in these times, as well as the “fierce politics” if the elections of judges in 2025 and 2027 were approved, threaten the historic commercial relationship between Mexico and the United States, which, he said, depends on the confidence of investors in Mexico's legal framework.
In that regard, Salazar explained that direct elections could also make it easier for cartels and other malicious actors to take advantage of inexperienced judges with political motivations.
“We understand the importance of Mexico’s fight against judicial corruption. However, direct and political election of judges, in my view, will not solve judicial corruption nor strengthen the judiciary. It would also undermine efforts to realize North American economic integration and create turbulence, as the debate over direct election will continue for years to come,” the diplomat added.
He also stressed that a strengthened judiciary in Mexico must have judges capable of handling complex litigation for extraditions, commercial disputes and other issues.
“However, the proposal, as it stands, eliminates the necessary requirements for having the most qualified judges, including reducing the years of experience required to serve at all levels of the judiciary.”
A hate crime can take years to be prosecuted without providing justice to the victim. In 2023 alone, California law enforcement reported a total of 1,970 hate crimes, but only five went to trial, according to data from the California Attorney General's Office.
A hate crime can take years to prosecute without bringing justice to the victim; in 2023 alone, California law enforcement reported a total of 1,970 hate crimes, but only five went to trial, according to data from the California Attorney General's Office.
In 2021, as the state experienced an alarming uptick in hate violence, only one case went to trial. People of African descent are overwhelmingly the targets of such crimes, while Jewish, Muslim and LGBTQ+ people are also experiencing a rise in bias-motivated attacks.
Hate crimes are notoriously difficult to prove, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said, echoing comments from his counterparts across the country. Despite the discouraging data, experts said during a briefing by the California Attorney General, Ethnic Media Services, that it is important to report hate crimes, even if conviction rates are low.
Monthanus Ratanapakdee, whose father was killed in what appeared to be a hate crime, said it is very difficult to classify this case as one, because there is not enough evidence to qualify it and even if it is obvious, prosecutors are asking for more clear evidence.
The family is demanding justice for what happened and hopes it will be judged as a hate crime. Ratanapakdee said it is important to fight for justice and provide security to vulnerable communities so that this act does not happen again.
Kunni, a waitress who was pepper-sprayed while her attackers shouted “go back to your country,” spoke about her case and how difficult it has been to move on with her life after what happened.
She explained that when the police arrived, a report was filed, witnesses were asked for and the video they had was provided, however, nothing was sufficient and the police said it was not a hate crime. It was concluded that the attack was due to not providing them with attention at the pool table and that the person who attacked her with pepper spray was not charged with any crime.
“I have had to go to the psychologist every Wednesday to deal with my anxiety and I still feel it every time I walk down the street. I don’t feel safe and I’m scared. I have post-traumatic stress disorder,” said Kunni, who said that “after this attack, nothing is the same.”
Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Erin West said that in hate crime cases, there are always at least two people on the case who are looking out for the matter and these issues are handled very delicately.
He also deeply regretted the feelings of the victims, as they are inflicted with damage that is impossible to repair.
West spoke of the challenges faced when working on suspected hate cases, as it must be determined that these were acts of hate rather than circumstances; to be certain, one must try to prove how the person who attacked was thinking in order to confirm their true intentions.
“Santa Clara County reported that last year it had 32 cases of hate crimes and of those 20 were considered as such, but none have reached trial, so the statistics leave a large bias between the numbers,” he stressed.
Manjusha Kulkarni, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, said there are some challenges facing hate crime cases that prevent resolution, such as police not considering certain acts as hate.
Many cases are not considered hate crimes because it is not clear whether the intention was to harm the community in a circumstantial manner or whether it was an opportunity to gain some benefit, so in order to have more clarity, the legal statutes must be expanded.
In this regard, Kulkarni called on the population to put an end to hatred. There are 173 thousand associations that work to protect various vulnerable communities, because it is important to fight to resolve cases of hatred, but it is more important to prevent them and heal communities to avoid more acts of this kind.
“We are one of the most diverse countries, we are the fifth largest economy in the world and we must stop the hate that hurts marginalized communities and that is why we need all the comprehensive approaches and support available,” she concluded.
