i'm damian trujillo, and today, we'll take you to "teotihuacan: city of water, city of fire" on your "comunidad del valle." male announcer: nbc bay area presents "comunidad del valle" with damian trujillo. damian: we begin today with the busy construction industry, and how maybe can you know your rights to get around that workforce. with me on "comunidad del valle" is josué garcia, who heads the building and trades council, and al gonzalez is representing the plumbers union here in the area. welcome to the show. al gonzalez: thank you. josué garcia: thank you, damian, thank you very much, and you are correct. right now in the bay area, construction is booming. and with booming, there is an opportunity and a little bit of a problem that al and i would like to talk to the community about. one of them is the opportunities in construction, employment opportunities in construction,

and the other one, which is a problem, it's wage theft that happens very often in construction. damian: see, i mean, we have the pictures. you see--you see the high rises in any downtown, you see the cranes, the construction. and it's--you know, it's raza that's doing the work. josué: yep. yes, in fact, 70% in the bay area, but throughout the state, 70, a little bit over 70% of construction workers are latinos. damian: wow. and so, what happens, al? sometimes, some of these folks are taken advantage of, and y'all are trying to address that? al: well, yeah. you know, i see that a lot happening. i speak to a lot of the workers out there, and they are taken advantage of. example, their pay, for example. their breaks, their hours they work is doctored on their paycheck, and there is a wage theft problem

throughout san jose. damian: and what recourse do they have? i mean, they're probably-- if they don't have any backing, how are they going to speak up and say, "hey, i'm missing--you need to move that decimal point over on my paycheck 'cause you didn't pay me correctly"? al: right, they're pretty much on their own. they don't have any representation. i represent 2,500 plumbers here in san jose, santa clara county. and if they have an issue or problem they can't resolve, they come to me for representation. these folks that are not represented, they either get fired, or try and hire an attorney, or go to the state, which involves a lot of time and effort. damian: and there's a lot of them, right? i mean, josué was talking about the booming of the construction industry. i mean, you name it and there's--if there's any flat piece of land, it's going to be--there's going to be a shovel dug into it. al: that's correct, that's correct. there is--like josué said, we're in the midst of a building boom here in san jose. damian: and you hear the stories as well, josué?

josué: yes, of course. i represent all construction trades, 26 unions. and that's why we are here, because like al mentioned, the workers that are not represented by a union, they don't have a place to go, and that's why we are here. i think you are going to put my contact information at the bottom of the screen. and if anybody suspects that they have a problem, please let us know. especially right now, we are trying to help people that are working on city of san jose funded projects. but any project, but if you-- if somebody's working on a city of san jose funded project, we are here to help them. damian: why do you think it's booming? you and i have done news stories before on the need because they have to come in, the workers, one of them has to do with the expensive how it is here in living, but they come in from fresno, they come in from manteca, they come in from the central valley. josué: yes. in fact, we have some data that shows that on city of san jose funded projects, only 25% of the workers are local residents,

75% come from out of town. and so, that puts a strain on our competition because we can--we have the skills to compete, but we cannot compete with wages from, like, from texas just to mention something. yeah, and the--one of the reasons why this boom is because of the high-tech companies have become developers. and they are building a lot, left and right. and they build big buildings, as you can see them, as you drive around. yeah, that's part of the boom. damian: are the standards different? i mean, the inspectors have to come in when they're in different processes of construction, right? so, their standards can't be different, whether they're members of your party or not, right? al: correct, correct. yeah, the--for example, in san jose, they have inspectors that come in and inspect. in my field, the plumbers, they have plumbing inspectors that come in and make sure that they are compliant with the way a plumbing system should be installed. damian: and we talked about the affordability of living here.

