News

Events: May 2023

May 31st: Housing Levy Rally

Join the Housing Development Consortium (HDC) at Seattle City Hall on May 31 for a rally in support of affordable homes, services, and fair wages for front-line staff! There will be a public hearing about the 2023 Housing Levy immediately following the rally

Date: May 31st, 3:30 PM

Location: Seattle City Hall, 600 4th Ave | Seattle, WA 98104

You can sign up for testimony tips and talking points for the public hearing here: bit.ly/42lI1aL

June 6th: Women of Color Leading Change

Many of King County’s leading anti-poverty agencies are led by women of color. Their vision, life experience, and executive leadership skills are driving how we work to solve poverty and provide all of our neighbors with equitable access to the support and resources they need to thrive.

For the first time ever, four of these leaders will come together for a dynamic community conversation in the Social Justice Salon Series: Women of Color Leading Change.

Date: June 6th, 7 – 9 PM

Location: The Great Hall at Town Hall Seattle | 1119 8th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101

More Information: https://www.solid-ground.org/get-involved/social-justice-salons/#wocleaders

June 8th: Columbia City Project – Community Meeting

Please join us virtually for a community meeting about our Columbia City project!

El Centro de la Raza’s Housing at Columbia City will include 87 affordable, apartments for families, a multicultural, bilingual child development center, a permanent home for Church of Hope, and office space for Consejo Counseling and Referral Services.

Date: June 8th, 6 – 7:30 PM

Location: Virtual

RSVP Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/el-centro-de-la-razas-columbia-city-project-community-meeting-tickets-622080468427

June 14th: The Four Amigos,
Beloved Community Groundbreaking Ceremony

We would like to invite you to the Groundbreaking Ceremony of The Four Amigos, Beloved Community. This mixed use development will include 87-units of affordable housing, a new four-classroom Jose Marti Child Development Center, Consejo Counseling Services offices, and Church of Hope worship space located in the Columbia City neighborhood of Seattle.

Date: June 14th, 11 AM – 12 PM

Location: 3818 S Angeline St, Seattle, WA 98118

RSVP Here: Please email Camila Puelpan to RSVP. (cpuelpan@elcentrodelaraza.org)

October 14th: 2023 Building the Beloved Community Gala

Please save the date for our annual Building the Beloved Community Gala! The in-person event will include live music, a reception and plated dinner, an awards ceremony for our Roberto Felipe Maestas Legacy Awards and Scholarships recipients, live and online auctions, and more! We are looking forward to celebrating our anniversary with you!

Tickets for individuals and tables are on sale now! Early-bird tickets are available through Thursday, September 14, 2023.

Date: Saturday, October 14, 2023

Location: Seattle Convention Center (Summit Building)

RSVP Here: https://elcentro.ejoinme.org/register2023

Cuentos from Our Work: May 2023

Cinco de Mayo

So many community members came out to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with us, and we are so grateful! We had prepared for the worst, but the weather was kind and stayed sunny and warm for most of the day.

There were so many fantastic performers, including traditional singers, dancers, and musicians. The amount of talent on display was inspiring! Teachers and students from all our José Martí Centers also put on a fashion show wearing traditional clothing to celebrate the diversity of their cultures!

We also had so many wonderful small businesses selling art, clothing, jewelry and other hand-made items. Our food vendors were much in demand as people lined up to try their delicious food! Several organizations also joined us to provide vital resources, like vaccinations, to our community.

Mil gracias to everyone that made this event so successful, including our staff, volunteers, vendors and performers! A very special thanks to our generous sponsors: Beacon Arts, the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, Geico, UW Medicine and Harborview Medical Center. Our celebration would not have been possible without them!

Events: April 2023

April 28th: Children’s Day Market | Mercado del Día del Niño

Let’s celebrate the little ones with a clown show, music, handcrafts, jewelry, handmade candles, spicy gummies and many more surprises! Come join us and support our local small businesses!

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¡Celebremos a los más pequeños con un espectáculo de payasos, música, artesanías, joyas, velas artesanales, gomitas enchiladas y muchas sorpresas más!

¡Únase a nosotros y apoye a nuestras pequeñas empresas locales!

