damian trujillo: your "comunidad del valle."w n ♪♪♪ damian: we begin today with the new leadership at the mission neighborhood centers in san francisco. with me on "comunidad del valle" is richard ybarra, the new ceo of the organization. sir, welcome to the show. congratulations. richard ybarra: thank you for having me on your show. i appreciate the welcome to the san francisco bay area. damian: yeah, thank you, sir. well, you have a history of community involvement and primarily a lot with the farmer.

tell us a little bit about your rich history, then we'll get into your new gig. richard: well, if i could first just share my gratitude with the mission neighborhood center board of directors for having the con the organization that its prcarried out for 40 years.ceoz it's great to be back in the bay area. always has been a place of political and social aspiration for everybody and i spent a lot of time just a little south of you here in the salinas valley when i was an organizer with places that were called-- [speaking foreign language] and i worked in-- tomatoes so i have a great history down that valley down to king city and i'm grateful to be back here. and i had some great opportunities to work with cesar chavez in the farm workers union and the great wonderful people

and memories that i was blessed with at that time. damian: well, it seems we're kindred spirits growing up in the valley. we all know what it's like to earn a hard buck and, you know, farm work really humbles you and i'm glad that you're now at the tell us a little bit, sir,, and what it does in the community. i know it's a lot. richard: mission neighborhood centers has been at the forefront of everything important to the lives of people in this community in the mission district and excelsior and now in bayview as well for many, many years. and it's a pillar of the community, the organization. it's a great organization. i'm blessed to be joining at this time. it's done everything possible to lift the lives of people in areas of children's services, family services, youth, aging, disability, workforce development, and now in this covid-19 period as well, helping people with the economics as

well as the health needs that they're experiencing at this time. just all the things that i've done some--in my time as well, and i feel right damian: you know, and a lot--i mean, every organization, every company, every group, every business, has had to slam on the brakes and change strategies whether it's business strategy, marketing strategy, service strategies, because of covid. and, you know, the mission neighborhood centers is no different. you've had to kind of change gears a little bit and focus on the pandemic in one of the hardest hit areas in the state. richard: well, as you know, thank you for that question, damian. as you know, the people of color, latino communities, have been the--african american communities have been the hardest hit in the bay area as well as california and across the country. so we know the seriousness of the level of need and impact that the pandemic has had on folks.

it did--we're fortunate to be part of the, yorovide critical access to food, housing, health services, and workforce stabilization during this pandemic. damian: and once this pandemic is over, and it's not for a long shot still, it--we still have a ways to go but i think we see the light at the end of the tunnel and the light is getting brighter by each and every passing day. do we switch strategies again and focus on the core values that the mission neighborhood centers has implemented? richard: yeah, i think the core values remain intact, even though they're done differently in a lot of zoom and a lot of changes, at least temporarily, in how things are carried out, the execution of the plans.

but i think, you know, right now we're focused on everyone gtry to get them.n do to e professionals who are providing the vaccinations. so anything we can do in that regard, we're trying to do, as well as supporting people in the meantime. when it's done, i'm sure we'll, you know, we've got a ways to go as you mentioned, so when it's done we'll get back to finding out how do we continue to improve lives and help people who have been through this horrific time over the last year that we've all experienced and the losses we've had. we're so, you know, we all have to mourn the tragedy of the many hundreds and thousands and--hundreds of thousands of people across the country who've lost their lives. we have to be about the business of helping those families heal and move forward in the aftermath. damian: all right, richard ybarra is the new ceo of the

mission neighborhood centers. they are in san francisco. for more information we do have their web address. go ahead and log on and find out more about the important work that they're doing there in the mission district and across san francisco. we'll be back with mr. ybarra. stay with us. ♪♪♪ california phones offers free specialized phones... like cordless phones. - ( phone ringing ) - big button, and volume-enhanced phones. get details on this state program. visit right now or call during business hours.

