COMPLIMENTARY EDITION SPRING/SUMMER 2019
SOUTHERN
Nevada
Hispanic
Magazine 2019
Latinos and the
PETER GUZMAN
Kate Marshal
Rafael Villanueva
With almost everyone at work, The Hispanic Economic Contribution is Growing.
Economic Boom
Hispanic Business, State Government, Tourism and Labor.
Las Vegas
Otto Merida
Victoria Napoles Earl
Joe Alvarado
Hispanic Lifetime Achievement
Meet the Five 2019
Awards recipients
Together: Building A Strong Nevada
Vicenta Montoya
INSIDE
of
Marco Hernandez
Joel Menchaca
Latina entrepreneur and the cannabis business Nueva Biblioteca al Este de Las Vegas ofrece mรกs que libros
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SOUTHERN Nevada Hispanic Magazine SPRING | SUMMER 2019
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GENERAL ELECTION JUNE 11, 2019 EARLY VOTE MAY 25 - JUNE 7
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NEVADA HISPANIC MAGAZINE 2017
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CCSD
Clark County’s new school board is all-female, more ethnically diverse Board newcomers Irene Cepeda and Danielle Ford were sworn in alongside Trustee Linda Cavazos during a special board meeting Jan. 8. All three women won their respective races in the November election. By Jackie Valley
With the addition of three new members earlier this year, the Clark County School Board of Trustees is all-female for the first time in recent years. Board newcomers Irene Cepeda and Danielle Ford were sworn in alongside Trustee Linda Cavazos during a special board meeting Jan. 8. All three women won their respective races in the November election. Cepeda defeated incumbent Kevin Child to claim the District D seat, garnering 69 percent of the votes. A product of the school district, Cepeda works as a Title V project coordinator at Nevada State College. The 29-year-old, who grew up in North Las Vegas, said she’s excited to be an advocate for all students, especially those who are learning English as a second language or coming from a low-income family. “I’m able to speak for those who don’t have a voice,” she said. Ford, who represents District F, also grew up in Las Vegas but dropped out of high school. She went on to earn her general-equivalency degree and, later, attended college. Now a business owner and single mom, Ford vowed to address problems she encountered as a student and observed as an involved parent. She beat her opponent, Kali Fox Miller, by 20 percentage points and replaces term-limited former Trustee Carolyn Edwards.
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SOUTHERN Nevada Hispanic Magazine SPRING | SUMMER 2019
Ford said witnessing challenges at her children’s schools, including a struggle to fundraise enough money for a gate, drove her to run for the elected position. “I just knew that I was very passionate for children and knew I could help out,” she said. The third woman to take the oath is no stranger to the board: Cavazos was appointed to represent District G in August 2017, after former Trustee Erin Cranor resigned. Cavazos kept her word to run for election when that term ended, and she won with 66 percent of the votes. But the moment of swearing-in still made Cavazos tearyeyed. The seasoned trustee said she’s grateful and happy to continue serving the community and school district. She also planted a seed for unity going forward. “We are a team of eight,” she said. “There are seven of us, plus the superintendent.” The school board has had a rocky few years given sweeping change in the large district and internal struggles among members. The tension culminated in Child filing a lawsuit in September against the school district, former Superintendent Pat Skorkowsky and four trustees. The revamped board comes at a critical juncture in the school district’s history. Superintendent Jesus Jara, who started in June 2018, is forging ahead with a new strategic plan, and the battle for more K-12 funding has intensified over the past year and taken center stage in the legislative session. Cavazos said she’s optimistic the all-female board, which is also more ethnically diverse, can chart a positive course for the school district. “I am super excited,” she said. “Along with the supermajority in the Legislature, we have females all over the place. I just kind of think females multitask extremely well, and I think we’re going to get a lot of things done.”
LVMPD
Does Las Vegas need more Hispanic Officers ? Metro wants to make sure that the department and the community work together, creating this relationship that would facilitate obtaining it’s objective, to be the safest community in America.
By Angel Sandoval
There’s no denying it, the hispanic community has been a major influence in the development and success of Las Vegas since it’s beginning; Rafael Rivera, a mexican scout, was the first non-Native American that set foot in the area that would later become the city of Las Vegas
This is not an easy task but with officers that are close to the communities that have sworn to protect and to serve, with agents that understand the needs of the various neighborhoods of Las Vegas; that’s how they want to strengthen relationships and how they want to improve the quality of life.
Going forward almost 200 years later there is no spot in Las Vegas where you can’t find the influence of the hispanic culture, anywhere from restaurants with food inspired by multiple countries to almost always finding a friendly face that speaks spanish.
This ideals are behind the extended effort that Metro is doing to make sure that they recruit, hire and train qualified and diverse individuals to serve the Las Vegas community. They want to attract more Latinos to the force to help create a safe environment for all nevadans as well as for the tourists that constantly visit the city.
This influence is also shown in politics, where the number of hispanics in positions of power has been exponentially growing and even the ones that don’t have a hispanic background invest in hispanics to be a part of their campaigns and offices to strengthen the relationship with the community.
But this is not the only step they have taken towards a more inclusive Police Department, there’s also the now 16 year old Multi-Cultural Advisory Council which was formed with the objective of listening to concerns and work to solve the issues that the community encounters.
Analyzing this trends it was expected that multiple government agencies would jump on the hispanic wagon. And one agency that has been trying to increase its diversity is the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, also known locally as Metro. Throughout the years the Police Department continues to grow and continues to adapt to the current situation of the nation, and now they are aware of the importance of building a team of officers that are prepared for any situation. But most importantly, Metro wants to make sure that the department and the community work together, creating this relationship that would facilitate obtaining it’s objective, to be the safest community in America.
This Council is formed by Hispanics, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Arab-Americans and the LGBTQ community. All of these measures have been implemented throughout the years to ensure that Las Vegas is a safe community that can rely on the police department because of their constant search of innovation and close attention to what the people need. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, you should visit lvmpd. com and go to the employment section, where you’ll find the multiple positions that they are hiring for, as well as more information on their inclusive stand. They are hiring not only police officers but many other positions as well. SPRING | SUMMER 2019 SOUTHERN Nevada Hispanic Magazine
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Awards
Hispanic Lifetime Lidership Awards
I
n the early days of Las Vegas, there was a small population of Hispanics. In the 1980’s, the Hispanic population begin to grow. Now there was a need for Leadership to help open the doors of opportunities for Hispanics in every industry. El Concilio Hispano Media is proud to recognize five outstanding leaders who fought for equality in services, civil rights, business opportunities, education, health care and served to protected the communities by being at the forefront at a time in history when Hispanics needed a friend and a voice to move ahead. In this edition to pay tribute to these Great Leaders who dedicated a lifetime helping thousands of families in Nevada and helped pave the road to many successful businesses, professionals, and political leaders. These are important people who we will always be grateful for their Lifetime Leadership.
Otto Merida There are a few people in the world that we can say are a walking legend, and Otto Merida is one of them. As a visionary entrepreneur that moved to Las Vegas, he saw great potential in the city. Otto, like friends call him, was instrumental to the creation of the Latin Chamber of Commerce. However, his legacy goes far beyond that. Merida was born in Cuba and moved to Las Vegas in 1974. “I remember being with El Circulo Cubano when the idea of creating a group that would support Cuban entrepreneurs started to ring in my head,” said Otto. At first, it was called the Hispanic and Cuban-American group, an organization that focused primarily in the Cuban community that was just starting to grow, helping them find jobs and assist them in the creation of their own businesses. But Otto’s vision grew and became what we now know as the Latin Chamber of Commerce. Merida saw the growing influence the chamber started to gain as an opportunity to also help the community with finding solutions to some social issues. The impact of Merida’s social initiatives helped on economic, and
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SOUTHERN Nevada Hispanic Magazine SPRING | SUMMER 2019
education matters. His constant efforts to better the Latin community never where unnoticed. One of the biggest recognitions he’s had is when in 2007 a low-income housing development in the Valley with dozens of homes that became the solution to multiple families that were struggling to get a decent home was named after him. The Otto Merida Villas have helped dozens of families on their journey to improve their living condition. In an interview with Vegas INC in March of this year, Merida said he’s proud of the social initiatives that have bubbled up from the Latin Chamber. In particular, he pointed to the adult day facility at the ArturoCambeiro Senior Center, which sits just steps from the Latin Chamber building on North 13th Street. “We wanted to have an impact on employment, economic matters and social and education matters,” Merida said. “That continues to be the mission today. Right now, we’re very involved in this community.” Otto’s legacy has influenced the current mission and vision of the Chamber, even after his departure as president in 2016. His constant help to the Latino community and his influence in the continuous involvement of the Latin Chamber of Commerce in helping with multiple social issues make Otto Merida a leader in the community and a role model for many.
