The Pioneer Newspaper August 31, 2017

THE PIONEER Covering the East Bay community since 1961

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Protests scheduled for Berkeley, San Francisco cancelled over the weekend SEE OPINION PAGE 2

SEE OPINION PAGE 4

EXPLORING CUBAN NEIGHBORHOODS, PEOPLE

SEE FROM THE WIRE PAGE 6

PHOTO BY DANIEL MCGUIRE/THE PIONEER

Three women pose with their shields at the Berkeley rally on Sunday. They were part of a group called Femenist Flotilla.

Small crowds still gathered in cities

By Louis LaVenture EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

SEE SPORTS PAGE 8

WARRIORS DEFEND TITLE IN UPCOMING NBA SEASON

/thepioneernewspaper @thepioneeronline @newspioneer

THURSDAY AUGUST 31, 2017 Summer 2017 Issue 11

Pioneer updates on America's president What Happened?

President Donald Trump visited Texas on Tuesday to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey.

STUDENT ENGULFS HERSELF IN VEGANISM

HURRICANE HARVEY HAS BAY AREA CONNECTIONS

#PIONEERNEWS

After some pushback from local officials and citizens, two organizations cancelled right-wing rallies on Friday.

The first rally was supposed to be at Crissy Field in San Francisco on Saturday, and it was organized by a conser-

vative group from Portland, Oregon called Patriot Prayer. Their founder, Joey Gibson, announced on Facebook on Friday afternoon the rally was cancelled citing, "tons of extremists" being present as a primary reason.

"It doesn’t seem safe," Gibson said on Facebook on Friday. "A lot of people’s lives are going to be in danger tomorrow."

Just a few hours after that cancellation, the organizers of a Berkeley rally that was supposed to be on Sunday at Civic Center Park titled "No Marxism in America" was alco cancelled by the primary organizer. Organizer Amber

Cummings told reporters at a press conference on Friday evening she was afraid people attending the event would be "attacked" by counter-protesters.

Several local officials and leaders like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and the President of the NAACP Oakland Chapter, George Holland, all denounced the rallies publically before and after the cancellations, according to The Mercury News.

Both of the rallies were met with some heavy criticism in wake of the Charlottesville, Virginia protests that saw three people killed and more than 40 others injured after a car plowed into the crowd.

Volleyball opens 2017 season on Hayward campus

Early Tuesday morning, Trump and the first lady Melania visited Corpus Christi and Austin to talk to officials and crews on the ground.

Since Friday, the Category 4 Hurricane Harvey has dumped more than 50 inches of rain throughout the southern part of the state, according to the emergency response center in Austin.

The center also reported that tens of thousands of people were displaced from their homes and the area hit the worst was the fourth-largest city in the United States, Houston.

Trump was briefed by officials on the first stop in Corpus Christi and met with rescue crews and volunteers in Austin. According to the National Weather Service, by Tuesday morning the storm broke the U.S. continental record for the most rainfall by a hurricane with about 51 inches of total rain reported.

The National Weather Service said the record holder was Hurricane Hiki that dropped more than 52 inches of rain off the coast of Hawaii in 1950. According to the National Weather Service, there are 10 reported deaths due to Hurricane Harvey as of Tuesday morning.

Trump told reporters he didn’t visit the hardest hit areas, “to avoid disruption of the rescue.”

On Sunday he tweeted, “HISTORIC rainfall in Houston, and all over Texas. Floods are unprecedented, and more rain coming. Spirit of the people is incredible.Thanks!”

Merchandise Trump arrived in Corpus Christi wearing the white “45/USA” hat that is for sale for $40 on his website, shop.donaldjtrump.com.

This is the third time in four days the president wore his own merchandise during events related to Hurricane Harvey, including two previous meetings about the disaster. Melania boarded the flight to Texas in stiletto high heels, which led to the hashtag “#Outoftouch” trending on Twitter

by Tuesday evening.

Several reporters asked her spokeswoman about the shoe selection, to which she responded that the first lady would change them before they touched down.

When the plane landed Melania had on flat shoes and a completely different outfit, according to The Huffington Post.

The Washington Post, CNN, The Huffington Post and several other notable news organizations criticized Trump for seeming to “promote” apparel he has for sale during a tragedy like Hurricane Harvey.

PHOTO BY KEDAR DUTT/THE PIONEER

Cal State East Bay junior opposite hitter Julie Navarro, left, and junior middle blocker Kathy McKiernan, center, jump to block a spike attempt from an Academy of Art player on Monday at Pioneer Gymnasium. The scrimmage game was the first action of the season for the CSUEB women's volleyball team.

By Louis LaVenture Editor-In-Chief

2 OPINION

THURSDAY AUGUST 31, 2017

THE PIONEER

Commitment is key for veganism

By Celeste O’Connell CONTRIBUTOR My vegan journey has been in full swing for a month and I feel great. The transition to veganism requires a commitment to regularly consuming plant based foods and exercising daily.

Surrounding myself with people who are also vegan and maintain a routine have been essential to strengthening my reserve. In fact, I used to find veganism meal preparation difficult, but now it is a normal part of my day because it is so normalized in my schedule.