La Universidad Estatal de California y la Universidad de California están dando la bienvenida a los activistas estudiantiles nuevamente al campus este otoño con reglas para protestas renovadas. Foto: Manuel Ortiz P360P
La Universidad Estatal de California y la Universidad de California están dando la bienvenida a los activistas estudiantiles nuevamente al campus este otoño con reglas de protesta renovadas que señalan una línea más dura sobre los campamentos, las barreras y, bajo ciertas circunstancias, el uso de máscaras faciales.
Cal State, el sistema universitario público más grande del país, fue el primero en emitir su política el jueves, un conjunto de restricciones que rigen las reuniones públicas en los campus universitarios. El presidente de la UC, Michael Drake, siguió el lunes con una carta en la que describía sus expectativas de que los rectores del campus impongan restricciones sobre cómo los estudiantes podrían participar en las protestas este otoño.
Los dos sistemas se suman a una ola de universidades que han revisado las normas sobre cómo y dónde se puede manifestar en sus campus tras las protestas pro palestinas de la primavera pasada. Los críticos dicen que algunas restricciones más estrictas podrían limitar el derecho a la libertad de expresión.
La política de Cal State prohíbe los campamentos de tiendas de campaña y las manifestaciones nocturnas, un rasgo característico de los movimientos de protesta de la primavera tanto dentro de la CSU como en las instituciones de educación superior. También está prohibido erigir barricadas, vallas y mobiliario no autorizados.
“La política prohíbe los campamentos y quienes intenten iniciar uno pueden ser sancionados o disciplinados”, dijo la portavoz de la CSU, Hazel Kelly, en una declaración escrita a EdSource. “Los presidentes de los campus y sus funcionarios designados harán cumplir esta prohibición y tomarán las medidas adecuadas para detener los campamentos, lo que incluye dar un aviso claro a quienes infrinjan la normativa de que deben interrumpir sus actividades de campamento de inmediato”.
Kelly dijo que los campamentos “son disruptivos y pueden generar un ambiente hostil para algunos miembros de la comunidad. Tenemos la obligación de garantizar que todos los miembros de la comunidad puedan acceder a la propiedad y los programas de la Universidad”.
Los campus de la UC también prohibirán los campamentos u otras “estructuras no autorizadas”, dijo Drake en una carta a los rectores del campus el lunes por la mañana, en la que les ordena que hagan cumplir esas reglas. También dijo que deben prohibir cualquier cosa que restrinja el movimiento en el campus, lo que podría incluir protestas que bloqueen las aceras y las carreteras o nieguen el acceso a las instalaciones de la UC a cualquier persona en el campus.
“Espero que la dirección proporcionada en esta carta los ayude a lograr un ambiente inclusivo y acogedor en nuestros campus que proteja y permita la libre expresión al mismo tiempo que garantice la seguridad de todos los miembros de la comunidad al brindar mayor claridad y consistencia en nuestras políticas y su aplicación”, agregó Drake.
La UC se enfrenta a la fecha límite del 1 de octubre
Como parte del acuerdo sobre el presupuesto estatal de este año, los legisladores ordenaron a la oficina de Drake que creara un “marco sistémico” para aplicar de manera sistemática las normas sobre protestas en todos los campus de la UC. Los legisladores están reteniendo 25 millones de dólares de la UC hasta que Drake presente un informe a la Legislatura antes del 1 de octubre en el que se detallen esos planes.
Una variedad de instituciones de educación superior ha reforzado políticas que restringen las manifestaciones y reuniones similares en reacción a las protestas por la guerra entre Israel y Hamás el año escolar pasado.
Las “directrices temporales” de la Universidad de Pensilvania incluyen la prohibición de megáfonos y altavoces después de las 5 de la tarde en días lectivos, así como un límite de dos semanas para la exhibición de carteles y pancartas, según The Associated Press.
La política de la Universidad de Indiana permite “actividades expresivas” como protestas solo de 6 de la mañana a 11 de la noche y requiere aprobación previa para colgar o colocar carteles en la propiedad de la universidad. Las reglas de la Universidad del Sur de Florida estipulan que no se permiten protestas en las últimas dos semanas de un semestre, informó AP, entre otras restricciones.
