Greeting for the new academic year! This summer, we were once again in Washington, D.C. to report on our research with Latinx elders (Cultivando Sabiduría) to Senior Corps program officers from all over United States, including Puerto Rico.

We were proud to share the voices, images and preliminary findings of our research that is conducted at the Centro Universidad Popular with an amazing group of volunteers and community members. 

This project - like the ones we share below - is founded on fundamental human rights to participate in civic process, community engagement, and honors the strength of our community.

Join us for an exciting semester!

The National Latino Research Center (NLRC) at California State University San Marcos has been studying Latino civic engagement as a central initiative funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).  The NLRC has created Universidad Popular – Cultivando Liderazgo (People’s University – Cultivating Leadership), which offers civic engagement and leadership development to the community. This year showed what grassroots leadership looks like on the ground.

When news about the Lilac fire got out on Thursday, December 7, NLRC staff working with the Alianza Comunitaria rapid response network started to mobilize to get informed about the fire and to get reliable information in Spanish to the network which reaches 30,000 people in North County.

Over 20 volunteers from throughout North County who form part of the Alianza Confirmation Team (ACT) took action, first to document the fire itself to assess the location and direction, then to inform the community about shelters available, and then to visit the shelters to volunteer and observe.

Online, Alianza Comunitaria shared information coming directly from the volunteers on the ground and from updates sent from the County through sdcountyemergency.com and their downloadable app SD Emergency.

In October, I was sent by Universidad Popular and Alianza Comunitaria as their representative and as a guest of the Congreso Nacional Indigena (National Indigenous Congress) to Chiapas during the week of the 12th - 19th to observe their tour through Zapatista Caracol communities.

The objective of the tour was to launch the effort to gather signatures for their spokesperson, Maria de Jesus Patricio Martinez (Marichuy), to become a candidate in the Mexican presidential elections of 2018.

The National Indigenous Congress formed an Indigenous Governing Council to accompany Marichuy on her tour through Chiapas and Mexico in order to raise awareness about the social and political conditions indigenous people are experiencing under neoliberal policies that aim to privatize their land and resources.

Click here to view photos of the tour.

Marta Barbarita Bejarano de Goddard was born in 1946 in the town of Santa Barbara, Honduras. She spent most of her adult life in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, where she raised her four daughters and where she worked as a pharmacist in the Instituto Hondureño de Seguridad Social (IHSS). She was an active member of her union in the 80s, using that platform to lead civic and political activities to bring attention to the plight of working families.

In 1990, she left Honduras to seek better economic opportunities for her family in El Norte. She found work in San Marcos, California, as a caregiver for the elderly, and for the next twenty five years caregiving was her profession. Marta has dedicated her entire life to care for others. She continues to be an active community member and leader even at the age of 70.

The 2017 mid-year point is fast approaching and the National Latino Research Center (NLRC) continues its unwavering goal to reach a record number of families and youth in North County with education and empowerment services.

Through Universidad Popular - Cultivando Liderazgo, the NLRC is uplifting the dignity and respect of hardworking families by making learning a part of everyone’s lives. The NLRC takes education to churches, community centers, schools, parks, clinics and homes throughout North San Diego County. We train students and community members to join our efforts to transform North County and provide hands-on service learning opportunities!

The face of leadership and politics is changing in North County and we can all be part of it! Donate to the NLRC now! 

Your gift will help us reach more families, so they too can learn and increase their knowledge about issues that are important to us all. Your generous contribution makes an immediate impact in the lives of people by:

• Helping to make “education for all” a reality. Adult learners will experience what it’s like to be a student in a supportive, Spanish-speaking environment. Senior citizens who worked their entire lives can now go to school for the first time.
• Training young people to assume their rightful place as social justice-minded civic and political leaders.
• Supporting eligible immigrants to apply for citizenship. We offer citizenship classes to help immigrants learn U.S. History and Government and prepare for the citizenship interview. We also connect individuals to legal resources.
• Educating eligible voters about elections and issues that impact our community.

With your donation, we can reach every member of our community.

Together, we will ensure that our communities are educated and informed. We can all work to make a positive impact in our communities!

To make your donation, click on this link and do the following:

1. Enter your donation amount in Other.
2. Look for Select a Donation Designation below the fold.
3. Select National Latino Research Center from the dropdown menu.
4. Complete the Personal and Payment information that follows. 

Thank you!