to "comunidad del valle." trujillo: hello, i'm damian trujillo, and today the latino power fund by the latino community foundation on your "comunidad del valle." ♪♪♪ cc by aberdeen captioning 1-800-688-6621 www.abercap.com damian: we begin with the monthly visit by the consulator of méxico in san josé with me on "comunidad del valle." once again back by popular demand is ambassador alejandra bologna. she is the consul general of méxico here in san josé. embajadora, welcome back to "comunidad del valle." it's been a while since you've been on nbc. alejandra bologna: thank you so much again for being in your show. it's incredible how fast we have been already two years

working together. thank you. damian: yeah, no, absolutely it's good to have you back. you know, the governor is now--it says we're in an endemic in california. it's a little different in santa clara county. talk about the protocol still in place and that you're following at the consulates. alejandra: of course. we are following santa clara dispositions here at san josé consulate. so we're keeping still the mask, i have it also during my office, until the county will tell those that will be inside the possibility of not wearing mask, but at the same time we're keeping essentials measures to save the people that is coming to do their documents here at the consulate for. one side we are keeping the different windows that we set up during the pandemic and also we take care about distance, not the 6 feet that people was at the beginning,

but we are still working on that, just not to have crowded at the same time the consulate. so we can serve the more number of people at the same time that we will keeping safety for persons that are coming and also for our personnel that is working here at the consulate. damian: all right. so things are getting a lot better when it comes to covid, but we're still in the woods. we're not out of the woods yet. another topic, consulador, we've said a lot here on "comunidad del valle," is if you want to make an appointment, contact mexitel. tell us about the changes going on with mexitel now. alejandra: yes. well, we can say it's going to start on march 1st. we can say goodbye to mexitel and welcome miconsulado. it's a new call center that has been just announced by our government, by the minister of foreign affairs that it's a new call center that will serve better our community.

there's going to be more persons working, more operators to receive the calls. it has--it's going to have a better sound. so we know that there was a lot of complain about difficulties of getting dealt with mexitel. so there is a new service that we will improve and we will be working with them to have a better assistance to our community. there are two different things that i want to emphasize in these new services. one thing is that is going to be a better service for our community, that there is going to be more opportunities. so it's going to be easy for the community to be in contact and get an appointment, and from the other size is to getting appointment. as you know, we work opening each tuesday

about 1,200 appointments for more or less a week. so what we do is that we are going to continue working like that. we know that we have a lot of people pending because of the pandemic that we reduced the normal appointments that we were able to gain. now we are already back in the numbers that we start before the pandemic. so more or less it's about 250 appointments daily. so with that number we hope soon to reduce that amount of persons that unfortunately are waiting for getting their document, but what is important to reinforces, please do not buy the appointments. the appointments are free, and we have a new system, and they will see that they can get the appointment. and if they have an emergency, they just come walking to the

consulate, prove their emergency, and we will attend them. damian: yeah, 'cause unfortunately some people are selling those appointments. we want to make sure we avoid that. you had one more topic you wanted to get across. your final thoughts, embajadora, before we let you go. alejandra: yes, well, of course. and it's also the opportunity to renew their id for voting the electoral process in mexico. so it is important that everyone can get their special [speaking spanish] as we know that it is known by the mexican community. so invite them to come to the consulate, get their [speaking spanish], and then they can--the right to vote also if they are not in mexico. so that is important to get this document to have the right to vote.

damian: yeah, it's a méxico's way of letting their co-nationals vote abroad. and so they're facilitating that at the consulate of méxico. well, every consulate, but we're talking here with the consulate of méxico in san josé. embajadora, it was so pleasure--it's such a pleasure having you back on the show. we can't wait to have you back in a month and give us more [speaking spanish]. thank you so much. alejandra: thank you. damian: thank you. damian: and for more information, the consulate of mexico in san josé it's on enzo drive here in san josé. you can log on to the website for more information. again, they're no longer using mexitel to make those appointments. they're now using something called miconsulado. we should be flashing that web address for the consulado on the screen. it says the consulate of méxico in san josé right here on enzo drive. well, we'll be back here on "comunidad del valle" with the latino power fund. stay with us.