Tyler Valeska, profesor adjunto de derecho en la Universidad Loyola de Chicago, dijo que si bien en el pasado una universidad no parecía muy dispuesta a aplicar estrictamente las normas de protesta, muchas ahora están anunciando un enfoque más enérgico en el futuro.
“Durante años, tal vez incluso décadas, parecía que los funcionarios universitarios tenían una política escrita y luego otra política en su enfoque real de aplicación”, dijo. “Y vimos un cambio importante con respecto a ese status quo en la primavera, cuando las universidades de todo el país comenzaron de repente a aplicar políticas que habían estado en los libros durante años o décadas, pero que nunca se habían aplicado realmente contra el discurso estudiantil relativamente no disruptivo”.
“Puede ser que las universidades estén promocionando sus políticas sin ninguna intención real de aplicarlas estrictamente, pero en base a lo que vimos en la primavera, eso me sorprendería”, añadió.
Applies to all Cal State campuses
La política provisional de Cal State se aplica a los 23 campus del sistema y reemplaza las normas de cada escuela. Los directivos de la universidad siguen teniendo discreción en cuestiones específicas, como determinar qué edificios y espacios del campus se consideran áreas públicas y en qué horas del día se puede acceder a esos espacios, lo que explicarán además de la política para todo el sistema.
La carta de Drake a los rectores del campus no es una política para todo el sistema. En cambio, su carta ordena a cada campus que elabore sus propias políticas. Esas políticas deben cumplir ciertos requisitos, incluida la prohibición de los campamentos.
Es probable que algunos campus ya cuenten con las políticas necesarias, dijo Drake en su carta. Si no las tienen, deberían desarrollar o modificar las políticas existentes lo antes posible, agregó. En cualquier caso, cada campus debe proporcionar un documento o una página web que describa esas políticas.
Los dos sistemas universitarios de cuatro años de California han sido objeto de críticas por la forma en que respondieron a las protestas en solidaridad con Palestina esta primavera. Algunos líderes del campus abordaron a los activistas estudiantiles con suavidad, permitiendo que los estudiantes acamparan durante la noche en los patios de manera pacífica y negociando con los representantes hasta que desmantelaran voluntariamente los campamentos. Pero cuando estallaron conflictos entre manifestantes, contra manifestantes y administradores en algunos campus, los líderes universitarios llamaron a las fuerzas del orden para que desmantelaran los campamentos y arrestaran a los estudiantes que no acataron las órdenes de dispersarse.
Highlights of both systems
Las nuevas pautas de protesta sugieren que Cal State y UC ahora se dirigen aproximadamente en la misma dirección, adoptando una postura más firme contra prácticas que aparecieron con frecuencia en las protestas de primavera.
Los aspectos más destacados de las políticas incluyen:
Acampada: La política de Cal State prohíbe “los campamentos de cualquier tipo, las manifestaciones nocturnas… y el merodeo nocturno”. Prohíbe el uso de parafernalia para acampar, incluidos vehículos recreativos y tiendas de campaña. Llevar “grandes cantidades de pertenencias personales” al campus sin permiso también está prohibido, excepto en los casos permitidos en las residencias de estudiantes y los espacios de trabajo universitarios. La carta de Drake ordena a los rectores de la UC que aclaren sus políticas para dejar en claro que no se permite montar un campamento, una tienda de campaña o una estructura de alojamiento temporal sin autorización previa.
Barricadas y otras estructuras: Drake solicita a los campus que se aseguren de que sus políticas prohíban la construcción de estructuras no autorizadas en el campus. La política provisional de Cal State también incluye una serie de estructuras temporales y permanentes (carpas, plataformas, puestos, bancos, edificios, materiales de construcción (como ladrillos, palés, etc.), paredes, barreras, barricadas, vallas, estructuras, esculturas, portabicicletas o muebles) que no están permitidas sin permiso.
