By VICTORIA JOHNSON By most accounts, looking at 2020 through COVID-tinted glasses bears out a pretty miserable year — one of missed opportunities, economic hardship and isolation. As the year drew to a close, a News & Record subheading on another pandemic-related story in November captured it perfectly: “As usual, blame COVID-19.” The coronavirus, after […]
By VICTORIA JOHNSON Jordan-Matthews senior Jacquelinne Marroquin Tobar created the school’s first Water Bottle Recycling Program in 9th grade — and all while she was still learning to speak English. It’s been good practice for her ultimate dream: working with the United Nations to pursue humanitarian projects all over the world. “Anything I am doing […]
By VICTORIA JOHNSON Editor’s note: All interviews for this story were conducted in Spanish. Few would dare to risk a career change during a pandemic that has suffocated America’s economy and left millions without work — yet, that’s exactly what Pittsboro resident Jimmy García decided to do. Up until September, García, a native of San […]
By VICTORIA JOHNSON Several Wake educators offered free remote learning advice and resources to struggling Spanish-speaking parents last Wednesday during a free, half-day conference broadcast across North Carolina. The conference, the REAL 2.0 (Remote Education & Learning) Conference, was hosted by the North Carolina Business Committee for Education, along with several other education-oriented organizations, as […]
By VICTORIA JOHNSON SILER CITY — Rhythmic drum beats reverberate throughout Siler City. Flags, banners, big tents and throngs of people swarm two blocks of North Chatham Avenue and East 2nd Street. Women and girls of all ages dance, their colorful dresses flowing like water around them. And of course, there’s a long line for […]
By VICTORIA JOHNSON RALEIGH — Chatham parents and teachers looking to get a leg up on virtual learning can attend a free, half-day conference offering strategies, resources and tutorials next Wednesday, Oct. 28. The conference — called the REAL 2.0 (Remote Education & Learning) Conference — will offer several targeted sessions led by educators for […]
By Chatham News & Record staff PITTSBORO — Hasta la fecha, más de 12,000 residentes del condado de Chatham han recibido boletas de voto ausente por correo. Con la votación temprana empezando a partir del 15 de octubre, es un recordatorio de que faltan menos de tres semanas para el día de las elecciones. Tenemos […]
By VICTORIA JOHNSON SILER CITY — Twelve-year-old Octavio Hernandez walked for five days and nights, crossing into the U.S. with 17 strangers, a jug of water and limited food — all to reunite with the father he hadn’t seen in nearly four years. It was planned yet unexpected. Originally, Hernandez, a native of Veracruz, Mexico, […]
By PATSY MONTESINOS I was about 7 years old when Immigration and Customs Enforcement took my dad. It was the day before his birthday at our home in Concord, not far from Charlotte. My mom had planned a surprise party for him and my sister since they share the same birthday. Mom bought brand new […]
By MARCELA SLADE Jenny (*not her real name) learned that the Neighbor2Neighbor / VecinoAVecino program could help her pay bills. She got in touch with me and Abundance NC arranged to pay a bill for her. Later she called to ask for help with another matter. Jenny told me her family had a medical bill […]