My conversion to veganism has me feeling more energized and lighter in terms of body-weight. I’ve tried many diets but eating plant based foods helped me lose weight the fastest. Although I’ve lost some weight, I mostly go to the gym to tone my body and strengthen muscles I’ve never worked out before.

Exercise is part of my successful routine. Everyday I wake up at 4:45 a.m to prepare for the gym. Before I leave the gym I drink a full cup of honey, hot water and apple cider vinegar.

Although it tastes gross, it helps with metabolism and weight loss. After a two hour workout, I head home, drink a protein shake and enjoy a bowl of oat-

meal.

Portioning and limiting yourself can be a big help. At about noon, I’ll have the lunch I prepared earlier in the week, which is beneficial to good health and helps me save money on buying lunch. Between meals I allow myself to have healthy snacks.

Finally it’s time for dinner, the meal I prepared earlier in the week.

Drita Alano, 35, from Los Angeles has been a vegan advocate for four years and mentioned this has been the best decision she’s ever made in her life because it’s taught her commitment, dedication, willpower, and discipline.

She also mentioned that through this process her family has got involved in the diet as well.

Preparing food still eats up a lot of my time, however, there is help for students. According to the Pioneer dinning website they have prepared a vegan guide that can help students consume food on campus just in case they don’t have food prepared with them.

Some options they offer on the vegan guide are foods at Taco Bell, Subway, Greens To Go, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, Panda Express, Einstein Bros Bagels that align with a vegan diet.

For example, you can order a “Fresco Style” bean burrito from Taco Bell, which means they remove the cheese sauce and replace it with pico de gallo

By Janice Sobrepena Domingo CONTRIBUTOR In the wake of new, high-end apartments being proposed in San Lorenzo, the word “gentrification” has been thrown around frequently in the East Bay. However, not many people have a firm grasp on what exactly it means.

The term itself was coined in 1964

by British Sociologist Ruth Glass in her book London: Aspects of Change wherein she used it reference observed changes in social structure and housing markets within areas of London.

Glass described gentrification as “many of the working class quarters [being] invaded by the middle class [and] goes on rapidly until all or most of the working class occupiers are displaced and the whole social character of the district is changed.”

It is not a suddenly occurring phenomenon but rather it is a ripple effect that can stem from multiple causes.

According to Dr. Seth Lunine, a lecturer within the department of Geography at the University of California, Berkeley, “Other forces engendering gentrification are tied into broader political economic trends, most gen-

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Louis LaVenture

“For example, you can order a “Fresco Style” bean burrito from Taco Bell, which means they remove the cheese, sauce and replace it with pico de gallo and black beans. There are also vegan options in the dining commons, which are labeled with a leaf to indicate an item is vegan ” and black beans. There are also vegan options in the dining commons, which are labeled with a leaf to indicate the item is vegan.

Although most things are set up for you to fail, I refuse to give up. I will remain committed and continue on this

journey that has been life changing for me.

Change takes time, but don’t get discouraged because accomplishment is the ultimate satisfaction when committing to a goal, especially when you see your body change.

The ripple effect of gentrification erally expressed in increased disparity between the rich and poor in the [San Francisco] Bay Area.”

He echoed Glass’s sentiments in that regardless of the cause the outcome is almost always the same: changes to a community such as the displacement of many long-time residents and shop owners.

One such place gentrification has made an impact on is the Temescal District in Oakland, CA. One purported culprit of gentrification is the technology based businesses in the San Francisco and Silicon Valley areas. In 2015, case studies on Gentrification and Displacement in the San Francisco Bay Area by Urbandisplacement.org specifically pinpointed Oakland’s Temescal District due to its “proximity to San Francisco and transit accessibility via the BART system.”

According to a report published by California’s Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO.ca.gov), the median home value in the U.S. in 2015 was just below $200,000.

In California, however, the median value was just above $400,000. So those new residents that are coming from out-of-state look for residence in more “affordable” areas such as Oakland as opposed to more affluent areas.

EDITORIAL STAFF

From a home or property owner’s perspective, this does not have a negative effect; it is quite the opposite.

According to that same report, in 2010 the average cost of a home in California was in the high $200,000s which means property values increased in 2015.

This is of course bad news to those that have long been renting any type of living space in Oakland. Lunine also said, “Over the past five years, rents in Oakland have increased more than in any other U.S. city.”

According to Christian Roessler, Professor of Economics at Cal State East Bay, one contributing factor can be that these “newcomers” to the area are willing to pay more than current residents as it is still considered more affordable than living in more affluent areas of the Bay Area.

This influx of higher bidding renters triggers landlords to drive up prices of rent which in turn displaces current residents as they can no longer afford the rent.

The ripple effect continues from other economic aspects as the influx of these affluent residents has increased the purchase of normal goods and decreased the purchase inferior goods.

Roessler explains that a normal good

is something people will buy more of when they have more income whereas an inferior good is something people will buy less of when they have more income.

An example would be fast-food restaurants. For those on a budget, McDonald’s will do the trick. The same goes for smaller, “mom-&-pop” type convenience stores.

