Wed. Dec 25th, 2024

Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez and the City of Santa Ana are hosting a “Community Forum on Cultural Diversity and Conflict Resolution.”  The forum will “focus on the Jewish – Latino experience as it relates to their shared history and common desire to promote social justice and economic prosperity.”

Here is the invitation that Alvarez emailed to her constituents this week:

Please Join Us As An “Agent of Change” For Our Community

I would personally like to invite you to attend a Community Forum on Cultural Diversity and Conflict Resolution, hosted by the City of Santa Ana, on Thursday, October 27, 2011. The Community Forum will be held at the Santa Ana Police Community Room located at 60 Civic Center Drive, Santa Ana from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The purpose of the forum is to explore how diverse communities can resolve conflict in a culturally sensitive manner. We are extending an invitation to a cross-section of individuals and organizations to ensure full representation of our community. However, this forum will focus on the Jewish – Latino experience as it relates to their shared history and common desire to promote social justice and economic prosperity.

Additionally, we are pleased to confirm the participation of the American Jewish Committee, Anti-Defamation League, Latino-Jewish Coalition and Orange County Human Relations Commission.  The Community Forum will consist of the following three components and will be moderated by Michele Ruiz of the Latino Jewish Coalition:

Jewish/Latino Communities – The Latino-Jewish Coalition

  • Historical perspective of Jewish and Latino communities working together to overcome discrimination and to promote social justice and economic prosperity.
  • Commonalities/Shared Experiences – Rusty Kennedy/Orange County Human Relations Commission
  • A lunch exercise to develop trust among forum participants by sharing commonalities based on our respective families’ immigrant experience. (Lunch will be provided)
  • Conflict Resolution – TBD
  • Practical solutions for resolving conflict.

You have been invited to attend with the hope that you will join us as “agents of change” in spreading the knowledge and message from this forum to our respective communities. We look forward to your participation and ask that you join us for the entire program.

Please RSVP with the City of Santa Ana, City Manager’s Office, at 714.647.5200 or by email at mlawrence@santa-ana.org by October 20th.

Sincerely,

Claudia C. Alvarez
Mayor Pro Tem, City of Santa Ana

author avatar
Art Pedroza Editor
Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

By Art Pedroza

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

43 thoughts on “Mayor Pro Tem Alvarez to host a forum about the Jewish-Latino experience”
  1. Occupy New Santa Ana Day 7.5
    Looking forward to visit from Alvarez @ Occupy Irvine.
    I wish her luck with the Latino Jewish experience.
    She will be on P.C. overdrive for sure.
    At the Occupy Camp, I will not.
    That is the joy of being a liberated American.
    Appreciate freedom while it is still here.
    This is the most important free form expression that the city of Irvine has ever had.
    Are they going to pull a smack down on the People?
    We’ll find out.
    Santa Ana is next.
    We had first meet up for Occupy Santa Ana tonight.
    All went well.
    The cops are not looking forward to us. I like Gominsky and Mc Coy but I can tell that this is not there cup of tea. Maybe we will bring them chocolate and home made currency. Peace Out.

  2. Aaaww.. She’s going to change in a two Months on how she feels about Jews.. Sure.. Inhave no respect for Her, the Mayor, City Manager/ Police Chief or the Council.. Anything goes in Santa Ana..

  3. “I wasn’t invited”

    It is a “Community Forum” – you are part of the Community admin. – you ARE invited. Find another excuse.

  4. Seems to be a pretty narrow focus “Jewish-Latino experience”.

    How about us non-latino gentiles? Where do we fit in? The last time I checked we were part of the cultural diversity of Santa Ana.

    No lunch for gentile whitey.

  5. The LOC and the other flame fanning idiots did a pretty good job of distracting everyone.

    While city business languishes, Alverez is Bashed, Bustamonte is hiding, Martinez seemed poised for a NAME GRABBING run.

    Mexican-Jews are the LEAST of this cities worries, slightly above animal rapists in the sewers!

  6. “Seems to be a pretty narrow focus “Jewish-Latino experience”.

    “How about us non-latino gentiles? Where do we fit in? The last time I checked we were part of the cultural diversity of Santa Ana.”

    The invitation states: (all are invited)…..discussion will involve all communities with the focus on the “Jewish -Latino experience”.

    “The purpose of the forum is to explore how diverse communities can resolve conflict in a culturally sensitive manner. We are extending an invitation to a cross-section of individuals and organizations to ensure full representation of our community. However, this forum will focus on the Jewish – Latino experience as it relates to their shared history and common desire to promote social justice and economic prosperity.”

    I believe this request was called by the Santa Ana Council, Jewish ADL, the Jewish-Latino Coalition and the OC Human Relation Commission(OCHRC).

    The agenda was not a Councilwoman Alvarez individual decision. She is organizing the Community Forum in order to address the false anti-semitism claim against her……..this was recommended by the City council, OCHRC and the Jewish groups participating in the community forum.

