La Gente Newsmagazine, Winter Print 2018, Volume 47, Issue 1

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LA GENTE VOL. 47 ISSUE 1

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Elena Diebel MANAGING EDITOR Gabrielle Biasi EDITORS Candy Cabral Alondra Castanon Kathy Castillo Escutia Elizabeth Garcia Rosa Garcia María Amaya Morfín VISUAL EDITORS Israel Cedillo Amara Higuera Hopping RADIO COORDINATOR Irlanda Mora SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Laura Sandoval STAFF WRITERS Abigail Duran Hernandez Vanessa Gonzalez Soto Ashley Huendo Andrea Martinez Daniel Ocampo Angela Vargas Daisy Vargas VISUAL TEAM Alex Ortega Laura Sandoval Daisy Soto DESIGN Gabrielle Biasi Elena Diebel Daisy Soto INTERNS Melissa Diaz Cristina Delgado Vanessa Yaretzi Guzmán Nicole Parra Myrka Vega CONTRIBUTORS Humberto Flores STUDENT MEDIA DIRECTOR Doria Deen STUDENT MEDIA ADVISOR Abigail Goldman

118 Kerckhoff Hall 308 Westwood Plaza Los Angeles, CA 90024 lagente@media.ucla.edu 310.825.9836 2 LA GENTE Winter 2018

Letter from the Editor

Four years ago, when I was a freshman on staff, I remember reading letters upon letters from incarcerated men. They told us their stories, they sent us their poetry, they sent us their art. I always wanted to learn more about La Gente’s relationship with the people behind these letters. I never wrote to them, but their words stayed with me. Last quarter I had the incredible opportunity to work with young men at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall as part of a class for one of my minors. I feel honored to have worked with such brilliantly talented and compassionate individuals. Working with them inspired me to focus our issue this quarter on incarceration and we are so proud to showcase some of their work! This issue is devoted to shining a light on the mass incarceration of men of color. You’ll find stories on the traumatizing effects of detention centers, resources on and off campus that serve system-impacted individuals, a necessary rundown on the history of mass incarceration, and much more. As editor, and in my last year at university, I wanted to pay homage to all the individuals who told us their stories. We acknowledge that the voices of incarcerated womxn are absent in this issue, not because they don’t exist but because men of color are disproportionately represented in the system. Finally, to all those that never got a chance to share their stories, rest in power. This is for you too.

To my Gentistas, thank you for the incredible work and love you poured into this issue. La Gente is what has kept me grounded these past four years and you are part of the community that shaped me at UCLA. You are my family away from home. I have so much love and appreciation for you all.

Con cariño,

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About the Cover:

Designed by freshman staff member Alex Ortega, the front cover seeks to challenge ideas and associations we have with imagery of mass incarceration. Ortega wanted to convey the significance of the topic through minimal use of color and imagery: a resilient artist’s portrait, architectural violence within Los Angeles, and hard working men of Homeboy Industries all work together to symbolize the complexities surrounding the justice system. The back cover shows a blooming bouquet of flowers, leaving us with hope for the continous fight against the injustices of the system.

OUR MISSION: La Gente Newsmagazine is for el estudiante--the student--interested in Latinx issues. We represent the diversity of culture and cultivative pride within our community. We are a forum for conversation, hoping to inspire readers to get involved and get their voices heard.

La Gente is published and copyrighted by the ASUCLA Communications Board. All rights reserved. Reprinting of any material in this publication without the written permission of the Communications Board is strictly prohibited. The ASUCLA Communications Board fully supports the University of California’s policy on non-discrimination. The student media reserve the right to reject or modify advertising whose content discriminates on the basis of ancestry, color, national origin, race, religion, disability, age, sex or sexual orientation. The ASUCLA Communications Board has a media grievance procedure for resolving complaints against any of its publications. For a copy of the complete procedure, contact the publications. For a copy of the complete procedure, contact the publications office at 118 Kerckhoff Hall.

CONTENTS

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Illustrations by Alex Ortega

4 An Underground Scholar....................................6 arte y cultura Cooking on the Inside........................................8 O.I.T.N.B........................................................10 Incarceration of the Rich and Famous.............11 Underground Scholars Initiative.........................

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Unveiling the History of Mass Incarceration.....

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14 Behind the Walls of Detention Centers............16 expresiones This Corner of the World................................18 Submissions from BJN Students......................20 Homeboy Industries.........................................

Interested in joining the team and sharing your voice with the community?

Apply first week of Spring quarter at apply.ucla.studentmedia.com

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Illustration by Daisy Soto

The Underground Scholars Initiative HUMBERTO FLORES

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rom handcuffs to cap and gowns.

Growing up in low-income communities and inner cities, most of us have been affected by mass incarceration, but what has been done to reintegrate individuals back into society or academia?

In an era where the United States incarcerates individuals at higher rates than the rest of the world, an organization at UCLA is doing its due diligence to reduce the recidivism rate.