Those that are not so concerned with their expenses can choose to eat and purchase goods at higher end establishments hence the increased number of specialty, “artisan” type shops, boutiques and restaurants that have become more prevalent in the Temescal District.

Other than a couple of fast food restaurants in the area, a McDonald’s and a Jack in the Box, most shops and restaurants in the area are specialty establishments such as Homeroom Mac+Cheese, Beauty’s Bagels, and Standard and Strange, a store that markets itself as a high-end, men’s clothing store.

Yes, gentrification does have purported positive aspects: higher property value, increased local tax revenue due to residents purchasing locally, and the reduction of urban sprawl.

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FEATURES 3

THURSDAY AUGUST 31, 2017

THE PIONEER Father-son Castro Valley toy store moves to Hayward

By Kestutis Rushing CONTRIBUTOR When looking for toys and collectibles, most people turn to digital options such as Ebay or Amazon.

However, rare toys are waiting to be discovered in small toy shops. In fact, the success of small collectible shops has made an impact on companies like Amazon.

The online juggernaut is planning to expand its brand by building physical stores. Meanwhile, small collectible toy shops are expanding their customer base through virtual shops.

Glenn Dockter and his son Bryan own “Collector’s Row Inc.,” a toy shop in Castro Valley. Inside, customers enter a fantasy land filled with masks belonging to famous horror films, figures from Funko, Star Wars, Godzilla, and DC and Marvel. Even more fantastic collectibles can be found on their online store.

Due to high demand, they are moving their shop to the 2000 block of American Avenue in Hayward this fall. “It is an ongoing, growing process,” said Glen. Although Glenn and Bryan are being pretty secretive about some details about their new storefront, they revealed some of their plans. “We are making our own [toy] line...we have partners to help us with manufacturing,” Glenn said.

Although his shop in Castro Valley was considerably cramped for a toy shop, Glenn explains that it was not just

what was in the store that was generating business. “80 percent of our stuff is online,” said Glen. “Lots of our popular and more expensive items are online.”

The Dockters believe that because of its unique contents, their father and son shop stood out in comparison to the failing businesses around them. “[When in Castro Valley], shops [around us] were going out of business,” Bryan said. The only challenge that concerned the Dockter duo was their lack of funding for outside labor. “You can’t depend on anyone else,” said Bryan.

As for being together all the time, Glenn and Bryan get along for the most part. “Yeah, we argue, but you know why we get along? We respect each other,” Glenn said. All-in-all, Glenn and Bryan exhibit real passion for their store.

They reveal that they have donated to schools, were “highly involved in a chess team,” and “are a part of the community,” according to Glenn. “We are an old-fashioned, good [business, filled with] labor and love.”

Since the move, their Castro Valley shop is has been open on saturdays while they move goods to the warehouse the rest of the week.

Glenn explains that customers who are already familiar with their Castro Valley store will benefit when they visit the new location. “You want to remember the ‘Underground’...It’s a spot where people can hang out, get good deals…. you get treated like you’re family,” Glenn said.

Latino Trump supporter told ‘Get out of my country’ Bay Area resident and conservative backs president

By Maximino Cisneros CONTRIBUTOR Mario Britt is a 21-year-old Latino from Castro Valley and a self-proclaimed conservative supporter of President Donald Trump.

He attends Merced Community College and is serving his third year as a specialist in the National Guard.

He has never been physically attacked for his support of Trump, but his views have been met with hostility from Trump supporters and opponents.

On Election Day, while walking with friends in Lodi—all of whom were Latino and dressed in civilian attire—a white truck approached and the driver yelled, “Get out of my country, you Mexicans!” It still did not sway his support for Trump because, “he has productively been finding solutions to most of the promises he mentioned during his campaign,” said Britt. “I was drawn to Trump because he speaks his mind and doesn’t bother with political correctness, and believes in the traditional conservative American values. He also believes

strongly in the second amendment.”

Like Trump, Britt opposes the removal of confederate statues because he believes they reflect history and people should have “thicker skin.” Additionally, Britt agrees with Trump’s tough stance on immigration.

“Go through the due process, whatever the process may be, and learn the basics of English,” Britt said. “Regardless of your situation you have to go through process of becoming a legal immigrant but if an illegal immigrant in the U.S. can prove that they have been trying go through the process, then they should be expedited of being a resident or citizen in the country.”

According to NPR, only 32.8 million California voters gave their support for Trump. However, his numbers were even worse in the East and South Bay when he received just 24.9 percent of the vote in Contra Costa County, 14.7 percent in Alameda County, and 20.6 percent in Santa Clara County according to the state of California’s website.

He disagrees with Trump on his decision to approve the building of the Dakota Access Pipeline, which is a $3.7 billion project that would transport crude oil from North Dakota to Illinois through the Missouri River, and to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border.

“A waste of money, although it will provide jobs to Americans if the contract is given to American con-

“According to NPR, only 32.8 million California voters gave their support to President Trump.” tractors. And that only if the funding get fully approved if it hasn’t already,” Britt said. His feelings about Trump and issues like immigration have remained the same since the president took office.