are your members here, or do they have to also travel because of the high cost of living here? al: well, here's the way it starts. a lot of our members, they come out of high school, they start the apprenticeship. and once they start making, you know, money where they can afford a home, you know, of course they look at--for homes here in san jose and realize a lot of these homes are going for $800,000, $900,000, possibly even a million for a new home. so, they have no other-- they have to travel out of the san jose area to manteca, tracy, wherever they can afford a home. damian: that's unfortunate. well, we had guests here on this show who said that if you're a family of 4 making $105,000 a year, you're considered low-income, i mean, how incredible is that? that's the building and trades council, you can get a hold of them, there's a website and telephone number. any final thoughts, don josué, before we let you go? josué: well, no, just we are here for the community. if you have a--if you think you have a wage theft problem or any type of labor problem, please contact me.

i'm very accessible, my contact information is at the bottom of the screen, and we are here to help. damian: okay. al, any final thoughts? al: yeah, you know, i represent the plumbers here in san jose, and i represent all workers, whether they're union or non-union. damian: okay. al: that's correct. damian: all right. well, thank you so much for the work and spreading the word about how important is to make sure people watch out for themselves. thank you so much. all right. and up next here on, "comunidad del valle," we'll take you over to teotihuacan; stay with us.

city of fire," the new exhibition at the de young museum in san francisco. with me on "comunidad del valle" is raquel garcia del real to fill us in. boy, you sent us some very fascinating pictures and images. describe what you're doing to take us to teotihuacan in at the de young. raquel garcia del real: yeah, so this exhibition is really, really unique. it's about over 20 years of collaboration with mexican

government and el inah, which is the national institute for anthropology and history. and what we have for you at the museum is over 200 artifacts, many of them recently excavated, new findings, so stuff you have never seen before from this city of teotihuacan, which is a city that is in central mexico and it predates the aztecs. this city was flourishing around the year 400 common era. and we have beautiful murals from them, we have objects made up of obsidian, seashell, jade. and this exhibition is really good 'cause it's really showing you a lot of their culture and a lot of the art that they were producing, but also how teotihuacan was a city. damian: now, i've been to teotihuacan, i've climbed one of the--or walked up to one of the pyramids there. raquel: yeah. damian: talk about [speaking in foreign language],

talk about how you feel when you even talk about teotihuacan, and the history of it, and how it takes you back to your early ancestors. raquel: yeah. well, a lot of us, a lot of people have gone to teotihuacan. you've gone up the pyramids, you've walked down the street of the dead, gone to the sun pyramid, the moon pyramid. but it's really interesting to come to the exhibition and see the art that was being made, and think about the people who lived there. they're the early american ancestors, and it's-- and right now, teotihuacan is a unesco heritage site. so, it's really part of the latino heritage, and i think coming to see the exhibition and learning about the people who lived there, what were they doing, and how big teotihuacan was. it was a city had over 100,000 people. damian: talk about how sophisticated maybe the population was because when you start thinking of indigenous cultures in the western hemisphere, you think, well, they weren't-- they weren't as sophisticated as the european. but talk about how sophisticated the culture and the people

were back then. raquel: well, first off, the city, there was extensive urban planning. the city is aligned on a grid system, and it has this major avenue. so, obviously from the beginning, they knew what they were doing. and it was also not just like-- it was an economic hub, but it was also a cultural and religious hub. so, people from all over central mexico and all over mesoamerica, even from the mayan region, from guatemala, yucatan, they were--they knew about teotihuacan and they were trading with teotihuacan. so, it was this very, very huge metropolis. it had a lot of extensive network. and their main, main trade item was obsidian. mesoamericans, people from the americas, did not have metal. but instead of metal, they worked with obsidian, which is a volcanic rock, and they could make any sorts of tools with it. so, that was part of their major source of economic trade. but they also had extensive trade with regions from oaxaca,

people from zapotec regions, people from veracruz, and the mayans. and they were trading seashells, they were trading jade, feathers, cacao. so, this is more--teotihuacan was more of this big metropolis where people were also coming in for the religious aspect of it 'cause the pyramids in teotihuacan were temples of worship. damian: and how much did astronomy play in designing teotihuacan? i mean, you're not a historian, but you know a lot about it, a lot more than i do. but i'm sure astronomy played a lot in it. raquel: yeah, and that's a great question. and there's extensive research done about it, and there are many theories and hypotheses where definitely, like, astrology, the stars, the sun and the moon did play major roles in the organization of this city, in the layout of this city. and, but those are discoveries that we're still trying

