Latinas use their vote as a tool for change. More women are voting every day. Latina, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) and African American voters represent an important part of the community.
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Latinas use their vote as a tool for change, according to a survey that showed that they are, in particular, the most committed to electoral processes in the United States, which is why it is necessary to create political dialogues that reflect the experiences and priorities of these voters.
And women are voting more and more every day; Latina, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) and African American voters represent an important part of the community, but they do not feel represented or heard by political representatives, according to the results of a new survey released on May 9 by Intersections of Our Lives (Intersections of our lives).
During a briefing organized by Ethnic Media Services, a panel of experts discussed the survey findings and explored priority issues for female voters, noting that 53 percent of AAPI women, 57 percent of African American women, and 60 percent of Latina women are highly motivated to participate in the November 5 election.
Sung Yeon Choimorrow, executive director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, spoke about the importance of collaborations between organizations, thanking In Our Voice and the Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice for addressing issues of health, social justice, gender equity and reproductive health, which are among the most present concerns for women.
The survey sample included 850 Latina registered voters and 850 Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters.
Choimorrow emphasized the importance of including diverse communities, highlighting the alliance's commitment to representing the experiences of women of color.
Rising costs are a top concern for women, with affordable health care, fair housing, abortion care, fair job creation, and closing the wage gap being top of mind for AAPI, Black, and Latina women.
Lupe Rodriguez, executive director of the National Latinas Institute for Reproductive Justice, highlighted the significant influence of women of color voters in the upcoming elections, emphasizing the importance of understanding the attitudes and motivations that drive women of color to the polls.
Celinda Lake, president of Lake Research Partners, explained that women of color have empowered the country over the past year, with 57 percent of Latinas, 55 percent of AAPI women, and 49 percent of African American women motivated to participate in the upcoming elections, feeling that their participation is important in determining the future of the country.
Roshni Nedungadi, research director and founding partner of HIT Strategies, explained that she worries about the most vulnerable communities, young voters, LGBTQ+ voters, mostly marginalized communities; in these sectors, the rising costs are what really worries them, 35 percent of Latina women, 33 percent of AAPI women and 29 percent of African-American women say that rising costs were one of their most important problems.
Another key issue was housing and the wage gap, with 92 percent of Black women, 89 percent of AAPI women, and 88 percent of Latina women prioritizing the creation of well-paying jobs over the need for more affordable housing.
Regina Davis Moss, president and CEO of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda, reiterated that the issues of greatest concern are reproductive justice, housing, employment and educational opportunities for women of all ages.
She said that 9 out of 10 women of color have said that voting is very important, so it is necessary for this sector of the population to be truly heard and represented.
Funcionarios del condado de San Mateo elogiaron la decisión emitida por un juez de CPUC para rechazar la propuesta de AT&T de poner fin a servicio de telefonía fija.
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Funcionarios del condado de San Mateo elogiaron la decisión propuesta emitida el viernes por un juez de derecho administrativo de la Comisión de Servicios Públicos de California (CPUC) para rechazar una propuesta de AT&T que, según ese juez, podría amenazar a los residentes vulnerables durante incendios forestales y otras emergencias.
“Me complace que el Juez de Derecho Administrativo de la Comisión de Servicios Públicos de California haya rechazado la peligrosa solicitud de AT&T para ser relevado de su obligación de brindar servicio telefónico de red básica a cualquier cliente que lo solicite porque no existe otra compañía dispuesta a brindar ese servicio a todos”, señaló el supervisor del condado de San Mateo, Ray Mueller, quien ha liderado los esfuerzos del condado para luchar contra la oferta de AT&T.
Mueller dijo que se continuará abogando por la capacidad de todos los residentes del condado de San Mateo de elegir el servicio de línea fija para que puedan comunicarse cuando el servicio celular no esté disponible, no sea confiable o no funcione, especialmente en casos de emergencia.
De igual manera, dijo tener fe y esperanza de que la Comisión de Servicios Públicos de California vea el tema de la misma manera y adopte la decisión propuesta por su juez.
“Agradecemos al equipo profesional de nuestro condado, a las delegaciones legislativas federales y estatales por su apoyo en este asunto, y especialmente a la congresista Anna Eshoo, quien ha trabajado con mi oficina y otros condados en múltiples frentes para abordar este problema”, subrayó.
