The kNOw Youth Media (2014)

The Youth Voice of Fresno

thekNOw

A Hmong Mother’s Journey To Fresno: In Her Own Words

Also Inside:

Youth On Ferguson: Community Police Relationship

What’s Better Thick or Thin? Not An Easy Question For A Hmong American

San Joaquin River

the kNOw

Issue 12

Winter 2014

Published by Pacific News Service

dba New America Media

Editor

Tim Haydock

Program Manager

Steve Thao

Co-Editor

Nicole Hudley

Art Director

Jarrett M. Ramones

Youth Wire Collective

Coachella Unincorporated

South Kern Sol

The Know

We’Ced

Voice Waves

Youth Reporters

Miguel Bibanco

Cresencio Rodriguez Delgado

Asia Foster

Colby Tibbet

Mai Chong Vang

Keirra Woods

Keishaye Woods

Pengsu Xiong

NEW AMERICA MEDIA

Founder & CEO

Sandy Close

Chief Financial Officer

Maria Alvarez

NAM EDITORIAL & AMINISTRATIVE HEADQUARTERS

209 Ninth Street, 2nd floor San Francisco, CA 94103

FEEDBACK AND INQUIRES:

Phone: 415-503-4170 ext. 129

Table of Contents

The kNOw is supported by a grand from The California Endowment and Fresno Building Healthy Communites

Cover Photo Courtesy of

Why We Listen To Our Young People

Young people have a gift. They see things in a simple and uncomplicated way. Whether it is how to decide priorities for children, making sure everyone has health coverage, developing areas for family time and exercise or emphasis on education over punitive actions that derail lives, young people are gifted with clarity of vision.

Young people do not see obstacles, they simply see other people in need of help, in need of support, in need of a second chance at life. When they share their stories and ideas we should listen.

I am born here and am an American by birth but my mother and father who pay taxes live in constant fear of deportation and getting sick.

For parents, teachers, community leaders and politicians to dismiss their views as simplistic and naive is itself, short-sighted. Young people understand their world far better than most adults realize. Let them talk. And let them be heard. The most effective solutions to the problems faced by the youth of today can only come when we set aside our own prejudices and truly listen to what young people have to say.

Through the unashamedly simple eyes of youth, truths can emerge. They may not be the truths that politicians, parents or society want to hear. Perhaps because their sheer simplicity and honesty are so hard to refute. There is no ‘wriggle-room’, no scope for the spin doctor, no opportunity to respond with political double-speak. Straight questions require straight answers.

The voice of youth, reporting the world through their eyes is unsullied by

motivation or agenda.

And it is powerful. In the past it has risen up and the world listened.

My mother cried when she heard about President Obama’s new immigration plan.

Anne Frank’s story has influenced millions of children and adults since her father discovered and published her diaries. Her story gave us an insight into a world of fear, frustration and hope that most of us are lucky enough never to experience.

More recently, Malala Yousafzai has changed the world with her words. A young Pakistani

school girl who was shot in the head at point blank range. On her school bus. In front of her friends. Because she dared to stand up to the Taliban and insist on her right to an education.

Her shooting and miraculous survival made headlines around the world. She has become the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize winner and is a source of hope and inspiration to people the world over.

These two young women changed the world because they chose to tell their stories.

Other young writers have communicated through fiction. SE Hinton’s first novel, ‘The Outsiders’ (1965) was based on rival gangs at her high school. She chooses to portray her sympathy for the ‘Greasers’ over the ‘Socs’ by writing the story from their perspective. She succeeds in making the reader, or viewer, see and understand the world from a challenging but real perspective. Her novel continues to sell today.

The ‘Seventeenth Summer’ (1942) was written by seventeen year old Maureen Daly. A teen romance, it deals with the emotions of relationships and issues like sex and drinking. By today’s standards this is tame. But in her day it was highly controversial. She succeeded in making society acknowledge how teens thought and felt and the pressures that they were under.

These two writers saw things happening around them and chose to write about it. They took what they saw around them and created characters to tell that story. Characters that society didn’t necessarily like or trust, but in the end had to listen to. They exposed adult society to the reality of their world, in often gritty and uncompromising ways.

Malala Yousafzai is the most ‘proactive’ of these examples. But that may be largely a by-product of her time. The digital age, and the ability to go global from virtually anywhere. She wrote because she had a cause she believed in, and at age twelve began blogging for the BBC under an assumed identity. But it was the actions of the Taliban that launched her to global fame. What her story shows is that you don’t need to be a gifted writer to tell your story. You just need to believe that your voice is important, that your words are important.

These are examples of young people who have bravely and eloquently told their stories. They are respected by both young and old. Their words inspired people. Influenced public opinion and changed local, state or even federal laws. Anne Frank’s story moved us to remember and resolve that such terrible things should never happen again. Her

words are constant reminder as each generation reads them.

If they think I’m a thug or only going to be a thug why am I trying to be better or even trying to finish school?

