FOGHORN ISSUE 4 FINAL

SF FOGHORN
NEWS
04
18-year-old
fatally shot in the
Mission District.
SCENE
06
Tato serves the
community two
tacos at a time.
THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2023 • VOL. 121, ISSUE 4
OPINION
10
Media needs more
positive Latine
representation.
Latine Heritage
Celebration
CONTINUED ON PAGES 6 & 7
SPORTS
12
Latine heritage
ignites Bay Area
sports passion.
Event organizers pose together to close out the night. From left to right: Lidia Velazco-Robles, Andoni Zauzeta-Santini, Kemelyn Alvarado, Diana Silva-Coral,
Ilce Perez, Metzli Lemus, Diego Gomez (back row). Isa Sandoval-Duran, Carly Mitchell, Bella Maldonado, Dyrin Chavez Hernandez, Fatima
Barragan Mata, Clarissa Navarette (front row). Photo courtesy of Samantha Avila Griffin
ELINA GRAHAM
Contributing Writer
Heavy bass echoed from McLaren Hall as DJ Jose Sanchez
faded Bad Bunny’s “Tití Me Preguntó” into Elvis Crespo’s
“Suavemente” at the Latine Heritage Celebration on Sept. 22.
Students in the bubble-filled room lined up at the photo booth
with cups of horchata in hand, and they were drawn to the colorful
rows of paint pots and paper flowers at the crafts table.
Approximately 50 students and faculty members attended this
annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, co-hosted by the
Latine Undergrad Network of Activists (LUNA and Latinas
Unidas; the latter has been organizing on-campus Latine cultural
events since 1999.
“Every time I see people laughing, eating, and just sharing
stories and meeting people, it makes my heart so happy be-
EST. 1903
SFFOGHORN.COM
@SFFOGHORN
FOGPOD

02 03
THURSDAY
SEPT 28.
2023
STAFF
Editor in Chief
MEGAN ROBERTSON
mrrobertson2@dons.usfca.edu
News Editor
NIKI SEDAGHAT
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Opinion Editor
CHISOM OKORAFOR
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Sports Editor
CHASE DARDEN
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Photography Editor
LEILA TSELNER
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General Reporter
INÉS VENTURA
ipventura@dons.usfca.edu
General Reporter
JORDAN TYLER MARALIT
jcmaralit@dons.usfca.edu
415.422.5444
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STAFF EDITORIAL
HONORING LATINE CULTURE
THROUGH ADVOCACY
The University of San Francisco is
tied for first with Andrews University
in campus ethnic diversity, according
to the U.S. News & World Report 2024.
USF can and should connect its students
to progress-focused organizations and
programs they may not have known
about otherwise. It is imperative
that USF’s partnerships are diverse
in purpose so students can interact
with all facets of their communities,
especially as a celebration of their
heritage and culture.
According to College Factual,
25.1% of USF’s full-time undergraduate
population is Hispanic. University
involvement with Bay Area Latine
community organizations allows
these students to develop leadership
and service skills through community
engagement. The hurdles Latine people
face are as diverse as the community is,
which is reflected by USF’s community
partners.
One such organization is Ayudando
Latinos A Soñar (ALAS), a nonprofit
working toward “social wellness
through multicultural practices,
mental health care, individualized
and collective support related to
education, immigration processes, and
work,” according to their website. The
organization advocates for and provides
food and water to Half Moon Bay’s
predominantly Latine farmworkers.
USF’s involvement with ALAS
started in the summer of 2020 when
USF Program Coordinator for Catholic
Educational Leadership Jane Bladesdale,
along with her doctoral student
Mauricio Diaz De Leon, helped tutor
Latine children to literacy gaps fueled
by pandemic-related school closures.
The University Ministry supports
farmworker families in Half Moon Bay
with weekly tutoring sessions.
At the School of Law’s
Immigration & Deportation Defense
Clinic, law students work closely with
unaccompanied minors and families
to guide them through removal
proceedings, asylum hearings, and
interviews. According to the School of
Law website, “The majority of clients
are seeking asylum and come from the
Northern Triangle in Central America
and Mexico.”
At the School of Law’s Immigration
Policy Clinic, students learn about
and assist with immigration policy
changes. Through the clinic, students
educate people about their rights,
advise lawmakers in creating effective
immigration legislation, and partner
with the Catholic Legal Immigration
Network to assist detainees appealing
to the Board of Immigration Appeals.