Dates: April 28th, 10 AM – 6 PM

Location: 1660 S Roberto Maestas Festival St, Seattle, WA 98144

RSVP Here: https://fb.me/e/3kqq1SJeK

May 6th: Cinco de Mayo Celebration

We are so excited to invite you celebrate our culture with us in an amazing outdoor event at our Plaza! We will have delicious food, music and lots of entertainment! We hope you’ll join us!

Interested in tabling at our celebration? Applications are now open! Please get in touch with Berenice at babarca@elcentrodelaraza.org or at 360.986.7019 to apply.

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Acompáñenos con su familia a celebrar nuestra cultura en nuestro gran evento! Tendremos variedades de deliciosa comida, ¡música y muchas sorpresas de entretenimiento! Los esperamos!

¿Está interesado en participar en nuestra celebración? ¡Las aplicaciones ya están abiertas! Comuníquese con Berenice en babarca@elcentrodelaraza.org o al 360.986.7019 para presentar su solicitud.

Dates: May 6th, 10 AM – 6 PM

Location: 1660 S Roberto Maestas Festival St, Seattle, WA 98144

RSVP Here: https://fb.me/e/2i4EdqGSx

On-going till April 15th: Free Bilingual Tax Prep

The United Way Free Tax Experts are back and ready to help you maximize your refund!

Bring your income and tax documents, meet with a tax preparer, and walk out knowing your maximized tax refund is on its way!

Masks are required.

Dates: January 10th-April 15th, Tuesday and Thursday from 5-9PM, or Sunday from 10AM-4PM. UWKC observes all federal holidays.

Location: El Centro de la Raza, 2524 16th Ave S Seattle, WA 98144

Learn more here: https://www.uwkc.org/need-help/tax-help/

On-going till April 15th: Free ITIN Services

We have partnered with United Way of King County, Seattle Credit Union and Express Credit Union to offer free ITIN help.

We will provide all necessary forms, including a W-7, Certificate of Accuracy, and an official letter stating the applicant is opening an interest-bearing account. Bring your proof of foreign status and identity (such as a passport).

Masks are required.

Dates: February 7th-April 18th, Tuesdays: 6:15PM – 9PM Thursdays: 5PM – 9PM

Location: El Centro de la Raza, 2524 16th Ave S Seattle, WA 98144

Download the flyer with more information below!

El-Centro-ITIN-Flyer-ENG-SPANDownload

Take Action: Requiring King County Businesses to Accept Cash and the 2023 Roberto Felipe Maestas Legacy Awards Nominations

King County Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles has introduced an ordinance that would make it illegal for businesses in unincorporated King County to refuse payments in cash. There is a lot of data out there that shows cashless businesses hurt communities of color, seniors, undocumented residents and refugee and immigrant communities, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and those experiencing homelessness. Everyone should be able to participate in our economy, be able to purchase food and other basic items, and be able to pay with cash if they’re unbanked or underbanked or prefer not using bank cards because of privacy concerns.

The first hearing on this ordinance will on March 28 at 9:30 in the Local Services Committee. Please email or call your Councilmember to show your support of this ordinance! You can find your district and Councilmember contact information here and sample email and phone messages below.

Sample email:

Dear Councilmember [NAME OF YOUR COUNCILMEMBER]:

My name is [YOUR NAME] and I live in the [DISTRICT NUMBER] District. I’m writing to you to express my support for the recently introduced ordinance by Councilmember Kohl-Welles that would make it illegal for businesses in unincorporated King County to refuse cash payments. Cashless businesses have been show to hurt already marginalized communities, like people of color, seniors, undocumented, refugee and immigrant communities, disabled people, and those experiencing homelessness

According to the FDIC’s Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2020 (May 2021), 18% of adults in the U.S. are unbanked or underbanked, meaning they may lack access to digital forms of payment, including credit or debit cards. This problem is worse for minority households, adults with less education and adults with lower income.

Another concern is that noncash transactions generate vast amounts of data. Paying with cash provides consumers with significantly more privacy than do electronic forms of payment.

Furthermore, when consumers are forced to pay for goods and services in cashless transactions, they (as well as the businesses where they shop) are also often forced to incur added expenses in the form of network and transaction fees.

It is crucial for people to be able to obtain necessities at their local stores and restaurants without being turned away because they want to pay with cash.

Thank you for your leadership on these important issues,
[YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION]

Sample phone message:

My name is [YOUR FIRST & LAST NAME] and I am your constituent. I’m calling to express my support for the recently introduced ordinance by Councilmember Kohl-Welles that would make it illegal for businesses in unincorporated King County to refuse cash payments.

