El Centro de la Raza expanded its Bebes! Program to include
visiting program participants in their own homes in South King County twice a month.
New mother Laura* has been a Bebes! program participant since November 2019. She
is working towards learning the English language and obtaining a work permit
because she wants to find a job to support her growing family. Through our home
visitors, Laura is finding out more information about Highline College’s
offerings and nearby libraries that offer ESL classes.
In the comfort of her home, Laura receives linguistically responsive referrals and other resources, such as the driver’s license manual and tips on how to take care of her son. She can now better detect health signs and symptoms in her baby. Laura has expressed her enjoyment for the educational activities available through the program with her baby boy to promote his developmental growth.
Starting on March 12, the 2020 Census will be made available to the public, and all households across the United States can complete this once-every-ten-years survey. This critical opportunity allows everyone to say, “We’re here and we count!” Our government relies on Census statistics to determine funding amounts for the next ten years and keep our country running.
The Census is easier than ever to fill out! Every household needs to complete the Census, regardless of citizenship and residency status. This year, households can complete it over the phone, in-person, and online. Your information is safe and secure. There is no citizenship question on the Census, and there is no cost affiliated with filing it out.
To combat the pattern of undercounting disenfranchised populations, El Centro de la Raza will be offering Census assistance at our Federal Way location. Our staff will be available to help community members with completing their Census survey on a regular schedule (dates to be determined due to the changing circumstances of COVID-19).
If you have any questions regarding the Census or need help filling it out, call Dulce for more information at (206) 957-4605. Our Federal Way office is located at 1607 South 341st Place.
GREAT NEWS – HB 1847 Aircraft Noise Abatement PASSED!
Beacon Hill scores a palpable victory with the passage of HB 1847. The bill removes the geographic limit to allow Beacon Hill in Seattle to be eligible for aircraft noise abatement. It is now on Governor Jay Inslee’s desk for his signature. Kudos to our community members in Beacon Hill and Federal Way who actively communicated the need and importance of HB 1847’s passage!
Why this Victory is Important Communities across the nation continue to experience an increased and disproportionate share of noise and other environmental impacts stemming from commercial aviation. Beacon Hill is directly under the flight path, and 70% of inbound flights go over our heads. The noise is disruptive and bad for our health. There are many low-income families, including elderly who live in our Beacon Hill neighborhood. This bill will help relieve this unjust burden.
Mil gracias! This legislation has been a long time coming. Beacon Hill’s activism on air and noise pollution has been continuous because of its direct location under the flight path.
Our heartfelt thanks to House Representative Mike Pellicciotti for introducing the bill and Representatives Tina Orwall, Mia Gregerson, Kristine Reeves, and Sharon Tomiko Santos for co-sponsoring the bill. On the Senate side, our thanks to Senator Bob Hasegawa for getting the bill on the list for a Senate vote, Senator Karen Kaiser and Senator Claire Wilson for their leadership, and to Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig and Senate Floor Leader Senator Marko Liias for putting it to vote. Most of all, our thanks to our House and Senate representatives who voted for HB 1847.
A special gracias to fellow community members who contacted their representatives in support of past mitigation bills for air and noise pollution, Sheila Brush, and Maria Batayola. For questions and additional detail, contact Maria Batayola, volunteer Environmental Justice Coordinator at El Centro de la Raza via email at mbatayola@elcentrodelaraza.org.
Next steps Please note an HB 1847 celebration is being planned with a briefing by U.S. Representative Adam Smith on his Airport-Impacted Communities Act on Monday, April 6, at 6 PM at the Centilia Gathering Center to allow for social distancing. Community members can choose to participate either in-person or online. The event may be conducted entirely online depending on the emerging developments of the Novel COVID-19 virus. More details to come. Click to read how we are responding to COVID-19.
El Centro de la Raza, in partnership with United Way of King County, is a bilingual tax preparation site from January 13 through April 18 when we can help you file taxes for free. Walk-ins only. Visit us at either of our locations during operating hours:
Beacon Hill in Seattle 2524 16th Ave South – Seattle, WA 98144
Tuesdays: 5 PM to 9 PM Thursdays: 5 PM to 9 PM Saturdays: 10 AM to 4 PM * Certified Acceptance Agents will be onsite to help certify original ITIN documents and help process ITIN applications and renewals.
Federal Way in South King County 1607 South 341st Place – Federal Way, WA 98003
Mondays: 5 PM to 9 PM Saturdays: 10 AM to 2 PM
All tax prep sites can help you access free resources: 2020 Census Assistance, free financial coaching resources, healthcare, ORCA Lift, and other public benefits. When the Census questionnaire is available, the volunteers at our tax prep sites can help community members complete them by providing translation services.
For more information, click here to view the flyer (English | Español) and FAQs.
