I was born in Chilpancingo, the capital of the state of Guerrero, México on a clear Saturday afternoon in October. But the story of my birth begins on Thursday, when my mom started having contractions and thought she was ready to give birth.
I had always wanted a grand, meaningful story behind my naming. But the simplicity and mystery in this story has given me the freedom to write my own story.
In the process of building with my YLI group, I started to realize how important it is for the community to know about the issues – to be aware of what is going on around them. They need to know what exactly city council is deciding for us, the overall community. In order to raise awareness, we’re planning the Housing, Immigration, and Substance Abuse (H.I.S.) Freedom Gallery Exhibit to take place on June 7th at Pilarcitos High School.
My mother named me Alhelí. On google images, an Alhelí ranges from a small four-petaled flower, similar to Hawaii’s plumeria, to a bunch of small flowers growing up a stem, similar to lavender but fuller. I don’t think I have ever seen one in real life and because of that, I find myself stopping at almost every flower I see, wondering, “Could you be an Alhelí?”
Calafia is YLIs statewide youth policy journal that amplifies the narratives of young people on topics and issue areas important to them and their communities. Each year, one Calafia Fellow is selected from each YLI office to identify the issue’s theme and write the stories. This year’s Calafia Fellows are an exceptional bunch. Here are their stories:
Fun Facts: I was supposed to be a boy and throughout my mom’s pregnancy with me my mom called me Ricky. I have 10 nicknames and I answer to them all (Trina, Trinabell, Tinabell, Tina, Boo Boo Face, Tina La Boo, Tinker, Tinkerbell, Trin, and Catrin). These come from aunts, uncles and older cousins. Each nickname for me is special, but I use Trina most often and am known to many friends and introduced myself to my partner as Trina.
Tobacco products are adapting to our social environments and we need to put a stop to this. We need you to support our campaign as we strive to set a city-wide tobacco retail minimum price and ban the use of coupons, BOGO deals, and any other promotional strategies to purchase tobacco in San Francisco — our city. This isn’t just a health issue, it’s also a social justice issue.
On April 3rd, approximately 5 young people will be officially sworn-in to serve on the very first term of the newly established City-Wide Youth Commission. This is an historic moment in the history of the City of Madera, demonstrating City Hall’s commitment to including youth at the decision-making table.