Victoria Napoles Laza 50 years ago Victoria packed her life in Mexico and moved to the United States, and Las Vegas couldn’t be more fortunate to be the place she called home since then.
together to donate resources to the most vulnerable in Las Vegas.
Napoles Laza was born in Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico. In 1987 she joined the Latin Chamber of Commerce (LCC) in the City of Lights as an office manager and her hard work earned her the Senior Executive Vice President chair.
While working at the Chamber of Commerce she always showcased her interest in bettering the community and helping members grow as entrepreneurs and human beings. “The community needs to be together and help each other out,” Victoria said.
From bringing a network of Latino businesses together to help each other, to creating a scholarship for low-income students, that grew from $500 to more than $1M, Victoria has created change with her own 2 hands for our community.
She is also one of the founders of “La Oportunidad Expo” an event that has been held at the Cashman Field for many years, bringing exactly that to our people- opportunity.
Victoria is a visionary and innovating is one of her many qualities. She started, the now famous, LCC luncheons and mixers to promote the continuous support between multiple companies. Also, created a fellowship for business owners to share their experiences and help others succeed.
“We enjoyed helping the community, especially kids and helping them to get into college. Many times families will recognize me because I gave them a scholarship” Said Napoles.
Her nurturing and kind personality reflects on all of her hard work towards helping the Hispanic youth, she worked hand to hand with the Clark County School District to create a program that would provide a positive message to the Las Vegas Hispanic youth and a scholarship fund that has helped hundreds of students in town.
Victoria, today retired, served as the Senior Executive Vice President of the Latin Chamber of Commerce for many years. During her time at the LCC she was able to bring companies like Walmart, utility companies like NV Energy and big Hotels
After a lifetime helping hundreds of Hispanic entrepreneurs and students in Nevada, Victoria is without a doubt an “Orgullo Hispano” in Las Vegas, and we are honored to call her our friend.
Joel Menchaca Pastor Menchaca speaks softly but his voice has reached many corners in our community. Doctor Joel H. Menchaca and his wife, Maria, came to Las Vegas in 1976 to establish a church for the Hispanic community and in 1984 they founded Amistad Cristiana Church. Joel is a graduated from Seminary Latino Americano (1968) with a bachelor’s degree. In 2008, at the age of 72, he completed his Doctorate in Divinities from the Latin University of Theology. Pastor Menchaca was also the founder and the first President of El Consejo Pastoral, a Hispanic ministerial alliance of Las Vegas. Also, a member of the founding committee of the Community Interfaith Council of the City of Las Vegas.
However, Menchaca is known in the Latino community not only for his preachings but for his actions, activism, and altruism. Pastor Joel Menchaca has advocated for many social issues in Las Vegas including immigration and education. Menchaca believes that every child deserves the opportunity to satisfy his/her God-given natural abilities and talent. “Our communities are facing a crisis that has resulted in a negative impact on families, businesses, and communities,” he said, referring to the current problems many families face in regards of good schools for their children. When Joel is not involved in his church activities or writing biblical teachings, he likes to travel in missionary journeys to Mexico. He has been in the state of Oaxaca, Michoacán and lately in the indigenous zones in the State of Hidalgo. Since he also attended Seminario Magistral for Biblical Archaeology, while he is in his travels, in his spare time, he spends time in his hobby, which is searching for sites and studying his findings. SPRING | SUMMER 2019 SOUTHERN Nevada Hispanic Magazine
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Awards
Joe Alvarado “For me being part of changing the lives of kids in Nevada and helping them get what they need to live a fuller life, is a privilege, and the best way to give back to my community” said Joe Alvarado about his work, that today has changed the lives of almost 800 children in Las Vegas, mostly Hispanic. Alvarado joined the air force at the age of 17 and retired from it 20 years later, after earning a degree in Engineering and two Bachelor degrees, one in science and another one in business administration. Then, he joined the Department of Labor, with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) as an officer and supervisor. “After some time I had everything I wanted so I started to look for something else,” Alvarado told us through a phone interview. So in 1995, he joined the Masons and Shriners and finish his studies in masonry in Washington State. The Shriners Hospitals for Children is an international health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing specialty pediatric care, innovative research, and outstanding teaching programs. Children up to
age 18 with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment at no charge regardless of financial need. “We were going to little villages in Washington State and finding kids that we could take to the hospital and give them the care they needed” By 2000, Joe moved to Las Vegas, where not only he continued his work with children but four years later became the Chairman of the Shriners clinic and joined the board of directors. “In 2005, here in Las Vegas we were gathering the children and taking them to the Los Angeles clinic so they could receive the care they needed, all free of charge” Another program under Alvarado’s legacy was the children’s ID’s “We started working with teachers, pediatricians, and hospitals to help children get identifications. We would fingerprint them and get all the data. There were 2 reasons behind this, one if a child goes missing we have current information and two it helped us identify children we could help through the Shriners hospital” By 2017 Alvarado retired from the clinic “Helping families and kids, that don’t have the ability to pay, overcome any difficult situation they might be going through because of an accident or a preexisting condition is my mission” Alvarado said. A mission that has lasted for decades and that until today in his retirement he continues to exercise.
Vicenta Montoya If you have been in any marches for immigrant rights, there is a great possibility you have marched alongside Vicenta Montoya. An outspoken Immigration Attorney that has been helping the immigrant community for years. Born in Las Vegas, and graduated from UNLV, Montoya majored in Law at the Golden Gate School of Law in San Francisco and became a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Later she served as the Chair of the Si Se Puede Latino Democratic Caucus, a platform that helped her fight for issues
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SOUTHERN Nevada Hispanic Magazine SPRING | SUMMER 2019
that she considered relevant for the community like the rights of voters, especially Latinos, and also the importance of having qualified and honest candidates regardless of the position they are running for. She has dedicated most of her life empowering Latinos of Nevada in many ways, anywhere from sharing her knowledge and encouraging them to be informed about their rights and the multiple reforms in the law, to aiding candidates to always consider the Latino community, reminding them that Latinos are one of the most important demographics of the City. Thanks to her vast expertise, consistency, fight for Latino representation and also her kindness, Victoria Montoya has become a leader for the community helping the families of Nevada grow.
Congratulation! 2019
To All the Recipients of the
Otto Merida
Victoria Napoles Laza
Vicenta Montoya
Joe Alvarado
Joel Menchaca
Your Intelligence to Lead, Your Caring Heart to Help Others, Your Brave Spirt that Never Felt Obstacles You Couldn’t Jump and Your Commitment to Pave the Road for Future Generations, Will Never Be Forgotten.
Muchisimas Gracias!
KENO 1460AM -Radio La Voz De Nevada-Latino Talk Radio
Attorney Victor Cardoza
The Hispanic Radio Network
Educación
Vista interior de la Biblioteca East Las Vegas, de 41,051 pies cuadrados, ubicada en 2851 E. Bonanza.
La Biblioteca East Las Vegas, de 41,051 pies cuadrados, abrio sus puertas el jueves 25 de abril de 2019.
Nueva Biblioteca al Este de Las Vegas ofrece más que libros Por Luz Gray The Nevada Independent en Español Fotos: Jeff Scheid/ The Nevada Independent.
Habitantes de Las Vegas al fin tienen la oportunidad de entrar al edificio que durante casi dos años vieron en etapa de construcción: una nueva biblioteca que ofrece servicios innovadores que ampliarán el concepto básico de libros en los estantes. La Biblioteca East Las Vegas abrió sus puertas al público para ofrecer de manera gratuita todos sus servicios, desde los tradicionales préstamos de libros —incluyendo ediciones de letra grande — material audiovisual, tabletas portátiles y juguetes, hasta áreas interactivas con acceso al mundo de la tecnología, entre otros.
