Category: City Affairs

The following images are part of an ongoing virtual postcard series by writer and photographer Diane Solomon written to her 2-year old nephew, Nanji, and those interested in exploring Silicon Valley's grassroots.

An India Currents discussion regarding understanding violence against the South Asian Community.

La Oferta interviews City Councilperson Madison Nguyen on the future of Bay Area environmental initiatives.

Elected and community leaders met with DREAM youth at San Francisco’s City Hall to celebrate the close of DREAM Summer.

As employment numbers continue to struggle in the South Bay, elected officials announce a new corporate partnership.

Having worked in both San Francisco, where minimum wage jobs pay $10.00 an hour, and in San Jose, where employers only have to pay $8.00 an hour, Anthony Mastracola shares his view on the impact the two dollar difference can make for youth and families.

Unions prepare to fight Measure B, a controversial measure approved by San Jose residents that will modify retirement benefits for city employees.

City council leaders in Richmond voted on Tuesday to put a special soda tax proposal on the November 6 ballot.

Andy Gutierrez grew up in Eastside San José, facing the many challenges of poverty -- including being homeless at one point. He now is a Santa Clara County Deputy Public Defender representing indigent defendants.

Congratulations to Danny Pina, who first walked into De-Bug with a dislocated elbow, a busted nose, and a false resisting arrest charge. Three years later, he finally found the justice he was seeking.

As Silicon Valley's economy slows to recover, Santa Clara County creates new program to assist those chronically homeless.

An artistic rendering of De-Bug's Albert Cobarrubias Justice Project.

As participants of the Occupy movement protested in front of Wells Fargo, with the back drop of Christmas in the Park, De-Bug asked protesters what their resolutions were for the Occupy movement in 2012.

Santa Clara County Faith Leaders Convene to Discuss Their Role in Criminal Justice Realignment.

An India Currents contributor and legal observer, shares her experience at the Oakland occupation that has attracted national attention.

A video photo documentary highlighting the people that occupy San Jose.

After spending a night in the tents, author Marco Reyes comments on the significance of the Occupy Wall Street movement locally in San Jose, and what the movement means in the backdrop of history.

This summer, De-Bug and the San Jose Downtown Association teamed up to provide activities for youth at the weekly concerts. The collaboration was a tremendous success, but still the historic event may be coming to a close.

Artists Adrian Avila and Samuel Rodriguez teamed up with the Gardener community to produce the Inspire mural. This video shares the day by day evolution of Inspire.

Weeks after SJPD announced they will bring on two federal immigration officers, they consider participation in an initiative which calls on local police and residents to be reporting agents for federal enforcement agencies.

Carlos Ponce has been selected to lead the Mexican Consulate in San Jose. In this article, he tells La Oferta Newspaper of his goal for building stronger international ties.

During a week of violence in San Jose a loved member of the community, just 18 years old, was stabbed to death and A-town in San Jose is left with a greater police presence.

The following video was aired May 16th at a community action to save the seniors nutrition program. At the event, elders asked city council members Sam Liccardo and Madison Nguyen to protect services for seniors.

Amidst major budget cuts that have left senior citizen services on the chopping block, Maria Fernandez of Sacred Heart Community Services shares the organizing efforts by elders who are fighting to keep their community healthy and whole.

A downtown resident, and high school teacher, wanted to celebrate the festivities with an evening of dancing. Instead, she was forced to trek around police blockades, and told she could not go home.

In just three years outgoing Mexican General Consul in San Jose, David Figueroa, has made significant improvements for Mexican nationals.

On the heels of the one-year anniversary of a historic Supreme Court decision, attorney Angie Junck and organizer Raj Jayadev share lessons learned from a case of a San Jose man who beat a deportation order.

AD Avila was selected as one of a handful of community leaders from around the country by the Knight Commission to present a digital story of his immigrant experience. Through his artwork and advocacy he breaks down the fear of the American immigrant.

Newly appointed Chief Moore sat down with La Oferta reporter Nahui Ollin to discuss his plans to regain trust with ethnic communities.