power fund, and here to explain is jacqueline martinez garcel, the executive director of the latino community foundation.

jacqueline, welcome back to the show. jacqueline martinez garcel: thanks, damian. it's good to be back with you. damian: thank you. tell us, you have some great news today. tell us first of all about your foundation and what it does. jacqueline: sure, so the latino community foundation exists to unleash the civic and economic power of latinos across california, and we have decided as of last year to launch this latino power fund to ensure that this moment of recovery and healing for our community really has the impact that our governor, our state leaders, and our president is intending at this moment. we've committed $50 million to invest in organizations that can help families and help businesses access the federal and state resources made available to them right now. damian: and you know what, jacqueline? a lot--about those funds, a lot of people who i speak to out on the street in my reporting, the claim is always, "well, you know, they always promise that they're going to give us money. we never end up seeing the money." this is our opportunity to visualize what was promised.

jacqueline: that's right, to visualize and to--and embrace this moment that we have to use our voices and our power to request that these resources are used. the american public, especially latinos and immigrants, have every right to have doubts of how government has worked for them, but what we have seen already in the last 16 months is a commitment by our president and our governor. and the money is now made available. so there's over $45 billion federally and $45 billion here in the state of california focused on infrastructure alone in the state of california, which means the creation of jobs, which means the rebuilding of our communities in a way that builds a more just and equitable economy for latinos, but what is required of us at this moment is to show up at meetings that county officials are hosting, that city council members are putting together to help inform

how these dollars are spent. it is also incumbent upon our county leaders and our city leaders to open up the process where community voices are heard in allocation of these dollars. we have seen two extremes happen here in california. fresno has had a very open-ended process where organizations like 99rootz has requested and required that this--the county actually put money in creating jobs for high school students who are predominantly latinos in fresno, but we've also seen other counties that--and other cities that hav the community out,that at cut out of the process. damian: now so your role, the latino community foundation role, is it more on the advocacy side or the lobbying side or combination of both? jacqueline: so it's advocacy in the sense of we know that these resources were made available by our federal state leaders and they are saying we need input from the community.

so the latino community foundation is number one funding organizations that are organizing the community voices and bringing them to the table. we're also providing funding to organizations so they can apply for these federal and state dollars. and these organizations are the ones that are going to make these resources and put them in the--available and put them in the hands of the families that need them and who are the ones rightly so saying, "we never see government working for us." these are the nonprofit organizations that have the trust and the connections to families that have been most impact by covid. so lcf is funding them to ensure that they have the staff capacity and the ability to be able to apply for those resources and also advocate for how those resources are being used. damian: and you know the old saying, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. if we're not attending those city council meetings or county board of supervisors meetings, how can we expect them to know what our needs are and to direct those funds

in the right direction? jacqueline: we have a window of an opportunity right now to inform how billions of dollars are going to be spent on supposedly our behalf. so it is critically important that we show up to these meetings, and if they're not happening, we've had a number of organizations actually demand that the county depart--the county supervisors and city council members open up the process. some folks want to take a shortcut to get the money out and they have plans for those money, but the requirement is that the voices of our community is heard and informing and recommending how those resources are used. what we don't want to see happening is, for example, police departments to be funded with resources that are intended to create jobs in our community. we need to balance both. we need to be able to help latino families recover from the economic hit that they've experienced because of covid and also affirm the reality that a lot of our communities need mental health support to be able to bounce back from what

has been an incredible, difficult, difficult period of loss and heartache for our family members. damian: is this a long-term band-aid? i even don't know if it's a band-aid. i mean, it's one time. jacqueline: it's a great question, damian. i mean, we have--it's 3 years that we have really to spend down these federal resources, and even in the state of california it's on annual basis that the governor sets aside these resources. they're not band-aid if we use them correctly. the idea behind these federal resources are to make up the fact that sectors like retail, for example, who've been hardest hit, small businesses that have been hardest hit by the pandemic actually recreate themselves in a way where jobs that will be meaningful for the 21st century and beyond are made available to latinos. it's also an opportunity to train a new workforce to enter jobs that were lagging before. for example, automation of jobs is something that's happening

very quickly in california. so how do we speed up the training of people who have worked in retail, who have worked in service delivery to shift now and get the training they need to enter the automation of these jobs, right, jobs that require new skills and new talent, jobs that can use the same attributes and skills that latino families have already, but really transfer them into new sectors? damian: that's wonderful. well, for more information, the latino community foundation, their website, we're going to flash it for you on the screen. you can get more information there. again, this is the latino power fund trying to empower our individual communities wherever we are. we'll be back and wrap this up on this important topic when we continue. stay with us.