Britt described being a young conservative in the Bay Area as, “one of the most frustrating things especially when it comes to people my age and younger,” because he finds it difficult to voice his opinions and beliefs amongst his friends and peers.

“I’m not saying everyone has to believe everything I believe, but I do enjoy a good respectful debate and sharing of thoughts,” said Britt. “Which I rarely have when it comes to anyone in the Bay Area.”

SPORTS

Women’s soccer wraps up preseason

PHOTOS BY KEDAR DUTT/THE PIONEER

Left: Cal State East Bay junior defender Savannah Schultz dribbles by her opponent during the game against Academy of Art University on Saturday at Pioneer Stadium in Hayward. Above: Freshmen midfielder Abby Buitrago looks for an open teammate in the final scrimmage game of the year on Saturday on the Hayward campus. Their first regular season game is today at 6 p.m. against Holy Names in Hayward.

4 OPINION

THURSDAY AUGUST 31, 2017

THE PIONEER

Local residents make neighborhood feel friendly

By Juana Davila CONTRIBUTOR When you are holding a camera while talking a stroll through Havana’s streets, people are either going to ask you to take a picture or charge you 1-2 CUCs for a photo.

To some extent I was surprised at the amount of people who actually asked me to take their photo. I guess I expected the Cuban people to be more reserved when in reality they are really friendly.

I did notice that while they were open to get their photos taken, some were very hesitant about being interviewed which is completely understandable.

A few days ago I went out with some classmates when this older man sitting in front of his house shouted “Pictures.”

I then asked him in Spanish if he wanted his picture taken and he said yes. He casually posed and then got up and we started to have a conversation.

When I’m at home I normally don’t stop to have a conversation with a stranger but when in Cuba you do things out of your comfort zone.

The man began asking my classmates and I about our stay in Cuba and whether or not we loved the island. He was pleased to hear that we were enjoying our stay.

Throughout my stay in Cuba I realized the cultural differences between the island and the United States.

It’s normal for the Cuban people to greet you with a hug and a kiss which could be a bit overwhelming for a foreigner, depending where you are from.

As a Latina, I grew up having to greet people the “Mexican way,” which is similar to how it’s done in Cuba.

Now, in the United States if someone pulls you into them and hugs you and plants a kiss on your cheek, then you may have grounds for a lawsuit.

That’s not the case in Cuba. Hugs and kisses are symbols of friendship and unity within the community; Cubans aren’t afraid to be affectionate.

On the same day we met the older man, we walked passed a group of men working who also asked to get their picture taken. They were mixing cement but immediately put their tools down and posed together.

They wanted a picture with their “compas” and you could get a sense of how close they were.

PHOTO BY DANIELLE THOMPSON/CONTRIBUTOR

A food vendor sells his product in Havana, Cuba during a study abroad trip to the country by Cal State East Bay students and faculty last month.

Cuba teaches student to 'go with the flow'

By Hannah Childress CONTRIBUTOR On my last day of exploring in Cuba I decided to return to Marina Hemingway for one last visit in hopes of catching an interview with the dive master at the local scuba dive shack and capture a few more photos of this ghost town of a resort.

I arrived at the entrance of the marina at about six in the morning via taxi.

At the gate there is a guard shack where the security guards stop each car entering the marina and ask what the purpose of their visit is.

Two days previously the same instance happened and the guards did not object to our visit. This time I did not have such luck. With what little Spanish I could understand between the taxi driver and the guards, the marina is a private resort only open to timeshare holders that are staying at the resort.

The guards reluctantly agree to let me take photos for only five minutes.

After setting aside the time to wake up early and spending 20 CUCs to get to the marina, I was frustrated that I was only allowed five minutes on the property. I only let that frustration sink in for a few minutes because during my stay in Cuba I had become accustomed to daily curve balls being thrown my way.

In the end I was able to get a few shots

Two locals sit at a marina in Havana, Cuba last month. that did not pan out as I had planned due to the tide being low, but I was still able to capture some usable photos. I did not get the chance to swing by the dive shop,

which was disappointing. I did manage to obtain an email for the shop during my first visit to the marina. Fingers crossed I can get a few interview ques-

PHOTO BY HANNAH CHILDRESS/CONTRIBUTOR

tions answered via email.

After my five minutes were up I told the taxi driver to drop me off just outside the gate. I didn’t know exactly where I

was headed but after spending 20 CUCs on a one-way taxi, I wasn’t ready to head back to the hotel.

I started walking along the road that runs parallel to the ocean, looking for a crossroad that could lead me to the water. A fence ran along the road for a long time ensuring my exile from the marina. For a moment I considered hopping the fence but Cuban authorities have a strange way of appearing out of thin air to catch you in the act.

Trespassing didn’t feel like a wise option so I continued my walk down the road and after about a mile, I found an empty lot with overgrown grass and trees between what I thought were abandoned buildings; however, they were not abandoned.

This lot had a creepy vibe which put me on edge. I stood on the street for a while to get a feel for the place and watch for who was in the area that might pose a threat to me. I knew this would be my last chance at taking photos in this area so I quietly walked into the lot and walked towards the water. The grass cleared and the my view opened up to glass water front lined with beautiful houses.