We should respect the voice of our youth for its purity and simplicity. We should not need youth to tell ‘grown-ups’ how to behave. Sadly, it seems that sometimes adults struggle to see, or simply don’t want to see the reality of our world. If our children can see that all humans deserve to be treated equally regardless of race, gender or orientation, why can’t we? That our children believe everyone deserves to have equal earning power and opportunities, to be happy and healthy is something we should be proud of. The truth is our youth are not biased, flattered or influenced by PACs or lobbyists. They speak only as they see. If we truly wish to address

Fresno’s needs we could do far worse than listen to her heart and soul- the young people who will one day inherit responsibility for her.

Our job as stewards of the youth is to help give the tools to young people to share their stories and voices. Be it through the written word, a photograph, an illustration or in moving pictures and sounds, The kNOw will always be an organization that helps to nurture the stories and voices of young people of Fresno. We believe that the numerous voices of young people will help to illuminate the plight of our communities and share in the work towards solutions for them.

A HMONG MOTHER’S

IN HER OWN WORDS

BY MAI CHONG VANG YOUTH REPORTER

Editor’s Note: Fresno is home to the second largest Hmong population in the United States.The Hmong in America originate from Laos and fled that country because they assisted the United States army in the Secret War. Hmong refugees fleeing Laos stayed in refugee camps in Thailand before they were relocated to America and other Western countries. Zoua Vang, 39, grew up in a Thailand camp and moved to Fresno in 1994 with her husband,

As a child, the first thing I knew was that I had no father. He died in Laos during the Vietnam War, when I was little. My mom explained to me that my father was a soldier for General Vang Pao. In the beginning of the war, a bomb exploded, and shrapnel hit my father in the chest and back.

The doctors successfully removed the shrapnel from his chest, but before they could get to his back, communist Vietnamese and Pathet Lao soldiers took over the Hmong villages, where the major hospital was located. My father went on the run with my family into the mountains of Laos. With no doctors around to remove the remaining shrapnel, he passed away from that injury, hiding from our enemies.

After this, my family went to the refugee camp of Ban Vinai in Thailand in order to be safe.

My mom was a great mother. She cared for my three brothers, my sister and me, and gave us lots of love, but she made the decision to remarry, leaving us with my grandma and uncles. After she left, I would [often] cry myself to sleep. My grandma would always say, “Stop crying! If your mother loved you then your mother would never have left you to live with another man.” Sometimes my grandma would hit me because I was crying too much. I missed my mom so much that one day I ran away to stay with her, but the next day my grandma and uncles took me back.

When I lived with my grandma I really wanted to go to school but my grandma said, “You are a girl. Going to school is not worth anything and won’t benefit your future. Only boys go.” Instead I cooked all the meals, carried water home from the river, sewed cloth designs, cleaned the house, farmed -- anything that is consider a woman’s duty. Sewing clothing designs was the only way to earn money. I wasn’t able to spend time with my friends and close cousins unless we were sewing clothes.

Kids with parents could have an education because their parents would support them. With no parents, I could do nothing. No matter how much hard work I did for my grandma and uncles, I received no thanks or reward. As an orphan, I would look at the children who had parents and imagine my life if I had parents. Would I be treated with respect? Would I be going to school?

JOURNEY TO FRESNO:

But since I didn’t have a mom and a dad, whatever my grandma and uncle said I had to do. They would say, “You must do this - not doing is not an option.” If I didn’t obey their orders, then they said they wouldn’t give me food or let me live under their roof. Since I was an orphan I had to do what they wanted. Even though they didn’t always give me food, at least I had a place to sleep. Of course, if I went somewhere they’d forbidden, when I came back they would lock me outside of the house and refuse to let me in. They would tell me, “Later when you come back, you sleep outside.”

Finally, when I was about 13, the worst happened -- a man asked to marry me. I tried to refuse, but I was exchanged by my family for 6,620 Thai Baht, which is about $200.

Living with my new husband, I did everything that is considered a wife’s duty. After having 3 kids, we migrated to the U.S. My husband works hard for the $42,000 per year he makes, but he and I have some barriers still because we never developed a relationship before we got married.

At first, all of my time was spent taking care of my kids. But now that they are all going to school, I finally have some time to myself. I wish I could go to work but I don’t have the skills I would need -- I can barely understand English. Not having a job stresses me out because everything in this country is based on money. Earning nothing, I don’t have money to pay my bills, or spend on my kids. Here there is plenty of opportunity to get an education, but

I wouldn’t know where to start because I have never gone to school.

Most days, I garden and do housework, but I put those aside when there are award ceremonies or parentteacher meetings at school. I make those the priority to show support for my children and stay involved with Fresno Unified School District. I have met other Hmong mothers through parent meetings and many of them also have high-achieving children even though they did not go to school themselves.

