Category: Politics & Government

Organizer Cesar Juarez has been advocating for immigration reform for his community for years. Deferred Action was not what he fought for, but he puts the policy in the context of his own life, and the larger call for change.

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.

Writer and organizer Shamako Noble, who has been traveling the country speaking to communities about their political futures during this election season, describes a new framework for what he calls, "political health."

When De-Bug started 10 years ago, young workers discussed the injustice of being paid $8 an hour in Silicon Valley. Now, in 2012, an increase in the minimum wage may finally take place. A version of this article first appeared in the Mercury News.

This infographic illustrates what people can do with an extra $2. Measure D would increase the minimum wage in San Jose from $8 to $10.

Consumer advocates and union officials at a recent media briefing worried that if California’s Prop. 32 passes if could silence voices …

"Hecho en California" host Marcos Gutierrez explains the issues that Latino voters are closely watching in the 2012 elections.

Despite challenges, groups leading Latino voter registration expect 12 million to cast ballots Nov. 6—including 650,000 new Hispanic voters.

India Currents profiles various South Asians who's names will be on the upcoming ballot.

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

"Immigration" may seem key to what will determine the Latino vote but Angela Clexton interviews Zelica Rodriguez-Deams, a community organizer for Services, Immigrant Rights, and Education Network(SIREN) who explains why education matters most.

California Senate passed Senate Bill 1172 (Sexual Orientation Change Efforts) sending it to the desk of Governor Brown.

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

Shifting attitudes toward prison reform, coupled with a terrible economy, may result in California voters approving Prop.36 in November.

While many undocumented youth signed up for President Obama’s program deferring their deportation, others are awaiting the election results.

Big majorities of California blacks, Koreans and Latinos support the health reform law, says a new Field Poll.

A report that the death penalty cost California $4 billion, plus increasing exonerations have built support in the fall election to end executions.

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

Recently, San Mateo County Coalition for Immigrant Rights held a county wide forum to urge decision-makers to stop reporting youth to ICE. More than 250 people attended.

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

California's largest community college San Francisco City College is up at stake for closure next coming March. Students, Teachers, Organizers and the community come together to fight the closure.

Democrats in Alameda County will face a tough choice this November between two progressive candidates of color for the state assembly seat.

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

San Jose resident Ookie Robinson pens a letter to the Mayor, explaining why supporting a minimum wage increase is not only smart, it's also necessary for survival in San Jose.

Since she joined The San Francisco Foundation, Chief Executive Officer Dr. Sandra Hernandez has been promoting her foundation’s efforts to help low-income communities in and around San Francisco gain access to health care and other services. As a practicing physician at San Francisco General Hospital, she has seen first hand the value of health care.

Artist and "Undocumented American" AD Avila shares his position that President Obama's new immigration policy is a hurtful one to immigrant families, through a comic and an audio description of the experiences behind the art.

Though excited when he first heard about the Obama policy that would give work permits to young undocumented immigrants, after a closer read, the author sees more drawbacks than advantages to applying.

With the DREAM Act once again compromised, the words of Langston Hughes ring as true as ever: "A dream deferred is a dream denied."

The California Catholic Conference and the Bishops of California announced their support of a new anti-deportation bill.

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

Despite possibly record low voter turnout, candidates of color largely achieved success in California’s June 5 primary.

The Supreme Court could end leeway at colleges on affirmative action. Asian advocates say that could hit API students, despite their bookish stereotype.

The heads of three of the most important, yet rarely talked about, legal institutions in the Bay Area are moving on. Author Raj Jayadev says the measure of their work can be found in the partnerships they formed with the communities they served.

Amid increased cuts to the nation’s parks services, in California a movement is afoot to create new parks more reflective of the state’s diverse history.

With all of this attention on same-sex marriage, we may be ignoring an even more important right: the right to work.

With an uncertainty hanging over immigrant communities from coast to coast, California could be a ray of light that breaks through the clouds.

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

Civil rights advocates are celebrating new legislation signed into law by San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee.

Commentator Andrew Lam considers the question raised by former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice: When immigrants became the enemy, instead of America’s strength...

Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio is poised to release his version of the DREAM Act — one that would create a legal category of second-class citizens.

While it is laudable that the Obama administration has decided to reduce funding for the immigration enforcement program, 287(g), harmful parts of it will continue to tear families apart.

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.

According to New America Media founder/executive director Sandy Close, ethnic voters “are the make or break in 2012’s elections.”

Chance for permanent residency, access to federal benefits hinge on cooperating with law enforcement.

Homeowners said that the $18 billion deal with banks still fails to fully address the damage done during the foreclosure crisis.

A look back at the 10-year-old Berkeley sex trafficking case that changed the conversation around trafficking in California.

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

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

California legislators honor Indo-American civic participation.

