2
Illustration by Haven Jovel Morales
CONTENTS
MUSIC RECS CURATED BY LA GENTE STAFF
MOLLE DE OLLA JESSICA MARTINEZ
16
PROTECCIÓN EN EL VALLE
JENNIFER ROSARIO ARRIAGA
12 19
SENIOR FAREWELL STAFF
INTERNS
Editor in Chief Myrka Vega
Spanish Editor Ashley Huendo
Spanish Team Brian Jimenez-Luna
Social Media Coordinator Melissa Díaz
Managing Editor Angela Vargas
Copy Editor Rebecca Gutierrez
Visual Editor Jessica Martinez
Content Editors Melissa Díaz Alexxa Vasquez
Visual Team Haven Jovel Morales Alvaro Hernandez Jason Gonzalez
Staff Writers Jennifer Rosario Arriaga Karim Hyderali Kevin Bernal-Rivera Daniel Ponce
Layout Design Editor Daisy Soto
10
6
AISLAMIENTO EN LOS ÁNGELES MELISSA DÍAZ
GENERATION OF CHAOS KARIM HYDERALI
5
Layout Design Cristelle Hugo
Front and Back Cover Haven Jovel Morales
Haile Savannah Arraiza Nayeli Guadalupe Velarde Casandra Georgina Chamorro Marisol Huerta-Ontiveros Laysha Macedo Alize Magaña Sarah D Mejia Bryce Ramirez Janet Elizabeth Rivera Sofia Rizkkhalil
La Gente Newsmagazine is published and copyrighted by the ASUCLA Communications Board. All rights are reserved. Reprinting of any material in this publication without the written permission of the Communications Board is strictly prohibited. The ASUCLA Communications Board fully supports the University of California’s policy on non-discrimination. The student media reserve the right to reject or modify advertising whose content discriminates on the basis of ancestry, color, national origin, race, religion, disability, age, sex or sexual orientation. The ASUCLA Communications Board has a media grievance procedure for resolving complaints against any of its publications. For a copy of the complete procedure, contact the publications office at 118 Kerckhoff Hall @ 310-825-9898
3
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR We’ve heard it countless times before, “we’re living in unprecedented times.” You’ve either read that in an email, a tweet, or an article headline. But can we truly say these are unprecedented times when we live in a country where universal healthcare is nonexistent and police brutality against Black and Brown people is state-sanctioned? How can we say these are unprecedented times when this country was founded on the genocide of Indigenous people and the enslavement of Black people? When this country is maintained by a violent police system, prison-industrial complex, US imperialism, and xenophobic immigration policies, how can we say these are unprecedented times? No, by saying so we are giving governments a free pass for failing to protect the people they promised to protect. We need to hold this settler-colonial country accountable for failing to protect our healthcare workers, risking the lives of every single essential worker (including healthcare workers), and for the poor leadership demonstrated all over this country by politicians who prioritize sustaining capitalism. Living under capitalism has conditioned us to believe we need to continue producing and conduct business as usual. But that’s not true. Now or ever. When we first embarked on our Spring issue back in February, this magazine looked completely different. We were all in different mindsets, and personally in different emotional capacities. As a team, we decided we wanted this digital magazine to reflect this sudden change. Transiciones was crafted by our staff during a global pandemic that has dramatically changed how we view our living and work conditions. Each piece in Transiciones seeks to wrestle with the idea of this and many other changes and their effects. Aislamiento en Los Ángeles is both a series of diary entries chronicling one editor’s day-to-day and the lethargy, loneliness, and longing that permeates quarantine and a self-reflection on how this sudden change has impacted emotional well-being. Generation of Chaos explores how Generation Z has responded to the world they were born into where tragedy is their cornerstone and yet are a serious force to be reckoned. In Protección en el Valle, we read testimonies from campesinos in the Central Valley whose transition into essential workers shows how necessary yet undervalued their labor has been this entire time. Even the vegan-friendly mole recipe, Mole de Olla, presents a change of pace in the type of cuisine we see in many Latinx households. I hope y’all can find a sense of peace, reassurance, or an urge to dismantle oppressive systems in this digital magazine. Whatever you find, I hope you are all safe.