If there is anything that I have learned during this trip to Cuba, it is that things rarely go as planned, and if you can keep an open mind and stay flexible, you can end up with beautiful results that will surprise you.

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6 FROM THE WIRE

THURSDAY AUGUST 31, 2017

THE PIONEER

Benicia High graduates try to stay safe in middle of Hurricane Harvey

By Thomas Gase VALLEJO TIMES-HERALD This weekend Tropical Storm Harvey strengthened into a hurricane over the Gulf of Mexico and eventually made landfall near Corpus Christi, Tex. on Friday night.

The hurricane was classified as Category 4 as winds reached 130 mph. The hurricane became a Category 3 and eventually caused wreckage from Corpus Christi to Houston.

Houston is right in the middle of where Benicia High graduates Chanler Powell and Cassidy Jannson are attending college at Texas Southern University.

During the last four days, Jannson, a star volleyball player at the school and a two-time Solano County Athletic Conference MVP at Benicia, has been living with Powell in her apartment complex.

Powell is a star softball player for the Tigers. She helped Benicia win a Sac-Joaquin Section title as infielder in 2014.

Although Powell and Jannson are currently safe and have electricity in the apartment (about a five-minute drive away from the campus in Harris County), their location has been right in the middle of the storm.

"I'm doing fine because my apartment seems to have good drainage, but the 288 Freeway, located right next to us is filled with about 8 to 9 feet of water," Powell said.

"It's undriveable. Being on the second floor of our complex makes it all right, but the areas around us are not as good."

Jannson, who was supposed to have a volleyball match on Friday and lives in the campus dorms, was instead picked up by her longtime friend Powell last week.

"We're good right now," Jannson said.

"The last four days have just stunk. We still have power, but we've stayed inside the last few days. It's been pretty scary. We were supposed to start school (Monday) but now they're saying that's being postponed until at least Sept. 5."

Jannson is a junior and is majoring in health. Powell is a senior and is majoring in business management.

The two Benicia natives tried their best to prepare for the storm on Thursday, but it was still a surreal feeling when they went to the nearest grocery store that night.

"Food has been a problem. Food and water," Jannson, 20, said.

"Thursday night it was just crazy when we went to the grocery store. It was like a zombie apocalypse had just hit. All the shelves in the big store that's like a Safeway in California, they were all just empty. There were some dairy products but all the canned foods were gone. People were trying to sell water for 20 bucks."

The storm was originally supposed to hit the area of Texas Southern on Friday, but didn't actually really hit until Sunday.

Powell said it's been raining non-stop since then.

"We were pretty scared at first. I mean, we were being told to take shelter," Powell said. "I've never been told that before."

Powell and Jannson said that they are in constant talks with their parents every day and given updates throughout the day.

Still, Chris Powell, Chanler's dad, said the situation has been difficult.

"Obviously you get a little more concerned as more news comes out," Chris Powell said.

"I told her to try and be prepared, park your car on higher ground, things like that. I speak with her twice a day in the morning, but it's kind of nerve-wracking. You feel a little helpless at times. I mean, these are California kids, so they're not really used to anything like this."

Chanler Powell said that a couple of her friends are from Louisiana, and have helped give her and Jannson advice throughout the difficult ordeal.

"I definitely remember Hurricane Katrina and watching people on their roofs and floating on different things," Chanler Powell said.

"But everything is just flooded here. We usually take a regular street to get to the school but we have bayous here and they are all overflowing. That's what makes getting to school undriveable. There's no way to get there."

River levels marched higher, swelled by days of relentless rain.

A reservoir splashed over its banks, another threatened to overflow, and authorities in Brazoria County announced a levee breach on Tuesday as officials urged residents near the Columbia Lake area to evacuate.

On Monday night, emergency teams with the help of citizen-rescuers, battled deep waters to seek people stranded from the hurricane.

Officials in Texas were reporting Monday night that at least nine people appear to have died as a result of the storm.

That toll includes six people in Harris County, one person in Rockport, near where Harvey made landfall and another person in La Marque, near Galveston.

Galveston, located in South Texas, was home to a Category 4 storm in 1900 that remains to the present day the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history.

The storm remained adrift over the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, already having dumped more than 40 inches of rain in parts of Houston.

A National Weather Service gauge southeast of Houston recorded 49.32 inches from Harvey -- the highest rainfall total from a tropical storm or hurricane in the contiguous 48 states.

The storm is expected to dump an additional 7 to 13 inches of rain through Friday over the upper Texas coast and into southwestern Louisiana.

Emergency responders have conducted more than 3,500 boat and air rescues, and the number continued to climb.

The shelter set up at the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston, located about three miles away from Texas Southern University, was packed with more than 9,000 evacuees -- nearly

MARCUS YAM/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

Flood water surround homes in a residential neighborhood in the wake of Hurricane Harvey in Houston, on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017.

MOLLY HENNESSY-FISKE/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

Cedric Datrice, 25, left in wheelchair, and his brother Shondric Johnican, 20, right, wait for food at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017.

double its planned capacity.

