"comunidad del valle." i'm damian trujillo, and today, celebrating 50 years at cet, and they're having a bash, on your "comunidad del valle." male announcer: nbc bay area presents "comunidad del valle" with damian trujillo. damian: well, we begin today with the monthly visit by the mexican consulate in san jose. with me once again is the consul general of mexico in san jose, embajador mauricio toussaint. welcome to this show, welcome back. mauricio toussaint: thank you, thank you, damian, and it's a pleasure as always to be here in "comunidad del valle." damian: it's always good to have you back. first of all, talk about your title because you're the consul general, but we all call you embajador. tell us why we call you embajador. mauricio: well, it's--the thing is my rank in the foreign service is ambassador. but my post is consul general in san jose.

so, it's like you can be a general and at the same time commander of the southern forces, i don't know. damian: so, you were an ambassador at some point in some other country? mauricio: yes, yes. my rank is ambassador because we--the foreign service is a career, as a military career. and i have been ambassador, and my last post was portugal, by the way. damian: all right, they're playing now in the confederacion as well. welcome again to the show. we're here to talk about a very important topic because president trump, and you can see how powerful his tweets are, he tweeted a couple of weeks ago that now we need to build a wall because mexico has become the second either deadliest or most violent country in the world. i'll let you respond to that. we'll show you some video of what he means, go ahead. tell us--tell us what you--well, give it your response.

and here we're looking at obviously some of the things happening along some of these states in mexico. mauricio: okay, yes, of course. everybody knows, and we cannot hide it, that mexico has problems of violence, provoked mainly by the drug cartels. and, but we are not the second nation in the world, most violent, after syria. that comes from a study, a research from a british institute, the institute of strategic studies in great britain. but that's false, those are fake news. and what the reality is that they are revising the methodology that they used because we called them, the mexican government called them, and now they are revising because actually, the most trustable source in the world is the united nations studies about criminality.

and the un figures are completely different. for instance, usually the rate--the figure they use, the rate of murders for 100,000 inhabitants. so, honduras, according to the un, has a rate of 90.4; belize, 53; colombia, 44; brazil, 30; and mexico, 16.4. so, it's quite far from being--and we are talking about these latin american nations. but comparing, for instance-- damian: and these are figures from the united nations you're using? mauricio: from the united nations. and with the same--with the same sources and talking about

cities, new orleans, the rate in new orleans is 49 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. st. louis, missouri, 40. baltimore, 34, and so on and so on. and mexico, 14. los angeles, 7. i don't have in san jose, but i suppose it's very, very low. damian: yeah, well, let's show you now video of the mexico that you know, and that's the beautiful, cultural, historic, post-columbian city that you know of. talk about--i mean, did you take it as a slap in the face and your government take it as a slap in the face when you heard the president tweet that? mauricio: yes, but we are insisting in the dialogue. we think that walls or statements, that they aren't useful at all. and putting the finger in the other face has no sense.

we think we have to cooperate against the criminality in the region because we are responsible, we are a north american region, with walls or no walls, and we have to fight against criminals and organized criminals first. and there are four main fronts on we have to fight. first is we have to reduce drugs consumption. and the main consumer in the world is the united states. and i am--with all my respect, but i don't know if you agree with me, but there are very few campaigns against drugs consumption in this country. damian: so, you're saying, if we're not using drugs in america, mexico's not shipping drugs across the border? mauricio: well, it's a shared problem, it's a common problem. so, but we need to fight the consumption in order to reduce.