now california phones offers free devices and accessories for your mobile phone. like this device to increase volume on your cell phone. - ( phone ringing ) - get details on this state program visit right now or call during business hours. the mission neighborhood centers here on "comunidad del valle." you're a veteran of a lot of causes, mr. ybarra. what made you decide that you wanted to take on challenge for the people around san francisco? richard: well, knowing the need, knowing the reputation of the organization, and the excellent shape that the organization has been in because of the great and renowned leadership put out--put forth by santiago "sam" ruiz over the last 40 years, it was an aspirational move for myself, moving here. i believe challenges of all types, we all rise to the

occasion and maybe do our best work outside of our natural comfort zone. so coming here was a dream come true. it's a dream situation, a dream organization, and an excellent team for me to join at this time in my career. damian: you know, under every leader, every agency, there's a continuance of vision whenever there is a change in leadership, but every leader brings in their own different ideas. what--should we look for anything different as far as the work is concerned or is it gonna be pretty much status quo and full speed ahead? richard: well, i think that the building upon the vision that's been achieved so far in these last 40 years is something that is a very sound practice to continue. i think once i'm a little more acclimated to this excellent team and people have shown me, taught me, what we're doing, and find our way, i'm sure we'll try to take it to the next level. that's what the board of directors has asked.

that's what sam has suggested the next level, whatever thatngo means over the long term. damian: and what do you bring to the table? is it just your vast experience in dealing with grassroots issues, the core value issues, of the latino community? richard: i appreciate that question. i would say that the experience, the mistakes, the learning that i've done with a lot of people across the country over thei b. i bring a big spirit of teamwork. i like to coach and develop leaders and teams, and i like to be part of helping people's lives move forward. it's been a part of my life and i expect it to continue in that same vein here with mission neighborhood centers. damian: yeah, you know, listen, if you can, talk a little bit about the gentrification of the mlong ago and you're lookingoo around and you think to

dolores park of the old. how important do you think, personally, is it to keep those core values around in the mission area, the values that you grew up with, that i grew up with, that folks in the mission grew up with? richard: i think those values are key. they're not only core, they're essential to our lives and our culture and our contribution to this country. i think we've got to be supportive where we can of gentrification. it's, you know, affordable housing is a great need. the more that people--i know a lot of our colleagues in the area, as well as ourselves, are engaged in that, one way or another so i think that's an important thing to continue. order to maintain the strength,n the character, the culture, and the traditions of a beautiful area like the mission district, for example.

damian: well, you're the man to carry that job through there with the mission neighborhood centers. aside from--we have your long-term vision, long-term goals. the immediate goals i guess for the next six months is to get us through this pandemic and on to the other side. richard: without question, the pandemic has taken over our lives like nothing in all of our collective lives has ever and, you know, we found that resilience, the essential workers from our neighborhoods, the people who are most impacted by the economy as well as the pandemic are the ones that have been at the forefront. we need to reward them by being as supportive as possible, acknowledging and recognizing their contribution before and during and after the pandemic to make sure we're finding a way to help lives repair from what we've been through. but also the reparations that have been necessary, the black lives matter has uncovered-- for all of us to be able to have honest discussions and proceed in the direction we're supposed to be going for all of

our citizens and people in residence. damian: sir, we are lucky to have you. congratulations on taking over the helm of the mission neighborhood centers. it's a hard task but you are up to it and you do have an open mic here on "comunidad del valle," sir. richard: thank you so much, damian. i'm blessed to be here and thankful for the time here with you today. damian: thank you very much. mission neighborhood centers, again, helps a lot of causes there in the mission district. there is their website for more information. we'll be back and talk immigration with siren. stay with us.

all: [speaking foreign language] damian: [speaking foreign language] jorge hernandez: [speaking foreign language] damian: [speaking foreign language] luis hernandez: [speaking foreign language]

damian: [speaking foreign language] eduardo hernandez: [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] damian: [speaking foreign language] oscar lara: [speaking foreign language] jorge: infórmate edúcate y vacúnate. [speaking foreign language] telemundo48.com/vacunas. damian: a big thank you to my [speaking foreign language] for doing that psa for us, just reminding everybody. we know it's in spanish. they're working on one in english so we'll have that soon, but they're asking everybody to mask up, socially distance, and because we need to get out of this pandemic sooner rather than later.

