For as long as I can remember, my family and I lived in neighborhoods with either my relatives or other Hmong families as my neighbors. As a child, I grew up learning my native language and not knowing how to speak English well. I remember being in a group of students who were English learners and we all had these little packets with a book, writing utensils and tiny gifts.
Author: The kNOw Youth Media
The kNOw works to support and equip young people with the journalism and advocacy skills they need to tell their stories and the stories of their communities.
In 2006, over 25 youth began participating in weekly after-school writing workshops where they congregated in the hallway of a two-story building in West Fresno and learned the essentials of creating media and telling their stories. The group evolved over the next five years and is now proudly recognized as The kNOw Youth Media.
Through our program, we create opportunities for our youth participants, who in turn create long-term positive change in their communities. Our approach weaves youth development and youth media innovation to produce our biannual youth publication, multimedia projects, and community forums.
The kNOw began as a project of New America Media, which was the country’s first and largest national collaboration and advocate of 2000 ethnic news organizations. In 2018 The kNOw became a project of Youth Leadership Institute.
Angelo Fernandez was on the verge of turning his life around for the better, but this changed when he decided to go to a Fresno discount store with his brother. As soon as Fernandez stepped into his brother’s car, four undercover police cars suddenly boxed them in, leaving nowhere to go. Frantically, Fernandez dashed out of the car and ran across the parking lot in an effort to escape. He heard no orders to stop.
My uncle is in prison. Talking about the prison system and about him being locked up is pretty hard. He might not even know I am writing about him.
Recently all of us at The kNOw took the time to discuss the death of Eric Borges and the issues he faced that might have led him to take his life when he was only 19. Borges, whose funeral was held this week, was a member of the LGBTQ (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Questioning) community and consequently was bullied quite often for it.
Wednesday, January 25 marked the end of a three day strike to protest a 9% pay cut to Fresno County employees. Talks of renegotiating the pay cuts have halted, which has prompted the SEIU union to protest.