WAshington Hispanic Media Association

12/20/2021

In a brief and intimate ceremony held at KOMO Plaza, last weekend members of the final board of directors of Washington Hispanic Media Association presented to Pablo Gaviria, President of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Pacific Northwest Chapter, a check for $3263.00 as a donation to this newly created organization. These funds were the remaining amount in WAHMA's account, organization inactive since December 2015.

"This donation is to keep supporting Latino local journalism much needed in our region," said Eddie Quintero, one of WAHMAS's founders and former board president.
"It is just a small investment in the new generation of journalists that we hope to see flourish. We are confident that Pablo Gaviria will lead this new chapter of Latino local journalism successfully" expressed Mario Zavaleta, last WAHMA's board president. With Tere Tita Jones, Martha Isabel Sanchez, Eddie Quintero, Pablo Gaviria & Mario Zavaleta

04/03/2018

Targeted Undocumented Activist Asks Immigration Judge to Order ICE Officials Appear in Court for Questioning
Subpoenas would force officials to testify under oath as to their reasons for targeting Maru Mora-Villalpando

Seattle, WA- Undocumented Activist Maru Mora Villalpando on Tuesday filed a motion with the United States Immigration Court in Seattle seeking an order requiring ICE to produce its officials for questioning. Law enforcement regularly appear in courtrooms across the country to provide testimony and cross-examination under oath about their actions. But in immigration court, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) refuses to produce its agents and allow the court or affected immigrants to probe their stories.

ICE agents began immigration proceedings against Mora-Villalpando last December, in retaliation for her political activity, as co-founder and key organizer of NWDC Resistance, a community group that works to bring the abuses of the now infamous Northwest Detention Center to light. Since placing her in deportation proceedings, when questioned on her case, ICE has publicly claimed that they do not target individuals for enforcement action based on their political activity. ICE’s own internal documents relating to Mora-Villalpando’s case paint a different story, referencing her “extensive involvement with anti-ICE protests” as well as her “Latino advocacy” efforts. If granted, Mora-Villalpando’s motion would compel ICE officials to testify under oath, to resolve discrepancies between their public statements and their private actions.

Mora Villalpando, through her legal counsel, has requested that ICE produce three of its employees: Seattle-based deportation and removal officer Timothy Black, ICE Executive Associate Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations Matthew Albence, and ICE spokesperson Lori Haley. Mora-Villalpando’s attorneys are arguing that their testimony in an evidentiary hearing is necessary to resolve factual disputes in this case regarding whether the agency has targeted Mora-Villalpando for her advocacy.

Mora-Villalpando has also requested that James Schwab, formerly a spokesperson for ICE, testify at an evidentiary hearing on her case. Mr. Schwab recently resigned in protest, claiming he was being forced by his superiors to lie about the agency’s planned Northern California immigration enforcement sweeps. ICE’s actions in Washington State point to the agency’s renewed focus on people who speak out against it; Washington resident Baltazar Gutierrez was recently targeted by ICE for deportation after speaking to media about his girlfriend being detained. The United Nations has expressed concern about “an increasing pattern of intimidation and retaliation against people defending migrants’ rights in the US”. In a report this month, NPR highlighted over 20 immigrant activists targeted by ICE under the Trump regime.

Mora Villalpando is next scheduled to appear in court on May 22nd. Her legal team expects a decision on their request to produce witnesses on or before that date.

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NWDC Resistance is a volunteer community group that emerged to fight deportations in 2014 at the now-infamous Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, WA. NWDC Resistance is part of the campaign and supported people detained who organized hunger strikes asking for a halt to all deportations and better treatment and conditions

07/20/2017

Community Calls on ICE to Stop Young Mother's Deportation
Mother of 2 Faces Possible Family Separation

Tukwila, WA- Today Cynthia Vanessa Iraheta López, an undocumented immigrant mother of two children originally from Honduras, will report again to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) as she has done for months now in hopes she is not deported and separated from her children. Community members will es**rt her to the building and will hold a rally outside while she goes in to learn whether the U.S. government decides not to separate her family.

Back on May 11 Cynthia was told to report to BI Incorporated, a private contractor for the DHS, to be deported back to Honduras. Due to community support and pressure her deportation has been delayed while a judge reviews a stay of deportation presented by her lawyer.
Unfortunately, in an act reminiscent of a police state, the mother of two girls, a 3-year old and a 9-year old, has been forced to wear an ankle bracelet so the government can monitor her whereabouts at all times.