we're gonna switch gears now and talk about immigration. joining us from siren, the agency here in san josé and in fresno, is eliana corona. she's a staff attorney there with siren. eliana, welcome to the show. eliana corona: thank you for having me. damian: yeah, thank you. tell us a little bit about siren, for those of us who might not be as well educated on your agency. eliana: yeah, so siren is a non-profit organization that has offices both in san josé and fresno. we provide legal representation to individuals who have-- in the immigration court in san francisco. we also help with asylum applications for the asylum office at uscis, as well as other matters such as adjustment of status; dacas, both renewals and initials; and apart from legal representation, we also focus on community organizing and advocating for immigration reform. damian: all right. one issue or one item that has come up recently is a new proposal by the newest california senator, alex padilla, along with senator elizabeth warren and a couple of congress members.

tell us about this new proposal and what it intends to do. eliana: yeah, so this new proposal is the citizenship for individuals deemed essential workers during the covid pandemic. these individuals include workers who were in the healthcare sector, those who worked in hotels, hospitality, transportation, janitorial, agriculture. so these individuals who were working during the pandemic would be eligible for this citizenship. damian: so my understanding is, first, they would apply or receive permanent residence and from there that's why we talk about pathway to citizenship, is that eventually, at a later date, they would be eligible to become citizens if it's approved by congress and passed by and signed by the president. eliana: yes, correct. if this act is passed by congress and passed into law,

the individuals would get their permanent residency and then be damian: do you think that this pandemic, if anything else, has been an awakening for the rest of the nation who realize what an essential worker really is, and who has the face behind that title, essential workers, meaning you mentioned the hotel workers, the kitchen workers, the field workers. eliana: mm, 100%. i think this pandemic made us aware that these undocumented individuals are essential to our communities, to our lives. without them, our community will not function. under this act, they have estimated that approximately 5 million people are eligible. this means at least 5 million people who were in the frontlines of the pandemic are undocumented immigrants. damian: when you and i did an interview for telemundo, we mentioned that we should leave it to the hands of the judge, right? that those who are here and are undocumented should follow the law of this land to the "t" because anything, any

infraction, might put your status here in jeopardy. eliana: yes, correct. any minor arrest, any minor charge, any trouble with law enforcement, can jeopardize someone's application for relief in the future, which is why it's arrested, try to avoid anything that might affect your application. damian: all right, well, we're talking with siren. they are the services immigration rights and education network. they're in san josé and in fresno. they're helping folks with their immigration status. if you'd like more information, you can log on to their website and also there is a website on the screen. we'll be back with siren and talk more about daca and some other issues here on "comunidad del valle," so stay with us. ♪♪♪

oh, you think this is just a community center? no. it's way more than that. cause when you hook our community withm. michael, doing something crazy. this is the place where we can show the world what we can do. comcast is partnering with 1000 community centers to create wifi-enabled lift zones, so students from low-income families can get the tools they need to be ready for anything. oh we're ready. ♪ ♪ with siren and, eliana, one thing--eliana, again, is a staff attorney for siren.

one thing that is of interest to a lot of our constituency, a lot of our viewers, is daca. what can you tell us about the latest when it comes to daca? eliana: yeah, so daca and the previous administration under trump, he had canceled the daca program so no new applications were being received by uscis. however, now with this new administration, new daca applicants can apply for daca and receive this benefit. so if anyone believes they are eligible for daca now, it is the time to file your application as soon as possible. damian: boy, it's been a yoyo for all of the daca recipients up and down, up and down, yes, no, yes, no. it's just--your mind must be going crazy if you're a daca recipient. any hope that this uncertainty for them might end? eliana: there is hope. actually, with the proposal that biden submitted with the citizenship act of 2021, one of the proposals is to give daca recipients also a pathway to citizenship, give them their