I think education is very important to everybody, probably the most important thing. Education is the key to a better life - it opens up opportunities. Because I didn’t have the chance to get an education as a child, I am supporting my children’s education in every way I can, so that they will be successful and stress-free; so that they will not endure the life that I lived.

Even though it’s too late for me to get an education, I’m very proud of what my children have accomplished. My oldest daughter graduated from UC Berkeley and the next three are all enrolled in different colleges. One of my daughters just won a competitive Dell Scholarship when she graduated high school a year early and enrolled at Fresno State.

It’s hard to relate to what they have accomplished, but I do know that other members of the Hmong community have also succeeded, supported by their family. I am proud of my children, that they are achieving my dream for them of a higher education.

three children and her in-laws. Vang would have five more children who were born in Fresno. One of them, Chonny, 15, is now in Advanced Placement classes, plays on the girls volleyball team, and plans on attending a four-year university after graduation. Chonny interviewed her mother and translated her story, as a tribute to the hard work and support she has given her children.

What’s Better, Thick or Thin? Not an Easy Question if You’re Hmong-American

BY MAI CHONG VANG YOUTH REPORTERS

Like many other Hmong people living in Fresno, my family believes that a person’s physical and emotional condition – physical appearance, actions, attitudes, emotions, and perspectives – are a reflection of that person’s spirit. Which explains why my family has always been concerned about me.

The issue began at birth. I weighed only 6 pounds and 3 ounces -- much too small.

As a child, my parents urged me to eat more. I was always the last one to finish eating dinner, as my mother sat across the table waiting and watching to make sure I’d clean my plate.

In my early teens I became aware that not everyone held the same notions as my traditional parents or Hmong elders, when it came to judging the human body. In fact, my American girlfriends at school strived for the exact opposite -- they always wanted to be thinner and thinner.

I can recall overhearing my parents talk about my male cousins’ brides. If she were thick, they would happily describe her as stunning and strong. But if she were thin, they would describe her as scrawny, or not so attractive. From their perspective, thicker girls were healthier, with a greater potential to do physical labor and produce healthy children.

Because both Hmong and American cultures influence me, I am impacted by each set of expectations and throughout my life I’ve tried to figure out what’s right for me. At the moment, I feel like society is accepting me the way I am. I’m no longer super slender or petite, but I feel healthy. If I were any smaller, though, my parents would judge me and convince me to eat more.

Either way, I should be the one to decide what makes me happy and proud of myself. My body shouldn’t grow or shrink based on the expectations of others, whether Hmong or American.

Mai Chong Vang, who prefers to go by Chonny, lives in east-central Fresno and is a student at Edison High School. This commentary also ran on KVPR’s Valley Edition on February 4, 2014.

GRAPHIC BY LAUREN BAKER

Fresno Recyclers Work In the Shadows

BY COLBY TIBBIT, KEIRRA WOODS and KEISHAYE WOODS YOUTH REPORTERS

FRESNO -- For over 30 years, Mike Rhyne has been waking up at 2 a.m. to begin his workday.

He earns enough to support his lifestyle -- between $500600 a week – and like many people who choose to be selfemployed, Rhyne enjoys the autonomy.

“The freedom that comes with it -- it’s rewarding,” said Rhyne, of his preferred job.

waste, and car parts, which people “scrap” for cash. Many customers that recycle live near the centers and are considered regulars -- coming several times a week or even multiple times a day.

Like many recyclers, Rhyne works the early hours for several reasons.

“One, it’s cooler during the summer,” said Rhyne. “Summer is the busiest part of the year for recycling companies, due to more people drinking soft drinks, alcoholic beverages and water from cans and bottles.”

“And the other is you don’t get bothered as much,” he added.

That sentiment, shared by other recyclers, is compounded by Fresno’s recent shopping cart ordinance, which makes it illegal to be seen with a shopping cart outside of grocery stores and parking lots. Recycling in the dark and quiet of night makes it easier to avoid the fines or even misdemeanor charges that accompany the ordinance, for recyclers who rely on shopping carts for hauling their materials.

“You need to be quick and quiet,” said Santiago Ruiz, a regular from the neighborhood. “I use my bike and my

On runs, recyclers follow routes - paths taken through neighborhoods and businesses. Though recyclers like to keep their routes consistent, recyclers respect the “first come, first served” rule.

This makes backup routes important for those whose survival depends on recycling revenue, like Ruiz who started when he ran out of options.

“I went broke and stopped asking [for] money from my family,” he said.

Eliana Owens, 29, started recycling because of her brother, who is mentally disabled.

Owens and her two brothers are homeless. She left her previous job when taking care of her brother began to take too much time. Now the three recycle together, generating enough cash for food and, if they’re lucky, a place to stay.

“I make about 50 dollars a day,” said Owens. “Anything I can get, plastic, metal, everything,” she added. Owens regularly collects microwaves, bed frames, computer parts and extension cords which can all be broken down and sold by weight.