Eshoo aplaudió la decisión de la Comisión de Servicios Públicos de California de denegar la solicitud de AT&T California de dejar de cumplir con sus obligaciones como proveedor de último recurso.
“Muchos de mis electores viven en áreas remotas y de difícil acceso, donde el servicio celular y el acceso a Internet son irregulares, poco confiables y, en algunos casos, completamente indisponibles. Muchos otros son adultos mayores y jubilados que viven con ingresos fijos. Dependen de su servicio de telefonía fija para todas sus comunicaciones. Mantener el estatus de proveedor de último recurso garantiza que todos los californianos tengan acceso a comunicaciones confiables y asequibles sin importar dónde vivan. Esta decisión es una victoria para ellos”, puntualizó.
En marzo, los supervisores del condado de San Mateo votaron 5-0 para oponerse a la solicitud de AT&T de retirarse como “operador de último recurso”, lo que le exige proporcionar acceso al servicio telefónico básico a cualquier persona en su territorio de servicio que lo solicite.
En ese momento, Mueller viajó a Indio (condado de Riverside) para hablar ante la CPUC y su juez de Derecho Administrativo en oposición a la solicitud de AT&T.
Si AT&T es relevado de sus obligaciones de operador de último recurso, los residentes podrían perder el acceso gratuito al 911 y al servicio de retransmisión telefónica (para personas con problemas del habla o de audición), según la resolución aprobada por los supervisores.
La solicitud de AT&T de cancelar el servicio de telefonía fija cubre casi todo el condado de San Mateo, según un mapa publicado en el sitio web de la CPUC.
En una decisión propuesta emitida el viernes, un juez de derecho administrativo de la CPUC pareció estar de acuerdo y sugirió considerar que “AT&T no cumplió con los requisitos para el retiro (del operador de último recurso). Específicamente, no demostró la disponibilidad de proveedores de reemplazo dispuestos y capaces de servir”, según un resumen de la decisión propuesta.
La CPUC considerará si acepta la decisión propuesta por el juez de derecho administrativo en su reunión del 20 de junio de 2024.
It’s no secret that local public school music education programs have been in need of money for years—most programs do. But now, our arts and music programs have a cash infusion thanks to voters passing California Proposition 28 in 2022, which requires the state to begin a new ongoing program to support arts education in California K-12 public schools.
However, once the money reaches the school district, it is up to each district to decide how it is spent.
Take for example one local school district. Belmont-Redwood Shores School District's (BRSSD) allocates $450,000 for arts and music programs, and 80 percent of that money must be spent on salaries to hire new teachers. Yet even this infusion of money does not guarantee a fix for the inequity that already exists between schools.
In the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District (BRSSD), students at Nesbit and Sandpiper middle schools only have music education during one 45-minute weekly session.
That's a stark contrast to the robust music program at the district's largest middle school, Ralston Middle School, where students receive quality instruction four days a week in addition to multiple concert and field trip opportunities.
However, even with access to Prop 28 money and impassioned speeches from community members at last month's board meeting advocating for equity, no Prop 28 funds were allocated to programs at smaller middle schools, where some of the district's most diverse student populations have inadequate access to grade-appropriate music instruction.
Students should not have to endure a lower quality of education from the school they attend, especially when the means to provide those opportunities are accessible. It is the responsibility of the superintendent and the school district to provide students with equal access to opportunities to study music.
Voters approved Proposition 28 with good intentions, thinking that all students would benefit. However, music and arts education needs more than just money.
We need to pay attention to providing equity in education, ensuring that all students and all populations have access to the same high quality of instruction.
Prop 28 is a good start, but it is now also up to local school boards and communities to pay close attention to how this money is spent and to hold district administrators accountable for serving each and every student equally.
In the case of Proposition 1, the state government will now have $6 billion to fund housing for veterans and homeless people, so whether the vote in question is on funding for mental health resources or another issue, your vote and your voice will still matter.
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March 5, 2024 was the date when California voters came close to tying the decision on whether to approve a measure involving the spending of six billion dollars. In reality, it took a couple of days, as the votes were close enough that it took almost a week after the election to determine whether the measure would pass or not.