“Las bibliotecas están cambiando, y este es un modelo de cómo, en el futuro, van a existir más espacios como estos”. Salvador Ávila
Aprendizaje para todos El Distrito Bibliotecario cuenta con 675,000 miembros y tiene aproximadamente tres millones de artículos en sus colecciones, lo que representa 20 veces el número de máquinas tragamonedas en Las Vegas. En el caso de la nueva biblioteca, que está abierta de lunes a jueves de 10 a.m. a 8 p.m. y los viernes, sábados y domingos, de 10 a.m. a 6 p.m. su colección de materiales se estima en 45,000 artículos, con casi un 10 por ciento en español. “Las bibliotecas están cambiando”, dijo Ávila. “Y este es un modelo de cómo, en el futuro, van a existir más espacios como estos”.
El edificio de 41,051 pies cuadrados y ubicado en el 2851 East Bonanza Road, esquina con la Calle 28, se encuentra en el corazón de un área con alta población hispana.
Bajo un ambiente que despierte el interés de las nuevas generaciones y fomente el aprendizaje y desarrollo personal, las nuevas tecnologías ocupan también un lugar estelar en la variada gama de servicios de la nueva biblioteca, incluyendo espacios individuales con acceso para cargar las pilas de los dispositivos móviles, e Internet inalámbrico o Wi-Fi para quienes no pueden pagar ese servicio.
De acuerdo con un comunicado del Distrito Bibliotecario de Las Vegas-Condado Clark, se estima que el 93.7 por ciento de los hogares aledaños al nuevo centro tienen raíces latinas y de las islas del Pacífico; mientras que un 71 por ciento son padres de familia jóvenes.
Parte esencial del nuevo centro son sus herramientas interactivas y de alto perfil, como un quiosco interactivo de información exclusivo de esta biblioteca, y una impresora 3D con una computadora para diseño cuyo valor en el mercado empieza en unos 3 mil dólares.
“Se trata de ubicar bibliotecas en las secciones de la ciudad donde hay necesidad. Por eso se eligió este sitio”, dijo en entrevista Salvador Ávila, gerente del nuevo centro. “Esta área ya tenía muchos años esperando a que se agregue una biblioteca”.
Ávila indicó que una de las áreas más contemporáneas es “Construyendo desde Cero” [“Built from Scratch”] que cuenta con tornamesas estilo DJ, una cabina especial para producción musical, una pared verde especialmente adaptada para la producción de videos, así como un cuarto con micrófonos y el
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SOUTHERN Nevada Hispanic Magazine SPRING | SUMMER 2019
Salvador Ávila, gerente de la Biblioteca East Las Vegas, ubicada en 2851 E. Bonanza, se encuentra cerca de un estante con revistas el jueves 25 de abril de 2019.
equipo necesario para grabar podcasts. Gracias a la sección Adultos de la Comunidad Aprendiendo en las Bibliotecas (CALL, por sus siglas en inglés) los interesados podrán familiarizarse con los sistemas digitales, asistencia en el área de finanzas, y ayuda con el aprendizaje del idioma inglés. A través del Departamento Conexión con la Fuerza Laboral, los adultos también podrán encontrar servicios para integrarse mejor al mundo profesional, incluyendo capacitación para entrevistas de trabajo, búsqueda de empleo, preparatoria vía Internet, y mejorar su Hoja de Vida o Curriculum Vitae entre otros servicios.
busca fomentar el interés por las llamadas carreras STEM, que se enfocan en Ciencia, Tecnología, Ingeniería, Arte y Matemáticas. “Vamos a tratar de inspirar a los niños desde una edad pequeña a que estén pensando hasta en carreras, pero usando tecnología que los va a ayudar a salir adelante cuando lleguen a la escuela”, dijo Ávila. Otro componente estelar es el fomento al cuidado del medio ambiente, ya que, de acuerdo con Ávila, no se usará papel porque toda la información estará disponible a través de los sistemas digitales y audiovisuales que se encuentran por toda la biblioteca.
Ávila agregó que, para préstamos de material audiovisual y uso de computadoras, las personas pueden solicitar su tarjeta de la biblioteca sin preocuparse por la privacidad de sus datos o estatus migratorio.
La construcción del nuevo edificio, además, siguió un modelo de “bosque urbano” que cuenta con un espacio arbolado dentro del vecindario y bancas elaboradas con árboles reciclados.
“Nosotros no vendemos información ni la compartimos”, indicó Ávila. “No necesitamos pasaportes, no preguntamos si son ciudadanos o no. Estamos interesados en que salgan adelante”.
El Distrito Bibliotecario indicó que, como parte del programa de Créditos de Impuestos New Markets, enfocado en invertir en comunidades de bajos recursos, la Fundación del Distrito Bibliotecario de Las Vegas-Clark y el grupo East Las Vegas QALICB, Inc. ofrecieron $4 millones de capital privado para la construcción del nuevo centro, algo que dibujó una sonrisa en el rostro de Ávila, quien ha trabajado en el ramo de las bibliotecas desde hace 25 años.
Mediante un programa a cargo de tutores profesionales que se planea ofrecer los siete días de la semana, los estudiantes podrán encontrar ayuda para mejorar su desempeño académico. La Biblioteca East Las Vegas, que pone a disposición del público 32 computadoras de escritorio y 20 portátiles que están disponibles en calidad de préstamo, también
“Lo que más me emociona es el reto de inspirar a una comunidad que tradicionalmente no tiene servicios bibliotecarios”, dijo Ávila. “Motivarlos para que la usen, porque ahora sí no hay excusa”.
Visite la nueva sección de The Nevada Independent en español Legislatura 2019, con noticias, buscador de propuestas de ley, estatus de promesas de campaña del Gobernador Steve Sisolak, y biografías de los legisladores estatales. SPRING | SUMMER 2019 SOUTHERN Nevada Hispanic Magazine
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United States Senate
United States Senator Catherine Cortez Masto | Photo Courtesy
My experience campaigning in Nevada in 2016 taught me the most important lesson is to be true to yourself and to your state�
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SOUTHERN Nevada Hispanic Magazine SPRING | SUMMER 2019
Cortez Masto: facing yet another challenge while leading a new group of candidates
By Angel Sandoval
Catherine Cortez Masto is a woman that has broken stigmas by becoming not only the first woman but the first latina from Nevada elected to the United States Senate. But comes to say that this achievement is the result of years of hard work, of fighting to show how she has the ability to tackle any obstacle, that she is willing to go the extra mile in order to achieve her goals. Even after this impressive triumphs she is facing the biggest challenge of her career so far, this year she is heading the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) a position that she earned by showing her strong political skills but also her ability to speak to the masses and to engage the community. This move is the response of the Democratic Party to show the nation that we are entering a new era where women are showing a fierce approach in a field that was predominated by men. Something that was evident in Nevada when in the 2018 midterm elections a record number of women were elected, making this state the first one with a female-majority legislature, gaining the recognition of people all over the country who think someone should be elected not because of their gender, ethnicity or any other variable but for how efficient they would be on the position. And this wasn’t the only milestone achieved during this election, the minorities were also present, showing how diverse the population in the nation is. The Congress got the first two Native American women, the first two Muslim women and also the first Latina from Texas. It’s clear that the Democratic party considered this new diversity that was embraced all over the country to name someone that has been a symbol for many that there are no limits for success as long as you are willing to fight preconceptions and work as needed. By being the DSCC chair, senator Cortez Masto is leading the campaign efforts of the party for the 2020 elections where they are looking to win the majority in the Senate.