WHAT: Rally and community es**rt for Cynthia Iraheta Lopez while she reports to ICE at the DHS building
WHO: Cynthia Vanessa Iraheta Lopez, her family, lawyer, and concerned members of the community
WHERE: 12500 Tukwila International Blvd, Tukwila
WHEN: Thursday, July 20th at 12:30PM

For live updates, visit https://www.facebook.com/NWDCResistance/

Supporting those facing detention & deportation inside the NWDC to end all detentions & deportations. Apoyando a les que enfrentan detención y deportación en NWDC y acabar con todas las detenciones y deportaciones


Linktree: linktr.ee/laresistencianw

12/07/2016

Established news organizations usually own their domains and they have a standard look that you are probably familiar with. Sites with such endings like .com.co should make you raise your eyebrows and tip you off that you need to dig around more to see if they can be trusted

Your friend shares a story on Facebook. You read the headline and you think it's too good to be true, but it looks like it's from a news site. Experts offer tips to help you sniff out fact from fake.

10/21/2016

With a grassroots base of 3,700 members who support TOWN HALL intellectually, socially, and financially, our membership is always the core of what we do.ARE YOU A TOWN HALL MEMBER?

10/18/2016

Undocumented Immigrant Delegation Met with UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention for First Time in United States

Tacoma, WA- The United Nations is evaluating the situation of people deprived of liberty in the United States prisons, immigration detention centers and health facilities, including the conditions of the Northwest Tacoma Detention Center. To that end the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD)- a panel of independent experts- is visiting the country for the first time, meeting with persons deprived of liberty and their families in different states, listening to civil society, academics and the government. The group will present their preliminary observations next week and a final report with the participation of all stakeholders next year.

The Northwest Detention Center Resistance- a grassroots volunteer undocumented led group- secured a meeting with UNWGAD last Sunday and brought the voices from all the detainees and families working together to end the for-profit model of immigration. “We had a meeting with the UNWGAD last Sunday October 16th in San Diego, California in which we asked the group to recognize the context of massive incarceration and unfair deportation of immigrants, separating families unjustly”, said Maru Mora Villalpando, the spoke person for the undocumented lead movement. “We build up our requests with all the letters and testimonies that we receive directly from the detainees and with that we asked the Group to push the Unites States to end of criminalization of immigrants”.

Several topics were discussed from arbitrary detentions, inhumane detention conditions, lack of access to justice and the relationship of human rights violations with corporations and the government. GEO is the company that owns and manages the detention center in Tacoma and its human rights records has been visibly criticized.

NWDC Resistance teamed up with the International Human Rights Clinic at the University of Washington School of Law. With her Director Alejandra Gonza, and a committed student Alizeh Bhojani, the grassroots group was able to send the detainees messages straight to the UN: people are asking for liberty as the alternative model for immigration detention. The Clinic is in charge of finding international avenues to make the situation at the Detention Center reach the human rights mechanisms available at the international level, and in that capacity they requested the UNWGAD a meeting on behalf of the NWDC Resistance.

As the group was speaking to the UN they received a message from a person detained in Tacoma that puts in a nutshell what they endure:

“… it is not fair that we the undocumented people be treated as if our presence was a crime in this country. When we are first detained that treatment begins, ICE places handcuffs on us, from our hands to our waist to our feet as if we were people of high danger status. Right now some Geo employees are complaining about unfair labor treatment and conditions; can you imagine then how it is for us here detained? In this place the medical attention is almost null, food is detestable, there is no real hygiene conditions, the whole environment is tense due to the fact that many of us have been detained for months and we continue fighting our cases.”


For more info about the UNWGAD see http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=20656&LangID=E

For more info about the International Human Rights Clinic at UW see http://www.law.washington.edu/Clinics/humanrights/

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NWDC Resistance is a volunteer community group that came together to stop deportations in 2014 at the now infamous Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, WA under the Not1more campaign umbrella, and which then supported hunger strikes organized by immigrants detained there calling a stop to deportations and better treatment and conditions.

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

09/22/2016

As the strike enters its second week, perhaps major media outlets and cable news will take a cue from activist media and the Wall Street Journal (whose report is worth reading) and shine a light, if only briefly, on the largest prison strike in history. If not, Crispino feels other tactics will eventually become more commonplace.
“I almost want to say, the mainstream media is complicit if there’s violence. The message they are sending to striking workers is, we will only give you coverage if things turn ugly.”

As the strike enters its second week, perhaps major media outlets and cable news will take a cue from activist media and the Wall Street Journal (whose report is worth reading) and shine a light, if only briefly, on the largest prison strike in history.

09/18/2016

09/16/2016

How did reporters respond to one of their own being threatened with arrest for doing her job? Mostly, they ignored it.