to--trying to figure out 'cause as we're learning more about teotihuacan, it's actually not answering more questions, it's creating more questions for everybody. so, that's one of the great things about coming to see the exhibition, that it's-- after you see the exhibition, you see the artworks that were made in teotihuacan, it's kind of like, "i want to know more." like, "i have more questions now. who are these people?" so. damian: well, it's a beautiful exhibition over at the de young, and there is the web address for more information. and it runs through february, right, february 11? raquel: february 11, yes. damian: all right. and we'll be back and talk more about the exhibition when we continue here on "comunidad del valle." stay with us.

the energy conscious whopeople among usle? say small actions can add up to something... humongous. a little thing here. a little thing there. starts to feel like a badge maybe millions can wear. who are all these caretakers, advocates too? turns out, it's californians it's me and it's you. don't stop now, it's easy to add to the routine. join energy upgrade california and do your thing. ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ wow! nice outfit. when i grow up, i'm going to mars. we're working on that. some people know how far they want to go. a personalized financial strategy can help you get them there. see how access to j.p. morgan investment expertise can help you. chase. make more of what's yours. to j.p. morgan investment expertise can help you. talking about "teotihuacan: city of water, city of fire" exhibition at the de young museum. you know, when you go to teotihuacan, to teotihuacan if you've been there, is this a must that you have to attend this exhibition because it's going to take you back? and maybe vice-versa, if you go to the exhibition,

do you now have to go to teotihuacan because of what you're going to see there? raquel: yeah, i think it goes both ways. i think if you've been to teotihuacan, you probably want to come see the exhibition. but if you have never been to teotihuacan and you don't know what it is, this is still part of not just mexico's patrimony, but like i think everybody's best interest to come learn about this ancient civilization. damian: and look at these beautiful artifacts that you have there. talk about some of them, if you will. raquel: yeah. so, we have a lot of murals, that's one of the major things that we are showcasing in this exhibition is the murals that we have from this site called the chinantla. and that was a site that was excavated back in the '60s, and a lot of these murals ended up in san francisco and ended up around the world. so, the fine arts museum of san francisco got in touch with the institution in mexico, with the inah, and they repatriated a lot of these artifacts

and all of these murals. but some of the murals that were showcased in here are directly from mexico, they're from this site, and they're all reunited after the separation. damian: how are you able to convince them to say you're taking all this valuable--all these valuable artifacts from mexico that means a lot to that culture and that tradition and that history, and you're saying you want to borrow them for a few months? i mean, that takes--that must take a lot of work. raquel: yeah, so bring-- to bring the exhibition here, it's a lot of work. it was a lot of collaboration, and i think there's a strong relationship and a lot of trust between institutions. but yes, specific objects. and another one of the highlights of this exhibition is in 2003, a group of mexican archaeologists discovered a tunnel, and this tunnel goes right under the pyramid of the feathered serpent. and this one is not the biggest, but it's the one that has this--a lot of sculptures of a feathered serpent, of a snake that goes around this,

the four sides of the pyramid. so, they found this tunnel, very, very long tunnel, maybe like 11 stories deep tunnel. and they found all these beautiful offerings, precious offerings made of seashells. and they found these four human figures made of greenstone that represented the ancestors of the teotihuacan. so, this is very recent, this is 2003. damian: how come it took so long to discover them? i mean, if it's been there for all these centuries-- raquel: and it hadn't been discovered in, like, over 1,000 years. they--the teotihuacanos sealed off the tunnel, and they weren't going back, and nobody knew about it. it wasn't until 2003 after heavy storms that they saw the water dripping. and then the archaeologist sergio gomez chavez was like, "tie me down, i'm going down the tunnel." damian: well, and what was the purpose of the tunnel? what did they use it for? is it more for sacrificial, or what was the tunnel for? raquel: yeah, so this tunnel-- so, the underworld plays an important part in the mythology