President Donald Trump on Monday declared "emergency conditions" in Louisiana, where forecasts have called for as much as 2 feet of rainfall in some areas.

During a news conference Monday, Trump said he expects Congress to take "very rapid action" to help the storm-ravaged areas. Trump, who visited Texas on Tuesday, also told reporters he may return to Texas on Saturday and, depending on the storm's movements, could also visit Louisiana the same day.

Powell said she and Jannson are constantly watching television and listening to updates on the storm, but sometimes the anxiety gets to be too much.

"I think on Friday when we were anticipating the storm, that was the worst because we didn't know what to expect," the 21-year-old Powell said.

"We were watching the news a lot but eventually we had to turn it off because it was getting to be too much. On Sunday we were dealing with it and we were more aware of what was going on, but it's still depressing. They are saying that around 61 percent of the city doesn't have electricity, but we do. But then you realize what's happening just a street or two away, and you really just wish you could help in some way."

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HATE CRIMES

Against Asian-Americans Today, it is important for the Public to know that our US Federal Government has secretly STOLEN, DESTROYED, AND ENSLAVED our FREEDOM, LIBERTY, EQUALITY, AND CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY by secretly NOT ENFORCING AND NOT DEFENDING our 14th Amendment (to provide all its citizens “equal protection of the laws” against Crime and Racism) as NBC continues to secretly maintain and enjoy Their UNCIVILIZED ‘RACIST GRIP OF CRIME AND TERROR AGAINST THEIR KIDNAPPED AND TORTURED’ Asian-American Hostages who still seek TRUTH AND JUSTICE after being severely punished and confined by the US Federal Government (for 29 years) for being the ‘INNOCENT VICTIMS’ of Federal Crimes by NBC.

President Trump should STOP these FEDERAL CRIMES

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FEATURES 7

THURSDAY AUGUST 31, 2017

THE PIONEER

A walk through Caibarién in my grandfather’s shoes

By Daniel Arevalo CONTRIBUTOR On Jan. 28, 1962, Juan Francisco Luna, or “Illo”, pronounced ee-yo, left his home at 3 a.m. towards the Atlantic Ocean just two blocks from his doorstep in Caibarién, Villa Clara, Cuba. From a chapín, or rowboat, to a sailboat, to a fishing boat, there were a total of 14 refugees on board, just 90 miles south of new lives. At 39, Illo was not the oldest among the 14 or the youngest. Carlita and Angel Luis, his wife and son, would trail behind him a few months later, making the same journey through the open ocean. Carlita, or Yaya as her grandchildren knew her, was a loving, strong, and independent woman.

“At 7 a.m. as the sun was rising, all you could see were the houses, so far away,” Illo said. “And that makes one sad, just the few of us who were coming without knowing what, without any family...the majority of us didn’t have anyone here...”

Fifty-five years later, on my flight between Miami and the Santa Clara airport, I was anxious. I glanced down at the ocean and was reminded of the three-day journey my grandfather Illo made over 55 years ago.

Illo is the most stubborn human I have ever known; and hard-working. At 95 years old, he keeps himself active in the backyard and around the house, constantly finding ways to fix things that aren’t exactly broken, or “invent” contraptions like his own scaffolding to make something work efficiently. He still complains that the DMV won’t let him drive a car due to his eyesight and he doesn’t need to read specific street signs to drive.

It was his stubbornness and hard work that drove Illo to leave Cuba. Once the Revolutionaries began meddling with his income by changing his hours and wages and making it difficult for him to own the property he had worked hard for, he combatted the Communists with his stubbornness.

He tells me stories of how Communist leaders waited for the workers outside of the la tenería, or tannery, where he spent many hard-working years leading up to the revolution. They passed out propaganda and talked to them about Russia, but he wasn’t interested in talking about communism after an eight hour workday.

Disembarking the airplane, my anxiety was at an all-time high. I scanned the crowd, looking for the familiar face of my cousin, 20-year-old Abieser Delgado, that I’ve only seen on Facebook and two grainy and video calls.

When we locked eyes, each of us smirked and nodded.

We squeezed each other like old friends reconnecting after years of separation. For the next week and a half I was Primo; Daniel was my secondary name.

There was one story my grandfather often told, one of forbidden love. Carlita, his future wife, wasn’t allowed to see him in their younger years, but he found ways to connect with her. One way was using his bike horn, or as he referred to it, “La Corneta.” For years I was misled by the name he gave it; I thought it was an actual cornet. But it was a German-made, Hackel brand bike horn from the 1940’s. It was special because it swiveled left to right and allowed him to direct the sound of the horn.

According to his story, the horn made two distinct sounds. One when the balloon was squeezed, and another when the balloon would suck the air back in. When he passed by my grandma’s house, he would turn that horn in the direction of the house and give it a squeeze. The special honk was Carlita’s cue to come to the doorway, give him a wave and blow a gentle kiss. That was the beginning of their future together.

I counted the freeway signs on my way to Caibarién, each kilometer made me anxious.

A few blocks after the monstrous cement crab at the entrance of Caibarién, the taxi arrived at the house I would call home for the next week and a half. The rest of Abieser’s family waited outside for my arrival: Sandra, Yonny, and their six yearold, Andy. The second the door opened and my feet were planted, I heard in unison, “Primo!”, they welcomed me to my home.