permanent residency and after three years they would be eligible for citizen. so if hopefully that passes, this whole going back and forth with the daca will be over and these daca recipients will have a permanent status. damian: all right, you and i were speaking off camera and you mentioned that you left a private practice to pursue your work with siren. what makes somebody decide that they wanna earn le to be an attorney? eliana: for me, it was never about the money. when i went into law school i knew 100% that i wanted to be an immigration attorney. specifically, i wanted to give back to my community and help those who lacked the resources to fund a private immigration attorney. in the private practice i saw a lot of instances where someone really needed representation in court but because they couldn't afford our services, we had to say n happened, it just made me question why i was there. so when i got the chance to make the jump to non-profit,

it was a no-brainer. damian: wow and, i mean, at the end of the day when your shift ends at 5 or 8 or 10 at night, how full is your heart, knowing that--the kind of work that you're doing? eliana: extremely fulfilling. this is exactly what i wanted to do and, from the beginning, i knew that giving back to my community or representing those less fortunate, those who don't have the resources necessary, is my career. damian: your advice to those who are clients of yours, who might be clients of yours, who come in with so many questions. what's your advice to the immigrant community in the bay area and in fresno right now? eliana: number one is don't lose hope. there is always the chance that something might pass in congress, something might become law to offer a legal benefit for many who are living in the shadows. and the second one, do not under any circumstance, try not to have any problems with law enforcement.

no matter how minor the charge may be, it might potentially affect and jeopardize their application in the near future. damian: and how full is the calendar of the staff attorneys there at siren? or are you able to reach somebody in the not-too-distant eliana: yeah, so siren, we offer free consultations weekly. so if someone does have a legal question, immigration question, they should call our offices and they will be scheduled for a consult. and the wait times are really not that far off. they're not gonna be scheduled for next year. they'll definitely be scheduled within the coming weeks or even a few months. damian: and lastly, i know that you do offer referral services for other agencies but at certain times do you feel like a counselor as well because of the social and economic strains that some of these families are going through? eliana: oh yes, on various occasions we often feel like

everyone's just pouring their stories and problems into us. but it's actually very helpful because even though we might not be able to assist them directly since we don't have experience with housing, for example, we can refer them to differ organizations, different--other non-profits that may be able t help them and assist them, instead of just leaving them out there with no other resources that they need. damian: all right. well, eliana, thank you so much. eliana, again, corona is a staff attorney with siren. thank you so much for the work that you're doing and best of luck to you ahead. eliana: and thank you so much again. damian: thank you very much. again, siren is in san josé and in fresno. you can log on to their website for more information. or you can also, if you wanna get a hold of us, you can follow me on twitter. my handle is @ and also pick up a copy of "el-observador" newspaper and support your bilingual weeklies all across the bay area. they are online, hah, as well, but i think they're also in print. we thank you so much for sharing a part of your sunday with us on "comunidad del valle." we've gonna leave you with a little bit of a dance

los mestizos de san josé. buenas dios. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪

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♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ california phones offers free specialized phones... like cordless phones.

- ( phone ringing ) - big button, and volume-enhanced phones. get details on this state program. visit right now or call during business hours. now california phones offers free devices

and accessories for your mobile phone. like this device to increase volume on your cell phone. - ( phone ringing ) - get details on this state program visit right now or call during business hours. [music playing] hi, i'm sara gore and this is open house. this week, we're all about design duos whose harmony in work and life come together beautifully in the homes they create, whether for themselves or their clients. we're at the trippy greenpoint apartment of artist misha kahn and nick haramis. and we're with these fashionable folks, who show that sustainability and design can also be stylish and chic. in their own abode.love plus we're in la to see how this couple's new home was designed to embody all their california dreams. but first we're with innovative architects and partners amale andraos and dan wood for a look at this one of a kind triplex.

we just keep working until we agree.