4
In solidarity forever,
Myrka Vega La Gente Editor in Chief, 2019-2020
Flowers
Beyond
Mariposa
Today
The Red Pears
Leon Bridges
Peach Tree Rascals
Omar Apollo ft. Teo Halm
At Last
August
home with you
Sweetheart
Etta James
4rif
FKA Twigs
Suicide
A Great Design
Algo Memorable
slowdown
No Luck
Black Marble
Mujeres
Smallpools & morgxn
Siam Jem
MUSIC RECS SCAN TO LISTEN
5
AISLAMIENTO EN
LOS ÁNGELES ÁNGELES LOS by Mellisa Díaz
6
22 Abril 2020 Hoy las hojas tienen un gran sentido de vivacidad. Me pregunté cómo podría expresar y encarnar esto porque pase lo que pase, pequeños trozos de cansancio y letargo corren a través de mis venas.
21 Abril 2020 Cada mañana lo primero que me saluda es la condición de mis rosas, cuales están muriéndose. Cada mañana deseo algo diferente; deseo cambio y crecimiento, y más que todo, deseo la vida y vivir. Me pregunto si mis ojos algún día podrán ver algo diferente. No importa lo que haga, porque sigo haciendo lo que pensé que un día ya no haría: esperar. (Pero ¿qué estoy esperando? ¿Y cómo puedo escapar este ciclo?) 7
¿Llegará un punto en la vida en el cual todo esto será fácil?
8
23 Abril 2020 Cada mañana el sol visita mi ventana y pienso en las noches cuando la luna me seguía a casa. Me ofrecía una forma suave y gentil de compañía mientras caminaba entre la risa y conversaciones de otras personas. ¿Pero esto «suave» y «gentil» se puede encontrar en cualquier parte, cierto? A pesar del estado del mundo y las malas noticias y las lágrimas y el crecimiento de las estadísticas y el luto y la soledad y la distancia tal vez podremos sentir y encontrar amabilidad, gentileza y ternura en alguna parte. Tal vez se encuentra en las risas dulces y cálidas de mis seres queridos. Tal vez se encuentra en la presencia del amor que seguimos sintiendo a pesar de todo. Tal vez está en la compasión y consideración de poner a otros con grandes preocupaciones y necesidad antes de uno mismo. Tal vez está en todas partes. Su presencia nunca podría corregir todo lo malo en el mundo, pero es una gran cosa que podemos sostener.
24 Abril 2020 A pesar de los días calurosos, una brisa fresca entra por mi ventana a las 6 de la tarde todos los días y sorprende mi cuerpo. Me pregunto si siempre me había sentido así; no solo con escalofríos por el cambio de temperatura en esta noche en Los Ángeles, pero desolada. Supongo que lo más sorprendente es que todo esto es nuevo. El cambio de estar constantemente rodeada por tantas personas, tantas caras y voces diferentes y nombres y sonrisas y ahora absolutamente ninguna. Supongo que la parte más sorprendente es el hecho de poder sentirse sola; a pesar de intentar de no sentirse así, todavía ahogándose en aislamiento. En ese momento, me di cuenta de que tenía más en común con mis rosas cuales están muriéndose. Mis rosas están haciendo todo lo posible para crecer y prosperar y vivir a pesar de ciertos factores naturales incontrolables que podrían derribarlas. Realmente no somos tan diferentes.
25 Abril 2020 ¿Qué son las transiciones? ¿Qué es el cambio? ¿Llegará un punto en la vida en el cual todo esto será fácil? Photos by Jessica Martinez 9
10
11
Field worker, Meliton Santos de Jesus, after a 10 hour shift in 98 degree weather.