because mexico or the mexican cartels, they don't force anyone to consume drugs. they produce, and they bring the drugs, and that's not good, of course. damian: they don't inject them in you or shove them--i'm going to go a little bit longer with you on this segment because i think it's important. but do you think that the sre, the secreteria de relaciones exteriores, has had to change strategies in this part of the country or in this part of north america because of all the rhetoric that's coming from the white house? mauricio: well, of course, the foreign policy in the united states has changed a lot since the new republican government. and so, mexico has reacted, but not reacted in a violent way. and we are--we have been sending our representatives, the ministry of foreign affairs, of course, the ministry of commerce, and we are negotiating. and we have an environment of dialogue between both countries,

and we think that we have to preserve that to build solutions. damian: because i think consulates all across the country have been a little more vocal than before, from what i've noticed personally, i don't have any data to back it up, a little more vocal in protecting those rights of mexican nationals in this country. mauricio: yeah, our first priority now is to protect our communities in the united states because we think that they have been threatened with the new statement by the government. damian: all right. well, the mexican consulate in san jose with embajador mauricio toussaint. it's on enzo drive down in the south end of town. there's the number to call for more information. any final thoughts, embajador, before we let you go? mauricio: well, the second thing is we want to fight together on avoiding firearms exports from the united states. here, it's legal to weapons possession,

but not in mexico, and cartels receive firearms from the united states. third, money laundering. and fourth, corruption. mexican government is responsible until the border line, but drugs are not consumed in the border line cities in the united states. what happens between the border line and new york, washington, so-- damian: it sounds, it sounds like-- mauricio: there is corruption on both sides, and we have to fight against that. damian: it sounds like you're saying we shouldn't throw stones if you live in a glass house, and that's what's happening here. thank you so much, embajador. mauricio: thank you, thanks again. damian: an important topic with us, gracias. and up next here on "comunidad del valle," the cet celebrating 50 years, stay with us.

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for employment training. welcome back to the show. leticia dominguez: thank you. damian: well, you guys know how to celebrate milestones. chris, i'll start with you because, i mean, i remember your 25th you celebrated at the old macsa youth center, and that was a bash. i think 45 you brought little joe because that was a big deal. and talk about why it's important to celebrate these kinds of milestones. chris longoria: fifty years is just a key time for the cet organization. we were founded in 1967 in sal si puedes neighborhood in east san jose. and it's unusual and not very common to have an organization like ours, a non-profit, private non-profit, to have survived all these years. so, we want to make this celebration special, not only for the cet staff and people that work for cet, but for the community. and we're inviting a lot of the vips, people like los lobos will be the entertainers, and luis valdez will be the keynote speaker, godfather of chicano theater.

you know, and having those, and you as our emcee. so, we're totally--i mean, just we can't wait for this. and i'm sure it's going to be something that the community's going to really enjoy being there. damian: and you talk about, i mean, there's those pictures of los lobos, and here's luis valdez, you talk about people who are all about la causa, all those included, and including cet. here's some of the job training that you all do. this is a big milestone, letty, and it merits the luis valdezes and los loboses. leticia: yes, and as chris was mentioning, luis valdez and los lobos, los lobos when they were with us 25 years ago, it was special then, and it's even more spectacular now. today's times are very different, but it also, if you go back 50 years ago, we had some similar struggles. and so, what we're experiencing given our 50-year anniversary is

bringing some of these powerful folks together in a time when we need to be together, we need to continue to advocate for our community, we need to continue to let our community know that we're here, we're present, and we are here to keep that ongoing hope, that message of hope, and understanding, and workforce. and so, it's a very special time in our history. damian: and i mean, i can personally relate. i have an older brother and my older sister who went through the cet program, and they all both have great careers now at a high school and for the county of monterey. but those are the stories, right, chris, that the-- chris: yes, absolutely. and it's those types of things that cet has been able to produce all these years. what makes cet so special is the fact that it works with those

individuals that may be--for whatever reason may not have made it or were successful in the mainstream education or whatever it might be. people, the underserved populations of this country, are those individuals that cet serves. they--we're able to take into account their aspirations, their abilities, their needs. we see each individual with dignity and respect, and we treat each one with dignity and respect. there are not too many programs, i can't think of another program who treats each student the way cet does. we advocate for our students, and we provide the support services that are necessary in order to empower each student to become not only successfully trained, but employed successfully. damian: wow.