“There are so many important issues we need to tackle, from making health care more affordable to ensuring our children can go to quality schools, no matter where they live. We’ve seen enough from Republicans in Washington to know that they will not put our families first – and that’s why I’m fighting to take back the United States Senate.” mentioned the senator, showing how she is focusing all of her efforts towards creating what the party considers a better future for the United States. And she considers that this is a step towards the bigger picture: “We have a real opportunity to make a difference in 2020 [...] we’re eager to elect a Democrat to the White House and want to make sure that the next president has a Democratic majority in both the House and Senate so we can solve problems and put Americans – not the corporations or special interests – first” But this confidence in what the democrats have to offer doesn’t mean she isn’t aware of the reality and how hard they will have to work to achieve this objective: “There’s no doubt that there’s a lot of work to do – but I know what it’s like to run tough campaigns in a presidential election year” She mentioned recalling her own experience on the past elections where she ran a campaign with very tight results, something she considers was an experience that helped her grow as a person, but most importantly as a politician: “My experience campaigning in Nevada in 2016 taught me the most important lesson is to be true to yourself and to your state” As the DSCC chair she is sharing this learning with the candidates that are running for spots in senate because she knows that in order to be good representatives, candidates have to be close to their roots: “I’m giving that advice to every candidate who wants to run. We are confident we will have outstanding candidates committed to making their states and our country work better for Americans, and these candidates will be our biggest asset heading into 2020” The 2020 United States elections will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. The elections will be held to elect all of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives, 34 (out of 100) seats in the Senate and also the President of the United States position. SPRING | SUMMER 2019 SOUTHERN Nevada Hispanic Magazine
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Elections
Kihuen’s bid for City Council seat ends in loss to Diaz, Clary; Goodman wins third term
Carolyn Goodman, Las Vegas Mayor. Photo Courtesy
Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman secured enough votes to win re-election outright, and she was sworn in May 1 to her third and final term in office. Olivia Diaz during her 2018 campaign. Photo Courtesy
BY EL CONCILIO HISPANO
Former Rep. Ruben Kihuen’s attempt to revive his political career fizzled in April when he lost his bid for a Las Vegas City Council seat by a razor-thin margin. Former Assemblywoman Olivia Diaz and activist Melissa Clary emerged with the most votes in the Ward 3 race, meaning they will head to the general election in June. Diaz captured 33 percent of the votes. The former congressman, who chose not to seek re-election amid sexual harassment allegations, received just over 28 percent of the votes cast in the election — five votes fewer than Clary. Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman secured enough votes to win re-election outright, and she was sworn in May 1 to her third and final term in office. Goodman’s husband also served the maximum three terms as Las Vegas mayor immediately before her tenure began. Goodman announced in January that she was seeking a third mayoral term despite a breast cancer diagnosis. The mayor downplayed any notions of health issues interfering with her role, saying she has “more energy than a pack of wolves.” In the crowded Ward 1 race, the two candidates continuing to the general election will be Brian Knudsen, who captured nearly 27 percent of the vote, and Robin Munier, who
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received around 20 percent of votes cast. Despite a highprofile campaign, addiction recovery advocate Dave Marlon reported about 17 percent of the vote and missed the cutoff for the general election. Incumbent Cedric Crear easily won a full term in the Ward 5 race, garnering 60 percent of the early votes. Crear won a special election last year, replacing former Councilman Ricki Barlow, who resigned after pleading guilty to a felony charge of misusing campaign funds. The Ward 3 race received the most attention given Kihuen’s presence. Multiple allegations of sexual harassment surfaced against Kihuen in late 2017 and early 2018, leading the freshman congressman to announce he wouldn’t run for reelection amid a congressional ethics probe. The nine-month investigation determined that Kihuen — a former state senator once viewed as a rising Latino star in the Democratic party — “made persistent and unwanted advances toward women who were required to work with him,” which violated House rules. But Kihuen mounted a comeback by applying to run for the Las Vegas City Council seat held by Councilman Bob Coffin, who decided against seeking re-election. Soon, an antiKihuen campaign sprouted. Democratic Assemblywoman Heidi Swank and the “Nevada Values PAC” launched a website called NoMeansNoRuben.
SNHM SOUTHERN N E VA D A H I S PA N I C MAGAZINE 2 0 1 9
Ruben Kihuen during his 2018 Ward 3 campaign. Photo Courtesy
com. The site featured graphic details and text messages that were released by the House Ethics Committee following its investigation of the sexual harassment claims against him.
A Concilio Hispano Media Publication Since 2013
Swank and the group that campaigned against Kihuen praised voters for their choices in the primary election. “With these election results, voters in Las Vegas clearly showed that they believe women, trust women, and that sexual harassment will not be tolerated from anyone,” the group tweeted. The general election is June 11. Here are primary results from other Southern Nevada municipalities:
North Las Vegas
Publisher El Concilio Hispano Media Group Editor Miguel Barrientos Contributing Editor Viridiana Gonzzali / NReal Media
Incumbent Councilwoman Pamela Goynes-Brown easily won re-election outright, garnering more than 85 percent of the vote over her sole opponent, Christopher Burns, who received around 15 percent of the vote.
Writers Angel Sandoval Michell Rindels The Nevada Independent
But her fellow incumbent councilmember Richard Cherchio will be forced to advance to a general election. Early vote and absentee results showed Cherchio with just over 45 percent of the vote, below the majority threshold to automatically win re-election. Advancing to the general election with Cherchio is Pete Shields, who earned around 21 percent of the vote in the six-person primary.
Graphic Design We Speak Graphics
Henderson All five municipal races on the ballot for Henderson residents were decided on Tuesday and won’t advance to a general election, with candidates winning outright in every race on the ballot. Council members Dan Shaw and Dan Stewart each cruised to re-election, with Shaw winning 83 percent vote and Stewart capturing 86 percent of votes cast ward. And incumbent, Henderson Municipal Court Mark Stevens, also won re-election, earning close percent of the vote.
easily of the in his Judge to 71
In the race to replace Councilwoman Gerri Schroder in Henderson Ward 1, Michelle Romero captured over 60 percent of the vote and thus will join the Henderson city council .
Business Manager Angeles Barba Advertising El Concilio Hispano Media Internet Media Services Lynx Viral / Jose Juarez Thank you for allowing us to continue to produce a quality publication in the growing Hispanic community. Any questions or interest in getting involved with this publication, please sent your request to: Elconciliohispanomedia@gmail.com Visit our web site at RadioLaVozDeNevada.com All question please call 702-378-7627 ON TOP: A conceptual rendering, released Sept. 11, 2018, of the Las Vegas Convention Center District expansion | Photo Courtesy SPRING | SUMMER 2019 SOUTHERN Nevada Hispanic Magazine
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Opportunity Scholarships!
Children’s’ Opportunity Scholarships Are in Serious Jeopardy!
Hundreds of financially struggling students, the majority of whom are Hispanic, could lose their scholarships if the increase to the cap is not made permanent for this program. BY EL CONCILIO HISPANO
Hundreds of students in Nevada who are utilizing the Opportunity Scholarship program to attend the school of their choice could lose their scholarships and have to return to a setting that was not serving them. This program is currently helping over 2,300 Nevada children attend private schools, children whose lives are being transformed because they can access a school that meets their needs. Hundreds of financially struggling students, the majority of whom are Hispanic, could lose their scholarships if the increase to the cap is not made permanent for this program. Since lawmakers approved a one-year, $20 million cap increase in 2017, the program has grown exponentially.
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SOUTHERN Nevada Hispanic Magazine SPRING | SUMMER 2019
After facing failing grades and bullying at their assigned public school, I decided to explore alternative solutions for my sons’ education. After sending them to a new school through the Opportunity Scholarship, my children are now excited about learning and are seeing a strong improvement in their test scores.” Aracely de la Cruz, a parent of two students using the Opportunity Scholarship
However, the 2017 cap increase was only a one-time escalation. This increase is not permanent, and the program has already reverted to the former, lower cap. Simply put, this will not be enough money to provide scholarships for all of the students currently participating in the program. The program is funded by business donations and is currently capped at $6.6 million, which only covers about 1,350 students. Senator Heidi Gansert introduced Senate Bill 351 (SB351), which proposes to make the 20-million-dolla one-time increase permanent for this program. SB351 also proposes to allow special needs children to qualify for the Opportunity Scholarship. However, SB351 is currently sitting with the Finance Committee and we don’t know if legislators will allocate funding for this life-changing program. The bill did not get a hearing, even though hundreds of parents contacted their lawmakers and have also rallied in Carson City and Las Vegas. Aracely de la Cruz, a parent of two students using the Opportunity Scholarship, said that, “After facing failing grades and bullying at their assigned public school, I decided to explore alternative solutions for my sons’ education. After sending them to a new school through the Opportunity Scholarship, my children are now excited about learning and are seeing a strong improvement in their test scores.” The future of the program will be decided at the end of this legislative session.
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Legislature
The female majority legislature: women empowerment or just a passing trend Nevada is expected to keep breaking the molds and showing the country how to move forward in a world where doing the unexpected is sometimes the best course of action. By Angel Sandoval
The film industry has been making the headlines in the last couple of years by giving life to a new kind of heroes that aren’t usually represented in traditional superhero movies. The world was taken by surprise with the success of movies like Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel. It was obvious that the world needed a better female representation, more women they could look up to, which has opened the eyes of this industry that has been known for highlighting the male roles and over-sexuallizing the female ones.