The Underground Scholars Initiative (USI) is a student organization that serves as a campus resource here at UCLA for formerly incarcerated and system-impacted students. The organization supports students who have been directly and indirectly affected by mass incarceration through recruitment, retention, and advocacy. USI, originally founded at UC Berkeley in 2013, started its own chapter here at UCLA in 2016 in response to the growing number of formerly incarcerated students. USI organizes around campus and does outreach in the community; it provides prospective incoming transfer students who have been previously incarcerated with numerous resources. In the past, they have provided tours to the Homegirl and Homeboy Scholars of Santa Monica College and transfer workshops in collaboration with admissions. As the organization grows, so does its involvement in the community.

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In addition, USI also reaches out to folks coming out of prison with college credits to assist with the reentry process into the education system. The model of USI is to reverse the School-to-Prison-Pipeline by building a Prison-

“USI is something I identify with, the people here remind me of the people I grew up with...” to-School-Pipeline and creating a trajectory to attain a higher education. According to the ACLU, the school-to-prison pipeline is explained as “‘Zero-tolerance’ policies that criminalize minor infractions of school rules, while cops in schools lead to students being criminalized for behavior that should be handled within school grounds.

Students of color are especially vulnerable to push-out trends and the discriminatory application of discipline.” The school-to-prison pipeline is an existing problem in many inner cities. USI aims to lower the recidivism rate through education and challenge the stigma accompanying these individuals.

There is currently a large body of USI members at UCLA and the organization keeps re-

cruiting. The organization is important because as previously mentioned, it provides resources that the formerly incarcerated lack. Also, it provides a healing space and a sense of belonging at an elite university like UCLA.

For instance, Daniel Cisneros, a fourthyear undergraduate Chemical Engineering major and formerly incarcerated student says, “when I was introduced to the Underground Scholars, it gave me a space where I felt comfortable with people from my background and upbringing, prior to that, walking around campus I felt like I didn’t belong.” He mentioned that his first year as a transfer was difficult for him until he found The Underground Scholars community. USI allows formerly incarcerated individuals like Daniel to openly disclose and embrace their identity to help assist others.

Furthermore, Javier Rodriguez, a firstyear masters student, double bruin and Social Welfare major says the importance of USI is to create a healing space on campus to assist formerly incarcerated students. During this time of healing, members go around the room introducing themselves through ice breakers. Ice breakers include stating their name, major, year, and how their day and/or week is going. New members are alway welcome to the space. Meetings usually are on Thursdays from 6:00pm to 7:30pm in the Public Affairs Building, room 3343.

Likewise, Andrew Guerrero, a fourth year International Development Studies major and

universidad USI organization committee co-chair says, “USI is something I identify with, the people here remind me of the people I grew up with. I’m glad this space exists here, it gives me the opportunity to create events that help the homies and homegirls.”

These events include organizing for the official FITE film screening, which took place in November 2017. FITE is an acronym for “From Incarceration To Education,” which was a movie filmed with The Underground Scholars from UC Berkeley. Their next event is called “Just Culture,” and will be taking place in Wilson Plaza on March 25th, 2018. “Just Culture” is a concert and community gathering to raise awareness for formerly incarcerated students. In addition, it is also a space for people of color to enjoy their culture, as underrepresented communities in an elite institution, while

addressing systemic barriers. Cultural representation of Latino/a and Black communities will be present on this day, along with cultural elements that include musical performances, live art, classic cars, and vending.

Last year in 2016 twelve members of USI graduated here at UCLA, and one member, Jose Ortega, passed away a unit short from graduating due to a heart attack, though the words he once said live on: “In the hood, you either go to jail or you die, I chose school.” The same mentality, diligence, and techniques used in the streets can be used in higher education to make one successful. Ortega was also honored the evening of the FITE film.

USI’s mission is to spread across the UC systems and ultimately branch off to all higher education institutions in an effort to further assist formerly incarcerated individuals in academia!

“When I was introduced to the Underground Scholars, it gave me a space where I felt comfortable with people from my background and upbringing, prior to that, walking around campus I felt like I didn’t belong.”

USI scholars attending the “Behind the Bars” conference at Columbia University. Photo courtesy of Humberto Flores

A small portion of the USI, a group of students who work to build a prison to school pipeline, posing at Janss Steps. Author, Humberto Flores is featured in the center. Photo by Maria Salcido Winter 2018 LA GENTE 5

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An Underground Scholar: Highlighting Daniel Cisneros

tion of subjects he loved. “When I heard that you were able to combine all three subjects into one: chemistry, physics and mathematics and there was a major called Chemical Engineering I decided I wanted to go that route.” For those who may not completely grasp the full concept of chemical engineering, Cisneros breaks it down: “For instance, one job that a chemical engineer does is like when you’re driving around in your vehicle, every so often you got to put gas, right?

Well, chemical engineers pump out petroleum from the earth and they build refineries and in these refineries they break down all these carbon

“I always try to promote higher education, like, ‘Ay, if I could do it, then you could do it, man. You know, I’m not any smarter than you are.”