PROTECCIÓN EN EL VALLE By Jennifer Rosario Arriaga
12
The Central Valley is home to vast agricultural-based cities that help distribute its produce to the rest of California and its bordering states. More than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation has depended on all of its agricultural workers to provide food security for the country even if the workers themselves are facing dangerous working conditions, receiving little to no financial assistance, may face housing and food insecurities, may have faced the temporary termination of child care, and are unable to assist their children through remote learning. In an effort to better understand this transition for migrant farmworkers, some have opened up to share their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the announcement of stay at home orders beginning on March 19 throughout California, many UCLA students have returned home to be with their families. For students who are originally from the Central Valley, many are returning to a family of hardworking campesino workers. The transition has been hard on multiple families, however, having returned to the San Joaquin Valley, I have witnessed the inadequate methods of precautions that campesino workers are being exposed to. What makes matters worse is that they are the last ones to complain during these transitions and have continued to take it day by day, as long as they have work. Since many agricultural workers belong to the undocumented community, they have found that field work has been their only form of income. Previously, agricultural workers were already exposed to harsh labor in extreme heat, facing low wages, and not receiving paid leave or proper health care. Now, they are at risk of coming into contact with the virus and losing their ability to work. While many are using this time to be closer to their families, the transition for agricultural workers has been a fight to maintain their health in order to keep working. They have proven that they are not disposable and have been the most hardworking and giving workers to this nation during the pandemic. I met with a woman, age 19, who was born and raised in Mexico and immigrated to the United States at the age of 12 with her family. She prefers to remain anonymous but has agreed to share her experience during this transition. Having accompanied her parents since she was 13 years old, she has been working in the
fields for six years now. She is now a working mother and does not feel protected during this transition, “No me siento protegida en el trabajo. Nadie sabe el protocolo y aveces no encuentras las respuestas necesarias. Tengo que trabajar para poder comprar lo necesario como comida y pañales. En un punto no podía encontrar pañales y cuando los encontraba en tiendas cerca, le subían el precio. De todos modos, uno tiene que pagar la renta entonces uno no se puede quedar en casa.” Likewise, many workers are forced to work under this pandemic, fearing that they will come in contact with the virus and potentially expose their children to it. While the pandemic has cost many their jobs, campesino workers continue their daily routine of returning to their field work as a means to provide for their families. The transition of stay-at-home orders does not apply to them, as they are still expected to provide their labor as essential workers. There is no option to work from home when the pisca awaits them. Quite shockingly, cases regarding the pandemic in the Central Valley are not as public as they are in LA county and many in the Central Valley have yet to take proper precautions when it comes to guarding the safety of themselves and their family members. While agricultural workers are recommended to wear masks and maintain 6-feet social distancing regulations, many workers are still required to have close contact with one another whether that be through fruit packing companies, fieldwork, or dairy, meat, and poultry farms. In addition, not all mayordomos are providing proper face masks, if any, to their workers. While some have had access to masks which guard against dust, it is the equivalent to the work gloves and pañuelos that campesino workers already wear on a daily basis. Many migrant workers are known to travel for seasonal work across California and bordering states and cannot afford to stay in one location as they have to move with agricultural demands, putting their own health at risk by being exposed to new people and new environments. Not to mention that many agricultural workers who range in age, from young children accompanying their parents to older family members, may already have pre-existing health conditions and nonetheless are continuously being exposed to the dangers of COVID-19 on a daily ba-
“A safe working environment is not a privilege; it is a necessity.” 13
“No me siento protegida en el trabajo. Nadie sabe el protocolo y aveces no encuentras las respuestas necesarias...De todos modos, uno tiene que pagar la renta entonces uno no se puede quedar en casa.”
Anonymous
Trabajadores podando las matas de uva en preparación para la siguiente cosecha.