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Democratic Assemblywoman Selena Torres who represents Assembly District 3 in Las Vegas, before an interview in Downtown Las Vegas. Friday, December 14, 2018. [ Mikayla Whitmore/ The Nevada Independent. ]
But this battle to see more women in powerful roles and being complimented on their skills and not their looks is one that women all around the world have been fighting outside of the big screen for years. Women have fought for fair salaries, for respect, for equality and for an opportunity to be heard; maybe not with a magical lasso or armed with a super suit but with the conviction that they are capable and that everyone should be considered equally. After over 70 years of fighting and trying, women were finally heard, history was made in 1920 when, thanks to the 19th Amendment, the constitution was ratified and provided american women with the right to vote. Years have passed and women are still fighting strong, every election their presence on the different ballots keeps growing. Ever since Victoria Woodhull; the first woman to run for president, to Hillary Clinton who was the first woman to run in a major party. Milestone after milestone, women have been unstoppable. Putting aside their differences, they have shown courage and determination to obtaining those places of power all around
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Cover Story
We spoke with four Latino influencers from the entertainment capital of the world about the economic boom in Las Vegas and how from business owners to politicians, and of course, the workforce, the Latinos are the ones with the bang.
Latinos and The Economic Boom of Las Vegas By Viridiana Vidal
It is no secret that Nevada is one of the most diverse states in the country. According to the Pew Research Center, 28% of Nevadans are Latinos. Specifically, in Las Vegas, the Latino presence is hard to miss. Economic forecasters agree that “La Ciudad de las Luces” will continue to see growth and the main catalyst for this is the Hispanic community. We spoke with four Latino influencers from the entertainment capital of the world about the
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SOUTHERN Nevada Hispanic Magazine SPRING | SUMMER 2019
economic boom in Las Vegas and how from business owners to politicians, and of course, the workforce, the Latinos are the ones with the bang.
“Turistas Latinos” in Las Vegas: Impacting more than just The Strip “1.5 Million Mexican tourists visited Las Vegas in 2017 injecting millions of dollars into our economy” - Rafael
Villanueva, Senior Director of International Sales for the LVCVA
The tourism industry represents 30% of our local Rafael Villanueva economy and the money that tourists pour into our city ends up bettering our schools, roads, and communities. 41% of the people living in Las Vegas are impacted by tourism, without
Currently, there is a boom in construction in Las Vegas with around $23 billion worth of projects—resort, entertainment, and transportation—in line. According to Marco Hernandez, more than 80% of people working in that industry are Latinos, which means this community is leading one of the most powerful economic factors in town.
Latinos and The Economic Boom of Las Vegas
Mexico is one of the only countries whose major airlines fly daily into Las Vegas. Aeromexico, Interjet, Volaris and Viva Aerobus, they all fly into the city” Rafael Villanueva
Mexico, this last one being the top one country contributing to our local economy via tourism. In 2017, tourism from the neighboring country represented 20% of the total people visiting our city. “Shopping centers, restaurants, casinos, shows everyone loves the Latino tourists because they come and enjoy everything we offer” Said Villanueva and added “Mexico is one of the only countries whose major airlines fly daily into Las Vegas. Aeromexico, Interjet, Volaris and Viva Aerobus, they all fly into the city” Villanueva is sure that the influx of international tourists into “The City of Lights” will continue to grow, regardless of any negative sentiment toward the U.S. Especially because of our city’s constant improvements, renovations, and unique attractions. 2019 is a promising year for Las Vegas with the Area 51 convention facility debut, also we will see new attractions like the Las Vegas Ballpark and Kind Heaven. In addition, The Park Vegas and the Palms Casino Resort will be fully open this year. Rafael Villanueva is a long time Nevadan, whose nickname since high school has been Mr. Las Vegas. He has seen the growth of our city and now is proud to work on bringing more visitors into what he had called home for many years, something he thinks could be destiny. “That is me at my dad’s shoulders probably in the ’60s in front of the convention center here in Las Vegas. That was the very first convention that was held at our convention center. This not knowing I was going to work here.” Said Rafael while showing us a picture that hangs at his office.
Alejandro Fernández in TheColosseun at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, NV. | Courtesy
this industry each household would have to pay an extra $2,700 in taxes every year, and many of those tourists are from Latin American countries. According to Rafael Villanueva, the Senior Director of International Sales for the LVCVA, the top countries that visit Las Vegas are Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and
Conventions are one of the forces driving people into Las Vegas. Every year we see around 24,000 conventions booked in our city. Every year more and more companies choose Vegas to grow their businesses. 2019’s convention calendar is already more full than 2018’s, and many of those companies booking are owned by Latinos. Before we finished our conversation with Villanueva we asked him, why he though Latinos play such an important role in our economy? “The Latino way is striving to be the best you can be and provide for the family, we work hard and we want to build for our future. That is it” Villanueva answer. Continue on the next page » SPRING | SUMMER 2019 SOUTHERN Nevada Hispanic Magazine
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Cover Story
Latinos are helping the economy, opening businesses, creating jobs and paying taxes. We don’t like to depend on any programs” Peter Guzman
Latino Entrepreneurs: Providing jobs and growing their spending power
Bonito Michoacán, Mexican Restaurant, Las Vegas, NV. | Courtesy
Latino Laborers: Building the foundation of our growing economy “The construction growth of Las Vegas lays on the shoulders of hard-working Latinos”. - Marco Hernandez,
Laborers Local 872 Field Agent Vicepresidente
Currently, there is a boom in construction in Las Vegas Marco Hernandez with around $23 billion worth of projects—resort, entertainment, and transportation—in line. According to Marco Hernandez, more than 80% of people working in that industry are Latinos, which means this community is leading one of the most powerful economic factors in town. The Laborers union has been characterized for fighting for large construction projects, like the Raiders Stadium, securing thousands of jobs in the construction and service industry in the near future. As well as other major projects in the entertainment, meeting and hospitality landscape to be delivered in 2020 and 2021.
“There is a direct reflection, there are no coincidences. You see here the booming economy in Las Vegas that is being led by Latinos. We are opening business 3 times faster than non-Hispanic. All the construction, Peter Guzman everything you see booming around town is Latinos”. - Peter Guzman,
Latin Chamber of Commerce President
According to a 2017 review by the nonpartisan SBE Council, Nevada ranked number one as the most friendly state for entrepreneurs, and Latinos are taking advantage of it. Peter Guzman assures that Latinos come from countries that don’t have the infrastructure we have here to build a business and still make it work. In fact, Latinos are not only opening more businesses they are failing 2 times less than non-Hispanics. On top of that, In Southern Nevada alone, Hispanics are spending $17billion annually and growing. “We are willing to work very hard is a combination of good ethics and opportunity,” said Guzman. The service industry, food and beverage, and construction are the main industries dominated by Latinos. “I don’t agree with people that said we come to take from the country. Latinos are helping the economy, opening businesses, creating jobs and paying taxes. We don’t like to depend on any programs” added Guzman
“Latinos are working hard to deliver another golden age of growth for the Strip in the next decade. There are 3 main projects, the Raiders Stadium, the Resort World and the new convention center, these projects will change the landscape and will put Las Vegas on another level and without a doubt ‘Los Latinos’ are at the front forth of this constructions” said Marco Hernandez.
Peter Guzman, is proof of the Latino power. Guzman is a highly esteemed real estate broker, developer, and investor. He is also the president and CEO of The Opa group, a real estate consulting firm based in Las Vegas. Guzman was born in Miami, Florida to a Cuban father, and a Cuban-American mother. His father came to America as a refugee on a raft. Peter’s life in Nevada began at the age of two. He and his high school sweetheart Mercy have two children.
Marco Hernandez started his career in the service/casino industry as a young adult and has been a proud union member with the Laborers Local 872 for the last 18 years.
Peter’s natural instincts showed themselves at an early age. The young businessman, as a child, sold lemonade and food on street corners. His entrepreneurial spirit for real estate
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SOUTHERN Nevada Hispanic Magazine SPRING | SUMMER 2019
Latinos and The Economic Boom of Las Vegas
...now we are also working on electing our people to positions of power, those that will really represent who we are and protect what we believe in” Kate Marshal
started when he and his newlywed moved out of his parents’ home. He worked hard as a valet and set aside his money. With his savings, he negotiated with a seller and bought a house two doors down from his parents. Two years after that, he sold it. This was the beginning of an award-winning career. Mr. Guzman works hard to help people acquire their dream home. He has received the award of Top Producer eight years in a row from The Opa Group, and his residential and commercial real estate sales exceed $600 million. “I didn’t go through the same struggles as my father did — that is part of why my father came here so that maybe I would not have to – and now we have a whole generation of young people born and educated here. They are going to thrive and I think [they] will be a big reason why a lot of these barriers get knocked down.” Guzman said in an interview with the Las Vegas Business Press. Peter Guzman’s parents wanted to create a better life for him. The same spirit and determination that drove him to create a better life for all Nevadans.