For students outside the School
of Law, there are still opportunities to
get involved with the work these clinics
do. According to USF’s Solidarity
in Action website, the Immigration
and Deportation Defense Clinic has
opportunities for Spanish-speaking
students to “help with interpreting
during asylum interviews, interpreting
during psychological evaluations
and translating Spanish documents,”
among other things.
The Leo T. McCarthy Center for
Public Service and the Common Good
is another hub of student activism
at USF, hosting many programs in
which students interact directly with
policymakers and potential voters.
It’s hard to effectively incorporate
activism into a busy schedule, but
all students should be able to find
opportunities that reflect their unique
ways of activism. It is essential that
USF continues to offer diverse avenues
toward community engagement, so
that during Hispanic Heritage Month
and beyond, students can honor their
culture through advocacy.
ALAS hosts cultural events for the Half Moon Bay Latine community. Photo courtesy of the Half Moon
Bay Review.
FREE HEALTHCARE IN THE MISSION
KYLA MENCONI
Staff Writer
An estimated three million Californians are at risk of losing
their health insurance as residents will have their Medi-Cal eligibility
reconsidered in the coming months, according to ABC7. As of June,
approximately 225,000 Medi-Cal recipients have already lost their
coverage after reconsideration, according to the California Department
of Health Care Services (DHCS). The advocacy group Latino Coalition
for a Healthy California found that of those who have been disenrolled
from Medi-Cal during the reconsideration process, 53% identify as
Latine, the most of any other racial or ethnic population.
According to California Health and Human Services, Medi-Cal
reviews member eligibility once a year to see whether the applicant’s
property and assets exceed the eligibility limit, which was paused
during the COVID-19 public health emergency. On May 11, the process
resumed. On Aug. 16, CBS reported that 150,000 people across the Bay
Area will have their Medi-Cal eligibility reconsidered.
Latine sophomore nursing major Alejandro Marquez is one
of these Medi-Cal recipients. He said, “I got something in the mail
yesterday that it’s going to be reconsidered… [Medi-Cal] helps people
access healthcare.”
Clinica Martín-Baró, a free healthcare clinic in the Mission
District, is an alternative resource that those who have lost their
insurance can use. The clinic’s mission is “to promote wellness and
address the health care needs of the underserved and economically
disadvantaged Spanish-speaking
community of the Mission District,”
according to their website. All of the
clinic’s services, including primary
care, specialist referrals, and
medication, are free.
The clinic’s multiple
partnerships, including San
Francisco State University’s (SFSU)
department of Latina/Latino
Studies and members of University
of California, San Francisco Health
(UCSF), fund its efforts.
UCSF and SFSU students run
the clinic. SFSU alumni Dr. Caro
Monico and Dr. Zoel Quinonez
opened the clinic in 2007 during
their time at UCSF.
Latine sophomore nursing
major Dyrin Chavez Hernandez said,
“I have heard of Clinica Martín-
Baró here in SF. I love the work
that they are doing for our Latine
community in the Mission, and
I hope to be able to volunteer for
them in any way I can. Start-ups like
these are extremely important to our
communities.”
Milagros Hernandez, who has
been an intern at Clinica Martín-
Baró since 2018, said, “Today, a
patient that I hadn’t seen in a while
recognized my name and gave me
the biggest hug. They always leave
saying thank you so many times.”
As a Latine person, Hernandez
said, “When I go on a health visit,
I feel unseen. I used to have to
translate through my parents, so I understand the cultural barrier
when people come into Clinica Martín-Baró.”
Representation for Latine people is important to Marquez.
“Having more and more Latino representation in the medical industry
is really cool to see, because it determined that Latino people are more
than capable of achieving success in the medical industry.”
The clinic’s name comes from Ignacio Martín-Baró, a Jesuit priest
and scholar who fought for social justice. USF has its own program
dedicated to the work of Martín-Baró — the Martín-Baró Scholar
program, in which first-year students work to fight food insecurity
by donating food to community organizations like the Richmond
Neighborhood Center and the USF Food Pantry.
USF nursing students also engage with various Bay Area
community organizations. These include the Academic-Practice
Partnership with Kaiser Permanente, Engage San Francisco and
Veteran Affairs Nursing Partnership.
For Latine sophomore nursing major Sima Sadaghini, partnerships
between healthcare and the Latine community are “vital and needed.”
Clinica Martín-Baró is open Saturdays for free healthcare services
to community members. The clinic also has a resource list with
information about COVID, housing and reproductive healthcare in
the broader Bay Area.