care coalition, it's so good to see you all! alright! let's brainstorm. any ideas for new members? i'd like to nominate alaska airlines. this neck pillow i'm dating says great things! a caring airline?! wait, those exist?! it says here they were the first airline to switch from plastic bottles to boxed water. they also hire a lot of people from caring professions. i'm seeing former teachers and nurses. it's settled! alaska airlines is officially in the running! round of applause!

fund with jacqueline of the latino community foundation on "comunidad del valle." we're talking about all these funds, billions of dollars, jacqueline.

what's the potential if we do this right? jacqueline: well, we can first build an economy where latinos who have actually contributed so much can actually prosper. we can create the next wave of workforce of people that are not just getting paid minimum wage but in jobs that are high demand, and high-paying jobs, safer jobs for our families. we can enter a new season where our latino small businesses are accessing dollars through latino community development financial institutions that are being created through these federal and state dollars. the idea right now is to rethink how we use public dollars or tax dollars to benefit the people who have contributed to our economy. i also am hopeful that this will also translate into more latinos owning their homes, more latinos actually entering 4-year education programs. there is such an influx of resources right now to help

build a middle class. and what we need to see happen is that middle class be representative of the latinos that have built our economy. damian: you know--and i mentioned a band-aid solution, but you just pointed out some long-term solutions, which is owning your own home and being able to go to a 4-year university. i mean, that is lifetime. that's long term. jacqueline: that's--and that's generational. we as a foundation are trying to help latinos build generational wealth, and that means a transfer of more resources to younger kids so that when they begin they're not just building the floor, they're building from another place of progress. and we need to invest in that moment now. sadly, covid also revealed so many inequities when it came to broadband and when it came to even access to technology that allow young people get into their classes and complete their schoolwork. we need to fast-track the progress right now so we don't leave our children behind. damian: jacqueline, your optimism is jumping

out of the screen. you are so passionate and optimistic about what this potential really is. jacqueline: it's a moment in time. and i'm so proud that our generation right now, who's been fighting for more equity, has an opportunity now to implement and make this change happen. it came with a lot of sweat and tears over the last decades of so many of our community nonprofit leaders asking for the resources they need to help our familia progresal to really prosper. now we have the resources. now it's on us to make sure that our communities get access to it. damian: my friend wrote a book called "es tempo." it's time. it's time, right? jacqueline: yeah, that's right. it's--we're overdue in fact, damian. so we got to catch up and make sure that this window closes with us at the front of the line not at the back. damian: all right. any final thoughts, jacqueline? i'm so energized and inspired by everything you've said so far today. jacqueline: well, my last thought is as i think about your--our audience, i just want to encourage us to be mindful

that we're not at this alone. our latino communities have been hit so hard by covid. we've lost family members, we've lost jobs, we've seen our families struggle in the last 24 months, but now this is the moment for us to really honor the legacy of this generation and our ancestors who've given us the strength and the vision to know that we can become the people that we have always longed to be, leaders in our communities that are moving forward. damian: and as--we were talking on telemundo earlier, as my mom would say, "[speaking spanish]." the squeaky wheel gets the grease. jacqueline: yes. [speaking spanish]. right? to lift up our voice and raise our hands and show up, and in our numbers alone we can really demand the changes and make the changes happen. not just demand, but be the actors that create the change that we want to see for our community. so now is our moment.

we've been waiting for this, and now we must act with a sense of urgency that our communities need right now. damian: all right. well, thank you so much, jacqueline. thank you for the work that you're doing in empowering and making our communities that much better. we appreciate it. jacqueline: pleasure being with you, damian. thank you. damian: gracias. thank you so much. and, again, for more information, this is the latino power fund by the latino community foundation. there is a web address for more information, some great, great information, some great news. now it's up to us to take advantage of that and make our own communities that much better. up next here on "communidad del valle," a very special interview with richard bean, he wrote the song and sings "suavecito," and also a quick sound bite with the late, great jorge santana. you won't want to miss this. stay with us.