T-shirt designers, jewelry-makers, and an assortment of other creative vendors created their own pop-up market in downtown San Jose – giving the community a chance to come together and shop local.

The early months of 2011 have already registered 11 homicides in East San Jose. Young men of color have been both victims and perpetrators of the attacks. De-Bug gathered young men from the Eastside to talk about what they are seeing on the streets, and what can be done to stop the violence.

David Madrid of Block to Block radio interviews Bea Mendez of the Coalition for Justice and Accountability on the recent selection of the new San Jose Police Chief.

San Jose has already registered seven homicides in 2011, nearly matching half of the total killings from the previous year. The victims are often young and brown. Marcos Reyes, who lives in the same neighborhoods where sidewalk memorials are springing up, describes what it feels like to be a part of a community in peril.

Days before news broke that the City Manager had picked the Interim Chief Moore as the next San Jose Police Chief, CJA sent a letter detailing why Chief Batts was most qualified to meet their community criteria. The City Council is expected to make their decisions regarding Chief Moore on Tuesday.

Music entrepreneur Playa Rae has been a driving force for local artists to be heard and to gain attention in larger markets beyond San Jose.

An undocumented driver writes about San Jose’s towing policy changes, and why the next way to make immigrants feel safe is to change checkpoint policies.

In an unprecedented collaborative effort, the two agencies have developed an approach to help inform and assist the Latino community learn about their rights to file complaints against police officers.

Cannery Park, located near Japantown, has emerged as a hub for a generation of new, innovative cultural business owners. De-Bug attended a collective showing to discuss their local businesses.

When community organizer Ernest Chavez began assisting Marian Taylor on helping her son get a transfer of his parole placement, he started on a journey navigating through a parole system that has left him with unanswered questions, and a mother still waiting for her son.

As 2010 winds down, we asked members of De-Bug to reflect on their most memorable moments of 2010. Through writing and video, they share the moments that defined their year.

Sacred Heart Community Services, one of the largest basic needs provider in the county, held a forum on the selection of the police chief. The agency also presented the findings of their survey project on community/police relations in their surrounding immigrant neighborhood in West San Jose.

The Vietnamese community of San Jose came together to discuss their criteria for the selection of the next San Jose Police Chief. The dialogue centered around officer-involved shootings and building back trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities.

In 2006, Art Calderon's father, who was 68 at the time, was beaten by SJPD officers. The Calderon family was given a $97,500 settlement by the city of San Jose as a result. In episode #5 of this series, Art Calderon Jr. speaks about how the new chief can create new positive relationships in the Latino community.

With the county in a recession, it is those who are often heard the least from — youth and elders — who are baring the brunt of a deep economic crisis. The moment of dwindling resources though may by an opportunity for a now veteran youth movement to lead, not just for other youth, but for all generations.

Participants at a recent press conference by SIREN — the largest immigrant rights advocacy organization in Santa Clara County — discuss the DREAM Act, scheduled for a congressional vote before the turn of the year.

In episode #4 of Message to the New San Jose Police Chief, Richard Babcock, an artist and mental health client, shares his experiences with SJPD, and his hopes for a new training protocols. The Coalition for Justice and Accountability (CJA) has initiated this multimedia project to inform the police chief selection process.

Despite widespread community concerns, an officer involved death, and a viral video of a police beating all last year, San Jose City officials say the police department has no problem with use of force.

The African American Services Community Service Agency held a forum that brought the African-American community together with leading San Jose city elected officials to discuss the selection of the next police chief. The effort was done in collaboration with the Coalition for Justice and Accountability.

Vinh Pham, father of Daniel Pham, who was shot to death by police last year, shares his hopes for the future in police/community relations. The Coalition for Justice and Accountability (CJA) has initiated this multimedia project featuring San Jose residents' experiences to inform the police chief selection process.

In late October the Service, Immigrants Rights and Education (SIREN), in coordination with the Coalition for Justice and Accountability, held an open forum at the Tully Library. The dialogue, held in Spanish, brought together Latino immigrant families to discuss their concerns with the police and offer selection criteria for the next San Jose Police Chief.