  7. What a hypocritical waste of taxpayer resources for a city which is on the verge of bankruptcy. Sarmiento and Alvarez should be embarrassed at this “punishment” which makes the racist Alvarez appear as a leader in race and ethnic relations.

  8. “which makes the racist Alvarez appear as a leader in race and ethnic relations.”

    Racist….in what manner?
    Hypocrite…in what manner?

    From Webster’s Dictionary:

    hyp·o·crite
    noun \ˈhi-pə-ˌkrit\
    Definition of HYPOCRITE

    : a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion

    2
    : a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings

    rac·ism
    noun \ˈrā-ˌsi-zəm also -ˌshi-\

    Definition of RACISM

    1
    : a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race

    2
    : racial prejudice or discrimination

  9. She should shut up and let the problem go away.

    The problem being the rable rousers accusing her of being an anti-semite or a Nazi.

    Those folks have moved on to the next crash up the road a mile. She has BAD advisors for letting this thing get tractionin the first place.

  10. Latinos and Jews have about as much of a shared experience as a kumquat and a football. This forum should last about 15 minutes.

    Alvarez just keeps digging herself deeper and deeper when she needs to just sit down and shut up. Let this pass, Claudia. You may still have a career in politics left.

    1. Not really Jeff. Many Jews settled in Spain and then fled to Mexico during the Inquisition. Of those who settled in Mexico, many opted to blend in and become Catholics, to avoid further persecution. Some of them continued to practice Judaism but on the down low. My Great Grandfather, on my Mom’s side, was Jewish.

      Here in Southern CA, many Jews own and operate businesses that employ Latinos. I met a fellow this week who runs an apparel manufacturing company in LA. He is Jewish, speaks fluent Spanish, and his workers are all Latinos.

      So you see, the two cultures do have some commonalities after all.

  11. “Alvarez just keeps digging herself deeper and deeper when she needs to just sit down and shut up ..”

    Alvarez would not be doing this except as punishment for her bad behavior. This will be about as much fun for mayor pro-tem as a root canal. dr. art should have the laughing gas handy.

  12. “.. (in Mexico) many (Jews) opted to blend in and become Catholics, to avoid further persecution ..”

    Oh, I see ….

    1. So then what is she? You told me she was Spanish – now you have backtracked. Are you or are you not married to a minority? If yes, shouldn’t you be proud of that? Why hide behind your angry old man persona?

    2. BTW, what did you think about that Catholic Monsignor in Kansas getting busted for covering up for a pedo priest? I thought it was great. You are some kind of uber Catholic aren’t you? Do you think this was a moment worth celebrating?

  13. “Are you or are you not married to a minority? If yes, shouldn’t you be proud of that?”

    I am very proud of my wife’s heritage. I honor and respect that so much that I would not drag it into a discussion with a low-life such as yourself.

  14. Jeff Gallagher says:

    October 15, 2011 at 9:53 pm

    Latinos and Jews have about as much of a shared experience as a kumquat and a football. This forum should last about 15 minutes.

    IGNORANCE IS BLISSFUL.

    History of the Jews in Latin America
    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    For a list of individuals of Jewish origin by country in Latin America, see List of Latin American Jews. Part of a series of articles on Jews and Judaism

    The history of the Jews in Latin America dates, according to some interpretations,[who?] back to Christopher Columbus and his first cross-Atlantic voyage on August 3, 1492, when he left Spain and eventually discovered the New World. His date of departure was also the day on which the Catholic Monarchs Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon decreed that the Jews of Spain either had to convert to Catholicism, depart from the country, or face death.

    There were at least seven New Christians (converted Jews) who sailed with Columbus in his first voyage, including Rodrigo de Triana, who was the first to sight land (Columbus later assumed credit for this), Maestre Bernal, who served as the expedition’s physician, and Luis De Torres, the interpreter, who spoke Hebrew and Arabic, which it was believed would be useful in the Orient—their intended destination. (Note: Since not all conversos were crypto-Jews, some argue that to approach all of them as conscious Jews merely because of their ancestry, or because of what the Inquisition said about them is to reproduce old Iberian religious and racial prejudices.)

    In the coming years, New Christians of Jewish origin settled in the new Spanish and Portuguese colonies in the Caribbean, where they believed that they would be safe from the Spanish Inquisition. Some took part in the conquest of the New World and Bernal Díaz del Castillo describes a number of executions of soldiers in Hernán Cortés’s forces during the conquest of Mexico because they were secret Jews.

    By the 16th century, fully functioning Jewish communities had organised in Brazil, Suriname, Curaçao, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Barbados. In addition, there were unorganised communities of Jews in the Spanish and Portuguese territories, where the Inquisition was active, including Cuba, Puerto Rico and Mexico, however, these Jews generally concealed their identity from the authorities. By the mid-17th century, the largest Jewish communities in the Western Hemisphere were located in Suriname and Brazil. Several Jewish communities in the Caribbean, Central and South America flourished, particularly in those areas under Dutch and English control. Today, Latin American Jewry is composed of more than 2,500,000 people,[citation needed] most of whom live in Argentina and Brazil.