Megan Robertson, Jordan DelFiugo, Oliver River Satalich and Niki
Sedaghat contributed to the reporting of this story.
Clinica Martín-Baró opened in 2007 to provide free healthcare in the Mission District. Photo by Kyla Menconi / SF Foghorn
NEWS

04 05
THURSDAY
SEPT 28.
2023
LATINE TEEN FATALLY SHOT IN THE MISSION
JORDAN MARALIT
Staff Writer
Damien González, an 18-year-old Latine youth, was reportedly
playing basketball at the Mission Recreation Center on Aug. 18 when
he was shot by a masked suspect. Police officers provided aid and
called paramedics to transport him to the hospital, where he later
died. No arrests have been made since the shooting took place last
month.
González’s family held a memorial and press conference on Aug.
21 at the Mission Recreation Center to honor his life.
Arturo Carillo, director of the Street Violence Intervention
Program, a government program that focuses on violence and
homicide prevention, described González as a “youngster well-known
to the community,” as reported in the Mission Local.
González’s mother, Ariana Sanchez, said to El Tecolote at his
memorial, “He was about to be a dad. He was so excited. This was a
stupid act, what they did to him.”
A GoFundMe was created on Aug. 21 to support González’s
unborn child. At the time of publication, 130 donors have raised more
than $7,000.
González graduated from Civic Center Secondary School and
volunteered with the Latino Task Force, a civic and multilingual
organization that works to inform and connect Latines in San
Francisco with numerous COVID-19 resources.
According to American Progress, a public policy research
and advocacy organization, young Latine Americans are
disproportionately at risk for gun violence victimization. In 2020,
38% of Latine gun homicide victims were 24 years old or younger.
Their non-Latine identifying white counterparts made up 21% of gun
homicide victims in the same year.
Despite only representing 4% of the population, Latine Americans
aged 15 to 29 make up 8% of all gun homicide victims. An estimated
65% of all gun deaths among Latine youth ages 24 and under are
violent homicides, while another 30% result from suicides by firearm.
District Nine Supervisor Hillary Ronen, who represents the
Mission District, spoke at the memorial. She said, “We are tired of
losing young people to gun violence in this neighborhood, in this
country, everywhere.”
According to the Washington Post, 65% of Latine adults support
stronger gun control laws. In addition, 80% of registered Latine voters
said gun violence would be a major factor in their vote for last year’s
congressional elections.
Latine politics professor Marco Durazo said, “We need stricter
gun control laws at both a local and federal level.”
Kemelyn Alvarado, a Latine senior politics major, said, “It is
inconceivable that people cannot go about their daily lives without
being concerned about themselves or a loved one becoming a victim
of gun violence.”
On a federal level, President Joe Biden recently announced the
establishment of the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence
Prevention, which will “implement and expand upon key executive
and legislative action which has been taken to save lives.”
San Francisco officials are working to tighten gun restrictions.
In July, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that District Two
Supervisor Catherine Stefani and City Attorney David Chiu have
proposed a new ordinance that would expand the ban of firearms
from public spaces in San Francisco to include election facilities,
hospitals, parks, places of worship, grocery stores, and restaurants.
The legislative body is expected to vote on the bill later this year.
LATINE MUSIC RECOMMENDATIONS
Maná
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, the Foghorn spoke with three Latine
students about their favorite Latine artists.
Analicia Parish
Junior Sociology Major
“My favorite songs would be
‘Chancla Abuser’ from the ‘Back in
Brown’ album, and ‘Big Chorizo’
from the ‘Grupo Sexo’ album. I love
classic and hardcore punk rock music
because of the political activism and
goofiness of it all.”
Sofia Sosa
Senior International Studies Major
“My mom used to listen to them
a lot, and ‘Mariposa Traicionera’ is a
very nostalgic song for me. She gave
me this iPod Nano for Christmas
one year and it had a bunch of music
by them, so it’s very nostalgic to me.”
Manic Hispanic
NEWS
González’s family held a memorial and press conference on Aug. 21 at the Mission Recreation Center to honor his life. Screenshot courtesy of @missionlocal on Instagram.
Julieta Venegas
Alyssa Flores
Sophomore Fine Arts Major
“I would recommend Julieta
Venegas, she is considered a pop
indie music artist. My favorite album
of hers is ‘Limon Y Sal’ because I
would listen to it when I was younger
with my family.”
Headshots courtesy of those interviewed. Screenshots of musicians courtesy of @manaoficial,
@grupomanichispanic, and @julietavenegasp, (from top to bottom) on Instagram.