Last week, four of our early learning teachers graduated from Goddard College with a Bachelor’s Degree of Arts in Education. They earned 120 credit hours and fulfilled a semester-long residency where they worked on their theses. By graduating with their degrees, they gained more knowledge as early childhood learning teachers and strengthened their commitment to their students. Our teachers’ thesis were inspired by their love for children, especially in today’s political climate where immigrant children suffer from trauma as a result of being separated from their families. Below is what our teachers studied:
– Teacher Rocio studied how mothers can advocate for their children exhibiting challenging behaviors. – Teacher Maricela explored the best ways to support young Latino children who live in the United States in maintaining their cultural identities. – Teacher Sandra examined the impact of using cultural songs on toddlers’ socioemotional, linguistic, and motor development. – Teacher Thania investigated the role of poetry as an early childhood education call to action to help immigrant children who are or have been detained in cages.
On February 29, El Centro de la Raza is hosting a public meeting at Centilia Cultural Center from 11 AM to 1 PM when Dr. Edmund Seto and Dr. Tim Larsen will brief community members on the results of the University of Washington’s Beacon Hill Quantitative Air & Noise Study. We strongly encourage guests to RSVP, but we will welcome all guests for the briefing at the door.
Amharic, Cantonese, Mandarin, Somali, Spanish, and Tigrinya interpreters will also be joining us. To request another language, please contact Maria Batayola via email at mbatayola@elcentrodelaraza.org by February 23. Lunch will be served at noon during the table discussions regarding the next steps. Vegetarian choices are available, and guests are welcome to bring their own lunches. An accurate RSVP count will avoid over- or under-buying food.
Mil gracias to our concerned elected officials for their support in making this study possible: Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, former Council Chair for Sustainability and Transportation Mike O’Brien, and former Councilmember Bruce Harrell.
Also, throughout the day, we will also be featuring three free viewings of Beacon Arts’ documentary “Blue Sky Trails” at Centilia Cultural Center in honor of the upcoming 50th Anniversary of Earth Day. There will be three showings: 10 AM, 1 PM, and 2 PM. In addition, there will be an opportunity to meet with the Beacon Hill Arts activists between showings. RSVP now and make sure you help yourself to free popcorn before settling to watch the documentary.
Highline College and El Centro de la Raza have partnered to help Highline College students earn credits through our Unidos @ Work 7-week course at our Federal Way location. As housing affordability issues have led to a shift in demographics, this course provides job training, digital literacy skills, employment assistance, and supportive services for bilingual program participants looking to enter the workforce. As Unidos @ Work graduate Luis Guarnis said, “We are working with Excel, PowerPoint, software, and Internet. [These tools are] very helpful and ha[ve] changed a part of my life.”
The next cohort for the Unidos @ Work program begins on March 2, and we have some exciting news to share! Upon participants’ completion, they are eligible for a total of 22 credits:
+ Cert – OS and Hardware Fundamentals (5 credits) MOS – Outlook – Microsoft Outlook (2 credits) MOS – Word – Microsoft Word (2 credits) MOS – Power Point – Microsoft Power point (3 credits) MOS – Excel – Microsoft Excel (5 credits) MOS – Access – Microsoft Access (5 credits)
Elected officials and supporters of the Beloved Community who want to see communities thrive by providing culturally appropriate programs and services in South King County. From left to right: Auburn City Councilmember Chris Stearns, Representative Mike Pellicciotti, Senator Claire Wilson, Representative Bill Ramos, Estela Ortega, Mayor Jim Ferell, Joseph Martin, Representative Jesse Johnson, Miguel Maestas, Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos, and Mayor Nancy Backus.
On February 7, about 300 people attended our Open House event in Federal Way. We opened our latest location in Federal Way because 56% of Latinos who live in King County live in the southend where there is a lack of culturally appropriate programs and services. We are responding to that gap as a result of the shift in demographics. We are providing 17 different programs and services out of this new office including services for veterans, small business development, workforce training, and home visiting programs for parents and their young children.
Our role as El Centro de la Raza is to work with our community, friends, and allies at building a fair and just society by promoting life-changing programs, culture, and community engagement. Dr. King would call that the building of the Beloved Community. Our community will become stronger because the families and individuals who walk through our doors in Federal Way and are seeking support will be uplifted to work towards achieving stability and resiliency. “We will work very hard to be good neighbors with our values of fairness and equality to continue to work at building Dr. King’s Beloved Community,” said Executive Director Estela Ortega.
Mil gracias to our speakers and supporters: Joseph Martin, Senator Claire Wilson, Representative Mike Pellicciotti, Auburn City Councilmember Chris Stearns, Representative Jesse Johnson, Mayor of Federal Way Jim Ferell, Mayor of Auburn Nancy Backus, Unidos @ Work program participants Vanessa Enamorado and Luis Guarnis, Rudy Reyes, Verizon’s Vice President and Associate General Counsel for the Western Region, and Jennifer Chastain, Community Relations Manager at Bank of America.
Also, special thanks to Senator Claire Wilson, Representative Mike Pellicciotti, former Representative Kristine Reeves, Speaker Emeritus Frank Chopp, Senator David Frockt, Representative Steve Tharinger, and King County Councilmember Peter von Reichbauer. Each person listed here supported El Centro de la Raza’s response to the lack of culturally appropriate programs and services in South King County by helping us purchase an office building in Federal Way.
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