One of the key propositions on the March ballot was California Proposition 1, the Mental Health Services Program and Bond Measure. It asked voters whether to take money from county budgets and put that money toward mental health and homeless support.
After careful recounting, California Proposition 1 was approved by voters.
According to official election results compiled by the California Secretary of State, more than seven million people voted in the election.
Despite millions of votes, it was only a slim margin of 26,000 that separated yes from no in approving the proposition.
Under majority rules, a close election can mean that millions get their way while millions don't. That may not sit well with many, but it's far better than the alternative.
Democracy can hurt sometimes. But it gives us a voice and a choice.
At the end of the election day, it is each individual vote put together that determines the results.
Under Proposition 1, the state government will now have $6 billion to fund housing for veterans and homeless people.
Whether the vote in question is about funding for mental health resources or another issue, your vote and your voice will still matter.
Alzheimer's is a concern for women in California, as the population is aging and has a large number of adults over 65, more than any other state.
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Alzheimer's is a concern for women in California, as the population is aging and has a large number of adults over 65, more than any other state.
The disease affects women in particular, accounting for nearly two-thirds of those diagnosed and more than 60 percent of caregivers, with 11 million women in the United States suffering from Alzheimer's or caring for someone who suffers from it.
Women with Alzheimer's, on the one hand, risk social isolation due to misdiagnosis and stigmatization, while those who care for those with the condition risk adverse consequences to their personal, professional and mental health due to unpaid and informal caregiving responsibilities.
More than a third of dementia caregivers in the United States are daughters, while 19 percent of female Alzheimer's caregivers have had to leave their jobs due to the demands of the job, experts said during a briefing held by Ethnic Media Services.
Dr. Wynnelena C. Canio, medical director of Kaiser Permanente San Rafael's nursing home intensive care unit and a member of the Sonoma County Senior Advocacy Services board of directors, said she has had to care for her grandmother and thousands of others living with dementia — a challenge for many but a joy for her as she helps seniors.
In 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the creation of an innovative task force responsible for putting forward recommendations on how California can prevent and prepare for the rise in Alzheimer’s and other diseases.
Canio said it is difficult for families to see how their loved one begins to mix up stories, forget things and then not be able to do activities alone and for a while need help with their basic needs, because no one expects this to happen to their family members, “no one is totally ready.”
In numbers, she added, California is the state with the most people with dementia, creating an urgency to prepare to respond to the medical needs of everyone. It also has the largest population aged 65 and older, highlighting the urgency to raise awareness and preparedness to face Alzheimer's.
The resources provided are intended to provide more people with easy access to basic information, generate understanding of the risk factors relevant to women, reduce the negative impacts of stigma, and work towards the goal of helping women and families improve their brain health, she explained.
Similarly, Dr. Wynnelena C. Canio said that nearly 2 out of 3 Americans with Alzheimer's are women and more than 60 percent of Alzheimer's and dementia caregivers are women.
She added that when it comes to Alzheimer's disease, women and communities of color are at significantly higher risk, according to the Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures Association 2024.
"It is important to recognize that we all have a role in the fight against Alzheimer's, with your help we can reduce, educate and empower all Californians to recognize the signs of the disease for themselves to look for ways to reduce and improve brain health before or after a diagnosis.”, Canio concluded.
For Dr. Mirella Díaz-Santos, assistant professor of neurology at UCLA and director of the Healthy Aging Equity Lab for Latinos-Hispanics, women should not feel guilty for having a higher risk of developing dementia since there are multiple factors.
She said that many people see Alzheimer's as an enigma, since when talking about dementia, genetics, biology, environment, race and origin must be considered.
"Research says there are some genes associated with women that increase longevity; this brain pathology is more in the brains of women. We must also think about all the chronic stressors we endure on a daily basis that disappear throughout our lives.”, added Dr. Diaz-Santos.
Anni Chung, president and CEO of Self Help for the Elderly, said she has been CEO of Self Help since 1983, so she has been working and supporting people in a variety of ways for over 40 years, meeting and listening to different cases.