leticia: and damian, i have to mention that chris does not work for cet. he is--he is our board member, and i think that that's very special when it comes to board members that are out there representing organizations. and we happen to have a very special group of board members that are truly the face of what we continue to do now, 50 years later. and that's really the goal of our grand celebration is the next 50 years of wonderful work that we're doing in the community. damian: your board has great ambassadors to the cause. if you'd like more information, it's the cet 50th anniversary with los lobos and luis valdez. now, the program has been sold out, but not the dance with los lobos, so we'll talk more about that when we continue. stay with us. ♪

and we mentioned about the program, that's been sold out, the one with luis valdez. leticia: yes, the gala itself has been sold out, but what's wonderful is that we will be having a special performance by los lobos. and following los lobos, we will have rocio y su sonora dancing the night away. so, where we can buy tickets and purchase your tickets, it's at www.cetweb.edu/events, to make it super simple. this way you can purchase your tickets while tickets last, yeah, or they can contact us directly at cet. damian: very good. and chris, letty mentioned about the fluctuating job force, but what is it about cet that has allowed you to stay here for 50 years, given that we've transitioned, when cet was founded from an agricultural valley to a high-tech valley?

chris: i think it starts with the outstanding staff that we have. we have dedicated, loyal staff working for cet, and we have individuals that have been on the job for almost 20 years now. even retirees of cet come back and help out. and so, i think it starts with the staff. and the dedicated staff just continue to contribute each year. we have the instructors, we have the job developers, and we have the support services on staff that also help, that key element that is necessary in order to provide that empowerment that the student will need once they finish the training. but we stay on top of the job labor market, and that's key. excellent, top-notch staff, that's all i can

say that we have. damian: i mean, i'm not just hearing it, i can vouch for it. again, another anecdote from my brother, it got him out of the fields. he came out of the fields, and he went to cet in salinas, and he got his training there. and when he became part of the at&t company in salinas, we were so proud as a family because he was out of the fields, and now he's working in an office setting. and that wouldn't have happened without the cet training. chris: exactly. leticia: yeah, and a lot of the miracles happen within the organization. a lot of--a lot of what's happening is that we also have a wonderful relationship with our community partners. we have a wonderful relationship with workforce development, whether it be employers letting us know exactly what it is that they're looking for. because we can have marvelous programs, but they might not be relevant to the workforce, and that's key to what we've done since 1967,

which is when the valley of the heart's delight began to change. we knew that we needed to advocate and be there for our community in the sense where when companies, huge companies, whether it was electronic companies in those years were looking for workforce, we were letting them know and we were knocking on their doors, letting them know that we have a community of people who want to work, and they're ready to work, and they're dedicated, and they're community members, they're our neighbors. and so, we have stuck to our mission, which is--which is another really very special, important part of why we are--we are here to stay as an organization, and how we continue to evolve as well when it comes to changes in the workforce. damian: that's key, that's key. she doesn't like the limelight, she doesn't like the attention,

but talk about the giant that hermelinda is and has been. chris: oh, hermelinda sapien is amazing. she is our leader, she is our leader. and, there's no ifs, ands, or buts. and we as board members are very, very appreciative to have her leading cet. you can't say enough of her. i've been to washington dc with her many times, and going through the senate building and other buildings there. these senators and members of the house of representatives come out and greet her as if she was the president, you know? and that's the type of impact that she has. she's a leader, a true leader. and everywhere she goes, she's very well-respected. damian: that's 'cause she's not afraid to knock on doors.

and if she has to, she'll knock that door down. chris: absolutely. and so, we're very, very fortunate to have hermelinda sapien as our leader there at cet. damian: i remember when she got her master's from--her mba from stanford, and you knew what was ahead. again, still tickets available for the pachanga part. leticia: yes, there are still tickets available. you can reach us any time. we're--we do--we are selling out quickly. and so, for our community, please come join us at our grand celebration. we're going to have a great time together. damian: all right, 50 years of the center for employment training, and the website is there for you to log on. and is it edu, or is it cetweb.org? leticia: it's edu. damian: there it is. leticia: yeah, that's new, whoo hoo. damian: we'll be back and wrap this up. stay with us. ♪