sis. In general, the immigrant community is not receiving paid leave and they do not qualify for stimulus checks, as they are only available to those with a social security number. Therefore, they have no other option than to continue working and maintain a safe distance from each other. The health of farmworkers is being compromised as many do not have proper access to healthcare and cannot afford to get sick when they have a family to provide for. At age 44, Macario Rosario has worked in the fields for 11 years, spent 10 years working in fruit packing companies, as a mechanic, in the meat industry, and is now working as a forklift driver packing fruit into trailer trucks. Working at a cold storage, Rosario shares the precautions his employers have taken in the past weeks, “Nuestra compañía nos avisa que necesitamos siempre usar desinfectante antes de llegar a la planta. Tienes que tomarte la temperatura antes de entrar y firmar un papel que no tienes calentura, usar una mascarilla, lavarse las manos y mantener distancia de segundas personas.” However, he also shares that he among the fortunate to receive proper instructions when working during a pandemic, “Aunque tenemos precauciones, no nos protege completamente del virus. Por nuestro trabajo, hemos tenido cursos básicos de aspiración de productos químicos, como amoníaco. Porque constantemente nos enfrentamos con estos químicos, tenemos más información en cómo usar mascarillas que otros trabajadores.” Having returned to the San Joaquin Valley, I see
14
how these transitions have affected many farm-working families. While my main emphasis has been focused on agricultural workers, I cannot imagine all the struggles that many families have faced during this transition. Many Latinx families do not have child care during these times, access to a computer or stable internet, and may face housing and food insecurities when living alone or if family members have lost their jobs. While many students have become unemployed, many living in the Central Valley have returned to fieldwork to maintain the income they would have been making if employed. Students everywhere are not only facing the transition to remote learning and adjusting to being back home but are also learning to navigate how to create a safe working environment for themselves. When I interviewed Meliton Santos de Jesus, he did not even know that paid leave was an option if he were to get sick. Santos de Jesus has worked in the fields for 24 years upon arriving in the United States. At age 62, he is among many of the men who arrive ready to work every day of the week. Since his family is still in Mexico, Santos de Jesus depends on his job to provide for them and himself. Meliton shares that while there have been changes since stay-at-home orders were established, he feels that he does not understand the severity of the situation, “[los mayordomos] te dan instrucciones pero no tenemos clases de salud.” He also shares how he is thankful for these changes since they have never received these many benefits, even though they are still extremely limited, “Es mucho lo que cam-
Macario Rosario
Photos by Jennifer Rosario Arriaga
“Aunque tenemos precauciones, no nos protege completamente del virus.”
To the right: Trabajadores del campo en Selma, California, en la pizca de nectarin.
bió del año anterior. Cuando empezamos a trabajar, cualquier persona que no se siente bien se puede ir a las casa. Pero nuestro empleador nunca nos dijo que podemos tener el derecho de descanso con paga en tiempos de enfermedad y que nos deben de pagan nuestro sueldo regular durante el tiempo de 2 semanas si estamos enfermos. A ellos no les conviene, entonces simplemente te dicen que no vengas o te pueden despedir. Igual, en un transporte de agrícola, pueden caber 12 personas por vehículo pero ahora solo pueden recoger a 5 personas a un tiempo para mantener un asiento de espacio entre cada persona.” Frankly, he is happy with small adjustments like the restrooms being cleaned daily when in the past they did not even have access to restrooms in the fields. Oddly, working during COVID-19 has been the most protection he has received in the past 24 years of field work. When asked what suggestions he would give his employers, Santos de Jesus stated, “Más que nada, pedirles que los baños estén más limpios a todos tiempos. Todos usan el baño, y si el baño no está limpio puede ser un método de contactar el virus. Pusieron otro pomito de jabón donde se lavan las manos, entonces eso ha ayudado.” Upon conducting these interviews, I realized that some agricultural workers did not understand how severe the virus is, and are ultimately thankful for the accommodations being made since it is more than they would typically have. However, having an extra hand sanitizer at a workstation, restrooms being cleaned daily, and maintaining proper health regulations should be a priority that should have always been enforced, not just because of the pandemic. A safe working environment is not a privilege; it is a necessity. Agricultural
workers are not made aware of all of the rights they are entitled to since fulfilling some rights, such as paid leave, does not profit employers and ultimately shows how they value profit over the health of their own workers. Working in agricultural work is laborious as it is, workers should be respected in times of a pandemic. They already receive minimum wages, work in intense heat temperatures, lack access to public restrooms and clean water, may receive inadequate break periods, and are constantly exposed to pesticides which mostly affects those with pre-existing respiratory conditions. In many cases, workers do not make a claim for needed change and even fear taking workers’ compensation because they need to ensure their work position. Immigration status prevents many from working outside of agricultural work and often becomes their only source of income. Unfortunately, field workers do not receive the respect and recognition they deserve for having provided the valley with decades of fruit and crop production. Consequently, there are many workers in the Central Valley who have yet to know everything about how to keep a safer work environment and the rights they are entitled to. Not only do all workers deserve to be safe at work, but they deserve to be informed during these times of panic. The immigrant and Latinx communities could be of help to field workers during this time by advocating for their rights, sharing resources with them such as food drives, and always thanking them for feeding the country. With the uncertainty that remains during the extended stay-at-home orders, field workers are taking it one day at a time.
