oakland

Dinora Hernandez’s three children make bracelets at home in Oakland, California. Every Tuesday, Hernandez heads to a local food bank, assistance that allows her to wire cash to family in El Salvador.

'I want to send more money home’: Remittances are a sign of sacrifice, resilience in immigrant communities during pandemic

In all, people worldwide sent a total of $540 billion home last year, only dropping by 1.6% from 2019 — a smaller drop than during the 2009 global financial crash. 

'I want to send more money home’: Remittances are a sign of sacrifice, resilience in immigrant communities during pandemic
A man in a yellow shirt helps fix the bike of an elder leaning over bike wearing casual clothes and cap

Oakland’s Chinatown finds solutions to hate crimes

Oakland’s Chinatown finds solutions to hate crimes
(Clockwise from top left) Meklit Hadero in red lighting, Sinkane stsnding in front of wooden wall, Diana Gameros standing in front of a brick wall and Hello Psychaleppo looking down at a keyboard.

Four musicians grapple with the same question: What is home?

Four musicians grapple with the same question: What is home?
Khafre Jay, the executive director of Hip Hop for Change, based in Oakland, says he has experienced anti-black actions from Indian Americans when visiting his in-laws in Sunnyvale, a suburb of the Bay Area that is majority South Asian.

A Black radio host calls on South Asian Americans to reject racism

A Black radio host calls on South Asian Americans to reject racism
Detained immigrants are seen at Otay Mesa immigration detention center in San Diego, May 18, 2018.

Trump administration retaliates against states trying to lessen use of immigrant detention

Trump administration retaliates against states trying to lessen use of immigrant detention
A man stands next to a white board.

Growth of Oakland’s Guatemalan community sparks interest in Mam

In Oakland, Calif., there's a growing number of Guatemalan migrants and asylum seekers. Some speak an Indigenous language — Mam. One class offered at a community college helps English and Spanish speakers learn the language.

Growth of Oakland’s Guatemalan community sparks interest in Mam
A man holds a boy on his lap.

California governor halts deportations of 2 Cambodian refugees, thwarting Trump administration

Gov. Gavin Newsom's pardon of state convictions is widely interpreted as a rebuke to Trump administration policies.

California governor halts deportations of 2 Cambodian refugees, thwarting Trump administration
A school campus with small blue buildings

Newcomer students face daunting obstacles to graduate. This California high school makes it possible.

Often, migrant teens have to work to pay for their own rent or help with family expenses.  High school can be overwhelming. Rusdale High School, just for immigrant students 16 or older, accommodates their needs to help them achieve.

Newcomer students face daunting obstacles to graduate. This California high school makes it possible.
A teacher speaks in front of the classroom.

In this California classroom, students teach each other their home languages — and learn acceptance

One ethnic studies teacher in Oakland, California, noticed that her students, who come from all over the world, had some trouble relating to each other. So, she created a video dictionary so that the students can teach each other words and phrases from their home country.

In this California classroom, students teach each other their home languages — and learn acceptance
class

This sex trafficking survivor is moving on — by learning how to code

Jessica Hubley, one of the founders of AnnieCannons, wanted to teach survivors something that was actually viable in the job market — and in the Bay Area, where she is based, nothing made more sense than software development.

This sex trafficking survivor is moving on — by learning how to code
Mother son

An immigrant mother's plea: 'Send me back. But don't take my kids.'

A family holds its breath, wondering if a young son will be deported back to El Salvador — and the dangers of gang life.

An immigrant mother's plea: 'Send me back. But don't take my kids.'
Kabul Dreams

Afghanistan’s first rock band wants to build a cultural bridge in the US

The singer of Afghanistan’s first rock band, now living in Oakland, California, talks about how music can bring communities together.

Afghanistan’s first rock band wants to build a cultural bridge in the US
License plate reader

How police license plate readers can invade your privacy

License plate readers scan plate numbers and then cross-reference them with a “hot list” of plates of wanted or stolen vehicles. The problem is that only a small fraction of the plates are on the wanted list; the rest belong to non-criminal, law-abiding people – people whose movements the government could now conceivably track.

How police license plate readers can invade your privacy
Asylum 16:9

For some women fleeing violence, safety means changing US law ‘stuck in the past’

The US has taken some steps to protect foreign women facing harm based on their gender. But some say the US must do more.

For some women fleeing violence, safety means changing US law ‘stuck in the past’
The Pop Up Archive interface lets users jump around in an audio recording by clicking on the accompanying text.

A California startup tries to capture the elusive spoken word — and make it searchable

Pop Up Archive is making spoken-word audio searchable. It joins a similar effort by the BBC to tag and transcribe words spoken into microphones, but until now not written down.

A California startup tries to capture the elusive spoken word — and make it searchable