    Main article: History of the Jews in Mexico

    New Christians arrived in Mexico as early as 1521. Many of these conversos had fled Spain to escape the Inquisition, but no infrastructure was left by them in what is the modern day Mexican Jewish community. Due to the strong Catholic Church presence in Mexico, few conversos and even fewer Jews migrated there after the Spanish Conquest of Mexico. Then, in the late 19th century, a number of German Jews settled in Mexico as a result of invitations from Maximilian I of Mexico, followed by a huge wave of Ashkenazi Jews fleeing pogroms in Russia and Eastern Europe. A second large wave of immigration occurred as the Ottoman Empire collapsed, leading many Sephardic Jews from Turkey, Morocco, and parts of France to flee. Finally, a wave of immigrants fled the increasing Nazi persecutions in Europe during World War II. Today, there are more than 50,000[citation needed] Jews in Mexico, the third largest Jewish community in Latin America.

    In the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico, there is a thriving Jewish community that has been growing over the past decade.

    In 2007 Chabad headquarters in New York decided to send their first representatives to Quintana Roo, in order to spread Judaism and to teach people Torah,

    They appointed Rabbi Mendel Drunk as the regional representative, he arrived with his wife Rachel and their young baby girl. They quickly got to know all the local Jews and started serving them, along with tourist for all their Jewish needs.

    Based in Cancún, they reached out to the whole Quintana Roo and Mexican Caribbean including Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres and Mérida.

    In 2010 they opened a chabad branch in Playa del Carmen to expanded their activities. Rabbi Mendel Goldberg along with his wife Chaya and two daughters where assigned to direct the activities there and open a new center.

  15. ENOUGH about my family – I notice that your family is not spoken about in your blog – and that is how it should be – so, … LEAVE MY FAMILY ALONE !!

  16. junior says:

    October 17, 2011 at 6:08 am

    Thanks for the info doc – the community form should be held in Cancun – or admin’s place.

    OK if the issue happened in Cancun or at admin’s place. The council and the other groups wanted it in Santa Ana,I believe.

  17. I just suggested Cancun because according to the information you provided, that seems to be where the bulk of Jewish Mexicans are located – and it is a really nice vaca spot.

    And possibly at admin’s place because his great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather was 1/64th Jewish.

    The Police Community room will do I guess. Are non-latino gentiles like me invited?

  18. Wikepedia, that’s a reliable source. Try calling a Spaniard of any religion a Latino and they might slit your throat. As for Jews in Mexico, if they converted to Catholicism, would they still be Jews (hint: only women carry the Jewish gene)? In reality, you speakto of yhethe history ofor Jees and Spaniards. I doubthave Alvarez was planninghoping to goeliminate back thatto far.

    And just so we are on the up and up, my wife is Jewish and I’m a KofC and proud of it.

  19. Jeff Gallagher says:

    October 18, 2011 at 7:42 pm

    Wikepedia, that’s a reliable source. Try calling a Spaniard of any religion a Latino and they might slit your throat. As for Jews in Mexico, if they converted to Catholicism, would they still be Jews (hint: only women carry the Jewish gene)? In reality, you speakto of yhethe history ofor Jees and Spaniards. I doubthave Alvarez was planninghoping to goeliminate back thatto far.

    And just so we are on the up and up, my wife is Jewish and I’m a KofC and proud of it.

    I see you are very comfortable in your ignorance or maybe it is something more.

  20. If you are just a resident of Santa Ana and you want to attend this event, you are SOL. This “community forum” is by invitation only.

    I wonder if Santa Ana residents showed up for this “community meeting” – at THEIR Community Room – if we would be denied access.

    It just makes me sick at the depths this city will sink.

  21. It just makes me sick at the depths this city will sink to have an official of the City of Santa Ana (Sean Mill) make uncalled-for rude and belittling remarks to a resident of the City.

    Where is enforcement of the Santa Ana Code of Ethics and Conduct when you need it?

    Sean Mill – You are a shame disgrace to all associated with the City of Santa Ana. Your unprofessional and mean-spirited behavior is on display for all to witness.

  22. Santa Ana says: “The Community Forum is an invitation only event to facilitate candid dialog among the participants.”

    That is BS – the forum is by invitation only in order to silence the true community. They could easily accommodate SA residents by asking for respect for all of the panelists and taking some questions in written form from the community.

    Anyone who participates in this sham is complicit in the quashing of the right of free speech for the residents of Santa Ana.

  23. I am surprised that Vern Nelson from OJB did not jumped into a fray here knowing that he is the biggest anti-Smytic hater educated in Santa Ana prestigious private Catholic High School which he is covering up by vigorously accusing others of anti-Semitism.

    The old Bohemian cliché is teaching us: “The one who screams fire is the one who started it”

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