Latinos in power: The undeniable truth of Las Vegas “I have been the only woman many times in the room, being the first Latina Lt. Governor is not different. I am ready to work hard and create change” . - Kate Marshall, Nevada Lt. Governor
Latinos are not an afterthought for politics in Nevada anymore. The last election the Silver State went from a light purple to an undeniable blue, thanks to the Latino vote. Per numbers provided by the Pew Research center, about 67% of Latinos voted for Democrat Jacky Rosen in the Senate race, compared with 30% who voted for Republican Dean Heller. In the race for governor, Latinos voted in a similar manner.
Kate Marshall
But working on the background is not what Latinos crave anymore, now we are also working on electing our people to positions of power, those that will really represent who we are and protect what we believe in. “My priority is to help middle-class families and small businesses in Nevada succeed, it always has and always will be,” said Marshall after being elected as the first Latina Lt. Governor in 2018, making
Shoppers enter Cardenas Market during the first day of early voting on Saturday, May 26, 2018. | Jeff Scheid/The Nevada Independent
history in Nevada. Kate Marshall’s family is from Chihuahua, Mexico. Her grandfather fought Pancho Villa after the general decided to take over the family’s ranch and horses. The defeat pushed her grandfather to move to the US and ended up in San Francisco, where he found victory. Marshall grew up in working-class neighborhoods in San Francisco as the eldest of six children. She worked throughout high school and college, earning a bachelor’s degree and a law degree at the University of California, Berkeley with the help of scholarships, Pell Grants, and student loans. Mexican tradition, was part of the experience, which included being surrounded by people with an entrepreneurial mentality. Now, through her office, she has the opportunity to oversee small businesses and economic development, something she feels very close to. “It’s important to make sure our economy works for everyone,” Marshall said. “Do they have a well-paying job so that they can afford a home? So that they can afford the things they need? Is education affordable to their children? Do they have financial security for themselves? Do they feel like it’s available for their parents? I think a lot of Nevadans feel that the size of the footprint they had yesterday is smaller today.” According to the state’s website, in Nevada, there are over a quarter million small businesses, which account for 99% of businesses throughout the state and employ 42% of the private workforce. “To build more resiliency in the state’s economy we must ensure that small businesses don’t only open, but thrive.” Said Marshall. As a Latina and a small business owner, Kate understands the barriers entrepreneurs and small businesses face when it comes to interacting with government agencies and wants to make sure the Lieutenant Governor’s office works to help small business owners navigate state bureaucracy and that Nevada’s small business community is highlighted for all its accomplishments.
SPRING | SUMMER 2019 SOUTHERN Nevada Hispanic Magazine
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Clean Energy
Nevada takes major step toward adopting more clean energy This milestone piece of legislation will also help reduce emissions that negatively affect the health and well-being of Nevadans...” Governor Steve Sisolak BY EL CONCILIO HISPANO
Nevada is committing itself to get 50 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2030 — more than double the amount it draws from clean sources now — much to the delight of renewable energy advocates who saw their dreams dashed two years after a last-minute veto of a similar bill. Flanked by lawmakers, renewable energy advocates and others, Sisolak signed SB358 on Earth Day — April 22 — in a public ceremony outside the legislative building and state Capitol. The Democratic governor said signing the bill to raise the state’s “Renewable Portfolio Standard” fulfilled a campaign promise and stressed the policy’s economic and ecological benefits. “This milestone piece of legislation will also help reduce emissions that negatively affect the health and well-being of Nevadans,” he said. “By using more clean energy, we’ll reduce our carbon emissions and smog-forming pollution that comes from fossil fuels, decreasing use of pollution in the air that our children, our seniors, and everyone breathes everyday.” The highly publicized bill-signing ceremony marks a substantial departure from the 2017 legislative session, when former
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SOUTHERN Nevada Hispanic Magazine SPRING | SUMMER 2019
Gov. Steve Sisolak, flanked by lawmakers, holds up a copy of SB358 outside the Legislature on Monday, April 22, 2019 (Joey Lovato/The Nevada Independent)
Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval vetoed a bill that would have raised the RPS to 40 percent by 2030. The bill’s rejection came amid concerns that the policy would conflict with a 2018 ballot question that would have turned Nevada into a competitive electric retail market (that ballot measure ultimately failed). But this session, the bill sponsored by Democratic Sen. Chris Brooks sailed through both houses of the Legislature with no organized opposition and unanimous votes in both legislative chambers — a fact lauded by Sisolak, who handed one of his pens used to sign the bill to Republican Senate Leader James Settelmeyer. “I’m joining leaders on both sides of the aisle to send a message to the country and the world that Nevada is open for business as a renewable leader, and our commitment to growing our clean energy economy will not falter or fade due to political climate,” he said. The bill signing came a few months after Question 6, a ballot measure that would enshrine a 50 percent renewable standard in the state constitution, passed with 59 percent of the statewide vote. The measure will appear again on the 2020 ballot on its way to becoming a constitutional amendment that would be harder to change than the law Sisolak signed. Sisolak said he didn’t want to wait through another election cycle to start raising the renewable standards. “The difference is, it’s a year and a half away,” he said after the event. “Why not start today? Everyday is going to be beneficial to us, as far as I’m concerned.”
Clean Energy A Renewable Portfolio Standard system essentially sets up an artificial marketplace where power plants gain “PECs” (Portfolio Energy Credits) for producing renewable energy. The state runs a marketplace where PECs can be bought and sold, and requires NV Energy and other applicable entities to meet a certain percentage standard by turning in enough credits as compared to their total electricity generation.
effort,” he said in a statement.
A PEC itself is equivalent to one kilowatt-hour of generated electricity, equivalent to a 100-watt television running for 10 hours.
The bill signing comes more than a month after Sisolak signed the state onto a multi-state agreement to fulfill greenhouse gas reduction goals set in the Paris Climate Agreement, which President Donald Trump announced the U.S. would begin to withdraw from in 2017. Joining the “U.S. Climate Alliance” commits Nevada to an effort to reduce greenhouse gases by at least 26 to 28 percent from 2005 levels by 2025, monitoring and reporting progress on emission reduction efforts and committing to speeding up efforts to cut emissions and expand clean energy adoption.
Nevada’s first RPS was put in place in 1997, and most recently increased in 2011 to gradually ramp up to 25 percent by 2025. The bill would raise the RPS to 22 percent by 2020, and gradually increase the standard over the next decade until it reaches 50 percent by 2030 In a statement, NV Energy CEO Doug Cannon reiterated the company’s “aspirational” goal of providing its customers with 100 percent renewable energy, and lauded the bill’s passage as an “important step.” “Our company has made great strides over the last decade to increase our use of clean energy resources and reduce our carbon footprint, all while keeping costs low for our customers. Today signifies another step in building Nevada’s clean energy economy and we’re proud to be one of the leaders in that
Although NV Energy raised multiple concerns about the bill in the 2017 Legislature, the utility announced last year that it would support increasing the RPS to 50 percent by 2030 after winning approval from state energy regulators last year to construct six new large-scale solar plants.
Billionaire political donor Tom Steyer, whose political advocacy group NextGen America poured millions of dollars into the ballot measure campaign to raise the RPS, said his next goal for the state is that it leverages its role as a key stop in the 2020 presidential campaign to elevate the issue of climate change. The issue was scarcely discussed in the 2016 campaign, he said. “If it isn’t discussed in Nevada during this campaign, in effect it doesn’t exist,” he said.
