Category: Family/Inter-generational News

A victory for family and loved ones who have fought and supported the release of Elvira Zayas for the last 3 weeks. Arrested on charges that were up to 10 years max, Zayas was released on Tuesday night at 9:30pm and reunited with family and community yesterday. Photos are taken by Elvira's older brother Alex Zayas and Jean Melesaine.

As women debate whether they can “have it all,” some have chosen to provide for their families at all costs, even if it means leaving their kids.

As seniors and veterans try to fend off foreclosures, they find little relief from California's new bill to help homeowners which takes effect in January.

In 145 countries, businesses provide workers with paid sick days. But the United States isn't one of them.

San Francisco's DA apologized last week for failing to respond to complaints from Chinese-speaking victims of elder financial abuse.

Having an incarcerated parent is disturbingly common for children in California, and the impacts are far-reaching.

New-tech entrepreneurs met in Silicon Valley to show innovations from preventing arthritis degeneration to helping with eldercare for families of many cultures.

Author Sudha Subramanian fondly recalls the games he played in a Southern Indian village as a child, and the challenge of communicating these important experiences to his young Indian American son.

A generation of MC's (Malcolm Lee, Cola, Ookie) pay tribute to the immigrant elders that make the Bay Area the diverse community that it is. Touring the viewers through San Jose streets, they "arrive" at the places where immigrant elders work and bring a piece of their homelands cultural flavor.

Block2Block radio host David Madrid talks with “Cathedral of Faith” youth director and gospel rapper “Brother Ig” about the latest break in the Sierra LaMar missing person’s case. His ministry is based in Morgan Hill, giving him insight to the hopes and fears of the South County community.

The insidious crime of financial elder abuse is growing, and ethnic elders are especially vulnerable to family, friends and even organized crime.

As part of a multimedia series called "Arriving and Becoming: The Silicon Valley Story as Told by Immigrant Elders", San Jose Spoken Word Artist, Yosimar Reyes writes about his grandfather in this piece "Mi Viejito" teaming up with Jean Melesaine with visuals of his words.

As part of a multimedia series called "Arriving and Becoming: The Silicon Valley Story as Told by Immigrant Elders", Stephanie Flores tells the story of struggle and happiness of her mother through a powerful photo essay and a moment of shopping.

Aging Latino parents of incarcerated children are often punished, too, unable to afford travel—often long distances--to visit an imprisoned loved one.

Two out of three children in California are eligible for public health insurance programs, but not enrolled in them.

Although five other California counties provide elder court services by combining criminal elder-abuse cases and restraining-order requests, only this Contra Costa County court has relegated all elder legal issues to one special courtroom.

Health care advocates worry that more than 100,000 Californians who are eligible to purchase affordable insurance through the Health Benefit Exchange will not enroll.

A new survey by ING Retirement Research Institute echoes other findings showing that Latinos tend to save less than other ethnic groups for retirement.

Researchers helping South Asian elders from India to California rely on networking face-to-face and online to build knowledge globally.

I know an old man who bends down low, his hands calloused and eyes going blind. He looks at the fields he worked for decades...

The deal brings larger bank reforms, including ending the “dual-track” practice and requiring banks to set a single point of contact for homeowners.

The following video previews several upcoming mini-documentaries on immigrant elders living in Silicon Valley. The project is part of a larger multimedia endeavor chronicling the story of arrival and becoming by immigrants in the region.

Aging boomers will heighten demand for eldercare, and poor pay and job conditions are prompting unions to organize home care and nursing home workers.

Sometimes cross-ethnic connections can save lives.

Inspired by the recently released film "Pariah," Salon teamed up with New America Media to run a series of coming out stories by minority and immigrant LGBT youth. One new story will be published each day throughout the week. This is the second installment.

Elder abuse and neglect are growing problems with the rapid aging of the United States, but Chinese seniors in this country face special challenges, according to a new study presented at the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) annual convention.

The Great Recession has led many young adults to move back in with their parents. But for actress-comedian Kat Ahn, it was her parents who moved in with her. And that was just the beginning.

