Approved as to Form and Legality
________________________
City Attorney’s Office
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION NO. ______________ C.M.S.
INTRODUCED BY COUNCILMEMBER NOEL GALLO
RESOLUTION, AS PART OF NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE
MONTH, HONORING HISPANIC/LATINX COMMUNITY LEADERS IN
ALL COUNCIL DISTRICTS FOR THEIR CONTINUAL , YEAR-ROUND
WORK
WHEREAS, Hispanic Heritage Week, which began in 1968 under President Lyndon Johnson, was expanded to National Hispanic Heritage Month by President Ro nald Reagan and enacted into law in 1988 to cover a 30 -day period starting on September 15, the day which represents the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries; and
WHEREAS, we acknowledge that the term Hispanic is not representative to all those who are from Latin America. Hispanic/Latinx are a mixture of a rich and diverse ethnic groups; and
WHEREAS, the Bureau of the Census estimates the Hispanic/Latinx population living in Oakland as of 2018 is 27 percent; and
WHEREAS, Hispanics/ Latinx are leaders in all aspects of our national life, from the Supreme Court and halls of Congress, members of the United States Armed Forces, educators, small business owners, etc.; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month we honor the following outstanding Hispanic/Latinx individuals and organizations, who through their groundbreaking work and innovation have promoted positive change for the City of Oakland and all its residents; and
WHEREAS; the Office of The Mayor honors The Unity Council Business Assistance Center, which was established during the peak of Covid -19 in 2021 and has supported over 300 businesses in Oakland and surrounding cities since then. The Business Assistance Center is composed of two business engagement specialists, Tina Sanchez and Maria Sanchez , and a Business Manager, Jordan Garcia. The team has directly impacted the businesses by providing permit application support, business analysis, one-on-one coaching, and much more , while also creating leaders within the business community and them themselves becoming leaders for the organization and larger Oakland community; and
WHEREAS, District 2 is honored to recognize and honor Laura Rivas for her service, vision and leadership serving our families and children. Laura serves as the Community School Manager at Garfield Elementary School, and is a pillar in the San Antonio neighborhood, one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Oakland, where she works with students and families to connect them to important resources and create lasting partnerships between the school and community organizations that help students thrive. Laura has over 20 years of experience working with yout h and families directly impacted by systematic and institutional -2-
racism in the context of schools, community, workplaces, and the prison-industrial complex. Laura earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and a Master of Arts degree in Cultural Anthropology and Social Transformation from California Institute for Integral Studies in San Francisco. After earning her master’s degree, Laura became immersed in the immigrant rights movement in the Bay Area and na tionally through her work leading a human rights abuse documentation project with the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. She trained dozens of grassroots organizations throughout the country on documenting abuse and organizing. Trained in the Freirían pedagogy of popular education, Laura believes in the innate capacity of people directly impacted by oppression to come up with the solutions to their own problems in the context of a supportive community. Laura is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrant parents who were undocumented for most of her childhood and were dealing with their own unresolved trauma. As the parent of two precious seeds (children) ages 9 and 13, Laura is committed to breaking generational curses and paving the way toward healing from the violence of colonization and displacement of brown bodies. Laura enjoys dancing to cumbias, hikes in the redwoods and cuddling with her two kids and their kittens. District 2 is grateful for Laura’s service, vision, and love for our community; and
WHEREAS, District 3 is proud to recognize Sabrina Valadez-Rios, a West Oakland native and the Director of Pathway to Freedom at the Freedom Community Clinic and Life Long Medical Center in Oakland, California. District 3 is grateful and humbled by her dedication and care to our community; and
WHEREAS, District 4 is honored to recognize Dr. Cesar A. Cruz, an organizer, advocate, gang intervention specialist, and public speaker, who has been instrumental in the grassroots fight for justice and empowerment of young people of color, especially gang -involved youth, through organizing and providing positive opportunities for young people in Oakland. An immigrant from Mexico, he is the founder of Homies Empowerment, a local Oakland-based non-profit focused on empowering gang-involved and impacted youth. Homies offers after-school programs, community circles, and youth leadership with the ultimate goal of transforming lives and changing young peoples’ trajectories. Throughout his career, Dr. Cruz has created safe spaces and alternatives to violence for youth and has made it his lifelong quest to support vio lence-prevention strategies through fostering hope and peace in our communities; and
WHEREAS, the City of Oakland and District 5 are proud to honor Pete Escovedo and family. The Escovedo Family grew up in Oakland, attended our schools, and has been an ongoing supporter to our communities. Pete Escovedo discovered and cultivated a love and passion for music, with his father and brothers, which soon led him to embrace Latin jazz and pass it on to his children, Sheila E., Juan and Peter Michael. Not only were Pete and his brother Coke the founders of the history -making band Azteca, but Pete was also one of the early members of Santana.