SCENE

06 07
THURSDAY
SEPT 28.
2023
Latine Heritage Celebration
CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE
SCENE
Pan dulce, or sweet bread, was brought to Latin America by the Spanish
in the early 1800s. Today, it is a staple of Latine culture with lots of variations.
Photo courtesy of Samantha Avila Griffin
There are over 5,000 methods for preparing tamales with variations in
wrapping, fillings, and cooking. Photo courtesy of Samantha Avila Griffin
Aileen Robles, Emma Farfan, Nadia Gonzalez,
and Lidia Velasco wore bright smiles during their
first performance of the semester. Photo courtesy of
Samantha Avila Griffin
cause I know that’s what LUNA strives for,” said Metzli Lemus,
LUNA event coordinator. “Whenever we see homesick freshmen
who are here, now meeting people who share the same
culture as them, like the same music as them, who look like
them, it makes us all so happy to see. It’s also amazing to see
people who are not Latine come in and share that culture with
us — to see everyone appreciate it.”
USF’s Folklórico Club provided entertainment at the celebration,
performing a traditional Mexican dance to the cheers
of the audience. The dancers were adorned in flowing green
skirts and red flowers tucked in their hair. The club, which preserves
and honors Mexican culture through dance, performs
dances from regions across Mexico for various on-campus presentations,
often partnering with Latinas Unidas.
At the celebration, guest speakers shared stories about
growing up and figuring out their Latine identities, and discovering
spaces of belonging. Speaker Melissa Garcia,
interdisciplinary scholar and assistant professor at
USF, debuted a poem sharing her mother’s story of
immigrating to California in the trunk of a car in
1982. “I have never taken lightly the phrase ‘I am
my ancestors’ wildest dream,’” she told the audience.
As students munched on tamales and sweet
conchas, speaker Mario Gonzalez, USF housing coordinator,
took the stage. “When I was in college, I
didn’t feel like I was Latine enough to get involved:
I wasn’t listening to Spanish music enough, I wasn’t
undocumented, I wasn’t a Latine studies major.
The thing is, I was the only one who stopped myself
from going to these events—I cut myself off from
these connections and the community. People are
not going to turn you away,” he said.
Regarding the strength of the student organizations
in promoting heritages
and cultures on campus,
Lemus said, “I feel like
it’s the student organizations
that really spearhead
the events and bring to life
what the students are asking
for on campus.”
LUNA Public Relations
executive Diego Gomez
said, “In what I see
from campus admin, I
“ The question of whether you
will or won’t be accepted, it’s
a risk worth
taking, and I hope all of us
continue to take that risk.
- Christina Garcia Lopez
don’t hear a lot about Latine students on campus, so we’re just
trying to make the population more active through clubs.”
Junior advertising student and attendee Lisa Flores said,
“I think the Latine clubs on campus do a wonderful job; they
provide resources, list faculty members, and host events to
highlight the culture of campus. They actively work to show
the community how we’re not alone.”
In a closing statement that again encouraged students to
take part in cultural events, Christina Garcia Lopez, director
of Chicanx-Latinx studies said to the audience, “I know how
difficult it can be to walk into a new space and be vulnerable,
to let yourself be seen.”
Lopez, also the director of critical diversity studies, continued,
“The question of whether you will or won’t be accepted,
it’s a risk worth taking, and I hope all of us continue to
take that risk. You taking that risk makes USF a better place
— your passion, empathy, you inspire us.”
Both Latinas Unidas and LUNA have many future celebrations
lined up, and encourage all Dons to come out and
support on-campus offerings, such as Molcajete, an event that
supports local vendors, on September 28th at Privett Plaza.
a”
Students place pins to map their cultural origins.
Photo courtesy of Samantha Avila Griffin
Students were served conchas, tamales, and horchata.
Photo courtesy of Samantha Avila Griffin
SCENE

08 09
THURSDAY
SEPT 28.
2023
TATO’S TACO LOVE FOR THE COMMUNITY
CENTRAL AMERICAN SUSTAINABILITY
SCENE
JORDAN MARALIT
Staff Writer
On a sunny Saturday afternoon, I left the Hilltop in search of
local Mexican food. In an attempt to immerse myself in different
neighborhoods, I visited Tato in the Bayview district.
When I walked in, I was greeted with a sign reading “Hecho
En Bayview” which means, “Made in Bayview.” The interior of the
restaurant looked like a mixture of a modern aesthetic but with
decorations of what you would see in a traditional Mexican restaurant.
