Yesenia Vélez, de 18 años, es estudiante de último año en la secundaria Garfield, en el Este de Los Ángeles, y hasta principios de año todavía estaba haciendo planes para asistir a su fiesta de graduación.

Cerrar el ciclo de la clase de 2020 y abrir camino para empezar la universidad eran algunos de sus sueños. No obstante, han quedado truncados debido a la pandemia del coronavirus.

Yesenia tiene cinco hermanos y su padre es el único proveedor del hogar. Tras la pandemia ha quedado sin empleo y por la falta de estatus migratorio legal en el país, no pueden obtener ayuda del gobierno como el cheque de estímulo federal.

“De la escuela, a mí me prestaron una computadora con un hotspot [un dispositivo para obtener Internet]”, dijo Yesenia, quien es estudiante sobresaliente y actualmente toma dos clases avanzadas (AP).

He vivido en el este de Los Ángeles por 25 años y este año será la primera vez que lleno el Censo. Soy madre de tres hijas y un hijo. Soy abuela de tres nietos de siete, cuatro y dos años. Aunque estamos sufriendo con los pagos, tenemos nuestra salud. 

Mi esposo y yo somos vendedores ambulantes de fruta y así hemos sobrevivido día a día. Desafortunadamente, debido a la pandemia del COVID-19 ya no podemos trabajar. 

Me da mucho miedo de que mi familia se enferme. Cuando dejamos de trabajar, fue difícil porque fue así como hemos salimos adelante. 

Me siento decepcionada porque aunque pago impuestos como todos, el gobierno me ha excluido de recibir el estímulo económico federal. En estos momentos de crisis, aunque también contribuimos a este país, los inmigrantes indocumentados hemos sido ignorados.  

Pero hay esperanza. 

Maria Brenes has been in “virtual mode” for almost a month now. That’s when Los Angeles closed schools and ordered residents to stay home to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Brenes is a community organizer on L.A.’s Eastside with the group InnerCity Struggle. She usually spends her days talking face-to-face with families, teachers and politicians to advocate for equal access to a quality education. It hurt Brenes a lot when she had to shutter the doors to the group’s community center, which had been bustling with youth and organizers since its opening last year. Now, she’s balancing video chats and phone calls for work with helping her own kids —second and fourth grade students in the Los Angeles Unified School District— to complete their online assignments.

While talking to Capital & Main by phone last week, Brenes was occasionally interrupted by her daughter who was eagerly playing a spelling game recommended by her teacher.

Brenes half-joked that she gives herself a C+ as a homeschool teacher. But she feels fortunate compared to many of the families her organization serves, and recognizes the importance of continuing, and expanding, her group’s work amid the pandemic.
 

InnerCity Struggle is creating its own “stimulus” for 300 families to make up for the exclusion of undocumented immigrants from the federal aid bills.

 
“Engagement has been so important in a period of ‘social distancing.’ We call it physical distancing because we still want to maintain the tie,” Brenes said.

InnerCity Struggle has talked with hundreds of community members in the early weeks of the outbreak to check in, assess their needs, answer their questions and learn how the crisis is impacting their families, and them individually. The group has delivered food to Eastside families, paid for with rapid response grants. And they’re creating its own “stimulus,” so far totaling $60,000 for 300 families, to make up for the exclusion of undocumented immigrants from the federal aid bills.

And they’re far from alone.

Grants bring aid to the food and technology inequities in Los Angeles and surrounding communities during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Weingart Foundation granted $100,000 to Brotherhood Crusade, Community Coalition and InnerCity Struggle to bring aid to the food and technology inequities in Los Angeles and surrounding communities during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Brotherhood Crusade, Community Coalition and InnerCity Struggle recently joined forces to raise $400,000 to support 5,000 at risk South and the Eastside of Los Angeles students with technology and emergency needs.

“Because of their deep roots in communities, Brotherhood Crusade, Community Coalition and InnerCity Struggle proactively came together to ensure the voices of youth of color are not lost in COVID-19 relief efforts and their right to education is not violated,” said Fred Ali, President and CEO of the Weingart Foundation. “We wholeheartedly support this critical effort to address educational inequities exacerbated by the global COVID-19 crisis.”

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) announced school closures through the end of the 2020 school year. While the organizations support the implementation of a public health response to flatten the curve and protect the most vulnerable, students and families are communicating grave concerns about the inequities in access to academic instruction and support, as it relates to the current COVID–19 response.

Justo hace un año miles de inquilinos de bajos ingresos del condado de Los Ángeles se sintieron aliviados después de que la Junta de Supervisores aprobara una ordenanza provisional para congelar el alza del alquiler en un 3% anual.

La ordenanza también suspendió los desalojos sin causa justa y es valida en todas las áreas no incorporadas del condado de Los Ángeles, a excepción de las propiedades exentas de control de alquileres.

No obstante, la moción temporal, que fue extendida en julio, y esta pautada para expirar el 31 de diciembre de 2019, tendrá la oportunidad de convertirse en una ordenanza permanente. La votación esta programa para este martes 10 de septiembre.

Representantes de la organización La Lucha del Pueblo (Inner City Struggle ICS), líder en el movimiento, dijeron que, si no se hace algo pronto, miles de familias de áreas no incorporadas del condado de Los Ángeles, incluyendo el lado este, podrían correr el riesgo de perder sus hogares por desalojos injustos y aumentos de alquiler escandalosos.

Henry Pérez, director ejecutivo interino de ICS, dijo que en esta ocasión los inquilinos no solamente están buscando una estabilización de renta permanente, pero también una forma de poder informar a los arrendatarios acerca de sus derechos.

“Hay muchos inquilinos que no saben de esta póliza y les hemos dado la información, pero si no saben como van a pelear”, dijo Pérez.

Orlando Martinez
Educational Justice Parent Organizer

Gender Pronouns: he, him, his 

Orlando is a lifelong resident of Boyle Heights and alumnus of Mendez High School. Being the child of Salvadoran immigrants, Orlando was aware of the socio-economic challenges presented to himself and his community which empowered him to continue his education. Orlando went on to attend UC Santa Barbara where he earned his B.A. in Political Science and Philosophy with a minor in History. Orlando was also able to study abroad in Chile and intern for Fundación Iguales, a non-profit organization that works to address issues of interest to the Chilean LGBTQ+ community which includes transgender identity rights and the legality of same-sex marriage. This experience taught him about the power that oppressed people have to create social change and motivated him to work with marginalized communities. Upon returning to the Eastside, Orlando began working with youth in different capacities, further cementing his passion for community-oriented work. He is now the Educational Justice Parent Organizer at InnerCity Struggle and is dedicated to working with his community on the issues that directly affect them while connecting them with the resources they need.

Erika Jimenez
United Students Site Organizer

Gender Pronouns: she, her, hers 

Erika Jimenez grew up in Boyle Heights and is alumni of InnerCity Struggle’s youth program and Roosevelt High School. Her involvement with United Students inspired her to complete a bachelors degree at California State University, and further develop her organizing skills with Students for Quality Education. Upon graduating, Erika returned to Boyle Heights and continued her efforts to make college more affordable through the College for All California campaign. Erika’s organizing journey has led her back to Roosevelt High School where she is currently InnerCity Struggle’s Site Organizer. She is proud to serve as a mentor for young people as they begin to build their own political consciousness and develop their leadership skills to create the change they want to see in the world.