Rhyne is a recycler. Every morning he walks his shopping cart through Fresno’s residential neighborhoods and business districts to collect bottles, cans, and other recyclables from bins.

Then he takes the daily harvest to Bulldog Recycling, where he exchanges the used materials he’s collected on the streets for cash.

Tucked between California Highway 99 and “Motel Drive” in an area known for high druguse, prostitution, and transient families, Bulldog

Recycling is one of four large-scale recycling centers, and more than 25 smaller recycling operations, in Fresno that recyclers frequent on a daily basis to make ends meet. Bulldog Recyling alone receives visits from about 150 recyclers per day, including Rhyne.

The large-scale recycling centers not only take plastic bottles and aluminum cans, but also metals, electronic

hands,” he added.

Ruiz, 42, is a typical recycler. He does 4-5 runs each day, and earns $7 to $20 per run.

Owens uses her bare hands and her hammer to break apart materials. Separating aluminum from steel generates higher revenue. It’s hard labor, but Owens sees the difference when she gets paid.

“Everything adds up,” she said.

Those who use their shopping carts to work late nights, walking up and down alleys and curbsides to avoid runins with law enforcement, say it’s an honest living and better than some of the alternatives.

“I could be selling drugs,” said Ruiz. “It’s dirty, but its money.”

“It’s dirty but it’s money.”

“The freedom that comes with it -- it’s rewarding,”

A Thriving Lake, In Memory Only

BY CRESENCIO RODRIGUEZ DELGADO YOUTH REPORTER

The very first time my family went to visit Lake Success, I was a bit nervous to step out of our family van. Being just a small child, the monstrous lake was intimidating. From my low vantage point in the car, it seemed as if we were actually driving on the lake.

I returned to the lake years later as a young adult, and the lake that had been huge in my mind’s eye didn’t match the tiny pond sitting before me. Of course, most things from childhood seem to grow smaller one grows taller, but this was different.

The lake didn’t just seem smaller, it was smaller – and by a lot.

Arriving at the lake as a kid, all I could see out of our van’s window was the sparkling, blue water. The golden hills and winding roads made the area seem like a foreign land, even though it was just a few minutes from my childhood home in Porterville.

Our family, like many others, escaped the Central Valley heat by taking a trip to the lake.

Lake Success was an oasis.

“That living lake of my childhood now exists only in the countless photos taken”

Countless vans, trucks and canopies lined the lakeshore and anywhere you stood, you could smell the barbecue lunches from the picnic tables set up along the shore. Cold drinks and fresh fruit helped everyone stay cool, and music radiated around the lake while children swam and played. Boats of all kinds filled the water, from fishing boats to pontoons to sheriff’s boats.

Lake Success sure was a success at one point. Built in 1961, Success Dam created a reservoir by damming up the South Fork of the Tule River. The result was Lake Success, which in addition to being a place of recreation, provided water for irrigation on nearby farms.

The lake sat mostly unchanged up until just a few years ago. With the safety of the old dam in question, the amount of water allocated to the reservoir was reduced.

Today, even though the cutback in water has been officially lifted, the lake has not returned to what it was. In fact, it’s even more diminished. But this time the reason is not a decision made by the water district -- it’s nature. Ravaged by drought, the lake now sits nearly empty, at just 7 percent of capacity.

Now, fishing is almost completely unheard of here, boating is nearly impossible with the water so low, and lake visits become less appealing by the day. Lake Success is slowly drying up, as are my memories and hopes of ever seeing it as powerful and vibrant as it was in my childhood.

Growing up, it was common to overhear a people speculating about the damage a break in the dam would cause. People would grimace at the thought -- a vast amount of water that would flood the town if something were to ever happen to the dam. I see the lake now and those conversations seem almost completely ridiculous. I look back and question why anybody would ever think or say such things.

As I stand on the shore revisiting the remnants of Lake Success, I’m left to ponder how something that loomed so large could recede so quickly. That living lake of my childhood now exists only in the countless photos taken, the many memories of weekends on the shore, and the empty hole it leaves in the surrounding community. The severe drought that is crippling nearly half the state has provided a stark reminder. Nothing remains the same.

The lake didn’t just seem smaller, it was smaller – and by a lot.

Scarred By Domestic Violence, But Learning to Cope

BY PENGSU XIONG YOUTH REPORTER

Christmas presents. Santa Claus. My family smiling. Those are some of the happy images I started drawing after the first time I saw my parents hit each other. I was 9 years-old and scared, and I wanted to ignore all the fighting.

Like most other parents, mine had disagreements and would argue sometimes. But one day, the verbal blows turned physical. My parents usually tried to hide their arguing, but this was different. As they fought, I became afraid and it felt like my mind could not handle the situation.

I began breathing extremely fast and was unable to catch my breath. It was my first panic attack, but not my last.

Usually my parents argued about money. My dad worked on trains and my mom worked at a bakery, but it seemed we never had enough to make ends meet. Things only got worse between my parents when my dad went to Laos. He spent all of our money there and was unfaithful to my mom. She divorced him and he moved out of our house, but that didn’t stop the conflict.