Cashless businesses hurt communities that are more likely to be unbanked or underbanked, which include people of color, seniors, undocumented, refugee and immigrant communities, disabled people, and those experiencing homelessness. Cash payments also provide more privacy and do not incur added expenses in the form of network and transaction fees which burden lower margin businesses.

It is crucial for people to be able to obtain necessities at their local stores and restaurants without being turned away because they want to pay with cash.

Thank you for your attention to this important issue!

Also, read the ACLU blog post about the importance of requiring businesses to accept cash.

2023 Roberto Felipe Maestas Legacy Award Nominations

El Centro de la Raza’s late founder, Roberto Maestas helped organize the 1972 peaceful occupation of the abandoned Beacon Hill school, which later became El Centro de la Raza as we know it today. Roberto Maestas’s life was dedicated to building “Beloved Community” through multi-racial unity. He deeply believed that poverty, racism, and social inequity could only be eradicated if people of all races and backgrounds came together to do so.
 
In honor of Roberto and his legacy, the 13th Annual Roberto Felipe Maestas Legacy Award recognizes two individuals who have exemplified Building the Beloved Community through multi-racial unity and working to eliminate poverty, racism, and social inequity. We encourage people of all races, ethnicities, ages, and gender identities to apply for this award. 
 
El Centro de la Raza will celebrate awardees and their contributions by making a $1,000 gift in their name to an organization of their choice. Award recipients will be recognized at El Centro de la Raza’s Building the Beloved Community Gala, which is set to take place on Saturday, October 14, 2023.
 
Legacy Award applicants can self-nominate or be nominated by someone else here.

The Deadline for application submission is Tuesday, May 31, 2023 at 5:00pm Pacific Time.

Cuentos from Our Work: March 2023

Skate and Connect Community Night

On Monday February 20th, we welcomed over 200 attendees to our Skate and Connect event at our recently acquired El Centro Skate Rink.

Familias from across King County came out to enjoy our skate rink and connect with local community organizations. The event was an opportunity for community members to create relationships while also having fun and staying active.

Thank you to everyone who came out to support this event, and to our community partners who helped make it a success! We look forward to continuing to provide opportunities for our community to come together and connect in meaningful ways.

Hip Hop is Green

Some of our youth program participants have recently been working with Hip Hop Is Green (HHIG), the first Hip Hop plant-based climate change health and wellness organization. They give the students the opportunity to increase their leadership skills and participate in multiple community-based projects throughout the Seattle area. Through workshops and activities, our scholars have learned about the global impact of external factors such as pollution and government. They have also learned about the importance of selecting healthy food decisions and advocating for their rights. Most importantly, students have developed their confidence on how to create community-driven innovative solutions in their community.

Federal Way Mirror Article of the Year 2023

The Federal Way Mirror recently named the story of our acquisition of the former Pattison’s West skating rink as their 2023 Article of the Year. It is a testament to the dedication and support of our community. Gracias to reporter Alex Bruell for his wonderful article and the whole Federal Way Mirror for this honor!

Read the original winning article on the Federal Way Mirror website.

Our Executive Director Estela Ortega, left, stands with Mirror reporter Alex Bruell and Liz Huizar, director of Youth Services at El Centro de la Raza.
(Photo credit Olivia Sullivan / The Mirror)

Events: March 2023

March 17th: Spring Day Market | Mercado Día de la Primavera

Let’s celebrate spring with music, entertainment, handicrafts, jewelry, handmade candles and more! Come join us and support our local small businesses!
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¡Celebremos la primavera con música, entretenimiento, artesanías, joyeria, velas artesanales y más! ¡Únase a nosotros y apoye a nuestras pequeñas empresas locales!

Dates: March 17th, 10 AM – 6 PM

Location: 1660 S Roberto Maestas Festival St, Seattle, WA 98144

RSVP Here: https://fb.me/e/2tUTcmTxA

March 17th: Saint Patrick’s Day Adult Skate Night

Join us for a fun-filled evening of skating and great music! 18+ only.
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¡Acompañanos a una velada divertida patinando y con excelente musica! Solo para mayores de 18 años.