Uso de mascarillas y negativa a identificarse: la carta de Cal State y Drake invoca la misma política sobre el uso de mascarillas casi al pie de la letra. Ambos advierten que no se permiten las mascarillas ni otros intentos de ocultar la identidad “con la intención de intimidar y acosar a ninguna persona o grupo, o con el propósito de evadir o escapar del descubrimiento, reconocimiento o identificación en la comisión de violaciones” de leyes o políticas relevantes. Además, el lenguaje de Cal State señala que las mascarillas están “permitidas para todas las personas que cumplan con las políticas de la Universidad y las leyes aplicables”. De manera similar, ambos sistemas prohíben que las personas se nieguen a identificarse ante un funcionario de la Universidad que actúe en su carácter oficial en el campus.
Restricción de la libre circulación: La carta de Drake enfatiza que las políticas del campus deben prohibir restringir la libre circulación de otra persona, por ejemplo, bloqueando pasillos, ventanas o puertas de manera que se niegue el acceso a las instalaciones de la universidad. La orientación llega días después de que un juez federal emitiera una orden preliminar que prohibía a la UCLA “permitir o facilitar deliberadamente la exclusión de estudiantes judíos” en su campus. La política provisional de Cal State incluye advertencias generales contra acciones que “impidan o restrinjan la libre circulación de cualquier persona” y bloqueen calles, pasillos, estacionamientos u otros caminos para peatones y vehículos.
Kelly, portavoz de la CSU, dijo que las secciones de la política sobre campamentos, el uso de barricadas y cubiertas faciales “no son nuevas y ya están vigentes en su mayor parte en cada universidad y en la Oficina del Rector”.
En la primavera, los estudiantes construyeron campamentos en los campus de la UC, incluidos UCLA y UC San Diego, así como en los campus de Cal State, incluidos Sacramento State y San Francisco State. Bobby King, portavoz de San Francisco State, dijo que la escuela concedió a los estudiantes la primavera pasada una excepción a la política de horario, lugar y modales del campus.
“La nueva política de la CSU creará una mayor urgencia para resolver una situación como la que tuvimos la primavera pasada”, dijo. “Obviamente, con la nueva política en vigor, los líderes del campus que interactúan con los estudiantes tendrán que transmitir esa urgencia”.
La política provisional de Cal State adopta un enfoque integral para definir lo que está permitido y lo que no durante las manifestaciones, prohibiendo artículos como armas de fuego, explosivos y chalecos antibalas, así como acciones como disparar flechas, trepar postes de luz y orinar en público. La política prohíbe las manifestaciones en las residencias universitarias, incluidas las casas de los empleados que viven en las instalaciones de la universidad cuando “no se celebren eventos públicos”.
La directiva de Drake describe un sistema escalonado que establece cómo los campus deben vigilar a las personas que violan alguna regla. Primero se les informaría de la infracción y se les pediría que dejen de hacerlo. Si no lo hacen, el siguiente paso sería advertirles de las posibles consecuencias.
Después de eso, la policía de la UC o el jefe de bomberos del campus local podrían emitir órdenes que podrían incluir un anuncio de reunión ilegal, una orden de dispersarse o una orden de identificarse. Si la conducta no cambia en ese momento, las personas involucradas podrían ser citadas por violación de la política de la universidad y, si están infringiendo una ley, también podrían ser detenidas y arrestadas. La policía podría ordenarles que se mantengan alejados de los campus por reincidencia o lo que consideren infracciones más graves.
Ese sistema de respuesta, sin embargo, “no es una prescripción rígida que abarque todas las situaciones”, afirma la guía.
La política provisional de Cal State entra en vigencia de inmediato para los estudiantes y empleados no sindicalizados, dijo Kelly. Los empleados sindicalizados trabajarán bajo las políticas del campus negociadas previamente hasta que se complete un proceso de reunión y consulta para la nueva política.
Se pidió a cada campus de Cal State que explicara más detalles
Cal State Dominguez Hills y Stanislaus State fueron los primeros dos campus en publicar adendas para sus escuelas al momento de la publicación.
El anexo de Dominguez Hills, por ejemplo, enumera las zonas en las que se permiten protestas sin cita previa, incluido el césped norte frente a la Unión de Estudiantes de Loker y un jardín de esculturas adyacente al Teatro Universitario. Pero el documento limita los eventos en esos lugares al horario comprendido entre las 7:00 a. m. y las 11:00 p. m. y solo permite “discursos y expresiones sin amplificación”.