I felt an immediate warmth from them; a connection I have never felt with other strangers. I felt like I knew them already. I was welcomed with hugs and kisses and they were surprised at the amount of Spanish I spoke. I told them it was thanks to Illo, who I was fortunate enough to practice with over the years.

That first night, my primos and I sat on their second-floor porch drinking Havana Club rum, smoking cigars, and discussing our lives. By the end of the night we were in tears, dancing, embracing each other, and singing “Hotel California” in the kitchen. I never thought I would have such a quick

PHOTOS BY DANIEL AREVALO/THE PIONEER

Juan Francisco Luna, Illo, shows off the bike horn he used to court his future wife when he lived in Cuba before he immigrated to the United States in 1962. His grandson brought the prized possession back to America from Cuba after he visited the country on a study abroad trip with Cal State East Bay last month.

connection with people I just met, but by the end of my stay in Caibarién, Abieser considered me his brother and I did the same.

One evening, after a full shift at la tenería, Communist Leaders passed out flyers that they expected the workers to post on their homes, which stated, “Fidel, esta es tu casa,” or “Fidel, this is your house.” Illo told them he would only post it when it said, “Fidel esta no es tu casa.” Similar remarks like these put him and many of his family members, friends, and neighbors, on a watchlist of Contra-Revolutionaries. Once enough information was gathered against an individual for opposing the revolution, they were jailed and some were even tortured.

Knowing this, Illo’s mother told him his best chance of avoiding imprisonment was fleeing Cuba and starting a new life in the United States. That’s what he did. After a few weeks of preparation, he left in pursuit of the American Dream.

“From 1960 to 1964 around 172,919 Cubans arrived in the United States,” according to the book Political Disaffection in Cuba's Revolution and Exodus. Juan Francisco Luna, Lllo, was one of the fortunate ones.

Before my trip, my family showed me a random traveler’s Youtube video of Calle Jimenez and when the camera passed Illo’s house, they would pause the video. We watched the video a few times in the months leading up to my departure and every time my uncle would mention, “that’s the door Santiagito’s casket was brought out of” and Illo would pipe in, “that’s the window Carlita hit that lady over the head with the pressure cooker lid.” Santiagito was my grandparents’ son who had Leukemia and passed away at seven. I has been 11 years since Carlita’s passing.

As the coche, or horse-drawn carriage, approached his house, my eyes were immediately drawn to the façade, which had been painted a brilliant light pink, while the other three-quarters of the house remained the yellow-tan that I remembered from the grainy Youtube video. It had so much more life in person. The side door of the home where my grandma once provided services like nail-painting, hair-dressing, eyebrow-waxing, and tailoring was wide open. I peered in and saw a man hunched over a bucket, stirring a colorful liquid. It was paint. That explained the strange board with wood panels of different colors on the sidewalk; he now sold different paints from the side store. I wracked my brain for a symbolic connection to my grandfather’s life in Hayward where he painted apartments for a living, but the thought was quickly buried by my emotions. He noticed my

interest in the house and came out.

After speaking to the current dweller—because according to Illo, the owner of the house is still himself—I was able to enter the home and tour it, front to back. I walked through the house my grandfather built, I peered into the rooms, noticed the colorful floral tile, admired the old wood windows, and loved a sloppy brick wall that my sister would later say, “definitely looks like grandpa’s work.”

It was impossible to know what changed in the 55 years since my grandfather lived in it, but being there, it made no difference to me. I was in the house Illo constantly talked about building with his own hands, with materials he bought with his and his wife’s hard-earned money. The house both of his sons were born in and one of them died in.

I felt privileged and lucky to be there. All I could think about was showing him the video and seeing the gratification light up his face.

Out of his six siblings, only one stayed in Caibarién. Felix Luna, my great uncle, lived the hardest life of them all, being the only Luna left to manage the few properties and street markets they shared among the family. The government watched his every move and waited to catch him fleeing the country or bashing them. They would call him and other Contra-Revolutionaries “gusanos”, or worms.

The rest of the Lunas fled the same way Illo did, through the Atlantic but I never met Felix because he passed about a year before my arrival to Cuba. Estrella, his wife, still lives a in Caibarién at 91-years-old.

After visiting my grandfather’s home on Jimenez and Quinta, two street names I will never forget from the amount of times he repeated them before my departure, I walked the same path he walked 55 years earlier. I exited from his front door and turned right at the corner, and the ocean was straight ahead. I walked slowly with my cousin beside me, feeling the ocean breeze.

I sat on the rocks for nearly thirty minutes staring out into that water. There were white sailboats on the horizon. I touched the lukewarm water and

tears welled up in my eyes. Illo’s voice echoed in my mind from a childhood memory: “men do not cry.”

Immediately I pulled them back. Looking out into the vast blue field of waves, I thought, how the hell did he do it at age 39? I’ve always asked myself that question and looking out into that ocean, it only baffled me more.