Ever since I witnessed that abuse as a 9 year-old, I’ve experienced panic attacks whenever I see people fight. So when I was recently asked to wrestle in my high school P.E. class I didn't know what to do. I watched as my classmates were paired off to fight for their grade. I started to lose my breath; I was so scared. No matter how fast I breathed and shook, I still pictured my parents fighting.

Luckily, the class period ended before my partner and I were up to duel, so our match was postponed until the next day. After class, I told my gym teacher that I was uncomfortable wrestling and he said I wouldn’t have to fight the next day. I breathed a sigh of relief.

I never wanted to tell anybody about what I was going through. I thought I was the only one with family problems, so I didn’t want others to know. I was also afraid that if I told someone about what happened, the police would take away my dad for assault. I was so young, and trying to process what would be best for my family and me.

I never went to therapy because even if I’d said something my family couldn’t afford it. But I found my own ways of coping. My sister watched a lot of Bollywood movies, and I noticed that people in those films sometimes used meditation to help get their feelings under control. So I started sitting in calm areas, copying what I saw in the

movies, trying to be at peace with myself.

Eventually I started to talk to friends and teachers about what I was feeling. No one knew what to do, but just the process of letting it out was a relief. It was hard to trust others, but slowly I started to tell my story.

To this day I struggle with my panic attacks, but they are not as severe as before. I continue to practice meditation and talk to people about my experiences. I wish I had opened up to friends and family earlier on, so that I would not have been alone.

Now I’m 16 and doing well in school. I especially like math. I earned a 4.0 G.P.A. in my first 3 semesters of high school. My family moved to Fresno, California last year and we are now near other family members, including my aging grandfather.

When I first started writing this story I wanted it to be anonymous. I wanted to share my story but I didn’t want people to know that it was mine. But now that put my story down on paper, I want my name attached to it. I wrote this so that if others are having similar problems, they will know that they are not alone.

Pengsu, 16, still sketches and draws to relax. He wants to be a game designer after graduating high school and going to college.

GRAPHIC BY PENGSU XIONG

Why I Changed Schools, And How Things Could Have Been Different

BY ASIA FOSTER YOUTH REPORTER

Editor’s Note: Earlier this year, the Fresno Unified School District Board of Supervisors voted to expand funding for restorative justice programs. Viewed as an alternative to punitive school discipline practices like suspension and expulsion, restorative justice is a conflict resolution approach that utilizes victim-offender mediation. In the commentary below, Asia Foster, 15, writes about being bullied at her Central Unified middle school in Fresno, and the aftermath of that bullying. In the process, she conveys how school approaches to discipline can have profoundly different impacts on students and campus culture.

Going into 7th grade I had a 4.0 GPA, made good friends, and pretty much avoided conflict with everyone. I was always making other people laugh. But, there was one classmate that I could never make smile.

The bullying began with her spreading rumors about me. She eventually started calling me names to my face, saying that I was “fat” and “ugly.” She told my friends that I had been gossiping about them, when I hadn’t. I was losing friends and confidence daily, as her taunting continued.

I tried resolving the problem directly by talking to her, but that didn’t help. In fact, things began to get worse. Instead of just her targeting me, others began to do the same.

I told the school counselor. Two days later, we were both called to the office and we were spoken to, separately. The other girl convinced the counselor that the bullying was over, and he believed her. He told me it was all resolved, and sent me on my way.

But it wasn’t over. The name calling and taunting kept up. I felt helpless since the school administration didn’t seem interested in or able to fix it.

Eventually, the other girl and I got into a fight. We were both suspended and shortly thereafter the school year came to a close.

In retrospect, I don’t think we would have fought if we’d had a chance to speak to each other directly with a counselor or some other person in the room to mediate. I realize that most people who bully were either bullied themselves or have other hardships in their life, and I think I could have worked it out with her if there were someone there to facilitate the conversation.

My mom did try to get involved, but became frustrated at how hard it was for her to get an appointment with the counselor. To her, the school seemed more interested in handing out suspensions than working with us to resolve the issue. In the end, she decided I would be better off transferring out of Central Unified to another school district.

Luckily, my dad lived in an area that was part of Fresno Unified School District. I moved in with him last July and started at my new school in August. My mom even moved into the same neighborhood, so I would be close to both of my parents.

I felt welcomed on the first day at my new school, Fort Miller. I joined the basketball team and instantly began to make new friends. Everyone was nice to me, and I almost never felt alone.

Everything was going great, and the bullying at my old school seemed like a distant memory.

Most importantly, Ms. Buckman, the principal, always had time to talk to me, and she would also talk to my mom. Whenever there was a problem between students, they would be brought to talk to Ms. Buckman or a counselor, together. If I were ever to be bullied again, I know she would have time to talk and help resolve it.