09/13/2016

For Immediate Release Contact: Maru Mora Villalpando 206-251-6658
September 13, 2016

SAKUMA FARMWORKERS VOTE YES FOR THEIR UNION
HISTORIC UNION ELECTION

Burlington, WA- Farmworkers at Sakuma Bros Berry Farm voted Monday in a historic secret ballot election to have Familias Unidas por la Justicia (FUJ) represent them in negotiations for a union contract.

FUJ represents over 500 Triqui, Mixteco, and Spanish speaking workers at Sakuma Bros. Berry Farm and formed on July 11th, 2013 with the hopes of securing a better future for hand harvesters in the local berry fields of Whatcom and Skagit County. On Monday September 12, the local independent farm worker union won a historic secret ballot election with a 77% majority, ushering in a new era for farmworker justice in WA State.

FUJ is the second independent farmworker union to form in WA in 30 years and the first union led by indigenous workers.

After Sakuma Bros Berry Farm agreed to a union election, FUJ worked with them to jointly develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) laying out a fair election process resulting in yesterday's win.

"This win is a win for all farmworkers, ” said Ramon Torres, President of FUJ, “now we will be getting ready for a union contract negotiation process.”

"We want to thank all our supporters that helped made this victory happen," said Felimon Pineda, Vice President of FUJ, adding "and we are looking forward to a new and productive relationship with Sakuma."

Visit FUJ page for pictures and video of Monday's historic event; please credit the source when using any pictures, videos or materials.


# # #
FUJ is an independent farmworker union in Burlington WA with 500 members and representing workers working for a union contract with Sakuma Farms to ensure living wage salaries, fair treatment, respect and dignity of farmworkers

08/10/2016

Ongoing Conflict Continues as Blueberry Workers Ask for Fair Wages- Sakuma Workers Walk Out of Fields Again to Fight for a Fair Wage
Burlington, WA- This morning close to 120 Familias Unidas por la Justicia (FUJ) members at Sakuma blueberry fields walked out of the fields once again protesting the offered wage of .56 cents per pound. Workers explained how the management paid .60 cents per pound for the blueberry yesterday and this morning was lowered to only .56 cents. In a nearby field they were paying .77 cents for the same berry.
Workers objected to the unfairness and decided to go to the blackberry fields where workers are paid per box and can earn more. Ryan Sakuma attempted to physically block the workers from going into the fields. He even threatened with calling police on the workers and tried to fire a worker - member of the FUJ worker organizing committee. Workers loudly objected to the retaliation and Ryan then asked the workers to meet with him and Danny Weeden at the corporate offices.
Close to 45 members of the field organizing committee of FUJ met with Danny W and Ryan Sakuma; after more than 2 hours of negotiation, workers were able to obtain a raise of .9 cents more per pound, for a total of .65 cents per pound of blueberry. With this increase, workers agreed to return to work tomorrow Wednesday.
“We don’t walk out of the field because we just feel like it, this is the only way that Sakuma listens to our demands for pay that is fair for our labor. That is why we need a union contract, so we can work and not to be calling for work stoppages in order to get a fair wage”, said Tomas Ramon member of the coordinating committee.
FUJ continues calling for Sakuma Berry Farms to negotiate in good faith and stop using intimidation in the fields.
# # #
FUJ is an independent farmworker union in Burlington WA with 500 members fighting for a union contract with Sakuma Farms to ensure living wage salaries, fair treatment, respect and dignity of farmworkers

07/22/2016

For Immediate Release July 21, 2016
Farmworkers Return to Sakuma Fields

Burlington, WA- Farmworkers at Sakuma Bros. Berry Farms that walked out from the fields yesterday morning due to with growing frustration about the price per pound, and decreasing number of hours allowed to pick, including members of Familias Unidas por la Justicia (FUJ), independent union, went back to work today when asked to pick in a different field.

Even tough workers agreed to go back to work, they were asked to leave the fields after only 4 hours and half of picking. Workers reported there were still many berries to be picked.

Sakuma farmworkers are professional berry harvesters; they can scope out a field and know the quality and quantity of the berries.
“This knowledge comes from years of experience not just harvesting berries but all kinds of fruit and vegetables along the West Coast,” said Ramon Torres President of FUJ, “this is why we know how to negotiate a fair wage for us and the company and why we need a contract at Sakuma, to stop these work stoppages, we need to work.”



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FUJ is an independent farmworker union in Burlington WA with 500 members fighting for a union contract with Sakuma Farms to ensure living wage salaries, fair treatment, respect and dignity of farmworkers