yli is My Story

“You need to learn how to code,” my father would tell me, after “Technology is the future. Make sure you’re a part of it.” “What about me?,” I would fume internally. What about my ability to create as a human, without the assistance of AI or technology?

A driver pulls into the Three Rivers Art Center parking lot, holding out two fingers representing the number of families they are picking up for. A line of volunteers drop full-sized boxes of produce into the driver’s open side door. “You sure you don’t want another box? It all needs to be gone, or it’ll go bad.”

But now with AI technology, my flame is being taken away from me again. AI programs have made things so much worse for artists as these programs can generate “art” pieces. AI is harming artists in the worst way possible. By stealing their art.

As a young adult who just graduated from Fresno State, I am constantly thinking about my next step in life. And I’m not just talking about my career moves. I am constantly thinking about my future housing needs.

Calafia is yli’s statewide youth policy journal that amplifies the narratives of young people on topics and issue areas important to them and their communities. This year’s Calafia Fellows are an exceptional bunch. Here are their stories.

Ironically, as a Latino who fought to have his community recognized, Esteban Torres’ efforts around Hispanic Heritage Month don’t receive the same recognition as the white presidents and legislators who signed it into law.

We often suppress individuality in our community, whether it be through stating who may and may not wear makeup, or our restrictive gender roles, so people find themselves trapped within a certain set of rules just to appease societal norms.

Although the parents in the Varsity Blues scandal were charged for their crimes, the wide open “back door” for wealthy students was never shut. Today, while it may not be a major scandal or illegal crime, money is one of the biggest factors in college admissions.