Uncubed comic shares some insight on intergenerational dialogue.

Studies show that as the nation is becoming increasingly digital, more minority families are being left behind due to limited or no Internet access at home. Seeking to bridge the divide, Comcast Cable recently launched an Internet Essentials program during its inaugural Youth Tech Summit and Expo held recently in San Francisco.

Altagracia Hernandez is raising two children with her husband on less than $2,000 a month. Access to affordable, healthy food is a challenge in East Palo Alto, Calif. and both kids are struggling with obesity.

Elders from China may find themselves struggling to get needed health care, and some get caught between Chinese and U.S. systems.

California is set to shut down its 330 adult day care centers for 38,000 elders and people with disabilities, at huge cost to the state — and families.

On September 14, 2011, over 200 attendees -- parolees, probationers, families, elected officials, law enforcement managers -- came together to participate in a community forum about Santa Clara County's criminal justice realignment plan.

Block2Block Radio host David Madrid talks with Mario Ozuna-Sanchez of the National Compadres Network about the mental health and healing needs of men & boys in our communities.

Young videographers discuss what it's like to grow up poor in California, where one in four children is now living in poverty.

New data from the U.S. Census shows a rise is the number of California children in poverty leaving families caught between food banks and cheap fast-food meals.

When people got sick in East Palo Alto, the most they could do without insurance was "pray, drink tea and hope," says some residents. All that changed with the development of the Ravenswood Family Health Clinic.

California had the second highest number of metropolitan areas with rates of food hardship in households with children, according to a new report.

Silicon Valley De-Bug's Albert Cobarrubias Justice Project presents a new publication that shares the stories of eight families who changed the outcome of their criminal cases through their active participation. The book is also a guide on how communities can measurably impact their local criminal justice system.

A week after Kenneth Harding was killed during an altercation with San Francisco police officers on a light rail train, his mother Denika Chatman talked with San Francisco BayView reporter Natasha Reid.

After foreclosure, homeowners pick up the pieces and re-imagine the California dream of homeownership.

U.S. schools lost 20,000 students this year to the fields — many of them child workers who suffer injury or death.

Martha Gutierrez calls Meals on Wheels her “guardian angels” for their help in providing food for her 90-year-old father. The program is struggling to survive as the City of San Jose is cutting funding.

The annual free concert event series is back in full swing in San Jose, and now De-Bug is bringing live art, silk-screening, and other activities to supplement the events.

Local, Grammy Award winning music group teams up with the Mexican Heritage Corporation to throw a benefit concert for San Jose schools.

Jeysson Minota, a permanent legal resident, faced deportation, stemming from a vandalism charge due to graffiti. After four years of being in and out of detention, he was able to beat the deportation order, and stay with his family in the US.

Two bills introduced by Republicans last week would repeal a provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and could hurt millions.

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.

Block2Block Radio talks with Alo Kofeloa whose 8-year-old son Tevita (Vita) was diagnosed with Severe Aplastic Anemia, a bone marrow failure disease where the body can not produce enough blood cells to fight off infections and stop severe bleeding.

Walmart has teamed up with Jackson Hewitt, the tax preparation company, to offer "refund anticipation loans"—a scam that may target low-income minority communities.

The local theater group performs plays that both entertain and educate the community.

Jean Melesaine interviews Aquene Aquetzalli Olmeka -- a medicine woman, smoke carrier and drummer who is an organizer for the Azteca Mexica New Year event held every March at the National Hispanic University. It is the largest celebration of its kind in the nation.

For the past several months, legislators and anti-immigrant advocates have been pushing for changes in the Constitution to take away citizenship rights to those born in the United States.

Author Andrew Lam writes that the latest census numbers showing a rise in Asian-Americans points to a larger cultural shift in Bay Area, one that reaches across all races.

An Egyptian born San Jose writer shares her view on the historic revolution and the new insights on family that came with it.

Filipino-American caregivers are grateful that California legislators are recognizing their rights as workers. Last month, the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights was introduced and if passed it will ensure domestic workers protections under the law.