A new measure advocates hope to get on the November ballot would increase penalties against human traffickers in California. The campaign was launched yesterday to coincide with National Human Trafficking Awareness Day,

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

2012 could be a decisive year for the future of anti-immigration state laws, from the Supreme Court to the White House.

Our troops are barely out of Iraq, and we can’t wait to move on. It’s as if Americans have a collective will to forget.

California ethnic media weigh in on the meaning and impact of the Occupy movement on their communities. Some say the protests have caused civic chaos and economic hardships for immigrant small business owners, while others feel the movement has done much to spur greater dialogue on issues of class and poverty.

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.

Protest Wall Street — but don't forget about that tech bastion of inequality to the south: the high-tech firms of Silicon Valley.

Santa Clara County has been a leading voice in protecting the rights of immigrants in the face of escalating federal immigration enforcement. SJ Beez/Silicon Valley De-Bug presents a resource page featuring media coverage, policy memos, data, and other information on Santa Clara County’s policies regarding immigration matters.

As Saturday's "Bank Transfer Day" registered with widespread participation, more and more fed up people are choosing to divest money from their banks.

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

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.

Filipino Americans who joined the Occupy SF protest likened the movement to the Phils.' 1986 People Power Revolution.

Block2Block Radio host David Madrid gives an update on the current California prison hunger strike at Pelican Bay State Prison, plus a touching call in commentary from Lupe Madrid, who's father is one of the strikers serving time in solitary confinement "Security Housing Unit" in Pelican Bay.

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.

California Governor Jerry Brown has until Oct. 9 to sign legislation which would give the state’s 41,000 undocumented students access to Cal Grants, UC grants and other state-funded scholarships for college education.

The recently formed taskforce gave a strong rebuke to the controversial Secure Communities program, yet immigrant advocates say the recommendations do not go far enough.

Blacks in California are breathing a sign of relief after GOP tricks during the redistricting process failed to redraw them out of electoral maps.

As counties across California struggle to develop plans to respond to Governor Brown's mandate that they receive thousands of inmates from the state prison system, one local pastor has already developed a working blueprint.

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.

On India's independence day, India Currents profiles an organization that pays tribute to the thousands who made independence a reality.

On August 15th the California Senate Appropriations Committee will decide whether California has the funds to pass the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, AB889, giving the estimated 200,000 nannies, housekeepers, and caregivers worker protections. Local members of the California Domestic Workers Coalition met with the office of Sen. Alquist to urge her to support the bill.

An attorney with Equal Rights Advocates argues that passage of the federal DREAM Act would have a direct impact on immigrant women.

A legislative mandate that California reduce its prison population has created an opportunity to dramatically change the state’s criminal justice system. But ultimately, decisions made at the county level will decide whether or not these goals can be achieved, says writer Raj Jayadev.

Latinos say new political maps are an improvement over first drafts released in June but still don't reflect big population gains over the past decade.

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.

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

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.

The unity proposal came in reaction to the new redistricting commission’s first set of maps, which carved up many communities of color, diluting their political power.

Shortly after the publication of his tell-all essay in the New York Times revealing his undocumented status, Filipino-American journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, a Pulitzer Prize winner, sat down for a one-on-one interview with New America Media.

A new report shows that if GOP cuts become law, California would lose 28,000 jobs and millions in related business spending.

The Indian American community in Fremont are joining Latinos in several California communities wo are saying political redistricting efforts are silencing their political voice.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon made a rare appearance in the San Francisco Bay Area at a special town hall “Encuentro con la comunidad mexicana” with nearly 600 immigrant laborers, grassroots organizers, farm workers and other compatriots the Bay Area.

The first batch of political maps by California’s new Citizens Redistricting Commission is having exactly the effect that government reformers intended—shaking up the political status quo by ignoring incumbents and promising to make many statewide elections more competitive.

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.

In the week since the U.S. Supreme Court ordered California to make drastic cuts in its prison population, one thing has become clear: Local jails are in no position to take in more inmates.

With escalating enforcement on immigrants, Luisa Montero offers legal protections that immigrants can use if ever faced with ICE officers.

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.

In the absence of government support, homeowners facing foreclosure are taking things into their own hands.

Former Gov. Schwarzenegger was keeping a secret all these years: a child with a member of his household staff. But he's not the first GOP man caught with his pants down.

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 20-city tour organized by the Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) aims to energize and refocus immigrant rights supporters.

On the anniversary of Arizona’s SB 1070, California Assemblymember Tom Ammiano has introduced the Trust Act – a bill to give local jurisdictions the ability to determine their own boundaries on how they work with federal immigration enforcement.

As states across the country look to enact their own immigration laws, the immigration debate has shifted to state capitols.