In this regard, she recalled that it is essential to change the narrative and understanding of dementia and, in this research work, they broadened their horizons with more medical institutions in the Far East, such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and China, to have a broader panorama in favor of the community.
Self Help organizes bi-weekly support groups for family members caring for each patient, and sometimes organizes outings, intensive care courses or classes, and more.
Mereani Ikanivere, founder of Prestige Care, said Alzheimer's is a topic of concern for caregivers. She is a registered nurse in California and has been working on her senior care projects for 20 years with the goal of promoting the best care for these valuable members of the community.
She explained that many people have been dedicated to caring, but they need professional training and certification; today, the critical situation of health care has allowed the involvement of a strong advocacy group of Pacific Islanders who will support approximately 90 percent of people in need in California.
She added that 65 percent of her caregivers care for patients with Alzheimer's, showing that in the last four years there has been a continuous increase in the number of Californians aged 65 or older with this condition, which translates to 750 thousand people.
Lo que empezó como una reacción en los campus de universidades de elite de los Estados Unidos y Europa frente a las atrocidades en Palestina, sigue extendiéndose por todo el mundo profundizando las fracturas al interior de las cúpulas académicas y políticas, y poniendo en tela de juicio el silencio, las medio verdades y las mentiras en torno a lo que acontece en el llamado Medio Oriente y que repercute en muchos lugares.
La magnitud de la reacción universitaria ha tomado por sorpresa a las grandes cadenas que controlan el tráfico noticioso y la opinión pública ha sido sacudida por la brutalidad de la represión policíaca en contra de estudiantes, profesores y trabajadores encarcelados y agredidos por el mero hecho de manifestarse en contra de la entrega de dinero y armamento a un Estado sordo ante el repudio planetario, y que se niega a reconocer el derecho del pueblo palestino a existir y tener su propio Estado, como ha sido mandatado por la Asamblea General de la Organización de Naciones Unidas.
Como en los años sesenta y setenta, cuando la movilización en contra del genocidio del pueblo vietnamita tocó el corazón de muchos jóvenes, ahora miles de universitarios se movilizan para detener el exterminio en la franja de Gaza, reclaman un cese de las hostilidades y retomar el camino de la coexistencia pacífica que data de tiempos antiguos, como dice Silvana Rabinovich, académica de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, permitió que los pueblos árabes, judíos y cristianos y de muchas otras culturas y religiones, florecieran juntos en una vasta región del mundo que va del Mediterráneo hasta los confines de India y Eurasia. El sionismo es antijudío y el antisemitismo es una fabricación europea que distorsionó esa realidad, afirma la profesora Rabinovich.
California vs Half Moon Bay: Joaquín Jiménez alcalde de Half Moon Bay respondió a lo que señaló como ataques del gobernador de California Gavin Newsom, en contra de él y los funcionarios de esta ciudad, en el tema del proyecto de vivienda para trabajadores agrícolas. Foto: P360P
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On May 9, Gavin Newsom reprochó a la ciudad de Half Moon Bay, particularmente a la Comisión de Planificación, el retraso de un proyecto inmobiliario que consiste en la construcción de viviendas para trabajadores agrícolas; ante este reproche, Joaquín Jiménez, alcalde de Half Moon Bay, respondió a lo que señaló como ataques del gobernador de California, en contra de él y los funcionarios de esta ciudad.
Jiménez, quien es mexicano de nacimiento e hijo de campesinos, además de tener una larga trayectoria de trabajo comunitario en Half Moon Bay, respondió a lo dicho por Newsom, el cual declaró en un comunicado que “las autoridades locales están paralizando un plan de 40 unidades para personas mayores de edad de bajos ingresos”.
El proyecto al que se refiere consiste en la construcción de 40 viviendas para trabajadores agrícolas mayores en un predio ubicado en el 555 de la avenida Kelly, a un costado de la Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Pilar.
El gobernador de California destacó que el retraso de la Comisión se produce tras el tiroteo mortal del 23 de enero del año pasado, donde siete trabajadores agrícolas de Half Moon Bay perdieron la vida a causa de un tiroteo masivo, que puso de manifiesto “las terribles condiciones de vida de los trabajadores agrícolas de la zona”.