Daniel Cisneros, a chemical engingering major, poses for a portrait on Feb. 27, 2018. Cisneros has been part of the Underground Scholars Initiative since transferring to UCLA. Photo by Gabrielle Biasi

ELENA DIEBEL

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aniel Cisneros emanates a reserved confidence and a quiet magnetism. He might even strike some as intimidating. However, like all first impressions, it would be a disservice to form a snap judgment. “You might see me in Dickies with a mustache and whatnot and you might think this guy looks like a gang member or something but deep down inside I’m a highly 6 LA GENTE Winter 2018

intelligent individual and I can hold a conversation with anybody. You talk to me, I talk back. I don’t want people to feel intimidated and think that I’m gonna do something to them when in reality, I’m just a neutral person just like they are, you know?”

Cisneros is a second year transfer student from Oxnard, California majoring in Chemical Engineering who is interested in pursuing a career with a petroleum company after he graduates.

He chose that major because it was a combina-

molecular chains and they produce octane which is what you put in your car to combust so you can travel.”

During his time in prison, in order to qualify for halftime, a policy that can cut one’s serving time roughly in half for minor offenses, he had the option of either working or studying. He chose school. “I ended up really falling in love with math in there. I started seeing that I was actually pretty good with multiplying and dividing. I wasn’t doing anything with calculus because they don’t allow you to have calculators.

I was helping out even my friends in there. When I got out, I decided that I had to take a math course ‘cause when I was in high school I used to be scared of math. I just never understood it at

universidad the time.” His teachers passed him on from grade to grade even though he was not proficient in the course requirements. He remembers that they seemed to be apathetic and either unable or unwilling to mentor him in developing his natural curiosity. They never saw him becoming a scholar.

Cisneros was thirty-one when he decided to pursue a degree in higher education. “I went to juvenile hall a few times, I ended up going to county jail a few times and then I went to prison a few times, and I just got tired of the revolving door, I got tired of being in and out, of living like that.” He recalls the exact moment when he wanted to change his life for the better. “I held my daughter for the first time and I just didn’t want to leave my daughter alone anymore or leave my wife and my child by themselves so I decided right then and there, you know, ‘I need to get me a job, I need to provide for my family, I need to do things that a father’s supposed to do.’”

Cisneros’ journey in higher education began at Oxnard College.

“I remember taking my first English class and I did really good, and math class and I continued excelling throughout my time there and then I said, ‘you know what, I’m gonna apply to universities, I’m gonna shoot for universities, I’m gonna see if I can get into one.’ I ended up applying to several and I got accepted to pretty much all the ones I applied to. But UCLA was my top choice.”

At UCLA, Cisneros had to navigate through a new and unfamiliar environment. “I grew up in Oxnard, which is a Mexican community. My whole elementary school was nothing but Latinos, junior high—Latinos, high school— Latinos, junior college—Latinos, prison—Latinos, juvenile hall, county jail—Latinos, and I come here and, in engineering, there’s no Latinos.” At times, the culture shock made him feel like he didn’t belong at the university.

And, even then, when he did find other Latinx students, it wasn’t easy to interact with them because his experience was so far removed from theirs. “When I was incarcerated, I could be having a conversation with you and while I’m talking to you I’m sizing you up and I’ll be looking at you and reading your body language.

Just by me reading your body language I could determine more or less how you’re feeling and

what your thinking. So when I talk to some of the Latinos over there [at UCLA], I could see their body language and sometimes I feel like they’re a little intimidated, but I’m not trying to intimidate anybody but that’s just the way I carry myself, you know?”

Once he learned about Underground Scholars Initiative (USI) though, his feelings

then and there I found a cool little crew.”

Cisneros elaborates on the role of USI. “We’re trying to create that prison-to-school pipeline. We’re trying to get the homies that are incarcerated to junior college and from junior college push them to the UCs. We’re trying to create a community of formerly incarcerated students right here at UCLA, UC Irvine, any UC that accepts us...We strongly believe everybody deserves a second chance.”

Even outside of USI, Cisneros promotes higher education in all facets of his life. “I know a lot of people that are scared to go to school, they’d rather be selling dope or working or whatever. I always try to promote higher education, like, ‘Ay, if I could do it, then you could do it, man. You know, I’m not any smarter than you are.’” Cisneros’ drive to advocate for anyone interested in pursuing higher education is a testament to his humility and his heartfelt belief that an education is for anyone.

Cisneros’ optimism, sincerity, and clear understanding of his own sacrifices is aspirational. Even though the road he took to reach university has been unconventional, he exemplifies the determination and agency he has taken in order to get here. Hearing Cisneros’ incredible life story illustrates how everyone’s journey to higher education takes so many forms. And yet, it is also extremely frustrating and sobering to think about all the other young men like Cisneros who may never get the opportunity to reach their full potential due to a criminal justice system that abuses their power to target Black and Brown men.

Despite these challenges, his advice for system-impacted young men seeking to pursue higher education is this: “Don’t be afraid to take a chance on yourself. Make sure you try to go to school, take all the necessary courses that are gonna get you to the university that you want to go to. Make sure that you’re not afraid to sacrifice—You don’t always got to hang out with your friends, your friends are always gonna be there, you know? You just gotta sacrifice your time at studying. You gotta make sure that you get good grades so that when you do apply to university, the doors are wide open for you.”

