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Giving Thanks to Cindy Montañez at Her Celebration of Life

On the night of her rosary, strong winds knocked out the power at San Fernando Mission Mortuary, leaving the chapel and adjacent cemetery in complete darkness.

As mourners arrived to give their condolences to the family of Cindy Montañez – who died Oct. 21 at the age of 49 – they stepped more quietly and carefully into the sacred space for her viewing, the room lit only by flickering lanterns. 

Girls in the San Fernando Valley could soon see more STEM opportunities

LOS ANGELES — Exploring the possibilities in STEM is more than a project for 10-year-old Alejandra. It's also an opportunity to learn how to make things, like a light-up plushie, with her hands.

In the San Fernando Valley, the DIY Girls nonprofit has inspired fifth- to 12th-grade girls to consider a career in STEM through after-school programs.

Cruising is No Longer a Crime - Newsom Signs Bill to Legalize Lowriders

On a Sunday evening as the sky turns a light pink, two cars tipped sideways with a tire raised high in the air, ride side by side down Laurel Canyon Boulevard in Mission Hills. Like dancers leading a procession, behind them follow a line of lowriders each with a unique style reflecting their driver’s individuality. 

This is cruising – a practice that has been criminalized by anti-cruising ordinances since the 1980s across communities throughout California. 

San Fernando Valley Girls DIY Their Own Support System

Young Latinas in the Northeast San Fernando Valley are continuing to receive educational support through DIY Girls, a nonprofit organization that provides free science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education to girls and gender-expansive youth.

“When I was an engineer, I was often the only woman in the room, the only Latina in the room, the only person of color in a meeting room. And I wanted to change that,” said Assemblymember Luz Rivas.