you can send them to me on twitter. my handle is @newsdamian. on instagram it's @newsdamiantrujillo. we thank you once again for joining us back on "comunidad

del valle." we took a break because of the olympics and because of the nfl on nbc, but we are back now to stay for quite some time. we're going to leave you now with a very special interview. this is richard bean, one of the original members of malo and he wrote the song "suavecito." he's going to tell us about--a little bit about the history. and then a brief conversation with jorge santana you won't want to miss. so here they are. we thank you, again. we'll see you again here next week. damian: all right, with me now also is richard bean, the author of the famous song "suavecito." and you told me a couple of times that you wrote this for a high school sweetheart. richard bean: yeah, the story is i wrote this song in high school at--on my algebra class, and i wasn't very good with numbers, but i ended writing a bunch of poems. and i wrote this for a girl who broke my heart, and to this day she doesn't know i wrote this song for her, so. damian: are you amazed at the response that that song has received? even to this day they're playing it over and over. your residuals are probably piling up. richard: well, i hope the residuals are piling up;

but no, actually it's like it's really funny because when you do a song and it's from your heart, you never really know how it's going to come out. and i think it's due to everybody really just, you know, enjoying the song and the way, you know, over the years it's just has lasted the test of time and, you know, it's just been played everywhere in weddings and quinceañera and everywhere, so. damian: all right, we're going to hear that. let me get behind you. thank you so much for being here. also with us is legendary jorge santana. carlos santana lived in your shadow growing up. is that correct? jorge santana: all the time. it's been very hard. it's very difficult. i don't know how he manages. [audience laughing] damian: tell us who you brought with here tonight. jorge: again, through the grace of abel sanchez i'm here because he's always attending these events for cesar chaves. and just earlier he reminded me that we've been doing this since '85 with the post office. so we've been doing these events for a long time.

abel decided to put this unit together and, of course, called richard bean. and we have gabriel manzo on bass. in his own way he plays great guitar, but tonight he's helping us on bass. and then we also have marcos, a percussion who's a percussionist for war. and then we have-- male: gary louis berger. jorge: gary and chivos, who's helping us. and most of us are here because of abel's effort to put us together and to come in here and to join this celebration. damian: it's all in the memory of the legacy of cesar chavez. [audience applauding] ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪

♪♪♪ ♪ laaaa-ah-ah. ♪ ♪ la-la, laaaa-ah-ah. ♪ ♪ laaaa-ah-ah. ♪ ♪ la-la, laaaa-ah-ah. ♪ ♪ i never, i never met a girl like you in my life. ♪ ♪ i never, no, no. ♪

♪ yeah, i never met a girl l ♪ the way that you make things go right whenever you're ♪ ♪ in my arms, you're filling me with all your charm ♪ ♪ and the feeling, yeah, suavecito. ♪ ♪ the feeling that i have inside suavecito, mi linda. ♪ ♪ suavecito. ♪ ♪ the feeling, the feeling that i have inside for you. ♪ ♪♪♪

♪ and ever since the day i met you i knew you ♪ ♪ that you were my dream ♪ but i think i found that day i'm going ♪ ♪ to make you mine in every way. ♪ ♪ and baby, baby, baby now, suavecito, ♪ ♪ is it really true? suavecito. ♪ ♪ 'cause you know, girl, that i love you. ♪ ♪ i need you, you, you. ♪♪ ♪♪♪

[music playing] i'm sara gore, and this is "open house." this week, impressive and stylish homes in both new york and los angeles, including this recently renovated townhouse on central park west that has everything you could want and more. we're at the northern edge of manhattan at this memorable art deco-inspired live-work abode. plus, we're in clinton hill, brooklyn to see how this interior designer personalized her home to be a reflection of her evolving style. but before all that, we tour this chic downtown los angeles loft that combines japanese aesthetics with america's industrial past. waking up here every morning feels very calming. it feels like you're waking up in a hotel.