Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
The Coolest Things To Do In L.A. For Cinco De Mayo 2017
Photo courtesy of Casa Vega on Facebook
()
Contrary to popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not actually Mexican Independence Day (that's September 16), and it's virtually ignored in Mexico. The celebration commemorates an unlikely 1862 military victory over France, and was largely popularized as we know it today through boozy marketing campaigns.
"The corporate marketplace started pushing Cinco de Mayo as a day-long happy hour for downing cervezas and margaritas when it recognized the demographic growth of the Latino population in the 1980s...Beer and alcohol companies led the charge by spending millions on marketing the holiday," according to CSU Channel Islands Chicano studies professor Jose Alamillo. The Mexican-American scholar, who was born in Zacatecas, Mexico, and moved to the U.S. when he was eight, didn't actually learn about Cinco de Mayo until he arrived in an American elementary school classroom.
Americans often celebrate as "Cinco de Drinko" with tequila, sombreros, fake Mexican accents, shouts of ole! and eventual public apologies after crossing the line between "celebrating Mexican culture" and offensive ethnic stereotypes. We love margaritas, day drinking and tacos as much as the next Angeleno (a lot!), but we'd also like to offer some alternate ways to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in 2017.
Do you really love Mexican culture and its relationship to the great city of Los Angeles? Drinking margaritas is one cool mode of showing your appreciation, but finding ways to support all the city's immigrant and undocumented communities—especially during this particularly fraught moment in history—is another really cool way to show your respect and admiration!
Support for LAist comes from
Here, in no particular order, are some concrete things you can do to support immigrant and undocumented communities in Los Angeles, on Cinco de Mayo and beyond. Entries marked with an asterisk (*) do not require any Spanish language skills.
Support a Bond Fund*
Immigrant Defenders Law Clinic (ImmDef), a nonprofit doing invaluable work here in L.A., is working to create a "Bond Fund," which will be used to post the bonds necessary to release their clients from immigrant detention. Nearly all of their clients have suffered some sort of trauma and fled their country of origin to come here for safety and refuge. Detention exacerbates and prolongs the trauma they have suffered. Posting a bond allows a child or adult immigrant to fight their immigration case outside of detention and allows them to undergo a more humane adjudication process. By contributing to the Bond Fund, individuals can be assured that their donations will help free someone and help increase their chances of winning immigration relief so that they can remain in the United States lawfully. You can donate here.
Volunteer As A Translator For Children Seeking Asylum
Are you, like many Angelenos, a bilingual English/Spanish speaker? ImmDef's Children's Representation Project has a critical need for bilingual Spanish/English-speaking volunteer interpreters to accompany them during their children's asylum interviews at the Anaheim Asylum Office and interpret on their young clients' behalf. The volunteers do not need to be a court certified translator or have a degree or background in interpretation services. They do need to be fluent in both Spanish and English. They would need to accompany ImmDef attorneys to the asylum interview which takes places at the immigration office in Anaheim located across from Disneyland. They will be needed for the entire interview and can expect to be at the Anaheim Asylum office for three to four hours. Interested parties can email info@immdef.org or fill out the volunteer form on their website.
Conduct Mock Citizenship Interviews*
The Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) empowers immigrants and Central Americans by defending human and civil rights, working for social and economic justice and promoting cultural diversity. CARECEN needs volunteers to help with two different kinds of citizenship efforts, and one of those opportunities doesn't require any Spanish knowledge. CARECEN is looking for English speakers to conduct mock interviews with people in their citizenship classes to help them prepare for the questions that will be asked. The citizenship classes are held daily at CARECEN from Monday through Saturday, so this could also be a good opportunity for someone who works a 9-to-5 during the week and wants to be able to assist on a Saturday. Contact volunteer@CARECEN-LA.org or fill out the volunteer intake form on their website to learn more.
Support for LAist comes from
Help Citizenship Seekers Fill Out Their Naturalization Forms
CARECEN is also looking for people (must be able to speak Spanish) to volunteer at their twice-monthly citizenship events and help individuals fill out their naturalization form. The events are held on Saturdays, and volunteers will be trained in the morning beforehand. Contact volunteer@CARECEN-LA.org or fill out the volunteer intake form on their website to learn more. You can also see a full list of volunteer opportunities on their website. And if you are an immigrant looking to naturalize, CARECEN is hosting a citizenship workshop this Saturday.
Take On A Pro Bono Case*
Are you a lawyer? Do you wish your day was less soul-sucking? Well, how about taking on a pro bono case representing an unaccompanied immigrant or refugee child facing deportation proceedings? Sounds pretty fulfilling, right! Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is seeking lawyers of all kinds to take on pro bono cases. You don't need to know anything about immigration law, and you'll be mentored through every step of the process. According to Michael Hagerty, a pro bono coordinating attorney at KIND, an average case will take about 30 to 45 hours of work throughout its duration, typically over the span of a year or so. No Spanish skills are required. Interested parties should email Michael at mhagerty@supportkind.org. ImmDef also takes pro bono attorneys, and you can learn more about what kind of cases they do here. Contact ImmDef staff attorney Kayleen Hartman at kayleen@immdef.org to get involved.
Host An Item Drive For Central American Unaccompanied Minors*
Interfaith nonprofit Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE-LA)'s Unaccompanied Central American Refugee Empowerment (UCARE) coalition provides resources and aid for child refugees who arrive in Los Angeles as unaccompanied minors after fleeing violence in Central America. You can host an item drive or help raise funds for Central American refugee children living in Los Angeles through UCARE. Contact Guillermo Torres of CLUE-LA at gtorres@cluejustice.org to get involved and learn more.
Give Money To Organizations Doing Advocacy Work*
Support for LAist comes from
This is such an easy one! And we know, you already donated to the ACLU (me too, love you guys!), but there are a lot of other great, smaller organizations that also need your support now more than ever. Here are a few places where you can financially support advocacy for L.A.'s immigrant and undocumented communities:
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake. -
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
Best of LAist