Dates: March 17th, 7:30 PM – 10 PM

Location: El Centro Skate Rink, 34222 Pacific Hwy S, Federal Way, WA 98003

Buy Tickets: https://www.elcentroskaterink.com/event-details/st-patricks-day-adult-skate

April 8th: Easter Market | Mercado Día de Pascua

We invite you to take your picture with the Easter Bunny, enjoy music, entertainment, crafts, jewelry, handmade candles, spicy gummies and much more! Come join us and support our local, small vendors.
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¡Te invitamos a tomarte la foto con el Conejo de Pascua, disfrutar de música, entretenimiento, artesanías, joyería, velas artesanales, gomitas enchiladas y mucho más! ¡Únase a nosotros y apoye a nuestras pequeñas empresas locales!

Dates: April 8th, 10 AM – 4 PM

Location: 1660 S Roberto Maestas Festival St, Seattle, WA 98144

RSVP Here: https://fb.me/e/3h57mDv0v

April 12th: April National Minority Health Month

Every April, the U.S. observes National Minority Health Month to highlight the importance of improving the health of racial and ethnic minority communities and reducing health disparities. Fred Hutch will be putting on a series of weekly Brave Space Discussions throughout April, hosted by local community leaders. Join our very own Estela Ortega on April 12th, who will be giving a talk titled “Health and Justice”

Dates: April 12th, 12 – 1 PM

Location: Virtual, via Zoom

RSVP Here: bit.ly/2023NMHM2

A complete schedule of all the Brave Space Discussions can be found here!

NMHM-2023-WK-2-1Download

April 28th: Children’s Day Market | Mercado del Día del Niño

Let’s celebrate the little ones with a clown show, music, handcrafts, jewelry, handmade candles, spicy gummies and many more surprises! Come join us and support our local small businesses!

—

¡Celebremos a los más pequeños con un espectáculo de payasos, música, artesanías, joyas, velas artesanales, gomitas enchiladas y muchas sorpresas más!

¡Únase a nosotros y apoye a nuestras pequeñas empresas locales!

Dates: April 28th, 10 AM – 6 PM

Location: 1660 S Roberto Maestas Festival St, Seattle, WA 98144

RSVP Here: https://fb.me/e/3kqq1SJeK

May 6th: Cinco de Mayo Celebration

We are so excited to invite you celebrate our culture with us in an amazing outdoor event at our Plaza! We will have delicious food, music and lots of entertainment! We hope you’ll join us!

Interested in tabling at our celebration? Applications are now open! Please get in touch with Berenice at babarca@elcentrodelaraza.org or at 360.986.7019 to apply.

—

Acompáñenos con su familia a celebrar nuestra cultura en nuestro gran evento! Tendremos variedades de deliciosa comida, ¡música y muchas sorpresas de entretenimiento! Los esperamos!

¿Está interesado en participar en nuestra celebración? ¡Las aplicaciones ya están abiertas! Comuníquese con Berenice en babarca@elcentrodelaraza.org o al 360.986.7019 para presentar su solicitud.

Dates: May 6th, 10 AM – 6 PM

Location: 1660 S Roberto Maestas Festival St, Seattle, WA 98144

RSVP Here: https://fb.me/e/2i4EdqGSx

On-going till April 15th: Free Bilingual Tax Prep

The United Way Free Tax Experts are back and ready to help you maximize your refund!

Bring your income and tax documents, meet with a tax preparer, and walk out knowing your maximized tax refund is on its way!

Masks are required.

Dates: January 10th-April 15th, Tuesday and Thursday from 5-9PM, or Sunday from 10AM-4PM. UWKC observes all federal holidays.

Location: El Centro de la Raza, 2524 16th Ave S Seattle, WA 98144

Learn more here: https://www.uwkc.org/need-help/tax-help/

On-going till April 18th: Free ITIN Services

We have partnered with United Way of King County, Seattle Credit Union and Express Credit Union to offer free ITIN help.

We will provide all necessary forms, including a W-7, Certificate of Accuracy, and an official letter stating the applicant is opening an interest-bearing account. Bring your proof of foreign status and identity (such as a passport).

Masks are required.

Dates: February 7th-April 18th, Tuesdays: 6:15PM – 9PM Thursdays: 5PM – 9PM

Location: El Centro de la Raza, 2524 16th Ave S Seattle, WA 98144

Download the flyer with more information below!