The strength he had and the courage my grandmother had three months after him is insurmountable. All that anxiety built up inside me just to sit on a plane and go to Cuba, I couldn’t grasp the anxiety he must have felt traveling that distance by boat, not knowing whether he would survive the journey.

He didn’t know know English and had nothing but the clothes on his back, 39 years of wisdom and 366 pesos.

After visiting the calming, yet intimidating ocean, there was only one last main item on my checklist for my time in Caibarién: La Corneta. Illo said Felix had it stored for him and in the months leading up to my trip Estrella received word of my visit and readied it for me. She kept it safe for Illo for more than 55 years.

When she gave it to me, I stared at it in my hands for a long time. It was rusty, had a dent that I knew grandpa would be displeased with, and was missing the balloon. I wanted to take that horn to him right then and there. I was so worried that over the following three weeks I was staying in Cuba I would lose or destroy it. Luckily, La Corneta made it safely back home to its owner.

I reached Oakland a little after 3 a.m. where my family, including Illo, were waiting for me. I could not wait to give him his treasure. I gave it to him, in front of the baggage carousel, immediately after greeting everyone. It was perfect. I knew it was exactly what was on his mind. He stared down at it, holding it in both hands, speechless. I never seen him cry before, not even when Yaya died, but I swore I could almost see a slight glint in his eye when he looked up with that half smile, thanking me.

“I can’t believe that after 50 years this has actually made it back to me.”

8 SPORTS

THURSDAY AUGUST 31, 2017

THE PIONEER

Tough road ahead for Golden State Warriors

PHOTO BY NHAT V. MEYER/BANG/TNS

The Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry celebrates after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers for the NBA Championship at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on June 12, 2017.

Dubs keep core roster to defend title in 2017-2018

By Myles Watkins CONTRIBUTOR Although it felt like yesterday that the Golden State Warriors hoisted their second title in three years, a new NBA season is less than two months away.

With 82 games in a season, it is almost impossible to catch every Warriors game on television or grab a seat at the arena.

Here are the must-watch games in the Warriors’ upcoming regular season.

Houston Rockets On Oct. 17, they will face the new look Houston Rockets, led by a potential MVP candidate James Harden and newly-added all-star point guard Chris Paul from the Los Angeles Clippers.

As the two premier offensive teams go to battle in their first game of the season, expect all-star game-level scoring figures by both sides.

Their final two match-ups will take place on Jan. 4 and 20, 2018.

San Antonio Spurs The next game to watch is against Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs in San Antonio on Nov. 2.

A rowdy Spurs fan base can be expected down in Alamo and they still have the alleged tripping of Leonard during the first game of the Western conference finals by Warriors Center Zaza Pachulia fresh on their minds.

Although the incident led to Leonard missing the rest of the series, it has led to a highly anticipated matchup with the new bad blood.

They will meet three more times this season on Feb. 10, March 8 and March 19.

Los Angeles Lakers Highly anticipated rookie Lonzo Ball and the young Los Angeles Lakers will have their first shot to take on the Warriors in Los Angeles on Nov. 29.

Lonzo and his family have recently been the talk of the league, not only because of his talent on the court, but also because of the larger-than-life per-

sonality of his father, Lavar Ball who has received an immense amount of media attention thanks in large part to his outlandish statements.

During the 2017 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament, Lavar claimed on ESPN Lonzo, a college basketball player at the time, was ‘’better than Steph Curry.”

Nevertheless, all eyes will be on the Ball-Curry battle at Staples Center when the Warriors come to town just after Thanksgiving.

The two teams will also play on Dec. 18, 20 and March 14 in Oakland.

“Although this has been a tale of two offseasons for the Dubs and Cavs, the two teams have met on Christmas Day and the NBA Finals the last three seasons.”

Oklahoma City Thunder The Warriors will meet reigning league MVP Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City on Nov. 22.

This match-up contains one of the biggest ongoing stories in recent seasons after Kevin Durant decided to join the Warriors last offseason bailing on the Thunder.

Although the bad blood between the two former teammates has somewhat subsided over the offseason, the fans of the Thunder still hold a grudge against Durant and the Warriors.

The regular season games between the Thunder and Warriors last season were not competitive, as the Warriors bested the Thunder by an average of 20 points in the four contests.

This year, with the addition of All-Star swingman Paul George, the Thunder will look to show off their newly found fire power in the regular season matchups.

The two teams will face off three more times over the season; twice at home on Feb. 6 and 24, as well as on April 3.

Cleveland Cavaliers Christmas Day provides one of the most anticipated match-ups of the season, and the second will take place on Jan. 15.

In the fourth game of a six-game December home stand, the Golden State Warriors will take on LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

A rematch of the 2017 finals, this game will be the marquee matchup of the Christmas Day slate of NBA basketball.

Although this has been a tale of two off-seasons for the Dubs and Cavs, the two teams have met on Christmas and the NBA Finals the last three seasons. Part four of the always competitive Christmas Day saga is already set, but we will have to wait to see if they will meet in the finals once again.

PHOTO BY KARL MONDON/BANG/TNS

Confetti rains down on the Golden State Warriors 2017 championship team at the end of their rally Thursday, June 15, 2017 in Oakland, Calif.