Growing up in East Oakland, in a Mexican-Catholic home, one of my favorite traditions about the holidays were Las Posadas at our local church in Jingletown. Las Posadas are a nine-day celebration celebrated throughout Mexico. Las Posadas start on December 16 and end on December 24, and are a re-enactment of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter in Bethlehem before the birth of Jesus. Those attending split into two groups. One group of people stay inside the church as “innkeepers” while the other remain outside as the shepherds accompanying Mary and Joseph. The kids get dressed up and everyone sings along with the re-enactment. After, there is food and piñatas, and people linger about talking to each other. There is an amazing sense of community and it is such a merry time. I’m glad that the tradition continues at Mary Help of Christians Church.
I am an Oakland native and graduated from the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, with a bachelor's degree in Political Science in 2003. While at Cal Poly, I was a member of Sigma Omega Nu and was the resident advisor for the multicultural tower of Yosemite Hall during the 2000-2001 school year. My passion for education and Oakland inspired me to focus my senior project on the state takeover of the Oakland Unified School District in 2003. After graduation, I returned to Oakland and was an AmeriCorps member in Oakland from 2004-2005, working on community building in Sobrante Park.
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