“We are having another May 1st rally this year," Jose Alvarado told me a few months ago, about the event in support of immigration reform. During my conversation with Jose, I had a flashback from fifteen years ago, when I participated in “A Day Without Immigrants”...
Iowa House Republicans last week passed a so-called "Back the Blue" bill, which provides more protections to law enforcement and punishes protesters in direct response to last summer's protests of nationwide racial inequity. Democratic Rep. Christina Bohannan of...
The moment was finally here! I was eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19, and I was ecstatic. The opportunity to feel some safety against the virus and gain some sort of normalcy was within reach. It has been more than a year since the pandemic started and we...
“It’s our duty and responsibility to protect the integrity of every election,” said Gov. Kim Reynolds after signing a bill restricting various forms of voting in Iowa earlier this year. The bill shortens the early voting period to 20 days from 29 days, limits drop...
This year has been a year of learning, of reflection, of putting things in perspective for many of us. Most of us learned about the importance of slowing down and to be grateful for what we have. We also learned to recognize other people’s important work and...
It has been my position that as a U.S. citizen with the right and responsibility to vote, I will vote my conscious. As a person of color, I have always believed that just because a Latino(a) is running for office, it does not mean that I will vote for that...
A year ago, as the pandemic started, we all watched how another story began to unfold; the former president kept referring to the coronavirus as the “kung flu” and the “China virus.” Ever since then, the racist acts and harassment against the Asian American and...
The Biden Administration and the new Democratic Congress has begun the arduous task of dismantling numerous policies and executive orders that proved damaging to underrepresented communities in our nation. Iowa, on the other hand, controlled by Republicans, has...
When Iowa state officials announced this month that the vaccination criteria would expand to individuals under age 65 with obesity, severe obesity (BMI 30) and smokers, many in social media began to play judge and jury. This has stirred harsh commentary, even among...
The months of February and March this year mark a grim reminder of how the coronavirus pandemic began to change our lives forever one year ago. We are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, yet the scars of loss, depression, anxiety and pain remain. A...
