The memorial focused on efforts to improve conditions for farmworkers in Half Moon Bay since last year's shooting, even as another shooting 24 hours earlier underscored ongoing safety concerns.
Half Moon Bay, Ca. ? Residents and public officials gathered here Sunday for a memorial service on the first anniversary of a shooting that claimed the lives of seven farmworkers.
The event came on the heels of another shooting the night before at a nearby housing complex, underscoring the challenge of improving living conditions for farmworkers in this small coastal town.
"We arrested the suspect last night," said San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus, who was present at the memorial service Sunday night. “The community is scared,” he added, “and we want to make sure they feel safe.”
There are an estimated 1,700 farmworkers living and working in and around San Mateo County, a largely invisible population separated by language, immigration and economic status.
While most are from Mexico and Central America, last year's shooting also brought to light the existence of a small community of Chinese farm workers in Half Moon Bay.
Fears of power outages and the growing presence of gangs
Earlier Monday, Corpus and several Sheriff's Office deputies held a public meeting at the nearby Moon Ridge Apartments, where the previous night's shooting occurred and where many of Half Moon Bay's farmworkers reside.
The suspect in that shooting has been identified as Orlando Montelongo Chavarin, 18, of unincorporated coastal San Mateo County. According to authorities, the shooting occurred around 7:30 pm Saturday night. A 22-year-old man was injured and later taken to hospital.
While few details have been released, City Hall residents complained of a power outage the night of the shooting, which also caused the loss of cell phone service. One young woman described how she did not find out about the shooting until 2:30 the next morning, wondering for her and her family's safety.
"It happens a lot," he said of the blackout. "Its a big problem".
The discussion later turned to concerns about gang involvement and the lack of resources available to youth in the area, an isolated, largely agricultural region about 30 miles south of San Francisco.
Speaking in Spanish, one mother said she heard from her children talking about the growing presence of gangs in schools, adding that many in the community are afraid of getting involved with authorities. "I speak not only for myself, but for the entire community," he said.
Those fears appeared to be justified when officials emphasized in response that, under property regulations, any evidence of gang affiliation by a family member could result in the eviction of the entire family.
"They are little children, they need help," the mother stressed as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Others complained that there has been much talk about improving conditions for farmworkers in the year since the Jan. 23 shooting that claimed seven lives, but not enough action has been taken.
The suspect in that case was identified as Chunli Zhao, originally from China. Five of the seven shooting victims also came from China, while the other two were from Mexico.
The shooting made national headlines, just a day after another shooting in Monterey Park, east of Los Angeles, and revealed the deplorable housing conditions many farmworkers endure.
Housing for farmworkers is a priority
In fact, housing was a central theme of Sunday night's memorial ceremony, which began with a sound healing ceremony combining elements of Chinese and Latin cultures. Bursts of incense streamed through the open doors as the commemorative ceremony began.
"Today, let's not forget that farmworkers provide our food security," said Half Moon Bay Mayor Joaquín Jiménez, the city's first Latino mayor. "We owe it to them, to their safety, to their well-being, and that includes decent housing."
Jiménez promoted the construction of new housing for agricultural workers and called it "the highlight of the year."
Half Moon Bay officials have raised more than $12 million to build farmworker housing, several of which will be reserved for victims of last year's shooting. The Half Moon Bay City Council also just approved funding to continue emergency housing for the victims, who have been living in temporary rentals since the night of the shooting, until construction of permanent housing is completed, which is expected spring or summer 2025.
About 200 people gathered for the memorial, held at the Boys and Girls Club in downtown Half Moon Bay, a mix of residents, public officials and members of the farmworker community, including those directly affected by the shooting.
?It burned a hole in our hearts,? Rep. Anna Eshoo, whose district includes Half Moon Bay, said of the Jan. 23 shooting, adding that it ?ripped off the veil,? of a community that until then had been "unrecognized."
"We didn't hear their cries for help," said Assemblyman Phil Ting, whose district includes parts of San Mateo County. He noted the lack of channels available to farmworkers before the shooting to file complaints about employment or housing.
The owners of the two farms where last year's shooting occurred were later cited by Cal OSHA for numerous health and safety violations.
A labor compliance office and a housing task force were created after the shooting, District 3 Supervisor Ray Mueller said.
Healing from trauma
As for the victims, housing is one concern and healing another.
“They are still showing symptoms of PTSD,” said Saoleng U of San Francisco-based Self Help for the Elderly. U has been working closely with Chinese farmworkers to provide them with housing and mental health support over the past year.
Kique Bazán of the nonprofit ALAS, which works with Half Moon Bay's large Latino farmworker community, told how several of the victims were asked to tell their testimonies last week as part of a legal process. in progress.
"The trauma came back," he said. ?Even the physical symptoms of tremors, stiffness and neck pain. Was it brutal?
Bazán says the past year has been difficult, and while he welcomes the actions taken by local and state officials since last year's tragedy, the anti-immigrant rhetoric taking hold nationally suggests continued ?disorientation? about what it means to be an immigrant.
"We've stopped listening," Bazán said, "and that's not how we're going to move forward."
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