A Eulogy for a Delano Farmworker

For 50 Years, Esteban Nuño Took Great Pride in Helping to Harvest the Food That Fed Our Nation

When they lowered the coffin into the ground, it wasn’t yet 11 a.m., but already the hot sun had forced many mourners to seek refuge. Some stood in the shade of nearby trees dotting the Delano cemetery. A few protected themselves under umbrellas. Others didn’t bother, saying silent goodbyes as they stoically withstood the heat, just like the man being laid to rest had done for decades.

Esteban Nuño was a farmworker. He was born in Tepantla, Jalisco, 70 years ago, the youngest of nine siblings. He left Mexico for the …

Parks are a Public Health Issue

In Cities Like Fresno, CA, the Lack of Green Space Threatens Residents' Well-Being

Every year, the Trust for Public Land analyzes the 75 largest U.S. cities and gives them a score based on how well they are meeting the need for parks. This …

California, Where Brown and Gray America Collide

Two of the Country’s Fastest Growing Populations Are Learning How to Embrace Change

It was like being in a foreign country. Having never lived anywhere but California, I arrived at Brandeis University in the 1970s to study gerontology and geriatrics. I was a …

My Immigrant Kids Don’t Test Well—But They’re Learning

In This High School Classroom, Resilience Is as Important as Textbooks

My mother immigrated to the United States when she was 16, in May of 1943. Though she didn’t know English when she arrived, she claims that by the fall she …

A Nonprofit That Teaches Law to Those Who Need It Most

In San Jose, California, Families Are Encouraged to Join Their Loved Ones’ Defense Team

When I heard about the suicide of Kalief Browder, a teenager who was charged with stealing a backpack and served three years in brutal Rikers Island until the charge against …

A City that Doesn’t Leave Politics to the Politicians

In Long Beach, Residents Get a Chance to Deliver Their Own ‘State of the City’

The president of the United States gives a State of the Union address. Governors offer speeches on the states of the state. Even mayors often deliver a state of the …