Leslie Berestein Rojas
My focus is on our coverage of L.A.’s communities of color and immigrant diasporas. Before this, I spent 10 years covering immigrant communities for KPCC.
When I was a kid, my family left Cuba and landed in Huntington Park. I grew up there, speaking Spanish at home and steeped in Southeast L.A.’s beautiful Latinidad. I love telling the stories of L.A. and its people. Now, I get to help shape those stories and work with talented reporters to hone their craft.
I’ve also covered immigration on the U.S.-Mexico border, reported stories in Mexico and other parts of Latin America, and done lots more for large newspapers and national magazines.
Among the things I love about L.A.: family, food from everywhere, signs in dozens of languages, the smells of chaparral and dusty freeways, the downtown skyline as you cross a bridge from the east. Mostly, I love that it’s home.
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As the Armenian community gets set to mark the 107th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, a new museum exploring the Armenian American experience is under construction in Glendale. -
A 2020 law made taxpayers who file with an ITIN, many of them undocumented workers, eligible for certain low-income California tax credits. But you need to file your state tax return to benefit. Anti-poverty advocates have been doing outreach ahead of tax day.
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L.A. County dropped its indoor mask requirement last month. While COVID-19 cases are increasing, the county’s health chief says there’s no need to panic.
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The plan includes increasing Bureau of Sanitation staff and curbing illegal dumping with deterrents like fines and cameras.
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In Southern California’s tight rental market, resettlement agencies are struggling to find permanent, affordable housing for Afghans.
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There’s no refugee program in place yet for Ukrainians. A few have made it to L.A. with visas, while others seek humanitarian parole at the border.
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Last week’s announcement that the U.S. will accept up to 100,000 displaced Ukrainians encouraged local Ukrainians hoping to bring loved ones to L.A. — but they’re still waiting for details on how the effort will work.
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The president said the U.S. will welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians displaced by the war, but the State Department has not yet figured out how that will work.
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One Ukrainian Angeleno describes how volunteers are pushing back online against the war and Russia’s blackout of independent media.
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E-bike maker Delfast has dozens of Ukrainian staff. Some were able to flee the country, others are internal refugees, and others are stuck in their homes. All are trying to keep working.
