Gregoria works in the fields in Contra Costa County and makes $16 an hour. She became eligible for Medi-Cal in 2022 when it was expanded to adults 50 and older regardless of their immigration status. Gregoria said it saved her life. She had a severe shoulder tendon injury and lived in pain at the time. […]
Category: English
Posted inCulture & Community
Bay Area Latina immigrants recall the pandemic in poetry and prose
This story features poems on life and struggle in the Latino immigrant community. Who are the poets? They are working class women, with diverse experiences and backgrounds, writing poetry together for the first time. Lea esta historia en español. In February and March 2025, El Tímpano invited their text message subscribers to participate in poetry […]
Posted inImmigrant Rights
What the Supreme Court’s ruling on injunctions means for immigrants
The Supreme Court closed its term with a 6 – 3 decision expected to have a profound effect on immigrants and their families. The case, Trump v. CASA, challenged the nationwide injunctions on the Trump administration’s day-one executive order to end automatic or birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to parents who are undocumented or have temporary legal status. Lea […]
Posted inInside El Tímpano
El Tímpano brings Mam voices to the table to co-create a more equitable California
When a listening session co-hosted by El Tímpano and the California Racial Equity Commission brought together members of Oakland’s Mam community and the advocates who support them on June 21, it marked a milestone gathering. The more than 50 attendees, including more than a dozen kids, were welcomed with pan dulce from Chapinlandia Bakery and […]
Posted inEducation
“A direct hit”: Latino and low-income students bear brunt of federal education cuts
Three of Christina Pedraza’s nine kids have special needs, with diagnoses of autism and ADHD. All three are children of color who attend Antioch Unified School district. Pedraza recalls the challenges of one of her children before his individual education plan (IEP), a document that spells out the accommodations he is entitled to at school, […]
Posted inNewsletter
Immigration court arrests and protests roil the Bay
The Weekly Dispatch Community-powered immigration news from the Bay Area. Welcome to El Tímpano’s Weekly Dispatch. I’m Erica Hellerstein, senior immigration, labor and economics reporter. The biggest California immigration story this week is the rapidly escalating situation in Los Angeles and the chain of events it has set off statewide, from President Trump’s federalization of […]
Posted inImmigrant Rights
Hundreds gather in Fruitvale Plaza to protest Trump administration ICE raids
Last night, around 500 people gathered in East Oakland’s Fruitvale Plaza to protest the Trump administration’s increased ICE raids and show solidarity with local immigrant communities. Lea esta historia en español. The interfaith vigil included prayers, cumbia music performances and speeches from union leaders, faith leaders and members of immigrant-serving community organizations. Several speakers urged people […]
Posted inMi Historia
Cut off from work and school by COVID, I rebuilt my life in California
We drove across the country in two days and two nights. From Homestead, Florida to Oakland, California. I remember taking in California’s mountain range from the passenger seat. I was amazed; they reminded me of the mountains I left in Guatemala. Although California looked more like home, I felt like the mountains would eventually crush me. […]
Posted inNewsletter
The child tax credit and a fight over which kids deserve support
Were you forwarded this email? Click here to subscribe. The Weekly Dispatch Community-powered immigration news from the Bay Area. Welcome to El Tímpano’s Weekly Dispatch. I’m Erica Hellerstein, senior immigration, labor and economics reporter. Last week, House Republicans narrowly passed a massive tax and spending bill that, if approved by the Senate, would allow the Trump administration […]
Posted inInside El Tímpano
Hopes for change from the Bay Area’s Latino & Mayan immigrants
As part of El Tímpano’s 2025 SMS community survey, we wanted to get a sense of our community’s hopes and concerns. So we asked the open-ended question: What would you like to see change or improve in your community? More than 170 people responded, from Hayward to Brentwood, San Francisco, Oakland, and everywhere in between. […]