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

Sara Inés Calderón of News Taco says, "Latino bloggers are powerful because we have the information the mainstream media want but don’t know how to get."

There are over 800,000 Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in California who are eligible for citizenship but haven't been naturalized.

Editors of La Opinión write that it is worrisome that members of the Latino community are not ready for a future where they play a central role.

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.

David Madrid of De-Bug’s Block to Block Radio interviews Ali Rahnoma, a San Jose temporary worker and labor organizer, who says Wisconsin’s union issues are relevant to Silicon Valley and the next generation of American workers.

Latinos and Asians accounted for most of the state's growth over the last decade, while the proportion of whites and African Americans declined.

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

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.

Read the digital version of De-Bug's print magazine. Entitled "Under the Skin of San Jose," this issue features articles from downtown hustlers, homeless youth and a new generation of cultural entrepreneurs.

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.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—It's an impending battle: the process of redistricting throughout the country, where Hispanic political interests are at stake. The eye of the hurricane will most likely be in states with high Latino populations like Texas, Nevada and California.

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.

If California voters don't OK a tax extension to fund public education, state Treasurer Bill Lockyer warns, the K-12 school year could be slashed by six weeks.

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.

A brand-new commission will have a far-reaching impact on the rights of minority voters throughout California for years to come.

For minorities to take full advantage of California's new redistricting process, they must work to assure their "communities of interest" remain united, not divided.

A compromised crime lab might be more endemic than an exception, and according to defense attorney Aram James, points to a larger flaw in the mechanics of the criminal justice system.

Does the austerity budget proposed by Jerry Brown means the end of California Dreamin'? And Obama's Yes We Can shows up in signs in Tunisia.

A recent summit on entrepreneurship and small business growth in Silicon Valley, organized by the White House Initiative on AAPIs aimed to provide information on federal aid and programs to help them succeed.

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.

For the first time in history, every child in California is now eligible for health insurance coverage. But it’s up to parents to take advantage of these opportunities to get better care and coverage for children, and more economic security for their families.

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.

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.

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.

In Northern California, being a truck driver is a common profession of choice for many South Asians. Current changes to state regulations is putting a squeeze on their ability to make a living.

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.

An undocumented immigrant writes, "The way I look at it , I don’t need the DREAM Act for me to live my American dream. I will always be a dreamer, no matter what."

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.

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.

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.

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.

Californians voter kept the state’s climate change law, only to pass another law that could disable it.

South Asian politicians won political offices in California and the rest of the nation in this recent election. Commentator Vijay Das reflects on what these victories means for the South Asian community, as well as how the passage of proposition 20 is a step towards political accountability.

The number of Indian Americans seeking to enter political office is on the rise, though community engagement with grassroots politics is still a challenge. New crop of polticians say they want to be role models for future generations.

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.

Senate candidate Carly Fiorina often cites her experience as the former CEO of HP to promote her platform of economic growth and job creation. But one former HP temp worker recalls his experience of low wages, no benefits, or job security under Fiorina's leadership — to challenge Fiorina's definition of a "quality job."

When California Governor candidate Meg Whitman was found to have employed an undocumented immigrant, many of the public expressed shock. Commentator Gil Villigran says what was exposed in the Whitman home speaks to a legacy of how immigrants are treated in this country.

Experts answer some frequently asked questions about the new health care reform law.

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.

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

Health care reform law experts answer questions from small business owners about policy and their obligations as employers.

An undocumented woman claims the GOP candidate knowingly hired her to clean her house for nine years. What might it mean for the November election?

With youth unemployment reaching an astounding high, one commentator talks about the feeling of being reborn through finally finding the ever elusive job.

Supporters of gay marriage celebrated the recent decision by Judge Walker last week to overturn Prop.8. Commentator Jean Melesaine says the issue is not just marriage, but rather an issue of equality and civil rights.

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.

A draining budget crisis has meant that 16 of California's 30 largest school district are slashing the number of days in the academic year.

A bill introduced by a San Diego Assembly Member would ban the public display of unloaded guns in California. This proposed bill has sparked debates around the state, including the Bay Area. Gun rights advocates are trying to prevent this law from being approved, and at the same time pushing to loosen up concealed arms limitations.

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.

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.

When the San Jose Medical Center closed in 2004, thousands of downtown residents were left stranded without medical services. After years of public pressure, the Santa Clara County has finally announced a plan to build a new downtown clinic on the original site.

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.

In indigenous Nahuatl language in Mexico, "cochitlehua-li" means "dream." It's also the name of a San Jose group ran by Latino youth to advocate for the "DREAM Act", or the AB 540, a California law which provides a path of higher education to undocumented immigrant students.

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.

Female ex-offenders often struggle to find employment and hope for a new lease on life. A Santa Clara County program called the Ladder Project is giving them a way to accomplish their goals.