La política específica del campus también describirá las restricciones sobre carteles, pancartas y tiza. El anexo de Dominguez Hills prohíbe el uso de palos o postes para sostener carteles portátiles, no permite que los carteles “se fijen con cinta adhesiva a ningún edificio del campus, letreros de directorio, cercas, barandillas o postes de luz exteriores” y, por defecto, limita el período de colocación de los carteles a dos semanas. También incluye una lista de “lugares designados para colocarlos” en el campus.
Margaret Russell, profesora adjunta de la Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad de Santa Clara, dijo que la política de Cal State está claramente motivada por el deseo de minimizar las interrupciones causadas por las protestas. Russell dijo que, aunque muchas de las restricciones apuntan a la conducta de los estudiantes en lugar de a su expresión, le preocupa el lenguaje general que parece exigir permiso por escrito para colocar carteles, letreros, pancartas y tizas.
Russell dijo que ese lenguaje podría crear “un efecto paralizante” porque “es potencialmente tan amplio y de largo alcance que la gente no sabe de antemano qué está permitido y qué no”.
“El mensaje general es: ‘Ten cuidado. Ten cuidado cuando expresas tu opinión en voz alta’. Por eso, para mí, parece que suprime la libertad de expresión, que es probablemente lo que quieren”, dijo.
Kelly, portavoz de Cal State, dijo que la política en general pretende describir cómo se puede utilizar la propiedad de las universidades sin inhibir la libertad de expresión.
“En general, no se requiere una autorización escrita individual para colocar carteles, a menos que la persona intente hacerlo en un lugar donde no está permitido”, explicó. “Esta regla no se aplica a los carteles y letreros que la gente lleva consigo o utiliza personalmente”.
Una declaración del 14 de agosto de la Asociación Americana de Profesores Universitarios (AAUP) no mencionó ninguna universidad, pero criticó ampliamente a las administraciones escolares por políticas que, según dijo, “socavan gravemente la libertad académica y la libertad de expresión y de palabra que son fundamentales para la educación superior”.
“Muchas de las últimas políticas sobre actividades expresivas limitan estrictamente los lugares donde pueden realizarse manifestaciones, si se puede utilizar sonido amplificado y los tipos de publicaciones permitidas”, afirma el comunicado. “Con duras sanciones por infracciones, las políticas en general disuaden a los estudiantes y profesores de participar en protestas y manifestaciones”.
La declaración de la AAUP señala que algunas instituciones han llegado al extremo de exigir a los grupos de protesta que se registren con antelación. La AAUP sostiene que esas disposiciones bloquean de manera efectiva las protestas espontáneas y pueden desalentar a los manifestantes que desean evitar la vigilancia.
La declaración de la AAUP se produjo un día después de que el Consejo Estadounidense de Síndicos y Antiguos Alumnos (ACTA) publicara una “guía para prevenir campamentos y ocupaciones en el campus”. La guía alienta a las universidades a prohibir los campamentos y a actuar con decisión para castigar a los estudiantes que violen esas políticas.
“Una vez que un campamento ha ocupado el campus, la institución tiene muy pocas opciones para evitar un espectáculo desagradable que, en el mejor de los casos, hará que la administración parezca ineficaz e incluso que la junta parezca negligente”, dice la guía. “Negociar y hacer concesiones son invitaciones a más y mayores demandas. Envalentonan a otros a emplear tácticas coercitivas similares en el futuro y socavan aún más la misión de la universidad”.
La política provisional de Cal State dice que la universidad asume su obligación de apoyar el libre intercambio de información e ideas, pero que dicha libertad de expresión “está permitida y apoyada siempre que no viole otras leyes o políticas y procedimientos de la Universidad”.
Kelly, portavoz de Cal State, dijo que el sistema universitario “da el máximo valor a fomentar el discurso saludable y el intercambio de ideas de una manera segura y pacífica, manteniendo un ambiente de aprendizaje y trabajo que respalde el intercambio libre y ordenado de ideas, valores y opiniones, reconociendo que los individuos crecen y aprenden cuando se enfrentan a diferentes puntos de vista, formas alternativas de pensar y valores conflictivos”.
