In the month of April, an increase in allegations of medical neglect coincided with rising deaths in United States prisons due to COVID-19. Videos posted to social media by inmatesâvia contraband cell phonesârevealed conditions unfit to mitigate spread of the virus. At the Fort Dix Federal prison, a video uploaded to Instagram showed a prisoner […]
Posted inDevil's Advocate
A breath, a possibility and a warning
Now that parts of the world are beginning to tentatively stick their heads out of their windows, trying to fathom which way the viral wind blows, it might be good to ponder how, when and why will we return to the recent past. That which we called âthe normal.â A question first: Do we really […]
Posted inSports
COVID-19 robs Riordan basketball team of shot at championship
*Editorâs note: Diego Felix is a journalism students in SF Stateâs Journalism 575 Community Media this spring. Taught by professor Jon Funabiki, the class is a collaboration with El Tecolote. Losing a game in the semifinals is heart wrenching, but having to withdraw without ever touching the court is indescribable. Thatâs what Archbishop Riordan High […]
Posted inObituaries
Even in the Shadow of Carlos, Jorge Santana was a Musical Giant Among Musical Giants
The Mission community lost a beloved musical son who helped forge the Latin Rock sound worldwide. Jorge Santana, the lead guitarist for the highly popular Latin Rock band Malo, died of reported natural causes on May 14. He was 68. The announcement sent shockwaves through the Mission and wherever Latin Rock lovers call home. Carlos […]
Posted inObituaries
Oscar Ortega Torres: Feb. 24, 1948 – May 12, 2020
Editorâs note: The following obituary is that of Oscar Ortega Torres, beloved tĂo of Mabel JimĂ©nez, former photo editor of El Tecolote, and longtime collaborator. Oscar Ortega Torres lived in Mexico City, where he recently lost his battle against COVID-19. He is survived by his wife, Lulu JimĂ©nez BarĂłn, their five children Claudia, VerĂłnica, Adriana, […]
Posted inNews
‘Freedom’ protesters gather at City Hall
With the so-called “Freedom” protests taking place at government buildings across the country, one such group gathered outside San Francisco City Hall on May 9. The group numbered about 50 in total. Carrying American flags and signs, the group was part of the FULLY OPEN CA NOW Movementâa group that holds rallies across the state […]
Posted inMultimedia
Crisis Inside the Border’s Largest Refugee Tent City
Weeks before the COVID-19 outbreak, VICE’s Paola Ramos traveled to the largest refugee camp on the U.S.-Mexico border in Matamoros, Mexico to embed with the doctors, lawyers, and asylum seekers at the frontlines of a growing humanitarian crisis.
Posted inMultimedia
Aztec Tattoo Artist Uses Ink to Honor Ancestors
The artists who work at Amor Eterno Arte in East Oakland, California consider their artwork to be healing, whether itâs on the wall or on your skin. Chamuco Cortez is a tattoo artist there who focuses on promoting Aztec art, symbolism, and culture in his tattoos and creates an intentional space for his clients to […]
Posted inNews
Latinos, workers among most vulnerable to COVID-19, local study shows
With early reports suggesting Latinos in San Francisco were being disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and the Mission District having the highest number of positive cases, free testing for the coronavirus began on the morning of April 25 and continued through April 28 for residents living in the section of the neighborhood between 23rd Street to […]
Posted inNews
Masked Heroes and Masked Memories of Epidemics in the Mission
As we live with the surprising consequence of the coronavirus pandemic, this article remembers the catastrophic epidemics suffered by the original inhabitants of this place during the Spanish colonial era. Todayâs indigenous migrants, often working as day laborers, nannies and restaurant staff, echo those first convert arrivals to the Mission Dolores. The pandemic affects them […]