“I held my daughter for the first time and I just didn’t want to leave my daughter alone anymore or leave my wife and my child by themselves so I decided right then and there, you know ‘I need to get me a job, I need to provide for my family, I need to do things that a father’s supposed to do.’” changed. He describes meeting his first friend on campus who introduced him to USI. “I saw Armando—I didn’t know him at the time but I was like, ‘that’s a homie right there, imma go talk to him.’ I introduced myself and we started conversing and from right then and there, boom, I found myself a friend. I finally found someone I could hang with, I could relate to, someone that’s on my level. I ended up hanging out with him and he introduced me to Javier, and OG Jose and a bunch of other homies that are like me and right

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arte y cultura

Karla Diaz, a Los Angeles based artist who has gained attention and praise for her work concerning incarceration, sits for a portrait in Wilmington, California on Dec. 18, 2017. Photo by Amara Higuera Hopping

Cooking on the Inside:

An Interview with Karla Diaz MARÍA AMAYA MORFÍN

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ovies and shows often portray prisons as dangerous spaces where creative processes such as cooking or writing have no place. The idea of prison is always associated with violence, drugs, and danger, despite the complexities that often get overlooked when discussing the criminal justice system. The stigma of having been imprisoned can follow an individual for the rest of their life. Though the idea of knowing someone in prison can bring feelings of shame or denial for some, there are those who choose to respond through art and collaboration.

Karla Diaz, an artist and activist residing in the Los Angeles area, suffered a hardship, a reality where a family member was incarcerated.

Diaz decided to use her artistic talents as a way to cope with her reality. She turned one of her biggest life challenges into an extraordinary project 8 LA GENTE Winter 2018

that alludes to several issues on incarceration.

For one of her projects, Diaz shared her brother’s personal experience with food in the prison system. She articulated this in the form of art exhibitions at select museum locations such as the the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Diaz states, “when my brother went to prison, it was too close to home, and sometimes as artists we have subjects or issues that affect our daily lives and as an artist you can either confront it or completely avoid it, I decided that I was going to confront it.”

The set of art exhibitions and performances recreated some of the recipes her brother made in prison. After the positive feedback received from these exhibitions, Diaz expanded her project and began collecting food recipes from formerly incarcerated individuals throughout California.

She compiled them into a book called Prison Gourmet.

It is difficult to discuss the topic of incarceration, especially when it is such a sensitive and

personal topic for all those directly or indirectly affected by it. For Diaz this project represents a way to create dialog and bring up questions about the politics and current issues that are present in the prison system. Diaz sees this project as a symbol of creativity. For this reason, when she collects the food recipes, she never asks those currently incarcerated about the crimes they committed.

The creation of food in prison requires a certain level of creativity, and as an artist, Diaz enjoys exploring those possibilities. Incarcerated individuals work with a limited amount of materials. The process of developing recipes requires them to get in touch with their imagination and utilize tools they have access to such as: trash bags, tee shirts, cups of noodles, and hot cheetos.

Prison Gourmet took a whole span of two years to collect all the recipes. Diaz describes the process: “It took time to send letters and wait for [their] response, everything had to be done old school.”

The response to the project has been very

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“...sometimes as artists, we have subjects or issues that affect our daily lives and as an artist you can either confront it or completely avoid it. I decided that I was going to confront it.” positive. “I had to publish the book by myself as limited copies, but I have received great responses, very positive responses. In one occasion a man bought six copies to give to his family as Christmas gifts because some of them had been affected by incarceration,” explained Diaz.

Many individuals who are currently incarcerated and participated in the project were very appreciative of the opportunity to share their creativity. According to Diaz, the creators of the recipes had feelings of pride and happiness once they found out their recipes were published in Prison Gourmet. “The response of Jason Vera, [one of the people who sent a recipe] was very happy,

he goes into detail in the recipe. In many of the recipes you can hear their voice and hear their personality,” said Diaz.

Prison Gourmet could not have been created without building a community of trust.

The process of collecting the recipes was done in a very personal manner. Diaz contacted a few of her friends that knew other people who were incarcerated and used those connections to acquire more of the recipes.

Karla Diaz hopes to expand her project and also work with women within the prison system. She is interested in comparing the differences between the recipes of both incarcerated men

and women. Her curiosity for starting this project derives from the idea that “women are used to cooking for their children, men didn’t see themselves as cooks, or were not responsible for cooking before they were incarcerated, [on the other hand] women remember recipes of food that they would make for their children” Diaz explained.

In the future, she would also love to take this incredible project to a different country or perhaps work with a refugee community and spread her message of creativity and dialog.

Above: Karla holds a copy of her book, Prison Gourmet, the end product of a project involving recipes collected from incarcerated individuals across a two year period.