Contributing his signature sound on timbales and releasing 15 albums, Pet e has performed for millions around the world. Pete and his daughter Sheila E. a graduate from Oakland high school made history by becoming the first father daughter duo to ever receive The Lifetime Achievement award from the Latin Grammy’s. Emmy and Grammy® nominee Sheila E. known as “The Queen of Percussion”, adding to her prolific career as a recording artist, producer, and musician extraordinaire has earned a Star on “The Hollywood Walk of fame”. Her philanthropic work away from the spotlight, is giving back to the city of Oakland, as co -founder of “Elevate Oakland” a non-profit organization. Elevate Oakland is a non -profit that works to bring culturally vibrant art and music programs to Oakland’s youth. Its mission to provide students with opportunities to engage in art and music programming has led us to partner with public schools to meet a wide variety of needs, ranging from the provision of musical instruments for classroom programs to facilitating opportunities for students to perform alongside loca l professional musicians. To date, Elevate Oakland has successfully served over 3,000 youth at over 30 Oakland public schools. Juan Escovedo brings his flavor of Latin R&B to the table with his amazing music and performances that captivates audiences with his rhythmic percussion and congas. Juan is also an educator and gives back to the youth with the history of drumming when not touring. As a Producer, songwriter, Peter Michael, won an Emmy for Best Sound on Television for The Wayne Brady Show. His energy and stage presence always electrifies the crowd on bongos, drums and vocals. Peter -3-
Michael’s gospel music always heals the soul. The E Family’s contribution to the philanthropic community is exemplary as they give back by assisting families and children i n need through introducing the power of healing through music. The Escovedo Family is being recognized as 2023 Oakland Latino Leaders, as part of the Oakland celebration National Hispanic Heritage Month due to their commitment and pride in Oakland, numerous musical accomplishments, and contributions to the Oakland community; and
WHEREAS, District 5 is proud to honor Lupe Gallego-Diaz, who currently serves as Director of the Chicanx Latinx Student Development Center and Co -Director of the Latinos and the Environment Initiative at the University of California, Berkeley. In these roles she leads the university’s equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts, and plays a key role in advancing institutional excellence. She is one of seven offices under the Center of Educational Justice and Community Engagement (EJCE) that addresses college access, support student success and enhance diversity- related teaching and learning across campus. EJCE also works collaboratively with and serves as a resource for colleges, departments, and administrative units as they establish, coordinate, and assess their contributions to institutional diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging goals. Lupe has vast teaching experiences in the Chicano Studies Program/Ethnic Studies Department and School of Social work at the University of California, Berkeley. Areas of teaching and research include - identity and leadership develop ment, health and mental wellness, environmental justice, Latinas and globalization, and non -profits, fundraising, and philanthropy. Throughout her academic and administrative pursuits Lupe has been committed to addressing educational and economic inequities and advocating for social justice needs of Chicanx Latinx communities and communities of color in higher education. Over 30 years of experience in higher education Lupe is involved with a number of national and international organizations as a consultant and advisor including the National Association of Chicana and Chicano Studies(link is external), Muxeres Activas en Letra y Cambio Social(link is external) (a higher education organization that supports Chicanas Latinas and Indigenous women) and a nationa l advisor for the Mexican government in higher education as Consejera Consultiva del Instituto de los Mexicanos en Exterior. She also consults and works closely with various alumni groups on advancement/fund development and sits on a variety of boards such as - statewide UC and UCB Chicanx Latinx Alumni Association, UC BIPOC Alumni Association, Environmental Justice Coalition for Water, Chicana Latina Foundation, and the Bay Area Hispano for Advancement; and