The restaurant had a hexagon-shaped floor, seat booths attached
to the wall, and lighting on top of the ceiling. It also has a
bar where customers can sip their margaritas. The restaurant also
has an outdoor patio for customers. To settle in, I ordered a carne
asada burrito.
Tato is perhaps best known for its Friday “Taco Love” special,
which includes two tacos with sides and pay-what-you-can pricing.
Customers can choose among beef, chicken, and mushroom tacos
for the deal. The full meal comes with two tacos and sides like rice,
beans, or salad.
With many people in the city still recovering from the hardships
faced by the COVID-19 pandemic,
Every Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., customers can order off the
Taco Love menu and pay anywhere from zero to $10. When a customer
pays the full price of $10, Tato will “feed someone in [their]
honor,”
accord i ng
to the restaurant’s Instagram. Tato is partnered with the non-profit
organization SF New Deal. SF New Deal launched in March 2020
as a rapid response to COVID-19. They utilize private donations
and government-funded service contracts to help pay local restaurants
to provide meals for their neighbors in need.
SF New Deal partners with local restaurants to create meals for
neighbors in need and providing income for workers and bringing
food to the community. Within 6 months of its launch, the SF New
Deal delivered over 800,000 meals, and local restaurants have received
over $8,000,000 in direct financial relief.
Tato’s owner and Bayview resident, Kristin Houk is a beneficiary
of the SF New Deal program. According to the San Francisco
Chronicle, Houk’s nonprofit background led to her interest in both
feeding people and recovering food waste. Houk gave away more
than 25,000 free meals last year as part of the SF New Deal community
program that pays restaurants to feed low-income residents,
according to CBS News. She also owns All Good Pizza and Cafe
Almá, and officially observed that the Bayview is under “There are
a lot of people out there at this moment who can benefit from getting
a meal, whether you pay $10 or 10 cents” she said to the Chronicle
in 2020.
She continued, “Food is such a tremendous cost to families so
if we can use some of that extra food that’s out there and get it to
people in dignified ways, it’s an important thing to work toward.”
Houk named the restaurant after her son, signifying that Tato
is about family, community, and the tradition of bringing people
together through good food, times, and conversation.The restaurant
was established in 2017 to pay homage to Houk’s
family from Michoacan and Mexico City, Mexico.
I visited the restaurant on a Saturday, and
employees were busy packaging meals to be
donated, based on Friday’s pay-what-youcan
profit. The workers packaged the
meals using reusable meal prep, tupperware,
containers to further aid
the person receiving the meal.
Amer Diaz, Tato’s head
chef, said,“The idea of Taco
Love started around the
pandemic time. We saw
that people were struggling
and we wanted to
make a difference.” Diaz
has worked for Tato since
2018.
After enjoying my
burrito, I bought two
steak tacos to-go for dinner
later that night in my
dorm.
Diaz encouraged all
forms of the community
through college students
to the local residents,
“Come out and Support! It’s
nice to help people.”
Tato plans to offer Taco
Love “indefinitely every Friday.”
Tato’s carne asada burrito. Photo by Jordan Maralit / SF Foghorn
LUIS PÁRRAGA is a junior
international studies major.
El Salvador’s Ministry of
Environment and Natural Resources
announced the discovery of a new
tree species in the country, identified
as Sapranthus pinedai. “This natural
jewel was discovered in one of our
Protected Natural Areas and adds
a unique touch to our biodiversity,”
the authorities reported in Spanish
on X, formerly known as Twitter, on
Sept. 12.
The identification of this new
species serves as a reminder of Central
America’s incredibly varied range of
tropical landscapes, flora and fauna.
The region accounts for “8% of the
world’s biological diversity, allocated
in 206 ecosystems, 33 ecoregions,
and 20 life zones,” according to the
Central American Commission for Environment and Development.
Central America’s environmental contributions are important for the
global discussion around the transition towards a green economy, as
its current efforts to deal with the impact of climate change meet its
biodiversity and ancient history of sustainable practices and beliefs.
As someone from El Salvador, I think of Central America
as a “phoenix” region. Environmental shocks and setbacks are a
consistent threat to the region’s wellbeing. 2020 proved to be one
of the most difficult years in recent memory, as the sanitary and
economic consequences of COVID-19 converged with two destructive
hurricanes, Eta and Iota, in November. However, the other constant is
the region’s ability to bounce back from the ashes. A joint report by the
Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum and the Central
American Bank for Economic Integration released in December 2021
predicted a faster post-pandemic recovery for Central America than
for the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean, associating this
to growing sustainably-focused investments.