Photo by Amara Higuera Hopping Left: The cover art of Karla Diaz’s acclaimed art project and limited edition book, Prison Gourmet, which has received over two hundred submissions. Photo courtesy of Karla Diaz Winter 2018 LA GENTE 9

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O.I.T.N.B. (Oversimplified Ideas That Nourish Biases) P

Illustration by Nicole Parra

KATHY CASTILLO ESCUTIA

ortrayals of incarceration in popular media, specifically in TV shows like Orange Is The New Black (OITNB) tend to dramatize and glamorize life in prison with the purpose of attaining more viewers. However, this embellishment promotes a negative stigma around imprisonment.

The series is inspired by real-life Piper Kerman’s one year experience in prison. Piper Chapman, the character who portrays Kerman, is a woman sentenced to 15 months in Litchfield Penitentiary, a minimum-security women’s federal prison. She is found guilty of transporting money for her drug smuggling ex-girlfriend, Alex Vause.

Due to this charge, Piper’s relationships with her loved ones endure detrimental effects. Piper reunites with Alex in prison, who as it turns out informed the authorities of Piper’s involvement in drug trafficking, and together they reinstate their relationship. Concurrently, as Piper learns how to maneuver and survive prison, various flashbacks of the lives of other currently incarcerated individuals are depicted to illustrate how they arrived at Litchfield Penitentiary.

Orange is the New Black focuses on the numerous effects that corruption, drug smuggling, funding cuts, overcrowding, and guard brutality have towards the welfare of those incarcerated as well as the prison’s responsibilities and moral principles at a correctional institution.

The show amplifies life inside prison in order to maintain its viewership popularity, however it does so at the expense of misrepresenting the prison system and those that reside inside.

Mass media frequently delineates Latinx characters as criminals, janitors/maids, and high school dropouts. These negative aspersions create a false perception of the Latinx culture on a national and international level, which consequently convinces non-Latinx to believe these stereotypes to be true.

A few of these damaging stereotypes can be seen in Orange is the New Black namely depicting a Latina mother and daughter as a drug dealer’s girlfriend (Aleida Diaz) and an unwedded pregnant prisoner (Dayanara Diaz).

Aleida, Daya’s mother, on many occasions exhibits self-absorbed behavior which evidently flawed her role as a parent to look after her children. Flashbacks illustrate Aleida as someone who takes little to no interest in her children and who goes as far as taking the fall for her drug dealing boyfriend’s crime, leaving Daya to take care of her younger siblings. When they decide to visit their mother in prison, Aleida does not care about 10 LA GENTE Winter 2018

what is going on in their lives, instead she asks whether her boyfriend is cheating on her, accusing Daya of sleeping with him. However, as an act of vengeance against her mother, Daya subsequently begins a sexual relationship with Cesar, her mother’s boyfriend. Due to this, Daya then becomes involved in the drug-dealing business and ends up in Litchfield with her mother. This hostile mother-daughter relationship not only denotes how melodramatic the circumstances are, but also demonstrates how mass media continues to stereotype Latinx as gang members and street thugs who have no compassion for others besides themselves.

Kaitlyn Leigh, a student who conducted research at the University of Boulder, Colorado on incarcerated womens’ views on Orange is the New Black, concluded that the show not only sexualizes women, but also reinforces stereotypes that portray African-American women as uneducated, loud, and from an inner city. Behind the comedy of the show, women of color who identify as queer and/or lesbian are depicted to be attracted to all other women. Although women of color are being represented in the media, they are being displayed in a negative and stereotypical way.

There also are aspects of the show that would never occur in reality. In season 4, on her way to the shower, a prisoner who argues that frisk searches are senseless and humiliating is stopped by a guard. The guard remarks that she smells terrible and is so disgusted by her scent that he demands she shower or confront the consequences. However, she chooses to drench herself in odorous foods to avoid being frisked. Since the

special housing unit is full, the guard forces her to stand on a cafeteria table for a long amount of time without food or water. If this were to occur in real life, she would have forcibly been hosed down. This is one of the many ways that the media tends to exaggerate prison life for views, in place of depicting an accurate representation of reality.

According to Laura Abrams, Professor of Social Welfare and Department Chair at UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and an expert in juvenile justice and social work, foster care, incarceration, and reentry, “Orange is the New Black caters to what sells.” However, it does demonstrate real issues that incarcerated women face in “the exploitation of their labor and not having basic needs as well as the intergroup relations, racism, and white privilege,” said Abrams in an interview. She also believes that the most prominent aspect of the show that appeals to the public is how Orange is the New Black includes a diverse set of cast members “who are humanized through the development of their backstory.” Viewers, however must be reminded that there are people who endure these issues in real life and that they, too, matter. These character portrayals not only allow viewers to become more compassionate of those in confinement, but “the series also shows the complexity of people.”

For a shift in television portrayal of incarceration, the image of imprisonment must be altered within the perspective of the creators and their audience. Incarceration is one of the major issues affecting our generation’s economy and low-income communities. Seeing that there is a distortion in the way imprisonment is portrayed in the media, the best way to counter these pretenses could be to volunteer in a prison. Volunteering allows people to know what’s really going on inside the walls. There are different ways in which one can volunteer such as “being a teacher, tutor, educator or even just being a visitor,” Abrams states. Seeing an actual prison and how it works first hand exposes people to the reality that occurs within it.