15
Visual by Jessica Martinez
16
by Karim Hyderali Generation Z is defined as those who were born between the years of 1997 and 2012. Many say that Generation Z was handed a world filled with the most innovative technology that has been seen throughout human history. As a member of Generation Z, I am often told by previous generations how “easy� I have it. Older generations seem to have the notion that because we have newer technology, we have it easy. However, what they fail to acknowledge is that we have grown up constantly being exposed to tragedy. We have had to grow up witnessing our economy fail, the cost of living rising exponentially, the environment on the brink of collapse and human rights being violated due to discrimination. These events all came at a time where our generation was too young to question whether this would negatively affect our future and we have accepted them as normal. Once Generation Z grew older and became more conscious of how the world is, not how it is meant to be, many began to speak up. This led to Generation Z asking: Where do we go from here? How is our future going to look if this is the world we were handed? In response, some of those from previous generations have felt sympathy for Generation Z. In recent years, political activists have begun to focus on the struggles Generation Z has been facing and have offered guidance for us to figure out how to bring the world back to life. And rather than setting it all aside and letting the world continue to progress how it has been, our generation has filled itself with an energy and passion dedicated towards saving the world. We were handed a world of economic hardship. We were brought up witnessing our parents face the peaks of unemployment and now we ourselves are facing an unprecedented national debt. The great recession we were raised in left the economy in shambles and it appears that we may face a new recession and economic collapse ourselves. As Generation Z has begun to further its transition into the workforce, we have found that machines are slowly replacing workers and less secure jobs are being offered. This is alarming, in five years, all of our generation will be at least eighteen years old and almost entirely transitioning into the workforce, yet there may not be enough spots for all of us to fill. Generation Z is also entering a world where a bachelor’s degree no longer holds the value and pres-
tige it once did. Many college students are frightened by this as many do not intend on entering graduate school. Career opportunities for those holding fouryear degrees are no longer as abundant or high paying as they once were. This is also combined with the fact that the price to attend college has increased significantly and the gender wage gap has persisted. In 1997, the birth year of Gen Z, the median income for a man was $33,674 and the average income for a woman was $24,973. The average price to attend a public university as an in-state student in 1997 was $11,730 per year. This meant that a man would have to spend thirty-four percent of their annual income to pay for school, while women would have to spend forty-six percent of their annual income. Fast forward to 2019, the vast majority of students are members of Gen Z and the average cost of a year at UCLA as an in-state student is almost triple the amount of the average cost in 1997 at $32,750. In the same year the median income for men was $50,741 and $40,675 for women. This meant that on average, men would have to spend forty-one percent and women would have to spend fifty-one percent of their annual income on school. This is a pressing issue for many, especially first-generation students who feel the pressure to pull their family out of poverty and must serve as a symbol of success for many. Activists like Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodriguez have gone through this and have gone to offer assistance to those questioning if college will truly be worth the struggle. She has gone on to offer stories about her success at a predominantly white institution (PWI) while facing casual racism. She created a social media team known as Latina Rebels, which offers women of the Latinx community support in topics such as body positivity, sexual orientation, mental health, and personal emotional well-being. This is important as the price to attend college and the feeling of being underrepresented at a PWI often leads many to feel discouraged to attend school. We were also brought into a world where climate change has gotten out of control. In 2019, the world reached its peak in CO2 emissions. This stems from the widespread usage of carbon-based fuels, widespread use of plastic, and little being done to switch to environmentally friendly energy. This has contributed to ecosystems being put in dismay, the melting of ice caps, and the worsening of air quality. 17
