2023 review: Largest Catholic parish church, a resurrected Tulare Lake, a physician pilot program, discrimination against indigenous people

As the year 2023 came to an end, I looked back to my year of news coverage – from politics, immigration, and education, to health, culture and entertainment – my camera, my pen and notepad were witness to.

Hundreds of photos and dozens of articles captured the many stories of Latinos in the Central Valley.

It’s hard to select ten stories to represent a whole year – there were many “firsts”. Some already made the list of “most relevant stories” involving Latinos put together by my editor Juan Esparza Loera.

Here is my selection:

1. Tulare County CA supervisor makes political history

Veteran politician Eddie Valero made history in January when he was sworn in to a second term to represent Tulare County Board of Supervisors District 4.

Valero was the first Mexican American elected to the board four years ago. He became the first Latino in Tulare County history to win re-election to a second term on the board, an effort that two previous candidates failed.

“Never in a million years would have imagined serving in this capacity as a county supervisor, let alone with a worldwide pandemic included in the job description,” said the Ivy League graduate, who was forced into a runoff after having won outright on his first try.

He is the only Latino currently on the board of supervisors. The county has about 477,000 residents, of which 66.7% are Latino based on a July 2021 estimate by the Census Bureau.

2. The largest Catholic parish church in North America opened in California

North America’s largest Catholic parish church – St. Charles Borromeo with seating for 3,200 people – was officially dedicated in February in front of a packed house that included bishops from throughout California.

The $21 million church in Visalia with its 48-by-53-foot mural on the wall behind the altar, dome murals and California mission-style exterior, garnered attention nationally.

Fresno Diocese Bishop Joseph V. Brennan, who officiated the bilingual mass of dedication, called the parish “a big deal.” It was Brennan’s first dedication of a church.

The new parish church of The Good Shepherd Catholic Parish is a template for the Catholic Church as it consolidates smaller and struggling parishes into one site.

3. Kings County faced $1 billion in flood damages; gets federal funding

Kings County officials scrambled to qualify for federal assistance but finally were eligible for aid to respond and recover from flooding impacts.

The county estimated $1 billion in flood damage due to melting snow overflowing the Kings River and other waterways and resurrected Tulare Lake.

Farmers drained Tulare Lake more than 100 years ago and the land is used for crops like cotton, pistachios and tomatoes.

Gov. Gavin Newsom took a closer look at the widespread flooding of the Tulare Lake basin south of Corcoran in April. Newsom not only walked downtown but visited small business owners that expressed their concerns about the situation.

The levee protecting Corcoran was raised three feet as a precaution to prevent additional damage to the city.

4. Consulate of Mexico in Fresno makes history at Pride Parade

The Mexican Consulate in Fresno, for the first time in its history, took part in the Fresno Rainbow Pride Parade that took place in June in the Tower District. The Consulate also celebrated LGBTQ+ Pride Day with a short film festival.

“It gives us great pride to be able to celebrate, above all, dignity, respect, love, inclusion and diversity,” said Adriana González Carrillo, head consul. “The Mexican consulates are a safe zone for our LGBT+ community.”

The consulate has been in the city of Fresno for more than 92 years, serving the community of Mexican origin in eight counties in the Valley and for the first time in 2023, consulate officials took that step of being part of the parade.

5. Doctors Academy students headed to UC Merced’s SJV PRIME+ BS/MD program.

Two Doctors Academy students – Kareena Brring of Caruthers High School and Josyln Conchas of Sunnyside High School – were accepted into the inaugural cohort of 15 students for the San Joaquín Valley PRIME+ BS/MD program at UC Merced out of hundreds of applicants.

The eight-year program, which focuses on high school students who are committed to pursuing a career in medicine and are dedicated to serving the San Joaquín Valley’s unique needs, is a collaborative effort between UC Merced, UCSF School of Medicine and UCSF Fresno.

“It was a pretty rough process. But I’m so thankful to have been selected,” said Conchas. For Conchas having a straight path to medical school is reassuring.

“I know I worked so hard to get here and to know that my hard work paid off and I’m going to have a clear path to becoming a doctor and helping my community,” said Conchas.

