McKenzie Jackson | California Black Media
To mark the end of Hispanic Heritage Month, California Black Media writer McKenzie Jackson looks at the lives and accomplishments of some people of Hispanic heritage in California.
Dayane Mendoza Solis is considering throwing her hat in the ring for a trustee seat on the Sonoma Valley Unified School District board in the upcoming November election.
The 28-year-old accountant, a graduate of the Wine Country public school system, says more Latino representation is needed on school boards and in government, more broadly.
In the end, Solis decided not to run. Instead, he chose to focus on his new career as an accountant. Still, Solis said, he wants to see more Latinos in prominent positions across the Golden State.
“People are very happy to know that I, a Latina, am ready to step into a leadership role,” said Solis, an admirer of New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. “We need more Latino leaders to raise and guide the younger generation because there are many people of Mexican and other Latin American descent in California.”
Solis hopes that Hispanic Heritage Month, which starts from Sept. 15 to October 15, shining a light on that.
“The Latino community is made up of hard workers, who are willing to step up and help others in need,” Solis told California Black Media (CBM). “We have a strong presence in the state.”
Hispanic Heritage Month places working ethics front and center. The month-long national recognition is held annually to celebrate the diverse cultures, contributions, and extensive histories of the US Latino community, the second largest racial or ethnic group in the country.
Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland) said the event was an opportunity to recognize and elevate the voices and experiences of Latinos in America.
“We still live in a time and place where we need to make sure we’re elevating the experiences of Latinos,” said Bonta, who is a Black Latina (or Afro Latina) at CBM. “Having a month dedicated to telling their stories, focusing on their legacies and the everyday heroes who make a difference is so important.”
According to the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), Latinos are the largest ethnic group in the state. They are about 39.4% of the state’s population or about 15.7 million people. Non-Hispanic whites are 34.7% and African Americans are 5.4% of the population.
The largest concentration of people of Hispanic Heritage in California live in Imperial County (79.6%), which is adjacent to San Diego County along California’s southern border. Latinos make up 48% of the population in Los Angeles County and over 50% of the population in San Bernardino and Fresno counties. One in four Hispanic Americans call California home.
Among Latinos in California, Mexican Americans account for the largest number of people of Hispanic origin in the state (30.7%) followed by Hispanics of Caribbean origin (0.8%) and people of Central American origin. that background (3.0%).
Throughout California’s 170-year history Latinos have contributed to every aspect of life including agriculture, construction, entertainment, health care, hospitality, sports, and politics. In fact, people of Hispanic Heritage have lived in California since the 1600s, according to some reports.
California has been home to many national heroes of Hispanic heritage including labor leaders Cesar Chavez and Delores Huerta, co-founders of the organization that became the United Farmworkers Union; former and current United States Poet Laureates (2015-2017) Juan Felipe Herrera and Ada Limón; and American civil rights activist Sylvia Mendez.
The economic impact of Latinos on the state and country was celebrated at the L’ATTITUDE conference from Sept. 22-25 in San Diego. The event allows Latino professionals to network and share ideas. It has attracted business and political leaders and celebrities such as former President Barack Obama and Cuban American singer Gloria Estefan.
Obama said, “The country’s economic success will depend on how well the Latino community and other undocumented minority groups do because they are growing in importance and in strength.”
Alex Padilla, who became the first Latino US Senator in California when he was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom who will succeed Vice President Kamala Harris, appeared on L’ATTITUDE for a conversation titled “Public Policy Imperatives for 21st Century America.” Padilla, the son of Mexican immigrants, introduced the Senate bill, “The Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929” to expand a path to permanency for millions of longtime residents of US three days after the event.
According to PPIC, one quarter of undocumented immigrants in the United States (between 2.35 and 2.6 million people) live in California.
The Senate bill introduced by Sen. Padilla would allow an immigrant to qualify for lawful permanent resident status if they have continued to reside in the US for at least seven years prior to filing an application for lawful permanent resident status and have good behavior. It provides a path to a green card for up to eight million people.
Undocumented individuals covered by Padilla’s bill after they become citizens could potentially contribute about $83 billion to the U.S. economy annually and about $27 billion in taxes according to FWD.us, a bipartisan political organization that advocates for reform. of immigration.
According to Padilla, America’s antiquated immigration system stifles the economy and harms countless individuals.
“This could have a profound impact on millions of immigrants, some who have lived, worked, and contributed to the United States for decades, by allowing them to live freely without fear of an uncertain future,” he said.
One immigrant who could help the Padilla bill in the future is Yenny Soto, a 31-year-old immigrant from Venezuela. Soto crossed the border into Arizona in December. He spoke to CBM about his odyssey from Panama to the US
Soto’s journey included several plane and bus rides before he and nine other Latin Americans entered the US. Seeking asylum, they called law enforcement and they were all arrested.
Soto was held in custody for more than a week and after being assigned to the court for his asylum plea, he landed in New York City where he worked as a waitress and bartender in clubs and restaurants.
“I knew I had to go and work a lot because I was told that the American Dream is to work and work,” said Soto, who joked about becoming US president one day.
Ninety-nine percent of Hispanic immigrants in California are from Latin America, with 77% from Mexico.
Solis, whose family immigrated legally from Mexico, said immigrants need help acclimating to America.
“Families are moving to find a better life,” he said. “Mexico, in particular, has a lot of violence.”
However, Bonta said it’s a misconception that immigration concerns are exclusively about Latinos. He said the Latino community in California is not monolithic.
“There is a very diverse Latino community — from Central and South America, the Caribbean and people who have been in California for generations,” Bonta said. “Latinos have an incredible history of contributing to the state’s economy.”
Solis hopes that all Californians can enjoy Latino culture.
“I think it’s beautiful that it’s celebrated — our diversity, our cultures,” she said. “I see it as new, but at the same time I want everyone to question what they’re celebrating. Are they going to take the time to learn about Latino cultures? Are they going to make an effort?”
“This publication/project is supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.”