SPRING | SUMMER 2019 SOUTHERN Nevada Hispanic Magazine
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Driving Classes
Driving workshop for undocumented immigrants aims to boost safety, peace of mind on Las Vegas roads By Chris Kudialis The Nevada Independent
Driving in the United States is different from driving in Mexico. It’s also very different to drive in El Salvador, Honduras and Cuba. Late last February, natives of many Latin American countries had their first opportunity to formally learn the laws of the roads in Nevada. A driving safety class — conducted in Spanish, lasting five hours and attended by about 190 people at Bonanza High School — was organized by the Clark County School District Police Department (CCSDPD) Vulnerable Road Users, Nevada Driving School and Zero Fatalities. “Undocumented people are also members of our community who drive,” Robert Mayer, community liaison for the CCSDPD, said. “We want to encourage them to have proper documentation to benefit everyone on our roads.” The attendees — largely undocumented immigrants — learned rules on turn signals, the proper distance between cars when changing lanes and how to register for auto insurance, among other things. The class also provided a practice test for those applying for a Driver Authorization Card — which is granted to people living in Nevada who can’t meet the requirements of proof of identity for a driver’s license or ID card.
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SOUTHERN Nevada Hispanic Magazine SPRING | SUMMER 2019
People wait at the DMV office in Henderson on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018. (Jeff Scheid/The Nevada Independent)
Nevada lawmakers passed a law in 2013 creating the cards, which do not serve as identification for federal purposes such as passing airport security, but authorize motorists to use the roads and were aimed at ensuring more drivers are insured and have a basic level of driving competency. The DMV says there are nearly 49,000 active driver authorization cards and another 3,500 learner’s permits for the cards. DMV officials say the original law explicitly prevents the agency from sharing information about cardholders with the federal government for immigration enforcement purposes. Mayer said the idea of offering the workshop emerged last summer after realizing there were a large number of students in the district whose parents are undocumented and drive without a license, insurance or vehicle registration. Mayer said obtaining a Driver Authorization Card reduces the chance of “hit and run” cases involving undocumented immigrants who flee from the scene of an accident because they’re afraid of being fined, arrested and deported. The simple act of driving without a valid license or registration has been a significant cause of people receiving tickets that then turn into arrest warrants and lead to deportation proceedings — fueling anxiety about driving in general. Without an authorization card, immigrant drivers cannot register their vehicles and may not be able to obtain insurance, resulting in their cars being towed. In addition, according to Mayer, they often don’t have the money to pay the fees required to recover the car, which can exceed $1,000.
Undocumented people are also members of our community who drive. We want to encourage them to have proper documentation to benefit everyone on our roads.” Robert Mayer, community liaison for the CCSDPD
“Don’t throw away your Power”
Different countries, different systems For some workshop attendees, the opportunity to obtain a permit represents the first time they have had legal authorization to drive. Before moving to the United States in 2010, Hector Lozano, 48, was used to driving a van to go to work in his sprawling hometown of Mexico City. He never needed a license or insurance to drive. He would simply jump into his vehicle and get on the road. Lozano, one of the attendees, said that he thought red traffic lights were signals that indicated a need to yield: if there were no other cars around, he would just stop for a second and then he would cross. He also used the bed of his truck as an extra space for coworkers to sit. That’s why he was surprised to hear that these three practices are illegal in the United States. He said he had no idea. But Lozano wasn’t the only one who learned details of the traffic system and laws in Nevada. One woman, who’s originally from El Salvador and asked to remain anonymous because she is undocumented learned about the class through Facebook and decided to attend when a family friend said that the people who organized the event were also undocumented immigrants. “It made me feel a little more comfortable,” she said. Marco Favela, a native of Mexicali and who was undocumented until he was 21, sat in front of the class from the start until the early afternoon hours. Favela, who is an instructor at Nevada Driving Schools and works as a bus driver for CCSD, said that being undocumented in the United States is a shared struggle for immigrants who live here and come from all corners of the world. Favela added that such events could be offered up to four times a year in order to continue to inform undocumented immigrants who are seeking a way to drive legally. “There is help and there are resources,” he said. “They are not alone in this.”
1 1 ne u J • Y A D N IO T C ELE On June 11, 2019 YOU have the final opportunity to Get Out To Vote for those YOU feel are the best qualified persons to lead. It is the RESPONSIBILITY of ALL Qualified Voters to do their Civil Duty and VOTE. Join the 200,000 qualified Hispanic Voters in Clark County, Nevada.
SERVING THE HISP ANIC COMMUNITY SINCE 1998
SOUTHERN Nevada Hispanic Magazine
SPRING | SUMMER 2019 SOUTHERN Nevada Hispanic Magazine
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Gaming
Gov. Sisolak appoints Rosa
Solis-Rainey
to Nevada Gaming
Commission
I am confident she’ll make an outstanding addition to the Nevada Gaming Commission and support its mission of keeping Nevada the gold standard in gaming regulation” Governor Steve Sisolak
Rosa Solis-Rainey
Solis-Rainey received her Bachelor of Science in public accounting and finance and her Master of Business Administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
BY EL CONCILIO HISPANO
Carson City, NV – Today, Governor Steve Sisolak announced the appointment of Rosa Solis-Rainey of Henderson to the Nevada Gaming Commission. Solis-Rainey takes the seat previously held by Sandra Douglass Morgan, who left the Gaming Commission on January 25th to chair the Gaming Control Board. “Rosa is a highly experienced litigator who has been involved in some of the state’s most complex legal issues over the past 18 years,” Gov. Sisolak said. “I am confident she’ll make an outstanding addition to the Nevada Gaming Commission and support its mission of keeping Nevada the gold standard in gaming regulation.” Solis-Rainey is an A/V rated lawyer and is the managing partner of Morris Law Group, where her practice includes representing businesses in all manner of commercial disputes, including litigating products liability claims, shareholder disputes, and professional liability claims. She has been
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SOUTHERN Nevada Hispanic Magazine SPRING | SUMMER 2019
with the Las Vegas firm since 2006. Previously, Solis-Rainey practiced commercial litigation and administrative/gaming law at Lionel Sawyer & Collins. Solis-Rainey clerked for the late Justice Myron Leavitt on the Nevada Supreme Court, and then-Chief Judge Philip M. Pro on the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada. Rosa spent nearly 12 years as part of the corporate level management team at Boyd Gaming Corporation, where she served as the director of internal audit, director of regulatory compliance, and as a member of the board of directors’ audit committee and its compliance committee. Solis-Rainey received her Bachelor of Science in public accounting and finance and her Master of Business Administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She received her Juris Doctorate from the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law, where she was a member of the charter class. She is bilingual in English and Spanish and is the proud mother of two sons.
Entrepreneur
Priscilla Vilchis, CEO of Premium Produce, inspects a cannabis bud at her grow facility in Las Vegas
Latina entrepreneur
overcomes financial barriers, cultural taboos to build cannabis business Por Luz Gray The Nevada Independent en Español Fotos: Jeff Scheid/ The Nevada Independent.
Once hidden underground, it isn’t hard to find marijuana businesses in Nevada these days — they’re the sophisticated buildings in busy strip malls with bold green letters proclaiming “cannabis.” Marijuana has risen from ignominy to prominence in the state since lawmakers authorized recreational sales in July 2017. And the plant has also taken a prominent role in the life of Priscilla Vilchis, founder of Premium Produce, a company that grows marijuana not too far from the Las Vegas Strip. A Latina businesswoman, Vilchis operates her company with the same meticulous care she gives to her cannabis: daily monitoring, the touch of expert hands, optimum conditions to ensure the best possible harvest, and strict quality control so that the plant will produce the best results. But along the way she has also found herself in arid lands. Her challenges range from complying with stringent regulations, to the lack of legislation to allow million-dollar transactions through normal banking institutions to breaking taboos that for generations have labeled marijuana as a gateway to harder drugs.
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SOUTHERN Nevada Hispanic Magazine SPRING | SUMMER 2019
Priscilla Vilchis, founder of Premium Produce, looks at marijuana plants at her grow facility in Las Vegas
“It’s been very difficult, because we’re the first ones and they’re using us as an example,” Vilchis said. “Everything is very technical, and if you’re not in compliance, they give you a fine.” When she first obtained a medical marijuana license in 2014, she became the first female president of a cannabis company in Nevada. Diversity has been a concern in the industry; the percentage of women executives in marijuana nationwide is slightly higher than women executives in U.S. businesses overall, but women are far underrepresented as investors in the industry, according to a 2017 reader survey from the trade publication Marijuana Business Daily. The survey also found that less than 20 percent of cannabis business founders and owners are non-white, while nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population is non-white. The Legislature is looking for ways to bring more people like Vilchis into the industry. In addition to application scoring that credits businesses with diverse leadership teams, a bill working its way through the Legislature seeks a study into the demographics of Nevada’s marijuana industry and whether discrimination or disparities in licensing exist.