6. Physician pilot program fills the cultural, linguistic void

Doctors from Mexico help meet the needs of some patients in the Central Valley.

Mexico’s Licensed Physician Pilot Program was approved in 2002. The first pilot program bill was written in 2000 and it was not until mid-2021 when the first Mexican doctor under the program came to California to San Benito County to practice medicine.

The unique pilot program brings Mexican physicians to work in Federally Qualified Health Centers in California.

Currently, the pilot program has 30 Mexican doctors –12 are women– working in clinics in Monterey, San Benito, Tulare, and Los Angeles counties. Six of them are working at the Altura Centers for Health clinic in Tulare County.

One of the goals of the pilot program is to help the state alleviate the shortage of Spanish-speaking, culturally responsive primary care physicians, particularly in agricultural areas like the Central Valley with a large immigrant population.

7. Inaugural event of the Guelaguetza in Madera

The Oaxacan community of Madera welcomed the first Guelaguetza with open arms.

Minerva Mendoza, president of the Guelaguetza Madera Committee, called the event “a historic moment for the community” which received a great reception.

The cultural event will return next year according to the Guelaguetza Madera Committee, which is made up of members of the Oaxacan community in Madera.

8. Racism and double discrimination against indigenous people

Could centuries of culture of racism against indigenous be broken?

When California’s Central Valley leaders of Mixteco origin learned about the racist comments made by three Latinos on the Los Ángeles City Council regarding the Oaxacan Indigenous community in October 2022, they were not surprised.

Hugo Morales, co-founder and executive director of Radio Bilingüe, said culturally, discrimination and racism against indigenous people is something that has taken place since colonial times when white people invaded and conquered México and Latin América “instilling their own culture of racism.”

The indigenous have been discriminated against because of their language, culture, stature, dress or indigenous features they have.

This story was part of a series on Stop The Hate, a project funded by the California State Library.

9. Maná concert benefited family of farmworker & the RBD mania showed up in Fresno

Mexican pop-rock band Maná spread more than musical entertainment in its December sold-out concert at the Save Mart Center. The band’s philanthropic effort benefited the family of Elidio Hernández Gómez, a 59-year-old farmworker who died earlier this year while harvesting tomatillos in 100-degree weather near Selma.

The band – which has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide since it formed in 1986 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, México – donated a portion of its concert proceeds to the United Farm Workers Foundation to help the family of the farmworker from Guanajuato, México.

The RBD mania showed up for the much-anticipated ‘Soy Rebelde Tour 2023’ in Fresno. After 15 years the biggest phenomenon of Latin pop culture reunited to celebrate its 20-year legacy with their loyal fans.

RBD sold out their Fresno’s show with 12,000 fans in attendance. Many paid homage to their beloved band dressed like their iconic TV characters.

10. ‘Secure the border first’ before immigration reform

While former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is leaving Congress at the end of this month, early this year McCarthy said that the road to immigration reform must start at the U.S.-México border.

“The first (thing) has to be done, you have to secure the border before you have any immigration reform,” said the Bakersfield Republican who attended the World Ag Expo in February.

A few days later, McCarthy visited Arizona taking with him a number of freshmen members to the border. McCarthy did not outline any plans on immigration beyond securing the border.

Immigration reform has been elusive for federal lawmakers ever since President Ronald Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) in 1986, which resulted in permanent residency status for more than 2.7 million previously undocumented residents.

Esta historia fue publicada originalmente el 17 de enero de 2024, 0:00 a. m..

María G. Ortiz-Briones

The Fresno Bee

559-441-6782

María G. Ortiz-Briones is a reporter and photographer for McClatchy’s Vida en el Valle publication and the Fresno Bee. She covers issues that impact the Latino community in the Central Valley. She is a regular contributor to La Abeja, The Bee’s free weekly newsletter on Latino issues. | María G. Ortiz-Briones es reportera y fotógrafa de la publicación Vida en el Valle de McClatchy y el Fresno Bee. Ella cubre temas que impactan a la comunidad latina en el Valle Central. Es colaboradora habitual de La Abeja, el boletín semanal gratuito de The Bee sobre temas latinos. Apoye mi trabajo con una subscripción digital