of mesoamerican cultures. and that's where they believed life and--life came from, come from the underworld. so, making a tunnel, it's like bringing you closer to the underground. but also that's right beneath a pyramid. the pyramid is the opposite of a tunnel, a pyramid goes high. so, the pyramid is more like bringing you closer to the heavens, it's more of like aligning you with the gods above. so, a tunnel under and a pyramid above, it's kind of creating this circle. so, they were trying to recreate a space about the beginning of times. damian: wow, that is so beautiful. and do you have also--because this is not only for the english-speaking, you have also some bilingual program there. raquel: yes, we do. when you come visit the exhibition, all the text on the walls, it's also in spanish. and we do have youth guides, activity books in english and spanish for kids if they want to come and do,

and follow the exhibition, doing activities. and then online, we have digital stories. and you go to the de young website and go to teotihuacan exhibition. and the digital story is a preview, and it has videos and pictures, and you can kind of learn a little bit more about teotihuacan. and that's also available in english and spanish. so, you can read that before you come see the exhibition. and then you have a little bit more of more information, and you'll be able to know what to look for, which is really important sometimes when going to museums. damian: wow, this is so fascinating for me. thank you so much. again, it's going on through february at the de young museum, "teotihuacan: city of water, city of fire." any final thoughts before we let you go? raquel: well, i just really want to invite all the comunidad to come visit this exhibition. it's such an honor to actually be representing the museum as a mexican woman to say that this is--this is truly part of the cultural heritage and where we come from, so i really encourage everybody to come.

bring your families. damian: thank you for sharing, gracias. all right, and up next here on "comunidad del valle," "love the way." stay with us.

on que pasa. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ damian: and our saludos to those celebrating a special day. felicidades.

♪ ♪ damian: and here is our contact information. you can also follow me on twitter, my handle is @newsdamian. also, pick up a copy of el observador newspaper, and support your bilingual weeklies all across the bay area. we thank you once again for sharing a part of your sunday. remember to watch us in español, your "comunidad del valle" every sunday at 11 a.m. on telemundo canal 48. we leave you now with the sounds of "love the way." buenos dias. damian: well, you all might remember this song. this is called "love the way." ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ i love the way you make me love you ♪ ♪ i love the way you make me smile ♪ ♪ i love the way you make me want you ♪

♪ so, sit right down, stay awhile ♪ ♪ 'cause with you by my side ♪ ♪ i know i can make it ♪ you just give me your love ♪ ♪ i want you so much, and i love you ♪ ♪ of all the times we've been together ♪ ♪ well, it's so hard to let them go ♪

♪ or could it be we'll last forever? ♪ ♪ and only time will let us know ♪ ♪ 'cause with you by my side ♪ ♪ i know i can make it ♪ you just give me your love ♪ ♪ i want you so much, and i love you ♪ ♪ and i need you, ooh ♪ ♪

♪ i love the way you make me love you ♪ ♪ i love the way you really do ♪ ♪ for me, there couldn't be no other ♪ ♪ just thinking of things that we've been through ♪ ♪ 'cause with you by my side ♪ ♪ i know i can make it ♪ you just give me your love ♪ ♪ i want you so much, and i love you ♪ ♪ and i need you, ooh ♪ and i love you, ooh ♪ and i need you, ooh ♪ and i love you, ooh

♪ and i love you ♪ ah oh oh oh ooo, yeah ♪ la la la la la la la la

you know you're watching television, that's educational and informational. "the more you know," on nbc. - today on "naturally, danny seo"... - what did i do? - danny exchanges travel tips with harry connick jr. - i am never gonna take a road trip with you, because it's just gonna be like, "uh, do you think we could stop?" - right. - plus, homemade ramen with a new twist. - it's spicy, it's salty, it's earthy - and get in on the slime craze the non-toxic way. - it went from a sticky giant mess into beautiful slime. - all that and more, next on "naturally, danny seo." - do you want to feel good inside and out? live a healthy, natural, good-for-you life? do you see this? ever since i was a teenager, i've loved finding creative ways