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you were going to say something, but i had to go to break. go ahead and give us your thoughts. chris: i just wanted to, again, extend an invitation to the community. it's august 26, 2017. everything starts at 5:30 this afternoon. it's going to be a special event, hermelinda sapien will be there, board members will be there. arturo rodriguez from the united farm workers is going to be there. and so, we have a lot of vips. and it's the coming together of all of these 1960s activist organizations that are going to be under one roof, and that's special to me. luis valdez, arturo rodriguez, members of the chavez family, people are all going to come together and just enjoy the festivities, and it's going to be so special. the founders, father antonio sotto, russell tershy, they will--i wish i could say will be there, but-- damian: but they will. chris: the celebration is especially for them.

they were the founders, they started the whole process, and here we are now. damian: and the fact that you're having these vips says a lot about what you've done in the past and what you continue to do. we talked briefly about the edu at the end of your website. if you can, letty, briefly tell us the significance of adding .edu at the end. leticia: well, now we're 50 years later, and we are cetweb.edu. the significance is enormous. we've worked very hard as an educational--we are an educational institution, and we always have been since our beginning, but it does--it does take a lot of determination of center for employment training, and we did it. we are now .edu. damian: does that mean more access to other grants or educational grants, or what does that mean 'cause you went from org to edu? leticia: no, it doesn't change. we continue to act as what we are, which is an educational place for someone to come,

and they can apply for financial aid, and that's still ongoing. we have financial aid year round, and one can come. the difference is we're not quarters or semesters, we're year-round. we're just like the workforce, we're january to december. and if you're ready to come in, you can come in at any time. damian: that's awesome. again, that's the center for employment training, celebrating 50 years with a big bachanga. los lobos, luis valdez, and artie rodriguez, and there it is, august 26. and there is their new website for more information, cetweb.edu. any final thoughts, chris? because i mean, how can you wrap up 50 years in 2--in a minute? chris: you can't. and i think the public will have to be there to see this happen. it's a special moment in our history. it's a moment in the history of the cet that can no--one time only. and we're just--can't wait, we just cannot wait for it.

and again, it's going to be great having you there as an emcee. damian: thank you, i'm honored. chris: so yeah, we're ready to do it. damian: and letty, quickly, you've been there a while. and the fact that you've been there a while says that you see--you see the mission, and you believe in that mission, and you want to follow it. leticia: i believe in it very much. so, my parents went through the immigration, the citizenship program that we have there. i have a brother who is a proud graduate and is working in the city of san diego. so, when you have family come through the program and/or, you know, be involved in some way, it's wonderful. it feels good, feels really good, yeah. damian: all right. well, thank you all so much. do you have any final thoughts before we let you go? leticia: we hope to see you there. cetweb.edu/events. damian: thank you all very much, and congratulations, and good luck in the next 50 years. chris: thank you. thank you, damian. damian: now, if you'd like to contact us here on "comunidad

del valle," there is our contact information. my handle is @newsdamian. also, pick up a copy of el observador newspaper, and support your bilingual weeklies all across the bay area. you can also watch us in espanol on telemundo channel 48 every sunday morning right after this show at 11 a.m. however, we took the month of june off on telemundo, because of the confederaciones cup. it's all about soccer on that side of the dial. so, watch us every sunday at 11 a.m. on telemundo channel 48, your "comunidad del valle" in espanol. thank you so much for sharing another part of your sunday with us on this show. well, we'll see you again here next week. and congratulations again to the center for employment training. pase usted. ♪ ...that had the power to whawaken something old...... ...or painfully dated... ...or something you simply thought was lost forever...

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home of the olympic games, the fedex cup playoffs, the nhl, the nascar playoffs, and super super bowl lii only on nbc. >> announcer: welcome to the u.s. bank nbc sports report. hi everyone. we're moments away from katie ledecky and the 400 free at the usa swimming national championships, but earlier today, it was stage 2 of the 104th edition of the tour de france from dusseldorf, germany to belgium. in stage 2 was marred by nasty weather and slippery course. three-time tour winner c