Climate hazards are increasingly understood to have a
possible “multiplier” effect on other concerns in Central America,
as they interact with pre-existing socio-political conditions. The
consequences of this include increased migration and insecurity
rates, as observable immediately after the aforementioned 2020
storms. Despite their high vulnerability, most countries in the area
ranked poorly in their level of readiness, according to the Notre
Dame Global Adaptation Initiative’s climate change vulnerability
index. Readiness is understood as “a country’s ability to leverage
investments and convert them to adaptation actions.” Countries
like Nicaragua and Honduras are found within the bottom twentyfive
of this world ranking.
One of the efforts being put forward to improve Central
America’s climate preparedness is the implementation of naturebased
solutions. Nature-based solutions are actions aimed towards
protecting natural resources and environments, while also
tackling various social issues, such as food insecurity and climate
change-related disasters. When it comes to storm management,
implementing these solutions means avoiding the negative impacts
of man-made infrastructures, while simultaneously addressing
the needs of the communities surrounding these projects. For
instance, Swiss Info reported in June on the construction of
“chinampas” in the Jiquilisco Bay area of El Salvador. These small,
floating islands made from bamboo serve as platforms to grow
mangrove trees, which will act as a natural barrier from floodings,
and simultaneously serve as the breeding grounds for several fish
species that aid in the subsistence of local fishermen.
Central America’s indigenous past could also guide
humanity’s approach to handling natural resources today. As
per Encyclopedia Britannica, the Maya civilization occupied most of
Central America, inhabiting the land from modern Southern Mexico
to what is now Nicaragua. According to anthropologist Lisa Lucero,
the Maya managed to maintain a sustainable relationship with the
environment because they held a “cosmology of conservation,” where
all equal things on Earth share equal responsibility in maintaining the
planet.
The ancient city of Tikal, located in present-day Guatemala,
was home to at least 60,000 Maya at its peak, around 750 A.D. The
residents took advantage of the eight-month rainy season to meet their
water needs. They build paved reservoirs to hold rainwater to be used
during the dry months, as published in Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences. As stated by researcher Vernon Scarborough:
“These people were able to use their land and water resources in a
sustainable manner for as long as 1,500 years without significant
interruption… In developing nations where water and energy are
scarce, simple solutions may work better than new, costly technologies
that are prone to break.”
The limitations that characterize the daily life experiences
of Central Americans are also a reminder for citizens of developed
nations to take care of the resources they do have at hand. Growing
up in a country like El Salvador, where essential services like water
supply are often interrupted and inaccessible to a significant number
of citizens, it became evident that resourcefulness becomes a survival
tool. Many families, including my own, have had to invest in domestic
water storage tanks to be able to meet this basic need whenever issues
relating to this service are not efficiently dealt with. We’ve also used
alternatives like rainwater harvesting and purification. In any case,
the available supplies are limited, and a wise usage is required. This
same rationale needs to be applied where access is more widespread if
we want natural resources to continue to be available in the upcoming
decades, and we can turn to age-old and green solutions to make this
management as effective as possible. We can all learn lessons from
Central America for sustainable living and development.
Graphic by Sophie Reichert, Graphics Center
OPINION

10 11
THURSDAY
SEPT 28.
2023
¡YA BASTA!: WE NEED MORE LATINES IN MEDIA
INÉS VENTURA is a sophomore
media studies major.
“Basta,” my favorite word in
Spanish, perfectly encapsulates a
very frustrated and fiery “enough.” It
is a word best used when “enough”
just isn’t enough to translate how
badly you’ve reached your wits’ end.
As a Latine woman, that’s exactly
how I feel about the continued lack
of appropriate Latine representation
in mainstream film and television.
Ethnic representation
has received more attention in
recent years than ever before. Our
118th congress is the most racially
and ethnically diverse ever, spring
2022 had the most diverse models
in fashion history, and as of 2021,
people of color held 47% of entrylevel
positions within the federal
labor workforce. We’re seeing real action taking place to correct the
ways in which underrepresented groups have previously been denied
opportunities to hold space.