El-Centro-ITIN-Flyer-ENG-SPANDownload

Events: February 2023

On-going till April 15th: Free Bilingual Tax Prep

The United Way Free Tax Experts are back and ready to help you maximize your refund!

Bring your income and tax documents, meet with a tax preparer, and walk out knowing your maximized tax refund is on its way!

Masks are required.

Dates: January 10th-April 15th, Tuesday and Thursday from 5-9PM, or Sunday from 10AM-4PM. UWKC observes all federal holidays.

Location: El Centro de la Raza, 2524 16th Ave S Seattle, WA 98144

Learn more here: https://www.uwkc.org/need-help/tax-help/

On-going till April 18th: Free ITIN Services

We have partnered with United Way of King County, Seattle Credit Union and Express Credit Union to offer free ITIN help.

We will provide all necessary forms, including a W-7, Certificate of Accuracy, and an official letter stating the applicant is opening an interest-bearing account. Bring your proof of foreign status and identity (such as a passport).

Masks are required.

Dates: February 7th-April 18th, Tuesdays: 6:15PM – 9PM Thursdays: 5PM – 9PM

Location: El Centro de la Raza, 2524 16th Ave S Seattle, WA 98144

Download the flyer with more information below!

El-Centro-ITIN-Flyer-ENG-SPANDownload

February 20th: Skate and Connect Resource Fair

This free event is an opportunity for local community agencies to connect with individuals and familias. Our goal is to bring together organizations that provide services related to education, pre-apprenticeships, and health to enhance the well-being of our community. All while having fun on skates con nuestra comunidad. Acompañanos!

Dates: February 20th, 6PM-8PM

Location: El Centro Skate Rink, 34222 Pacific Hwy S, Federal Way, WA 98003

RSVP Here: https://fb.me/e/4cHnIfIrs

Skate-and-Connect-Flyer-2023Download

March 2nd: Café con El Centro de la Raza Tour

Join us for Café con El Centro de la Raza the first Thursday of each month (except holidays) at our historic Beacon Hill building in room 307.

This is a monthly opportunity for members of the community to visit our historic main building, learn more about the history of the organization and the work our programs do, and possibly get more information about volunteering. We will meet in room 307 for café, snacks and a tour of our building and programs. See how we’re building our “Beloved Community” and how you can join us.

Dates: March 2nd, 8:30AM-9:30AM

Location: El Centro de la Raza, 2524 16th Ave S Seattle, WA 98144

Learn More & RSVP Here: https://fb.me/e/2d3mSR0iB

Take Action: Vote yes on I-135: Social housing for a diversity of incomes will give everyone an opportunity to thrive

The following was written by Estela Ortega, executive director of El Centro de la Raza and Shalimar Gonzales, CEO of Solid Ground. It was originally published in The Seattle Times on Friday, January 20, 2023.

Every day, our organizations hear from people across Seattle facing the same crisis: Ever-increasing housing costs that rise far faster than wages, leaving families desperately looking for a new place they can afford. They might spend a night in the car while they look, but then a night becomes a week, a week becomes a month, and so another family is exposed to the trauma of homelessness — a trauma now shared by more than 40,000 people in King County each year.  

This is what happens when a city’s skyrocketing population and job growth collides with a private housing market that hasn’t been able to keep pace, pushing rents up 50% in metro Seattle over just the last decade. But it doesn’t have to be like this.  

Starting next week, Seattle voters will be asked to consider a grassroots ballot initiative called Initiative 135 that would create a new public agency, the Seattle Social Housing Developer, to buy, build and maintain a new kind of permanently affordable housing across the city. By law, these energy-efficient, union-built, city-owned homes would be available to people with a wide range of incomes, from people with no income at all to folks who are fully employed with good jobs but still struggling with the cost of housing in Seattle. That includes educators, health care staff, child-care providers and the front-line human service workers that are so vital to organizations like ours. Rent would be based on income: People who earn more would pay more, but nobody would pay more than 30% of their income on housing. 

Instead of concentrating and isolating low incomes renters — as public housing projects have often done in the past — these self-governed properties would be home to a healthy diversity of incomes, giving everyone a better opportunity to thrive. What’s more, the flexible income requirements would allow residents to pursue better-paying jobs without losing their housing, giving more people an opportunity to escape poverty and build a better future for themselves. 