To an extent, it is also because of shows like Orange is the New Black that portray the experience of incarceration as realistic and sympathetic that can begin to change our perspectives.

In spite of that, viewers should always be skeptical of all media and learn to acknowledge the biases being displayed. As a community, we must become aware of the harsh realities that revolve around the criminal justice system in order to inform and guide the public to make drastic improvements in incarceration.

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Illustration by Israel Cedillo

Incarceration of the Rich and Famous CANDY CABRAL

sentences for the rich and famous, not given to average citizens, show that our legal system is extremely flawed. Some celebrities however, are

lejandra Loera, a senior studying not as fortunate and do not receive the same privSociology at UCLA, argues that “rich citizens are ileges such as Meek Mill (born Robert Rihmeek treated with much more privilege even in the pris- Williams), a rapper who was sentenced two to on system.” four years for violating his probation.

Celebrities in society are those that rose

Giannina Campo, a second year Psycholto fame by their talent or inherited wealth, but ogy UCLA student believes, “the reason [celebthat does not make all of them model citizens.The rities] are out before bail time is because of their few that manage to get caught doing something economic standing...[a] normal person would not against the law are not all affected by the law have that great of a lawyer.” equally and do not suffer the consequences that

Celebrities pay their way out of jail which everyday citizens face. barely impacts their economic stance while others

OJ Simpson, NFL running back, was sen- remain in jail because they cannot afford to pay tenced 33 years for armed robbery and received for bail or a private lawyer. parole after 9 years. Martha Stewart, a famous

Meek Mill’s probation sentence was television chef, served 10 months for fraud and extended and unfortunately is a victim of a obstructing justice. Brock Turner, a Stanford Uni- broken system that is unwilling to give him a fair versity swimmer, guilty of sexual assault, served sentence. Originally arrested for carrying a gun only six months for rape. without a permit, he has now served more than

All of these sentences had lenient servten years on probation. Aside from him being ing periods because of the celebrity status of the a rapper, his identity as a Black man in America people who committed the crimes. These lenient arguably worsened his sentence.

A

According to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), “1 in every 37 adults in the United States, or 2.7% of the adult population, is under some form of correctional supervision.” Furthermore, according to the U.S Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, “Among non-Hispanics in 2016, blacks were incarcerated in jail at a rate 3.5 times that of whites.”

Society stereotypes people of color as poor criminals who are violent, causing more policing in predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods. With increase policing, these communities are seen as unsafe and reinforce the criminalization of these people. This cycle is never-ending and the school-to-prison pipeline is another example of how society influences the criminalization of communities of color.

As a white male athlete from a top national university, Brock Turner is filled with innate privileges he never chose but was lucky to inherit.

Being a former Stanford University student, Turner is part of an exclusive group who was admitted and attended a private University where less than 5 percent of its applicant get in, meaning he must have attended a high school that equipped him with the right skills to succeed academically. Not only was he a student, he was a swimmer for his university’s team. As an athlete on his university’s team, he had to be an excellent swimmer in high school meaning he had to first learn to swim and have some place to practice his techniques and performance in order to compete and be recruited.

As a white male he was born with the most powerful form of identity he could have been given and is fortunate to look like most presidents, lawyers, congressmen, judges, and overall people in power. Assaulting and raping a vulnerable woman shows that he learned the dark but accepted history of the white male colonist.

After not even serving a year, Brock Turner had the audacity to ask for an appeal.

If Brock Turner was not white and was either Black or Latino he would not have experienced the same privilege and leniency that he did. Meek Mill, a Black rapper, was arrested for carrying a gun, something that most Americans feel is any human’s right. Even though he did not have a permit to carry his gun and as a result was sentenced to prison and then had parole, he will be serving more time than Brock Turner did for raping a woman. Similarly, Latinos and African Americans are criminalized and left in prison while police continue to make arrests in their neighborhoods searching for any mistake.

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Winter 2018 LA GENTE 13

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Homeboy Industries: A Break in the Prison Cycle ANDREA MARTINEZ

I arrived at Homegirl Cafe unsure of what to

once they were released. “He remembered who I was,” Lopez recalls when explaining the hiring expect. Skeptical of the premise of Homeboy process. “Working there helped me learn about Industries, I wondered what environment I would responsibility, while getting paid for doing someencounter. An organization that directly reached thing I liked and acting as a mentor to those who out and helped formerly incarcerated individuals had been in a similar situation, showing them that seemed too good to be true. However, as I made there is hope.” Lopez wants customers to know my way to the entrance I saw employees smilthat everyone has grown up with their struggles, ing and laughing on their break, the Homeboy but the individuals on the staff that he works with Industries waiting office filled with people, and have good hearts. the Homegirl Cafe staff rushing to attend the