This has been seen within the media sphere of film and
television. According to UCLA’s annual Hollywood Diversity report,
people of color accounted for one third of lead roles in 2022’s top
streaming films. Although more representation is happening across
the media industry, there’s still a lack of it for Latine people. Despite
the Latines accounting for 19% of the U.S. population, making us the
largest ethnic minority in the country, representation in the media
industry workforce increased by only 1% in the last decade, from 11%
to 12%, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Media portrayals need to keep up with the momentum at which we’re
moving. The lack of growth within our sector of the media has left
little opportunity to create new content that accurately reflects what
it means to be Latine.
There is a huge disconnect present between what is perceived as
Latine heritage, and what it actually stands for. This is most apparent
in the films and shows that resurface with every Hispanic Heritage
Month. Every year, streaming services suggest a collection of Latinecentered
content, but these titles still center outdated narratives
and character representations that continue to reinforce harmful
stereotypes and misconceptions. “Miss Bala” follows Gina Rodiguez’s
character Gloria Fuentes being thrown into a drug ring after spending
just one night in Tijuana. To add insult to injury, she falls in love with
the main drug lord, who continuously puts her life in danger. The cult
classic “Scarface” shows Al Pacino, who is not Latine, playing a Cuban
immigrant who meets his demise after taking over a drug cartel in
1980’s Miami. Even if a film or show has Latine characters, they are
often portrayed in drug-affiliated drama, as female characters who play
into the “spicy Latina” trope, or as Latine youth struggling with gangrelated
violence. Netflix’s “On My Block” shows a group of East LA
teenagers grappling with gang violence on top of the socio-economic
struggles they face in their predominantly Latine community.
In the cases where a Latine success story is appropriately
highlighted, it’s often a story that’s been recycled so much that it
becomes oversaturated with how often it is used as an example for
positive representation — news flash: there are more Mexican artists
than Frida Kahlo. Latine heritage continues into the present, so why
are we sticking to the same old stories?
This is due in part to the fact that Hispanics and Latines account
for only 4% of media management positions and 12% of the overall
media workforce, as found in a 2021 study by the the Government
Accountability Office. The small number of Latine media contributors
is even more concerning when compared to the high amount of
consumers Latines account for. The Alliance for Inclusive and
Multicultural Marketing found that two-thirds of Hispanic households
watch TV and movies online, with 70% of those households subscribed
to Netflix and other popular streaming services. This gap is where
Latines are becoming invisible. Representation matters, not only
because it affects how other people see us, but how we see ourselves
too. We need stories that reflect how we’re succeeding despite the
struggles that are played out in the films and shows that are supposed
to represent us.
According to a 2022 report from the Latino Donor Collaborative,
which highlights the ways in which Latines are thriving, the U.S.
Latine gross domestic product was $2.8 trillion in 2020. If Latines
were a standalone economy, it would be the 5th largest in the world.
Latine high school graduation rates increased from 69% to 90% over a
10 year span, and there has been a 37% increase in how many graduates
enroll in post-secondary institutions. There is so much success within
the Latine community to celebrate, and there will continue to be.
It’s time to swap stereotypical narratives for Latine success
stories. With this year’s Hollywood strike putting the industry’s future
in question, we need to make sure that Latine writers and actors are
part of whatever solution will bring about the fairness and equity we’ve
been waiting for.
As a growing generation of media consumers and contributors, we
hold a special power that decides what types of stories we want told in
the future. We should all be calling “basta” on what’s going on in the
media so that we can create space for positive narratives that inspire
and promote visibility for Latines.
OPINION
“Scarface” (1983), starring Al Pachino as Tony Montana, was criticized by the
Miami City Commissioner at the time for a negative portrayal of Cuban refugees.
Screenshot courtesy of @mafia.movie.empire on Instagram.
Gloria Fuentes (Gina Rodriguez) gets entangled in Lino Esparza’s (Ismael Cruz
Cordova) gang in the controversial movie “Miss Bala” (2019). Screenshot courtesy of
@missbalamovie on Instagram.
Mexican painter Frida Kahlo’s self-portraits earned her international
renown for their bold colors and moving expressionism. Screenshot
courtesy of @filmdeprived on Instagram.
Oscar Diaz (Julio Macias) confronts Ruby Martinez (Jason Genao)
in season 2, episode 2 of “On My Block.” Screenshot courtesy of
@onmyblocknetflix on Instagram.
OPINION

12
THURSDAY
SEPT 28.
2023
BAY AREA SPORTS EMBRACE LATINE HERITAGE
Pro sports franchises have begun to recognize the heritage and culture of their Latine fanbases. Photo courtesy of Hayley Hom/49ers
SPORTS
CHASE DARDEN
Staff Writer
As professional sports franchises begin to celebrate Hispanic
Heritage Month, teams in the Bay Area have made an effort to
acknowledge such a large part of their fan bases.
