In the News

By: Jeremy White

If not for a supportive cousin, Tony Thurmond might have ended up like the kids he’s made a career of helping instead of becoming a state assemblyman from Richmond.

Thurmond’s mother died when he was six, and the trauma of serving in Vietnam had led his father to “basically never come home,” Thurmond said. Rather than slip into the foster care system, Thurmond moved from San Jose to Philadelphia to be raised by a cousin who he says “basically saved my life.”

By: Jeremy B. White

One month after California began offering driver’s licenses to immigrants in the state illegally, tens of thousands have received licenses and seven times as many took driving tests.

Years of effort by immigrant advocates culminated on Jan. 2, when immigrants became eligible to begin driving legally under a 2013 law. The California Department of Motor Vehicles estimated 1.4 million people would apply over the course of three years, though questions about how many would step forward persisted.

By: Dan Walters

There are two dozen Latinos in the California Legislature today, including Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León, but when Pete Chacon unexpectedly won a seat in the state Assembly 44 years ago, he became one of only two.

Not only was it unusual for a Latino to be a legislator in 1970, but Chacon did it the hard way. He took a leave of absence from his teaching job, sold his house to raise funds and campaigned for a year to unseat a seemingly secure incumbent in a San Diego district that was just 8 percent Latino in makeup.

Educator, Activist, California State Assemblyman 1970-1992
By Paul Chacon

Peter Chacon served in the California State Legislature from 1970 until his retirement in 1992 representing the urban core of San Diego. Upon his election, he became only the second Latino legislator elected to State of California public office in the past (100) years. Together with Alex Garcia, they formed the California Latino Legislative Caucus with a membership of just two.

By: Melody Gutierrez & Nanette Asimov

Thousands of people living in the country without documentation formed long lines at motor vehicle offices across California to be among the first to apply for driver’s licenses under a law that went into effect Friday.

Rocelio Nicolas of Gilroy showed up at 3:30 a.m. He was first in line at the San Jose license processing center — one of four temporary centers opened by the Department of Motor Vehicles to deal with the surge of applicants.

By Maria E. Garcia

The general public knew Peter Chacón as a California State Assemblyman who served  from 1970-1992. Very few know or understand what Pete’s election meant to the Latino community.

From the time I was a small child I remember my parents going inside a building to vote. They would take turns voting as we sat in the car.  One parent would go inside to vote while the other parent would care for us. Then the reverse would occur. Voting was always a special activity and in many ways a mystery.

By Paul Chacon

Peter Chacon served in the California State Legislature from 1970 until his retirement in 1992 representing the urban core of San Diego. Upon his election, he became only the second Latino legislator elected to State of California public office in the past (100) years. Together with Alex Garcia, they formed the California Latino Legislative Caucus with a membership of just two.

By: Jeremy B. White

The powerful storm lashing Sacramento kept many people home last Thursday, but Rosario Aguilar was not among them. After eight years of living and driving unlawfully in California, the chance to get a legitimate license led him through sheets of rain to an information session held at a community services center tucked behind an Autozone on Fruitridge Road.

By: Patrick McGreevy

Just weeks before California begins to issue driver's licenses to people in the country illegally, the Department of Motor Vehicles has opened four new offices and hired more than 900 additional staffers to help handle the expected flood of applicants.

State officials expect that 1.4 million immigrants who are not lawfully in the country will apply for specially marked licenses during the first three years beginning Jan. 2. An extra $141 million has been budgeted to handle the applications.