Los Angeles has one of the highest crime growing line of hungry customers. What I came rates in the country, which only recently has gone across was hope personified in a staff and a group down as a result of criminal reform propositions of people eager to take control of their future. that were passed in 2017, according to Make Homeboy Industries, founded in 1992 da Easter from The Los Angeles Times. Being

by Father Greg Boyle, helps recently incarcera former LA Unified School District student, I ated individuals and high-risk youth through witnessed the effects of budget cuts firsthand. As their holistic programs, including tattoo removal a result, our classrooms were overcrowded and the services, mental health guidance and counseling, schools only offered us a few, if any, elective classlegal services, and employment opportunities. The es. The lack of opportunity for students to invest program has grown into a successful catering and their time in school programs led to many of my bakery business, complete with merchandise and former classmates to turn to other vices in life, cafes. With the positive effect it has had on forwhich can explain the high rates of gang violence, mer gang members and incarcerated individuals, substance abuse, and poor mental health amongst Homeboy Industries was featured in MTV’s True the Latinx and other marginalized communities Life in 2007, and Father Greg Boyle was inducted of Los Angeles. into the California Hall of Fame as of December

Anthony Mendoza has worked for the 2011. program for fifteenth months, and was the first

Wanting to grab a quick lunch, I scanned face that greeted me as I walked through the their menu. Homeboy Industries’ holistic apdoors. “I heard about [Homeboy Industries] when proach in their rehabilitation programs is evident I got out of prison through a friend. I wanted to even through their menu items, featuring healthy try something new,” Mendoza states. One of the meals such as multigrain pancakes, bountiful main things that he wants customers to acknowland colorful salads, and lemonades boosted with edge is to look past the face tattoos and hard mint and spinach. As I ate my lunch I saw peoexteriors some of the staff members have: “they ple from all backgrounds walk in, including high don’t know the structure of jail, how things are school youth groups, business people, and college run, the effects.” Like the majority of incarcerated students. The inclusivity of the space serves as a youth, Mendoza would be left without a support versatile lunch destination for every individual. group if it wasn’t for these programs, as not many

I saw the employees directing customers families have the resources or finances to find an to their tables, shuffling through the kitchen, occupation for members with an arrest record. and tending to the baked goods on display and

I was also able to talk to Paola Martinez, wondered about the stories behind their time in a new waitress at the cafe who had just completed prison. Even more troubling, I wondered about some of the courses provided by Homeboy Induswhat happens to the majority of incarcerated tries. She explained to me the process of getting youth once they are released from prison. Many involved, stating that first Homeboy Industries try to adjust to life after prison but find it diffirequires you to take classes on proper work eticult, resorting back to gangs and drugs, which quette and skills, along with therapy, and once turns into a vicious cycle of crime and violence. they deem you mentally ready to partake in their

Nicholas Lopez has worked for Homecareer options, they place you in a position to girl Cafe for more than three years as part of the start building a resume. “Being in and out of jail maintenance department. He remembers when for most of our lives, there are no opportunities to Father Greg would visit the prison he was serving have a resume,” Martinez shares as she expresses time in and encouraged them to join his program gratitude for the program to allow her to attend 14 LA GENTE Winter 2018

Homeboy Industries and Homegirl Cafe on a sunny day, located at 130 Bruno St on January 11, 2018. Photo by Laura Sandoval adult school while simultaneously taking shifts after school. “Showing up everyday and being on time, helping out my co-workers—those are responsibilities I wouldn’t care about before. I understand what it means to work for your money now.”

Mental health is another obstacle that prevents formerly incarcerated individuals from being able to move on from their past. Traditionally, Latinx households are not open to hearing about the issue of mental health, leading to another roadblock in the access to holistic programs for at-risk youth. Martinez has made great use of the therapy programs provided to her, sharing her struggles with opening up to her family growing up: “therapy has helped me work on my anger. I was so angry inside, I didn’t care.”

Throughout my academic career, the importance of mental health was not brought to my attention until I came to UCLA. It truly is a privilege to understand mental health and its effects at a young age. It is important for Latinx to support each other, seeing as according to the 2016 “Color of Justice: Racial and Ethnic Disparity in State Prisons” study, published by The Sentencing Project, Latinos are incarcerated at 1.4 times the rate of whites. Latinx should support programs dedicated to fixing the prison cycle, whether it be through community outreach, supporting local business that give previously incarcerated individuals a second chance, or even just being open to hearing those wanting to share their journey towards a brighter future.

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Homeboy Industries employees Anthony, 34, and Nick, 24, show off their uniform t-shirts during a shift at the Homegirl Cafe on Jan. 11, 2018. Photo by Laura Sandoval

Several portraits hang high inside the offices of Homeboy Industries on Jan. 11, 2018. Photo by Laura Sandoval

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Behind the Walls of Detention Centers ALONDRA CASTANON

Immigration detention centers are primarily used to detain immigrants who try to enter the country without the proper documents. Although most detention centers are located at the border, they are also found in cities neighboring the border. According to the website End Isolation, approximately 380,000 to 442,000 people are detained in detention centers at the border every year.

Before the 1980s, an estimate of 30 people were detained in these centers each day. After President Bill Clinton signed the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) in 1996, these numbers increased immensely (EndIsolation.org).

With the rise in numbers of immigrants being detained, the repercussions in place are also increasing. According to the website Detention Watch Network, there have been reports of 167 deaths in detention centers since 2003.