It’s just one example, but I believe more students would benefit if other schools followed the example of Fort Miller. Although I’m happy where I am now, if my old school had done

a better job of intervening when the bullying was first reported -- instead of just reacting after the conflict had already boiled over, and doling out suspensions -- maybe things would have turned out different.

What Can Fresno Learn From Ferguson?

BY MIGUEL BIBANCO YOUTH REPORTER

On August 9, 18-year-old Michael Brown, an unarmed African-American, was shot and killed by a white police officer, Darren Wilson, in Ferguson, Missouri -- a tragically premature end to a young life.

In the weeks and months that followed, thousands of young people, families, and others protested in the streets of Ferguson to express their anger and frustration over police brutality in the black community and a lack of police accountability. Their protests, well documented on mainstream news and social media channels, gave rise to a national conversation about police misconduct and the relationship between police departments and communities of color. Why, many of us asked, should we have to fear those that are supposed to protect us?

Then, on the evening of November 24, a grand jury decided not to indict Officer Wilson, freeing him from the prospect of a criminal trial and predictably sparking even more fervent protests on the streets of Ferguson and around the nation, the end of which we have yet to see.

While the specific events in Ferguson are unique, the larger dynamics at play are certainly relevant in communities across the United States, including Fresno.

That being the case, we at The Know Youth Media felt that opening up a dialogue about policecommunity relations in our own backyard would be the best way to respond and make sense of the events we were all watching unfold across the country. So we organized a TV roundtable discussion, focused on the question: What can Fresno learn from the Ferguson tragedy?

We were joined on the program by Brittany Ferrell of Millennial Activists United in Missouri, who provided first-hand knowledge of what was happening in Ferguson.

To help bring the issue home, we invited Rebecca Rangel of Central California Criminal Justice Committee, and Bryson White of Faith In Community. Both gave us a perspective on current community-police relations in Fresno. We also interviewed young people in Fresno, asking them about their personal experiences with the police. The Fresno Police Department declined an invitation to participate in the program.

cold word. I’m a

junior at Fresno High and I want to be a physical therapist or a social worker. I joined The kNOw because I want something positive in my life.

Kody Stoebig, 23

I joined The kNOw so that I could have the opportunity to tell my own story and help others to do the same. My time with The kNOw has been filled with new experiences, new people and new cultures. As I’ve spent time with the young members here, I’ve seen again and again that they each have a unique story to tell and that there is no other place that allows them the opportunity to share it in the way that The kNOw does. My time here has been inspirational.

Kathy Yang, 16

I am the second youngest out family. I love to play volleyball keep myself active. I like coming to The kNOw because I learn new things and good experience. My favorite part on trips together.

Fernando Flores Duran, 15

I love to play all sports. I’m in The kNOw because I want to tell my community what’s

going on. I’m interested in writing about the F.B.I. because I want to be in the F.B.I.

when I grow up. It’s going to take a lot of hard work, so I’m keeping my grades to get

Peng Yang,16

I am Peng Yang and am into science and music. I want to be a chemistry teacher.

Being the youngest boy in a family, I often have a path to follow, but allowed to choose other paths. I’m in The kNOw because it allows me to be me and helps me

Sarah Vang, 16

I play football and participate in munity service. I am the oldest living in my household, so I must be responsible and be a good role model for my younger sister.

I want the community to know The kNOw. I have written many stories about life

The San Joaquin River: To Experience It is to Love It

BY KYLE MOUA YOUTH REPORTER

The San Joaquin River defines Fresno’s entire northern boundary, yet many Fresnans haven’t touched the crystal clear water, or even know where it is.

The San Joaquin River is California’s second longest river. Beginning from the high Sierra mountains, it flows past Millerton Lake, through Fresno, west to Mendota, then journeys north past Stockton and out to the Delta and Bay Area waters. The total length from the snow-capped mountains to the Pacific Ocean is nearly 400 miles.

Once upon a time, the river was wide and deep enough to hold large riverboats and barges, like the ones that still cruise the Mississippi River. It was a highway for commerce, travel and recreation. The water fed the farmlands of central California and was an extraordinary ecosystem for hundreds of species of birds, fish and mammals.

In the early part of the twentieth century, the river was dammed to capture water for the agriculture industry of the Central Valley, which was among the world’s most fertile and prosperous areas. Construction of the Friant Dam began in 1937. It was officially dedicated in 1949.

But capturing water for the Central Valley agriculture industry turned the mighty San Joaquin into a mere shallow river. The dam caused some 60 miles of the river to run dry past Mendota, essentially killing the oncethriving salmon population. For all of the good the dam provided to the area, there was just as much damage done to the environment, ecosystem and culture of the region.

In 2006, after nearly two decades of litigation, environmental groups, anglers and the United States Bureau of Reclamation reached an agreement to share the water. Thus began the San

restore the salmon

flows,

and develop areas along the river for recreation and fishing. On average, the farming industry or water districts lost 15 percent of the water to river restoration.