Now, you might be thinking, “Sounds great, but aren’t there already a bunch of organizations building affordable housing? Why do we need another?” The answer is yes, there are, and their work continues to be vital in our effort to close Seattle’s staggering shortage of affordable homes — which is why we need to renew the Seattle Housing Levy this fall. But we also know that everything we’re doing now is still not enough. In fact, it has been estimated that King County needs to spend an additional $450 million to $1.1 billion per year to make up for years of housing underproduction.

The Social Housing Developer proposed by I-135 would be able to chip away at that deficit without taking resources from existing affordable housing programs because it would be funded primarily through municipal bonds that would be repaid in part through rental income. And this would be an investment that keeps on giving: Once the bonds on each project are paid off, the rental income generated by each building can be used to pay for the development of additional properties. 

This kind of affordable housing production would be completely new to Seattle, but it has been used successfully for decades all around the world, in places like New Zealand, Austria and Uruguay. In Montgomery County, a fast-growing suburb of Washington, D.C., an agency similar to the Seattle Social Housing Developer recently created a revolving $50 million housing production fund that is expected to produce nearly 8,800 units of housing. We can do the same in Seattle. 

Critics of I-135 have argued that we should focus all our resources on building homes for our lowest-income neighbors. But the truth is we can — and must — do both things at the same time: Build more housing for people with no income at all as well as for those who work full time but still can’t afford the astronomical cost of housing in Seattle. As it is, nearly 46,000 households in Seattle are spending more than half of their income on housing, leaving little left for other basic living costs. 

Building more affordable housing in our city isn’t just the right thing to do; it is literally the only way we can hope to end our homelessness crisis. If we don’t find ways to build new affordable homes more quickly, we will continue to see more of our neighbors priced out of the private housing market and pulled into homelessness every year. Please vote yes on I-135 and help us build a better future for Seattle.  

Estela Ortega is the executive director of El Centro de la Raza, an organization that works to build unity across all racial and economic sectors, to organize, empower and defend our most vulnerable and marginalized populations.

Shalimar Gonzales is the CEO of Solid Ground, a community action agency that works to solve poverty by meeting basic needs, nurturing success and dismantling barriers that keep our communities from thriving.

Read another article about Initiative 135 at PubliCola here.

2022 Employee & Volunteer Recognition

Our staff and volunteers work so hard to provide all 43 of our programs and services. Please join us in acknowledging and celebrating their service and dedication!

Executive Director’s Award – Hilda Magaña

Employee of the Year, Seattle – Tania Zárate

Employee of the Year, Federal Way – Maria Casarez

Spirit Award – Laura Aban

Volunteer of the Year Seattle – Yadira Alvarez

Volunteer of the Year Federal Way – Moises Marchan

Equipo del Año – AARP

Service Awards

25 Years of Service

Maria Rico

Maria Teresa Garcia Fitz

Sandra Medina Silva

20 Years of Service

Ricardo Solis

Maria de Jesus Ramirez

Cristina Jimenez

15 Years of Service

Jessica Harris Herrera

Maricela Arguello

Belem Mendoza Ruiz

5 Years of Service

Veronica Gallardo
Wing Yiu Yuen

Mirtha Gonzalez
Yaoping Yang

Rosa Isela Perez
Ayda Majeed Ramadhan

3 Years of Service

Victor Cerdeneta
Mandela Gardner
Heidi Hammes
Iris Navarro Diaz de Leon
Yenny Dzul
Deicy Pérez Sánchez
Hayley Berra

Safiullah Mirzaee
Janeth Angeles
Jim Cantú
Olga Cortes
Estela Rodriguez
Pedro Ruiz
Paolo Arellano

Daniela Lizárraga
Karen Calvo
Maria Jasso Torres
Adulfa Gomez
Vilma Villalobos
Camila Puelpan

Frontline Worker Awards

This year, we are celebrating the staff that since March 20th, 2020, with sacrifice, bravery, and at great personal risk, became a frontline worker exhibiting the highest degree of selflessness. We are forever grateful to their essential service! ¡Mil Gracias, por su sacrificio!