However, death is not the only possible repercussion of being detained at an immigration detention center. People who were once in detention centers may suffer from psychological issues long after they are released. For example, feelings of anxiety, sadness, worry, and trauma may be ever-present.

In the year 1999, my uncle Pedro Velazquez was detained at the border of Tijuana and San Diego. Velazquez claims that he fled his home country in hopes of escaping Mexico’s lack of economic opportunities.

Initially, Velazquez was detained along with three others who were in the car with him when attempting to cross into the United States with the help of a coyote or smuggler. After hours of being held in the detention center, the other three who accompanied him were sent back to Mexico, but Velazquez remained in custody of immigration agents. The U.S. government wanted to further question him about the person who planned to “illegally introduce” him to the country.

Velazquez recalls sitting in a waiting room, seeing people being taken away, one after another, until there were not many people left in the detention center. He was unsure of what was to come and confused on what to expect.

Soon after, Velazquez was passed on to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who took him into custody at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in San Diego. Once there, they took his fingerprints, mugshot, medical exams, and thoroughly questioned him—all while he was behind bars.

Velazquez recalls the stream of emotions he felt: “constantly scared, then became anxious, then frustrated, and constantly saddened” over being separated from his family.

Velazquez remained in custody at the MCC in San Diego for 14 days. During that time, it was very difficult for him to get in contact with his family members in Mexico. Until he was able to contact a family member to pay his bail, he remained in custody alone and anxious.

After his experience with being detained, Velazquez went back to his life in Mexico, with the hopes of one day re-entering the U.S. and gaining citizenship. However, three years ago, Velazquez tried to apply for a Visa to enter the country with the proper documents but was denied due to his past attempt to enter the country without authorization.

When asked how he felt about the experience, he referred to it as “a bitter one.” Nonetheless, Velazquez remains hopeful that he will one day be 16 LA GENTE Winter 2018

able to come to the United States and join his family members who have settled here.

Although entering the country without documents is controversial, it is important to try to understand the conditions many immigrants face in their home countries. Some immigrants are trying to escape a defunct economy with limited resources and jobs, harsh living conditions, or a corrupt government. Other immigrants simply hope to reunite with their family members in the United States or seek a better life for their loved ones.

Everyone who enters the country without proper documentation runs the risk of being taken into custody at a detention center. The treatment and experiences people endure at detention centers are all different, but the one thing everyone’s story has in common is the anxiety, stress, worry, and fear that embody the people after their experience of being detained.

This “bitter experience” affects them all in different ways long after they are sent back to their motherland.

Pedro Velazquez playing the guitar among his bandmates in Mexico in the early 1980s. He recalls growing up listening to American rock bands and being influenced by American pop culture. Photo courtesy of Alondra Castanon

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Metropolitan Detention Center of Los Angeles photographed by Alex Ortega

“...approximately 380,000 to 442,000 people are detained in detention centers at the border every year.�

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This Corner of the World ABIGAIL DURAN HERNANDEZ

In this corner of the world there are only graves ready for bodies of men and women failed and silenced by a nation that soaks in the pigment of innocent blood who dares to call itself ‘freedom’ We hear freedom we wail FREEdom Its theme song repeats rhythmically a song of failure but the choir of privilege sings along trying to mask a lineage of bruises with the sweet tune of ignorance and the pleasures of forgotten history In this corner of the world there is no space for FREEdom Their skin enters the courtroom before they do and they appear in a palette of brown The darker they shade the room the more the hand of time is pulled back Years of life encased in concrete a ‘home sweet hell’ We take away their God’s sun and watch them choke in grey Dreams abolished and replaced by households stuck in rewind From brother to father to uncle In this corner of the world Democracy dies in darkness And yet they dare catch ‘hope’ with their hands Kidnap it from the air Keep it to look at when they are sad or bitter And plant them in between the cracks of cement In this corner of the world Dandelions grow without light But they are not colorless or immune to beauty ‘Hope’ is alive and will reign over them like monsoon rain cultivating a garden of resistance that cannot be ignored In this corner of the world Their existence will never be confined

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Illustration by Vanessa Yaretzi Guzmán

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SUBMISSIONS FROM BJN STUDENTS Below is a selection of submissions from high school graduates who participated in the UCLA course, Narratives of Agency taught by Professor Laurel Butler in Fall 2017. During this time, all the young men enrolled in the course were currently residing in Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall located in Sylmar, California. This class worked in conjunction with Arts Education 101: Arts in Corrections Practicum through the Visual and Performing Arts Education Program, also taught by Professor Butler in which UCLA students facilitated art workshops with BJN students. Thank you to all the young men who shared their work with us! We are honored that you have given us the opportunity to share your creations with a wider audience and that La Gente can be a platform to amplify your voices.

Planet Tapatio: A Comic and Adapted Play

Juan Carlos O. and Frank L.

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Juan Carlos O.

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Kyuane M.

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Junior S. 22 LA GENTE Winter 2018

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Anonymous Winter 2018 LA GENTE 23