Presently, despite the restoration efforts, there are only a few spots at which the public can access the river. Among the most popular are Lost Lake and Sycamore Island. The remaining few locations, such as Wildwood Native Park, Camp Pashayan, Fort Washington Beach and Jensen River Ranch, are so obscure to the general public that they have little public use. Most of the land around the San Joaquin River is farmland to the north, with golf courses and private homes to the south.

The San Joaquin River offers a multitude of recreational opportunities for families, including picnicking,

Joaquin River Restoration program to increase water

help manage water for agriculture needs,

population

swimming, canoeing and water sports. It is an area still rich in animal life and breathtaking beauty. Many longtime advocates of the river lament the lack of use and support it receives.

The San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust, along with the San Joaquin Conservancy, are purchasing private lands to manage and open for the public to use. The San Joaquin River is currently undergoing an ambitious multiyear plan that includes developing new public access points and parks along the shore.

Among these parks is the Spanos Park area just below Palm and Nees in Fresno. There is also a plan to build a trail for runners and horseback riders that will span the entire length of Fresno’s northern border, from Friant Dam to Highway 99.

There are a number of organizations that run canoe and

kayak trips along the river. Those three-hour trips whisk people away from urban life and into crystal clear waters that wind through ancient oak trees and lush green banks. South of Fresno, at Skaggs Park, people fill the beaches along the river to swim, fish and enjoy inflatable boats. But the development of the San Joaquin River is not without its hiccups and detractors. Some agricultural factions do not like the agreement of sharing water that was reached between farmers/water districts and environmental groups. Some private homeowners do not want the public to go through their neighborhoods to access new public lands on the river. The money needed to develop the river, the parks and public access faces federal scrutiny every year.

Many people in Fresno and the Central Valley have never been on the river or experienced it.

Steve Thao, a longtime advocate of the river, says “to

experience the river is to love it.”

Many people hear the rhetoric of “fish verses farm,” but to actually see and experience the river, and to see families enjoy it, makes it difficult to argue against it. It offers the health benefits of getting outdoors and being active, along with the pride of an improved quality of life through a developed river with trails, parks and activity around it. The world would be a lesser place if we lost mighty rivers such as this one.

The San Joaquin River offers great adventure and beauty – you just have to look for places to access it. It is one of the great gems of the Central Valley. More people should appreciate it and use it – and ultimately support the development of it.

Kyle Moua is a fly fisherman and future marine biologist currently attending Fresno City College.

Local Program Helped Teen Father Break the Mold

By Colby Tibbet Youth Reporter

FRESNO-- As a freshman entering Roosevelt High School, Juan Bautista wanted to make a name for himself, and he did – by getting into fights, and going in and out of juvenile hall.

“I wanted to be the top dog, I wanted to put my name out there,” Bautista recalled. “I was never really involved in the community, I was more about breaking the community.”

That type of thinking is what eventually led him to join a gang in his first year of high school. Academic life, for Bautista, soon became an afterthought.

“I started putting in work. Selling drugs, transporting guns across town,” Bautista said. “As it went on, I thought to myself, I'm a thug now, I'm a gangster. I'm just gonna make money.”

Bautista’s outlaw ways skid to a halt his sophomore year, however, when his girlfriend of three months gave him a call and told him she was pregnant.

The teens had had unprotected sex two months prior, and although Bautista said they both knew about condoms, he said they didn't take birth control seriously at the time.

Nevertheless, when Bautista learned about the pregnancy, he knew it was a life changer—being a young gang-banger would not mix with being a parent. But that didn’t stop problems from arising between he and the baby’s mother, and the dysfunction escalated to a point that they eventually decided not to be together. Both, however, expressed a desire to be involved in their child’s life.

With Bautista in and out of juvenile hall, the mother eventually gained custody of the child. Bautista recalls that time as a low-point. As he would later put it, “I knew I had to step it up to be a father.”

Central Valley teens are high risk

Although the birth rate among teens nationally and locally has been declining since the early 1990’s, teen pregnancy is still a concern in low-income communities like Fresno.

According to KidsData.org, the rate of teen births in the Central Valley is nearly double the state average of 13.1 per 1,000. Many of the Central Valley counties are hovering in the 20's with Fresno County at 24.2, Kern County at 26.2, and Merced County at 23.0.

In addition, sexually transmitted infection rates in the Central Valley were higher than state averages for both chlamydia and gonorrhea. For chlamydia, the state average is 1339.5 infections per 100,000 15 to

19-year-olds. Fresno County's rate is 2032.7 infections per 100,000, 693.2 infections higher than the state average.

For gonorrhea, California's average is 185.6 per 200,000 15 to 19-year-olds, while Fresno County's is more than double the average at 416.8, according to KidsData.org.