WHEREAS, District 6 is proud to honor The Romo Café located on 5395 Bancroft Ave in Oakland California, which is a proud Latina-owned café that serves the surrounding areas. The first edition of The Romo Café was created in 2018 by Irma Romo and her sister. In 2021, Irma and Veronica Hernandez cam e together to create the second edition of The Romo Café. They added new recipes and created the community’s favorite green goddess dressing! With the new recipes, Irma and Veronica molded the Café into place that serves new artisanal coffee and traditional café de olla to bring together all ages of coffee lovers. The Romo Café brings a sense of togetherness and warmth to the community of Oakland. The café allows for a space of celebration, bonding, and happiness when the community comes in for a meal. The Romo Café also brings hope for all women that aspire to open their own business. Irma, Esther, Adrianna, and Veronica welcome all to come in and enjoy a delicious meal made with love and pride from a Latina only crew. The café loves when educators, students and surrounding business owners come in to celebrate big achievements or just to stop by for a quick meal. The Romo Café could not be prouder to be a part of Oaklands Latina owned business community. They hope to gain more wonderful customers and to continue to serve those who love the café; and
WHEREAS, Councilmember Treva Reid hereby recognize s Diego Gonzalez as District 7’s National Hispanic Heritage Month honoree. Diego currently serves as the Port of Oakland’s Government Affairs Representative, le ading efforts across three critical port business lines – Maritime, Commercial Real Estate and Aviation and represent affairs of the Oakland Airport which is situated in District 7. In his role, Deigo works to enhance the quality of the Port’s relationships with elected officials, business partners, trade associations, government agency and community stakeholders. Previously, Deigo served as Principal Field Representative for then Assemblymember Rob Bonta, working on working housing policy to help and educate constituents -4-
on their rights. He also played a key role in organizing resource events for Spanish speaking parents of OUSD students in conjunction with the Latino Education Network and with the passage of AB 5, allowing undocumented Californians to have Drivers Licenses. Deigo has served as an appointed member of the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee, was elected as a Vice- Chair of the Chicano-Latino Caucus and co-founded the Latino Democratic Club of the East Bay and the Latino Young Democrats of the East Bay. Diego is a graduate of the Alameda Labor Council’s Values-Based Leadership Program, a proud member of IFPTE Local 21 and has been an excellent to partner to the district 7 team and the greater region; and
WHEREAS, Councilmember Kaplan hereby honors Julia Arroyo, Co-Executive Director of Young Women’s Freedom Center (YWFC). Since joining YWFC in 2014, Julia has been instrumental in the success of the organization’s programmatic work and in maintaining the culture and healing methodologies central to its ability to effect change. Julia can also be credited with running the YWFC headquarters in San Francisco — enabling expansion to Santa Clara County, Oakland, and Los Angeles. Julia is a second -generation immigrant of M exican/ Filipino descent and identifies as Xicana. And this work and YWFC are personal to her, having had involvement in foster care, the underground street economy, and incarceration. She has healed her life and is committed to supporting marginalized girls to break free from systemic and interpersonal violence.
She is currently majoring in Women’s Studies at San Francisco City College and has over two decades of experience in community health, rape crisis, and work with sexually exploited youth; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED: That the City of Oakland celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month to recognize the achievements and contributions of Oakland’s Hispanic/Latinx champions who have worked tirelessly for their communities and inspired others to achieve succ ess through their selfless leadership.
IN COUNCIL, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA,
PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES - FIFE, GALLO, JENKINS, KALB, KAPLAN, RAMACHANDRAN, REID, AND
PRESIDENT FORTUNATO BAS
NOES –
ABSENT –
ABSTENTION –
ATTEST:
ASHA REED
City Clerk and Clerk of the Council of the
City of Oakland, California
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