Becoming an industry As the saying goes, “if you don’t show it, you won’t sell it.”
Vilchis obtained her medical marijuana license in Nevada in 2014, becoming the first and the youngest female president from a minority group. In 2017, she was licensed to sell cannabis for recreational use
industry because it wasn’t a legal business at a federal level, he recommended she opened a business in Nevada, where there are more profitable opportunities than in California. Vilchis obtained her medical marijuana license in Nevada in 2014, becoming the first and the youngest female president from a minority group. In 2017, she was licensed to sell cannabis for recreational use. Her biggest challenge in starting the business was banking. When she applied for the licenses, one of the criteria was to have a physical space for her company. Her lawyer advised her that she needed to buy a property, otherwise she wouldn’t meet state requirements for licensing because the banks wouldn’t finance her business. “That was a big challenge. That’s $2 million day in one day,” she said. “I didn’t plan for that, but I had to deliver and do it if I wanted to win these licenses. So I did it.” The lack of access to banking continues to be a problem. Many marijuana companies line up heavy security to handle the mountains of cash that flow through their businesses. That’s why in late March, Priscilla Vilchis and her team organized everything they needed to participate in an event for cannabis exhibitors at Planet 13 dispensary in Las Vegas. She had a small table at the entrance, a mini Ferris wheel, small golden bags that looked like gold bars, hats and other objects emblazoned with the word “Reina” (Spanish for “queen”). Vilchis has been described as a queen who has paved the way in the competitive cannabis industry. And she has managed to take advantage of that title to market her products. The start of Premium Produce dates back to 2013, when Vilchis was 27 and working in marketing and management at a doctor’s office in California. As she was forging a successful career, she came up with the idea of starting a cannabis business. Realizing that patients were visiting doctors to relieve their pain and ended up addicted to prescription opioids was a turning point in her life. “That drew my attention — the side effects of pain medication. That is what prompted me to invest into marijuana. I got into the industry for the medical aspect,” she said. “I saw the bigger picture that moment. I knew it, I felt it, that there has to be an alternative, and that is marijuana.” Although her lawyer advised her not to risk her money in the
Vilchis, who doesn’t operate her business with a credit union, said that if the banks would get involved, the state could keep better track of revenue and implement a more accurate taxation mechanism, helping drive away the black market. “[Regulations] have to be updated,” she said. “This is here to stay. This is the new tobacco, the new alcohol, and as soon as the regulators get on the same page as us it’s going to be a lot easier for us.”
A clear vision Making her plants and her business grow wouldn’t have been the same if Vilchis didn’t have another essential ingredient: Strong roots, which her family members offer as they help her manage her business on a daily basis. Vilchis has two sisters, ages 17 and 23, and a 7-year-old brother who dreams of becoming an engineer for Tesla. Her leadership skills attracted attention since she was a teen. Vilchis enjoyed spending time not only with people who had businesses, but in the medical sector, where her mother worked for years. “She was always brave and she had a big vision for everything she did,” her parents, Irma and Alfredo Vilchis, said in a recent interview at Premium Produce. “She wasn’t a follower. Everyone seemed to follow her.” SPRING | SUMMER 2019 SOUTHERN Nevada Hispanic Magazine
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Entrepreneur
For Vilchis, opening the doors of her new company not only meant dealing with the regulations of the cannabis industry. She also had to reckon with her family’s feelings toward marijuana.
Although her parents grew up in the United States and she and her siblings were born in this country, the entrenched religious beliefs and strict moral principles that her grandparents brought over from Mexico didn’t align with her vision of becoming a marijuana entrepreneur. Films depicting the drug trade and corridos (ballads) about drug traffickers that were fashionable during her childhood didn’t help much. At home she and her brothers weren’t allowed to hear music that dealt with drugs, profanity, or seeing people smoking or kissing on the big screen. If Vilchis’ parents took a while and needed a lot of information to understand the business her daughter envisioned, it was much harder for her grandmother to understand it. She grew up with the idea that marijuana smokers weren’t reliable, that it was synonymous with addiction, and she also worried what would the rest of her family would think when they found out about Vilchis’ business decision. “When the word ‘marijuana’ was heard in my family, my mom would tell us: ‘I come from Mexico, and when we see a pot user, we run,’” her dad remembered. “’How is Priscilla going to get involved in this business? What do you think they’re going to call me, granny pot?’”
Priscilla Vilchis, right, founder of Premium Produce, with her parents Irma Vilchis and Alfredo Vilchis
It was her experience working closely with physicians that prompted Priscilla Vilchis’ interest in researching the effects of opioids, seeking alternatives for patients, and one day gathering her family to share the news: She wanted to work in the medical marijuana industry. At first Vilchis’ family worried that she wouldn’t be protected by law, but her responsible character and the therapeutic possibilities of marijuana convinced them, her parents said. “I remember that day very well. They were saying on TV something about opioids and she said to me, ‘Dad, I see doctors who give prescriptions to people, and when they return, they’re either aggressive or addicted. I bet there’s an alternative to soothe their pain,’” her father said. The vision Vilchis had from the start has now become a family business that her parents consider a great achievement and a model for other Latino entrepreneurs. “The love I have for my children and my wife is like winning the lottery,” Alfredo Vilchis said. “I feel proud when I see she succeeded, coming from a Latino minority, and that she’s so responsible.”
Breaking taboos For Vilchis, opening the doors of her new company not only meant dealing with the regulations of the cannabis industry. She also had to reckon with her family’s feelings toward marijuana.
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SOUTHERN Nevada Hispanic Magazine SPRING | SUMMER 2019
Vilchis also recalled her first steps in the cannabis business from her perspective as a young Latino entrepreneur. She was aware of how hard it would be to obtain licenses to operate her emporium. She said her strategy for success was to build a solid team with lawyers and lobbyists. “I know that I have to work harder because of this, but I did it and I won,” she said. “So, if everyone out there, minority, white… black, it doesn’t matter. It can be difficult for anyone. We have the resources and we have the tools in front of us. Utilize them.”
A vision for the future With the potential for great expansion to Nevada’s large tourist base, marijuana investors have flocked to licenses like bees to honey. Marijuana sales in the first year of full legalization totaled $529.9 million dollars, according to the Nevada Department of Taxation. But the competition doesn’t bother Vilchis, she said, because those companies must comply with the same process and regulations businesses like hers had to deal with. Vilchis wants her company to continue to flourish along with her cannabis plants, so she said she hopes the federal government and the marijuana industry, sooner or later, will be on the same page and allow entrepreneurs to use banks safely like any other industry. Since the medicinal aspect of marijuana was her main motivation for entering the marijuana business, Vilchis said she wishes one day marijuana costs will be reimbursed by health insurance companies as treatment for job-related injuries and other ailments. “That’s the biggest goal,” she said.
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Disfrute de su tranquilidad asegurando lo que más importa... nosotros lo ayudaremos a protejerse
Wilson One Insurance Sirviendo a nuestra Comunidad Latina desde 2017 Wilson One Insurance le asegura lo que más le importa a usted y a su familia Nuestra Agencia de Seguros está creciendo y expandiendose rápidamente, no sólo por su capacidad de proporcionar tarifas competitivas, sino además por la amable recomendación de nuestra clientela. Si está buscando Seguro de Auto, Casa, Renta, Negocio, Vehículos Recreativos, Motocicletas y Mascotas, permitanos ayudarle, nuestro equipo de expertos están disponibles para atenderlo en su idioma.
CASA
CONSULTA Y COTIZACIÓN GRATUITA
Visite nuestras oficinas de lunes a viernes en el
2688 S. Rainbow Blvd, Suite D1 o visite nuestra página web
www.wilsononeinsurance.com
ATENCIÓN INMEDIATA
Para una atención inmediata llame al 702-867-0049 los siete días de la semana
AUTO
NEGOCIO
MASCOTAS
The Wilson Family is a 3rd generation of strong men and women who work very hard contribuiting to the growth of their beloved town. Vegas born and raised Peter Wilson is committed to bring positive change to the city of Las Vegas adding a second generation of leaders. His vision is to work side by side with the community to help them grow confidently into the future
Wilson One Insurance www.wilsoninsurance.com 702-867-0049