In Fresno County, the gonorrhea infection rates among 15 to 19-year-olds have been increasing in the past three years. It jumped from 238.6 in 2010 to 416.8 in 2013. However, the chlamydia infection rates among adolescents in the same age group have not increased over time in Fresno.

Community Programs Can Help

With teen pregnancy and STDs still high in the valley, some community groups have begun calling attention to the relative absence of sex education in local schools, and attempting to fill the void.

One such organization is Fresno Barrios Unidos, which for the last 20 years has been providing services to teens and families in Southeast Fresno.

Barrios Unidos emphasizes teen pregnancy prevention, but also offers clinical services for STD testing and birth control. More focused efforts such as the “Teen Success” program give teen moms a support group and the indi vidual guidance they need to graduate from high school.

Another Barrios Unidos program, “Bright Futures,” lends resources and assistance to teen parents so they can learn how to create healthy relationships and environments for their children. Bautista, wanting to regain custody of his son Jordan after being released from juvenile hall, was sent to the program – and now speaks of its benefit.

“Doing these programs, my mentality was chang ing,” Bautista said. “I don't want people to go through what I had to with my son. I want people to have good healthy relationships with their families.”

180 degrees

Bautista now volunteers at Barrios Unidos, which he said has “become a passion” for him. He wants to use his expe riences as a former gang member and a teen father to help others in his community who may be in a similar situation he was in, and educate those who may be at risk.

“I started asking, ‘What can I do to start programs?’ For fathers, for gang members who want to get off the sys tem,” he said.

Bautista is also part of the organization’s youth advocacy

team. His advocacy for sex education has included assisting in workshops at FUSD high schools, as well as speaking to superintendents and district officials about the need to teach safe sex and STD prevention, rather than only encouraging abstinence.

His approach to the work is to be very open with his life experiences; something he hopes will help him make stronger connections with young people in the community.

“A young man or a young woman isn’t going to listen to someone who is... 30 or 40 years old,” Bautista said. “I tell them, ‘I understand where you come from,’ and I tell them my stories.”

Although he received his high school diploma a year late, and his son is already two years old, Bautista said he doesn’t want to fall into the trap of fulfilling other people’s expectation of him.

He has hopes of eventually joining the Marine Corps, but also plans to work in the community, and aspires to become a probation or parole officer, to help guide kids

After Juvenile Hall, Youth Want a New Start

By JACOB SIMAS

Across the country today, there are more than 61,000 young people who eat, sleep and go to school in juvenile detention facilities; and a look at the data on those young people makes it safe to say that life becomes a lot harder for them once they enter the system. The recidivism rate -- the percentage of those who return to the system after being released -- for the juvenile population nationally is close to 70 percent, roughly the same as the adult prisoner population. What’s more, the chances that a young person will achieve academically go down dramatically once a young person comes into contact with the juvenile justice system: young people age 16 and under who are arrested and detained are 26 percent less likely to finish high school by the time they turn 19. The data reveals that one’s background has as much to do with incarceration as actual crimes committed: African American and Latino youth make up roughly 60 percent of the juvenile population in detention nationally, despite making up less than 30 percent of the overall population. Because the chips are stacked against them, these youth run the risk of being stereotyped -- by schools, potential employers, even by their own family members and neighbors -- as young people who lack ambition, doomed to fall into the paths that the statistics suggest. The Know Youth Media asked incarcerated young people at Fresno’s Juvenile Justice Center about their goals, and what we heard back from them painted a far different picture -- one of hope for better, more productive future. Which begs the question: As a society, are we doing all we can to help them achieve it?

“When I’m released, I’m looking forward to going to school and doing well. My dream is to finish high school on time. I have to work hard to reach that goal.”

-Anonymous

“I don’t like anything about this place. When I get out I am looking forward to seeing my family, hugging my mom and starting over and getting my life together.”

-Alivia

“When I get out I’m changing my life and [am going to] stay at home with my family and never [come] back in here ever, ever again. My dream is to change and not to do anything bad to end back in here again.”

-Christian

“My dream is to graduate high school and become an RN (Registered Nurse). What I will do to reach that goal is get out of JJC and stay out, pass the high school exit exam, and get my record sealed when I’m 18.”

-Shae

“School in the JJC is better than the outside because we get our credits a bit faster and we are able to catch up a lot. At JJC, you either have an attitude and get an attitude or you give respect and get respect. It’s all up to you. After my release, I’m mostly looking forward to going to school and graduation.”

-Destiny

Support for this video and article was provided by The Equity Reporting Project: Restoring the Promise of Education, which was developed by Renaissance Journalism with funding from the Ford Foundation.

The current plan: Reduces farmland by 15,000 acres for non-farm uses.

Harms our air and depletes our water sources.

Harms our children and families by allowing more industrial developments in south Fresno.

Residents have spoken and want a General Plan that: Invests in neighborhoods in the heart of our city with the greatest need. Keeps toxic industries out of neighborhoods and away from families. Invests in current parks for everyone to walk and play.

South Fresno

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