Silicon Valley De-Bug's Block2Block Radio talks with J. Manuel Herrera, who is running for Eastside Union School Board. Herrera talks about his family history on the eastside, school test scores, and his view on charter schools in the district.

Silicon Valley De-Bug and the Coalition for Justice and Accountability presents a "Message to the New San Jose Police Chief" — an ongoing multimedia project profiling a diversity of San Jose residents offering their advice and hopes for the next San Jose Police chief. This week's feature is on David Madrid, an East San Jose community member.

This October the Coalition for Justice and Accountability began a forum series to bring input from impacted communities to the selection process for the next San Jose Police Chief. The following multi-media coverage is highlights from the Youth and Families Forum held at De-Bug.

San Jose helds its 19th Annual Mariachi Festival from Sept. 15 to 26 at the Cesar Chavez Plaza downtown. The event also celebrated Mexican heritage in California which spans over five centuries of art, culture, tradition and great music.

We did it! SJ Beez held its first mixer and celebrated being the only multicultural media network in San Jose.

When one new educator started volunteering at a homework center at Willow Glen library, she saw students grow in confidence and skills in the classroom. This year's budget cuts has eliminated after-school programs like hers, and she writes, the damage may cost more than we can account for.

This September, San Jose was a city-wide platform for this year's Zero 01 Biennial -- a four day event of art, performance and innovation.

A multi-ethnic coalition has launched "Immigrant Vote!," a statewide effort to help immigrant communities be heard on the November 2nd ballot. They will be campaigning for Proposition 24 and 25, as well as Santa Clara County's Measure A.

When Judge La Doris Cordell took office as the new San Jose Independent Police Auditor this Summer, distrust between communities of color and police was at an all time high. In this two-part radio segment, Demone Carter sits down with the newly appointed San Jose IPA to talk about civilian oversight, Oscar Grant, and her plans for the future of the office.

The Mexican Consulate is recognizing Labor Rights Week from August 30 to September 6. Together with key city agencies, officials and the Department of Labor, the consulate is offering panel discussions, labor workshops and assistance to the community all week.

Eight years ago, the Tropicana Center, comprised of immigrant small business owners, faced being destroyed by City redevelopment plans. But the store owners and the community united, fought back, and are now doing better than ever.

Artist Jim Fonsecas leads a community mural project for the new American Indian Education Center in East San Jose. He, along with the center's staff, talk about the value of community art and culture.

As Silicon Valley families struggle with foreclosures, experts in the field offered a free forum in Santa Clara on how to navigate a difficult housing market.

With the Police Chief retiring, a new moment of possibility has arrived for building trust between communities of color and the police department. How the community is included in the selection process will set the tone for years to come.

The Annual Mexican Heritage and Mariachi Festival -- one of the most acclaimed cultural celebrations in the nation, will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution.

Ishan Shah is the youngest candidate ever to run for Fremont City Council. Still a high school student, Shah hopes to inspire a new generation of civic engagement with his political campaign.

In a 9-2 vote, the San Jose City Council approved a resolution to condemn Arizona's SB 1070, but fell short of calling for a boycott.

On May 7, 2010 several City Council members held a press conference to announce their proposed call for an end to Arizona's SB 1070.

Local advocacy group People Acting in Community Together, joined by local faith organizations and city council candidates, rallied community members to divest from Bank of America.

In West San Jose, the Washington Youth Center and the Gardener Community Center has been turning lives around for disadvantaged youth.

Compared with other immigrant populations in San Jose, the Vietnamese are considered newcomers. Yet this community's politics is spilling into the Silicon Valley's upcoming primary.

On May 10, 2010 the family of Daniel Pham, the 27-year-old Vietnamese man who was shot and killed by the San Jose Police a year ago, held a vigil at City Hall.

I don't blame the paper for leaving out the remarkable life of Albert in their report, they just didn't know. What was news worthy was Albert's numerical value — the first homicide of the year in San Jose.