En entrevista para Península 360 Press, Jiménez lamentó los ataques y amenazas del gobernador Newsom quien, asegura, desconoce el proceso de este caso.
“Este es un ataque porque es una amenaza, diciendo que si la comisión de Half Moon Bay no aprueba el desarrollo de este nuevo edificio para la vivienda para campesinos, los voy a demandar y él sin saber el proceso que estamos siguiendo, habló antes de tiempo, él pudo haber esperado al día 14 de mayo”, aseguró Jiménez.
De acuerdo con Newsom, “en lugar de hacer lo correcto y aprobar unas viviendas muy necesarias para los trabajadores que nos alimentan, un complejo de 40 unidades para personas mayores con bajos ingresos está siendo paralizado por los funcionarios locales”.
Este retraso, dijo Newsom, “es atroz y pone en peligro el bienestar de los californianos”.
Ante ello, Jiménez explicó que la Comisión de Planificación de Half Moon Bay, no está deliberadamente retrasando el proyecto de las 40 viviendas, por el contrario, siempre se ha preocupado por los trabajadores agrícolas.
“Se ha hablado de que la ciudad está en contra de la condición de vivienda para campesinos y eso no es cierto, para nada. Hemos estado trabajando mucho para poder tener esas oportunidades de construir; sabemos que lo necesitamos para la comunidad en general, así que no se nos puede acusar a la ciudad de que no nos importan los latinos”, subrayó.
La Comisión de Planificación, aseguró Jiménez, no ha tomado una decisión aún, solo está haciendo su trabajo, y por tanto, sigue el debido proceso, el cual, debería ser conocido por el gobernador Newsom.
“La comisión en realidad no ha tomado una decisión. La comisión no ha presentado la decisión. Lo que ha hecho es escuchar a la comunidad, es el proceso que se lleva a cabo”, enfatizó Jiménez.
Como parte de este proceso, comentó el alcalde de Half Moon Bay, se han efectuado dos reuniones para escuchar la voz de la comunidad: la primera tuvo lugar el 23 de abril y la segunda el 30 de abril. Sin embargo, será hasta el 14 de mayo cuando la Comisión tomará su decisión.
En dichas reuniones, personas hablaron a favor y en contra del proyecto de construcción. Para sorpresa de Jiménez, entre quienes se oponen a este proyecto es la iglesia católica.
“Es parte del proceso y se tiene que escuchar a los que están en contra, a las personas que han hablado de la comunidad y a los vecinos. Yo de verdad estoy sorprendido con la iglesia católica; mandó dos representantes a nuestra última junta de la ciudad para decir que estaban en contra del desarrollo de este edificio para los campesinos. Según ellos, es por el estacionamiento, porque las personas que vienen a la iglesia se estacionan en esa área, siendo que antes se ha trabajado con la iglesia, colaborando para construir”, expuso.
Jiménez refirió que en 2019, el sacerdote de Half Moon Bay de la iglesia Nuestra Señora del Pilar, José Corrales, estuvo de acuerdo con la construcción del proyecto de vivienda, pero en la última reunión mandó a dos personas para mostrar su postura en contra del proyecto.
Joaquín Jiménez consideró que Newsom no estaba al tanto de la situación y que probablemente no conoce el proceso que se está llevando a cabo. “Habló antes de tiempo, él pudo haber esperado a después del día 14 de mayo para salir con este comentario. Ahora, es menos del mes desde la primera reunión, así que ¿por qué no espero? Eso es un ataque y ahora el temor es que vaya a crear problemas en la comunidad”, puntualizó.
¿Qué pasaría si este 14 de mayo la Comisión de Planificación decide, ahora sí, oponerse al proyecto?
“Primero viene una apelación a nosotros los concejales. Eso nosotros lo vamos a decidir como concejales, si estamos de acuerdo con la Comisión de Operación de Half Moon Bay; si estamos de acuerdo y el proyecto no se hace, puede haber una demanda a nivel Estatal que viene del gobernador, pero claro que estaremos de acuerdo. Ahora tenemos que esperar, los fondos no se van a perder, están presentes; se ha tenido un temor de que si no se hace la decisión antes de julio se van a perder millones de dólares que serían dirigidos a ese proyecto, pero todo es parte del proceso y debemos saber esperar, depende de lo que diga la Comisión”, comentó Jiménez.
