Bridges, not walls

In the middle of another horrific news cycle, set off by the mass killings in Orlando, we look closer to home for signs of sanity, human hope and answers. We curse our crazy world while we gather and hug our loved ones ever tighter.
Sonoma County is not Orlando or San Bernardino or Sandy Hook, Columbine or Paris — but it could be.
Our hometown news cycle has been different. Here, we have been celebrating high school graduations, Pride parades, triumphant sports teams and a rousing primary election with a presidential hopeful visitor. We have not been consumed by calls to build walls, spread fears or prejudices or deport immigrants.
In our news, we are building bridges, not walls. We include, not exclude. We seek and promote joy, not racist epithets or messages of bigotry.
For example, we just honored hundreds of young Latinos among the Class of 2016. These students’ parents and grandparents came here from another country, speaking another language. These are the children of the DREAM (the federal immigration Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act). The future of our community is brightened and strengthened by these remarkable young adults. It is a repeat of news that played out almost a century ago when Japanese, Italian and other immigrant families came here and put down roots for family trees, farms and homes that still flourish today.
This week our news focus is about opening more opportunities for more people. Our number one concern is affordable housing. Another leading debate is about how fast we can raise the minimum wage above $10 an hour to $12 or $15. Debates during our recent primary election covered wetlands restoration, more money for local road repairs and expanded investments in universal preschool education. These are all positive issues, contrasts to the news that reaches here from other parts of our country.
While we join the rest of the world in solidarity with the LGBTQ community and victims of the Orlando killings, we also share prayers for our own peace and safety. And, we recommit to our own community agenda. Support for education and economic opportunity for all, social justice and abolition of hate speech and assault weapons are among these.
We know we have a crisis of unaffordable housing. Graduating high school seniors and all our children need a place to live. So do our teachers, other young professionals, families and fixed-income seniors. We are poised to answer this crisis. Let’s hope the crazy world’s other news cycles don’t distract us too much.
We could take many lessons that lie behind the incredible success stories of the Class of 2016. The same multi-generational approach, belief in a formal education, devotion to labor and strong families can put roofs over our next generation’s heads.
After all, unlike the past waves of Japanese or Italian immigrants, the ascending wave of Latinos here will soon result in a historic non-white ethnic majority as soon as 2040, just one generation from now. We wonder what kind of “walls and bridges” talk will be heard then?
Sonoma County is home to an amazing organization called Los Cien (the ‘100’). The grassroots organization is dedicated to “Building a better Sonoma County” and supporting expanded participation and leadership by Latinos in local government, education and community affairs. Los Cien holds regular workshops and programs supporting citizenship, English skills, multi-cultural programs and social justice actions. Just a few years old, Los Cien’s participants now top 1,000 people, including a majority of the county’s elected officials. There is no doubt that many of tomorrow’s local leaders of government, education and commerce can be found among today’s Los Cien membership.
This is good news for a place and people that seeks to shun the hate, horror and sheer craziness elsewhere. Let’s build 100 bridges to more proud graduates, ample housing and a welcoming culture.
— Rollie Atkinson