A growing number of adoptees are adopting children from their birth countries. Rebecca Eun Hee Viot, a Korean adoptee, grew up in the Midwest feeling a disconnect between her US life and her culture of origin. But, through Ruby, her adopted Korean daughter, she has filled a void within herself.

As the City goes into the final stages of selecting the next police chief, the Coalition for Justice and Accountability presents their Community Input Report, which shares the findings compiled from 3,000 hand-filled surveys, conducted in three languages, on what San Jose's diverse communities say they require in the next chief.

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.

Students enrolled in Latino College Preparatory's drama program are getting a lesson in culture and self-esteem while they perform in the modern adaption of a five-century-old Mexican play.

This year marked the 40th Year of Chicano Movement in San Jose. Carlos Velazquez reflects back on the historical significance of the achievement, and the activists who made it happen.

National Hispanic University honors select group of inspiring students.

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.

On the heels of a Congressional vote on the Dream Act, a bill that would offer a path to legalization for some immigrant youth, one San Jose writer shares his story of being undocumented and American.

When a teenager came to the US as a refugee from Mexico, he landed in Santa Clara County in need of assistance. A Catholic Charities program was there to connect him with a family and community that welcomed him.

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.

Experts answer questions on how the new health care law affacts children.

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.

Experts answer questions about the new health care reform law and how it affects the elderly.

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.

A new piece of California legislation may offer support for families to care for loved ones. If passed, the bill could mean American-Indian families staying together, rather then sending youth into foster care, writes commentator Jessica LePak.

The ancient stories of the Mahabharata are being brought to American and Indian audiences — even interacting with modern pop-culture icons — through the comic illustrator eye of Sandeep Sood.

Not all addictions get the same amount of attention, yet can still cause equally devastating impacts on families. One young author writes about how gambling addiction wreaked havoc on her family, and how she noticed similar struggles in other Vietnamese households.

Alzhiemer's impacts families across all ethnicities. This month communities will be conducting charity walks to help build a movement to stop Alzheimer's.

The 5th Frida Kahlo Fundraiser, organized by Cihuatl Tlatocan and Maíz at the Washington United Youth Center, celebrated the famed artist's legacy and gave local artists and Frida fans a way to get in touch with an important part of their cultural heritage while raising money for the community.

Artist Huong Nguyen was born and raised in San Jose. Her life and art has fused her Vietnamese culture with her American context. In her gallery, she displays the mixing of form, history and identity.

Indian American seniors immigrating to the United States face the challenge of acculturation while dealing with issues of aging.

Artists and activists gathered recently at the Mexican Heritage Plaza to celebrate the Chicano Movement in San Jose and remember their work in connecting culture and community, art and politics, history and the generations.

With bhangra dancing, beauty and a local setting, film producer Hassan Zee brings an entertaining story that delves into veils, women's rights, and Muslim culture.

About 14% or one out seven new U.S. marriages is interracial or interethnic, based on the latest Pew Research Center survey released this month. It's also an increasing trend in the Silicon Valley, but one that many Indian parents back in the motherland are still trying to get comfortable with.

One of the most comprehensive community service hubs in San Jose, the Mayfair Community Center has been changing lives for years. They share their latest programs and perspectives on the biggest issues today's youth face.

Given today’s high cost of health care, the RotaCare San Jose Clinic (also known as the Free Clinic) is a community treasure. This nonprofit clinic provides free medical care to low-income individuals and families who have no health insurance in San Jose.

On the second Saturday of every month, a librarian at the Martin Luther King Library conducts a story time conducted in various Indian languages. The class has drawn youth from different San Jose ethnicities as well.

Of the 1,600 children currently living with foster families, 56% are Latino and 14% Afro-American. There is a strong need for foster parents for children of these ethnic groups.

Each year thousands cross the US-Mexico border in search of a better life in America. In the process, hundreds would perish, go missing or get separated from their loved ones. The Mexican Consulate in San Jose helps families find and connect these families.