Aseguró también que él mismo no ha expuesto su postura sobre el proyecto, porque así lo requiere el proceso. De hecho, dijo, si se hubiera manifestado al respecto, podría quedar invalidado para seguir participando en caso de presentar una apelación.
“No se me permite, y lo que puede suceder si yo doy mi punto de vista, desde mi parte en este desarrollo, pueden pedirme que se me excluya, cuando en realidad va a importar el voto; porque si alguien escucha que Joaquín está en cierta posición y alguien lo sabe, el mero día de la reunión alguien puede pedirle al alcalde Joaquín Jiménez que se retire de la decisión porque ya hizo un comentario, y eso no quiero”, explicó Jiménez.
Además de este proyecto de las 40 unidades, mencionado por el gobernador de California, en Half Moon Bay hay otro proyecto de viviendas para trabajadores agrícolas impulsado por el mismo Jiménez con el apoyo del Condado de San Mateo, tras los tiroteos del año pasado.
Dicho complejo, se ubica en el 880 de la calle Stone Pine, el cual tiene un presupuesto de 15 millones para construir 47 viviendas, las cuales se estima que estarán listas a principios del 2025.
Península 360 Press buscó la postura de la Iglesia Católica, al solicitar un comentario al sacerdote José Corrales de la Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Pilar; sin embargo, hasta el momento de la publicación de esta nota, no había respondido.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked the Half Moon Bay Planning Commission to stop delaying approval of a 40-unit project to provide housing for older farmworkers.
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The Governor Gavin Newsom has asked the Half Moon Bay Planning Commission to stop delaying approval of a 40-unit project to provide affordable housing for older farmworkers.
In a public statement, the California governor stressed that the commission's delay comes after last year's deadly shooting, which highlighted the dire living conditions of farmworkers in the area.
“Last year, a deadly shooting brought to light the dire living conditions of farmworkers in Half Moon Bay. Instead of doing the right thing and approving much-needed housing for the workers who feed us, a 40-unit complex for low-income seniors is being halted by local officials,” Newsom said.
“This delay is egregious and jeopardizes the well-being of Californians,” he said, noting that the state’s Housing Accountability Unit is reviewing the city’s actions and will take all necessary steps to hold Half Moon Bay accountable if the project does not move forward as required by state law.
In 2023, following the Half Moon Bay shooting, Newsom met with survivors and witnessed firsthand the unacceptable living conditions of farmworkers in the area, so he allocated millions in funding and resources to ensure that those working in the agricultural industry receive state support.
Newsom, meanwhile, has called for greater accountability and has put in place new approaches to address the state's need for more housing.
The Half Moon Bay Planning Commission has the opportunity to move this important housing project forward next week at its upcoming meeting on Tuesday, May 14.
With student protests in our region, state, and across the country very much on the minds and hearts of organizers and attendees, the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) Bay Area 2024 Testimonial Dinner was held in San Francisco on Saturday, May 4.
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By Raúl Ayrala. Peninsula 360 Press.
With student protests in our region, state, and across the country very much in the minds and hearts of organizers and attendees, the 2024 Student Testimonial Dinner was held in San Francisco on Saturday, May 4. Bay Area National Lawyers Guild (National Lawyers Guild or NLG).
Following a welcome by NLG Executive Director Camilo Perez-Bustillo and while enjoying fine wine, delicious bites and Arabic desserts, three “Champions of Justice” were recognized: the Palestinian Youth Movement, the advocacy organization Palestine Legal and activist Judith “Mirk” Mirkinson.
The event was titled “In the Streets/In Our Hearts,” and the venue was the Instituto Familiar de la Raza in the Latino Mission neighborhood. After a welcome by Camilo Pérez-Bustillo, executive director of the NLG, and while enjoying fine wine, delicious bites and Arabic desserts, three “Champions of Justice” were recognized: the Palestinian Youth Movement, the advocacy organization Palestine Legal, and activist Judith “Mirk” Mirkinson.
Judith Mirkinson, who served as president of the local Executive Board of the National Lawyers Guild, has been an activist and organizer for 50 years. Beginning with her participation in marches and demonstrations against the Vietnam War, she has been involved in internationalist causes, for example: defending women sexually enslaved by the Japanese military during World War II.