Laura Aban
Maria Luisa Aguilera
Rosalina Alvarez
Janeth Angeles
Fidencio Angeles
Norma Aparicio
Maricela Arguello
Graciela Ayala
Iran Barba
Lissette Barraza
Rafael Barron
Jose Belloso
Citlali Beltran
Jasmin Calderon
Perla Campbell
Angie Chen
Jully Chu
Olga Cortes
Elpidio Cortez Montiel
Maria de Jesus Ramirez

Martha Diaz
Ceyla Diaz Peñaloza
Rocio Espiritu
Hiromi Fermin
Teresa Fitz
Veronica Gallardo
Teresa Garcia
Raquel Garcia
Heydi Garcia
Claudibet Garcia
Flor Gomez
Angela Gomez
Adulfa Gomez
Mirtha Gonzalez
Jessica Gonzalez
Javier Gonzalez
Jessica Harris Herrera
Bertha Hernandez
Xingmei Huang
Baiyang Huang
Maria Jasso

Cristina Jimenez
Kira Lancian
Jason Li
Jiali Lin
Elizabeth Lopez
Hilda Magana
Sandra Medina
Juana Mendoza
Belem Mendoza Ruiz
Hortencia Mercado
Favian Mogollan
Janet Monroy
Maria Paguada
Claudia Pay Pay
Rosa Perez
Cecilia Perez
Franz Perez
Bernadette Polinar
Audelia Quintero
Ayda Ramadhan
Diana Ramirez

Ana Ramirez
Heyda Raymundo
Mari Rico
Alejandra Rico-Diaz
Jenny Rivera
Rocio Ruiz
Pedro Ruiz
Vianey Sanchez
Ricardo Solis
Xiaying Tan
Janet Torres
Consuelo Trujillo
Vilma Villalobos
Wendy Yang
Erxing Yang
Tania Zarate
Susie Zhang
Theresa Zhao
Sandra Zuñiga

2023 Día de los Reyes Recap

Gracias to everyone that came out to celebrate with us at our Día de los Reyes events!

Mil gracias to the students, teachers, and parents of our José Martí Child Development Centers for their traditional performance of the procession of los Tres Reyes Magos! Gracias also to all our small business vendors who were selling such amazing products.

History & Significance of Día de los Reyes

January 6th marks a symbolic celebration among the Mexican culture and various areas around the globe as we celebrate Día de Los Reyes also known as Three Kings’ Day. The holiday represents the day the Three Wise Men: Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar, representing Arabia, the Orient, and Africa, arrived on horse, camel, and elephant, bringing gold, incense and myrrh to the baby Jesus after following what is known as the Christmas star to the town of Bethlehem.

In honor of the Three Kings bringing gifts to the baby Jesus, children in Latin America, and around the world celebrate by exchanging gifts. As tradition, children leave out their shoes on the night of January 5th for the Three Kings and the next morning they awake to find gifts for them. Another common tradition during Día de Los Reyes is to bake or purchase and serve Rosca de Reyes, or King’s Cake. The Rosca is shaped like a wreath and decorated with candied fruit, and the most important part, baked with a small baby Jesus doll inside. Whoever gets the piece of the Rosca with the doll has to have a celebration on Día de la Candelaria in February. In the Mexican culture, the host will serve tamales, and a Mexican hot chocolate or champurrado.

El 6 de Enero marca una celebración simbólica entre la cultura Mexicana y varias partes del mundo, ya que celebramos el Día de Reyes, también conocido como el Día de los Reyes Magos. La celebración representa el día en que los Tres Reyes Magos: Melchor, Gaspar y Baltasar, que representan Arabia, el Oriente y África, llegaron a caballo, camello y elefante, trayendo oro, incienso y mirra al niño Jesús después de seguir lo que se conoce como la estrella de Belén.

En honor a los Reyes Magos que traen regalos al niño Jesús, los niños en Latinoamérica y en todo el mundo celebran intercambiando regalos. Como tradición, los niños dejan sus zapatos afuera la noche del 5 de Enero para los Reyes Magos y la mañana siguiente se despiertan para encontrar regalos para ellos. Otra tradición común en el Día de Los Reyes es hacer o comprar y servir una Rosca de Reyes. La Rosca tiene forma de corona y está decorada con fruta seca, y la parte más importante, horneada con un pequeño muñeco Jesús en su interior. Quien corte la pieza de la Rosca con el muñeco tiene que tener una celebración el Día de la Candelaria en Febrero. En la cultura Mexicana, el anfitrión sirve tamales y un chocolate caliente o champurrado.