“THIS SPIRIT OF REVOLUTION RUNS DEEPLY AMONG GENERATION Z AS WE HAVE GROWN UP EXPOSED TO A WORLD OF TURMOIL.” In response to the ongoing climate crisis, many members of our generation have voiced the importance of taking care of the environment such as the young rapper and member of Gen Z, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez. Martinez has actively been involved in holding the government accountable for protecting the environment. He has been involved in the famous court cases Juliana v. United States and Martinez v. Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. Both cases argued that the government was not doing its job at making sure the environment is protected and are endangering the youth by infringing on their rights to a stable and clean environment. We have also grown up in a world where social injustice and systemic racism persist. Many try to argue that discrimination is less common than before. While those who discriminate against marginalized communities may not completely avoid repurcussions as they have before, discrimination is still very abundant; it just hides under a casual facade and society downplays hate crimes as isolated events. We entered a world after the long term effects of the war on drugs had taken place, which directly focused on harming marginalized communities and furthered racial disparity. Before the war on drugs took place, the total population of those in prison was 218,466. Today the total population of those incarcerated is 2.3 million and of that 2.3 million almost half a million are due to drug possession or distribution. The war on drugs focused on communities with heavier concentrations of people of color which has led to Black and Latinx people composing fifty-nine percent of the prison population despite only making up twenty-nine percent of the US population. This means that Gen Z grew up desensitized to the idea of mass incarceration and the over policing of communities of color. The vast majority of people of color have felt outraged by the treatment we endure as a result of the war on drugs and the injustices that the court systems have done to POC. At the age of 14, Luis Hernandez 18
had to witness his older brother go to prison for a crime he did not commit. Hernandez worked relentlessly alongside an activist organization known as the Justice League NYC until he was acquitted of his charges two year later. After successfully contributing to the freeing of his brother, Hernandez continued to work with the organization to help combat the injustices that the court systems who claim to protect our communities have done to us. We were also brought into a time where the stigma against undocumented immigrants has normalized racism against the Latinx community. Conditions in immigration detention centers have worsened and many undocumented immigrants have been denied basic human rights while in the custody of ICE. Of the 256,085 undocumented immigrants who were deported in 2019, 255,612 came from Latin American countries. This has led to anti-immigrant sentiment highly directed towards Latinx people.” Miss Sara Mora is best known for her activism in support of immigration reform and discussing the racist attitudes many have towards the Latinx community and being the Co-President of the Women’s March youth branch. As an undocumented immigrant, she has faced discrimination and racism in various ways throughout her life and has gone on to use this as fuel for her passion of being politcally involved. She has spoken to several politicians such as Senator Cory Booker and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy about immigration reform and the discrimination much of the Latinx community finds themselves victims of. This spirit of revolution runs deeply among Generation Z as we have grown up exposed to a world of turmoil. As time went on, many of us have questioned how our transition into adulthood would be and how we would exist in a world that was leading itself towards its own destruction. Our reaction was to fight the systems in place and put ourselves on the political frontlines to ensure not only a brighter tomorrow, but that we will also be guaranteed a tomorrow.
Jessica Martinez Major: Political Science Hometown: Sherman Oaks, CA Prior to joining La Gente during my first year as a transfer, I only had a year of experience as a photographer. La Gente really gave me the courage to thrive and create in a professional setting. As the radio host for “Chismeando Con La Gente”, I was able to bring in The Red Pears, Archer Oh, Cruel Reflections, and more. As the visuals editor, I had the privilege of working with talented creatives. I’m excited for the future of La Gente, and I’m always going to be here to show support as an alumni. Jason Gonzalez Major: Political Science Hometown: Costa Mesa, CA As a transfer student, I wasn’t given much time at UCLA, but I’m glad that I was able to find a space that encouraged excellence in the Latinx community. La Gente gave me a platform to express myself through various outlets such as photography and radio broadcasting, and for that I am grateful. A huge shout out to the Chismeando Con La Gente radio team for tolerating me, we had a good run and I’m proud of the strides that we were able to accomplish throughout the year. Daisy Soto Majors: Sociology, Communication, Spanish Hometown: La Puente, CA During my three years with La Gente, it was an honor to get to work alongside such talented and passionate individuals. I’m eternally grateful that I found a space at UCLA that was so inviting and encouraging. La Gente afforded me the opportunity to grow socially and professionally. I’ll miss the office and it’s beautiful walls and all the people I’ve grown close to, but I look forward to witnessing La Gente’s growth as a dedicated supporter. Myrka Vega Major: International Development Studies and Geography minor Hometown: Hemet, CA La Gente is a community where I found solace and lifelong friendships. It is a space that helped me become a better leader. I am forever grateful to have been able to be in this space. It has been an absolute privilege and honor to have served as LG’s 2019/2020 editor-in-chief. While my own future is uncertain, I am certain that La Gente will continue to grow and I look forward to seeing all La Gente will accomplish in the future!
FAREWELL TO OUR SENIORS 19