“Despite everything that is happening in the world, the advance of fascism, here we are. And I want to tell you that there is nothing better than being an activist,” said “Mirk” upon receiving his award from the NLG.
Judith Mirkinson, who served as president of the local Executive Board of the National Lawyers Guild, has been an activist and organizer for 50 years. Beginning with her participation in marches and demonstrations against the Vietnam War, she has been involved in internationalist causes, for example: defending women sexually enslaved by the Japanese military during World War II.
Mirk was instrumental in the construction of a memorial to the so-called “comfort women” in San Francisco’s Chinatown in 2015.
Last Saturday was a night of “celebration of the resilience of the movement against repression and fascism in the United States, against students and against the Palestinian people,” said Valeria Vera, one of the masters of ceremonies and a member of the NLG Executive Board.
Valeria Vera, one of the masters of ceremonies, belonging to the NLG Executive Board.
According to Vera, who is also studying law at UCSF, the protests by the university students are in response to “the genocide by Israel, which did not begin in October, but has been going on for decades.”
Valeria stressed that Judith Mirkinson's words were inspiring and gave her courage. “The best way to resist is to exist; to show that we will not go away, and also to educate people who may be inadequately informed about what is happening” in the Middle East.
Julia Muhsen, of Mexican and Palestinian descent, was in charge of presenting NLG's recognition to Palestine Legal. She explained that the award-winning organization of lawyers founded in 2012 has been defending and supporting the movement for the Liberation of Palestine for all these years.
Julia Muhsen, who is of Mexican and Palestinian descent and was in charge of presenting NLG's recognition to Palestine Legal, explained that the award-winning organization of lawyers founded in 2012 has been defending and supporting the movement for the Liberation of Palestine for all these years.
Muhsen is a law student at Berkeley, volunteers for the NLG, and is about to graduate. His father was born in the West Bank and his mother in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico.
The third recognition went to the Palestinian Youth Movement, which defines itself as a transnational, independent, grassroots organization made up of young Palestinians in exile as a result of the Zionist colonization and occupation of Palestine.
“Belonging to Palestine and our aspirations for justice and liberation motivate us to take an active role as a young generation in the national struggle to liberate our homeland and our people,” through popular mobilization, political education and participation with other movements. This is how the activist group is presented, detailed in the program of the NLG Testimonial Dinner, which is held annually and began honoring its “champions of justice” in 1979.
CAIR Arizona Chapter Calls on Local Authorities to Arrest Muslim Woman's Attacker at Arizona State University during a pro-Israel protest near campus. Image: capture of the video shared on X @Stop Arab Hate
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The Arizona chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) on Tuesday called on local authorities to arrest Arizona State University (ASU) professor Jonathan Yudelman after he allegedly harassed and assaulted a hijab-wearing Muslim woman while she was participating in a pro-Israel protest near the campus.
The organization also called on the Arizona-based school to investigate the incident and take appropriate action, including dismissal.
According to witness accounts, the Muslim woman was allegedly subjected to derogatory comments and harassment by the ASU professor.
“CAIR-Arizona strongly condemns Professor Jonathan Yudelman’s alleged harassment of a Muslim-American woman near a pro-Israel demonstration. We call on Arizona State University to terminate his employment if these allegations are substantiated, and we call on authorities to investigate and file appropriate criminal charges,” CAIR said in a statement.
The statement also stressed that "unfortunately, the disgusting and dangerous behaviour captured on camera is not an isolated incident, but part of a broader pattern of Islamophobia and religious intolerance fuelled by pro-Israeli and pro-genocide extremists."
In this regard, he said that such behavior is not only discriminatory, but also violates the fundamental principles of academic integrity and respect for diversity that teachers must defend inside and outside the classroom.
“ASU must take swift and decisive action to address this issue. So must local authorities,” he said.
Finally, CAIR-AZ called on the ASU administration to conduct a thorough investigation into this incident, hold responsible parties accountable, and implement measures to prevent such occurrences in the future, saying it is imperative that educational institutions uphold the principles of diversity, inclusion, and respect for all members of their community.
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