The Latine community makes up 39% of California’s population.
It is the largest ethnic group in the state, and the third largest in the
Bay Area, at 24%, according to SFist.
The Latine community’s impact is seen in the sports world,
specifically regarding Bay Area fandom. The Bay Area has six
professional sports teams from San Jose, Oakland, and San Francisco
– the San Francisco Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and Golden State
Warriors among others.
In May, Vivid Seats, a leading ticket sales company, collected data
from their National Football League (NFL) ticket sales and found that
the 49ers are not only the most popular NFL team in the Bay Area, but
also in the state of California. Out of California’s 58 counties, 45 root
for the 49ers.
In the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Warriors are
one of the most dominant franchises in the last decade. The Warriors
made waves after the 2022 championship when Warrior and Oakland
native Juan Toscano-Anderson became the first player of Mexican
descent to win an NBA championship, according to NBC.
25-year-old Ysenia Rubio, a Latine San Francisco native from the
Excelsior District, said, “We are already passionate about our roots
and heritage. We bring that passion to our home sports teams as well
— I have seen the passion in and out of our home stadiums. My favorite
way to celebrate after a big win is going to the Mission and watching
my community have our own parade with low riders, fireworks, and
loud music.”
Pro sports teams recognize their Latine fan bases through special
events during Hispanic Heritage Month and throughout the year.
“All of our home teams have begun to acknowledge Hispanic
Heritage Month, such as ‘Fiesta Gigantes’ at Oracle Park,” said Rubio.
“These events show that the teams recognize us, and give us the same
love we give them.”
The annual ‘Fiesta Gigantes’ has been a tradition since 2005,
where players celebrate the impact Latines have made on the game
of baseball and the city of San Francisco. Giants also had a Mexican
Heritage Night on Sept. 12, which they hold annually at Oracle Park.
Last week, the 49ers held their annual Hispanic Heritage
Night game in which they recognized the “histories, cultures, and
contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain,
Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America, through
unique activations, events, and merchandise,” according to their
website.
49ers game activations are intended to be engaging additions to
the lineup of in-game entertainment. The 49ers began their Hispanic
Heritage Night game with the traditional sounding of the foghorn, led
by offensive lineman Alfredo Gutierrez, an international player from
Tijuana, Mexico.
The 49ers’ Chief Marketing Officer Alex Chang stated, “Our
Latino Heritage Month activations celebrate the unique culture and
people that are a part of the fabric of the 49er Faithful and of the
Bay Area. Latino pride runs deep within our organization, from our
players, to our fan base, to our staff.
“In fact, our Latino employee resource group, LEAD [LatinX,
Empowerment, Advancement, and Development], plays a key role in
developing our Latino Heritage Month plan,” he said.
Emmanuel Zamora Corral, a 21-year-old San Francisco native
from the Mission District, said, “My dad influenced me and taught me
how to love Bay Area sports.“My father is an immigrant from Mexico,
and since then, he’s always been a 49ers fan and has shown my brother
and I his love for the Niners and all teams in the Bay. It’s a family thing
with sports.”
Rubio also shares a love of sports. “My biggest influence on my
love of Bay Area sports is my grandfather. He came to the Bay from El
Salvador in his late teens,” Rubio said. “At that time, American sports
leagues were nothing like they were today. However, his love for San
Francisco teams has not changed since then.”
“He’s always enjoyed the 49ers and Giants and has loved seeing
the Warriors transform over the years. He’s been lucky enough to see
memorable moments for teams at Kezar Stadium, Candlestick Park,
and Oracle Park — before it was even known as Oracle Park,” Rubio
said. “Although he’s gotten older and doesn’t enjoy crowds as much,
one thing he makes sure to do is watch his teams play from the comfort
of his home. I love watching and talking with him about the games.”
Corral said, “Sports culture has contributed a lot to the Hispanic
community because our community has a very strong family mentality,
in that we all care for one another at home, as well as on the field or
on the court,”
He continued, “I think sports in the Hispanic community can
evolve through representation, in sports that aren’t necessarily
dominated by Hispanics. For example, the more Hispanics that get
into football, the more children will see that and try the sport out for
themselves, and that goes for various sports, not just football.”
On Sept. 30, the Giants will host their “Fiesta Gigantes” game
against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The players will wear their “Gigantes”
jerseys and there will be live music from Spanish-language rock bands
as well as special food offerings.