El Tímpano

‘I am afraid of the immigration situation’: A mother navigates the complexities of the immigration system and her son’s lifelong medical needs Lea esta historia en español. Alejandro was born on December 29, 1998. A year and a half later, a sudden blow changed everything. Alejandro was just starting to walk and he hit a table. His head swell...

Twenty years ago, Yanira Gomez made the difficult decision to leave El Salvador to seek life-saving medical treatment for her son in the U.S. She reflects on the challenges she’s faced in the process and the ongoing challenges of navigating their immigration status.
www.eltimpano.org/mi-historia/...

What Oakland’s Día de los Muertos taught us this year Local journalism needs your support This week kicks off our end-of-year fund drive and we need YOU to help us start strong. Join our community of donors to power the journalism you and thousands of Ba...

In today's Weekly Dispatch, @ehellerstein.bsky.social reflects on how the Fruitvale Día de los Muertos festival brought together thousands to honor their loved ones and celebrate heritage and culture—even amid fears of immigration enforcement.

www.eltimpano.org/newsletter/w...

Creating remembrance at Día de los Muertos in Oakland Festivalgoers participated in El Tímpano’s “altar comunitario,” sharing memories of their loved ones.

Despite recent threats of an immigration enforcement “surge” in the Bay Area, thousands gathered at Sunday's festival in Oakland’s Fruitvale district. Festivalgoers participated in El Tímpano’s “altar comunitario,” sharing memories of their loved ones.

www.eltimpano.org/english/crea...

Stress testing the Bay Area’s immigration support networks Not yet subscribed? Click here to sign up for our weekly emails.  The Weekly Dispatch Community-powered immigration news from the Bay Area. Welcome to El Tímpano’s Weekly Dispatch. I’m Erica Hellerste...

In this week's Weekly Dispatch, @ehellerstein.bsky.social shares a postmortem on last week’s events—not only on what unfolded, but on what local orgs learned during what became, in effect, a dress rehearsal for the immigration crackdown that may still come.

www.eltimpano.org/newsletter/s...

As health care contracts in Trump era, undocumented immigrants run out of options As California freezes Medi-Cal, who will step in to help the growing number of uninsured immigrants?

Felicitas lost Medi-Cal health coverage after earning just above the eligibility limit and had to decide: earn less to regain coverage, or keep her pay & live uninsured. Now, as CA freezes Medi-Cal enrollments for undocumented immigrants, that choice may disappear.
www.eltimpano.org/english/heal...

As immigration crackdown lingers, clinics race to keep immigrants enrolled in Medi-Cal Community-powered immigration news from the Bay Area.

In our latest Weekly Dispatch: Amid an intensified immigration crackdown, Bay Area clinics are racing to keep immigrants enrolled in Medi‑Cal as fears and policy shifts threaten their access to care.

www.eltimpano.org/newsletter/a...

How fraudsters are preying on immigrants seeking legal support Not yet subscribed? Click here to sign up for our weekly emails.  The Weekly Dispatch Community-powered immigration news from the Bay Area. Welcome to El Tímpano’s Weekly Dispatch. I’m Erica Hellerste...

In today's Weekly Dispatch, @ehellerstein.bsky.social reports on the rise in scams targeting immigrants seeking legal help—where fraudsters pose as legitimate attorneys, make false promises and charge for services that may never be delivered.

www.eltimpano.org/newsletter/h...

Gabriela Calvillo Alvarez joins El Tímpano to report on South Alameda County Not yet subscribed? Click here to sign up for our weekly emails.  The Weekly Dispatch Community-powered immigration news from the Bay Area. Welcome to El Tímpano’s Weekly Dispatch. I’m Gabriela Calvil...

P.S. Read Gabriela’s recent Weekly Dispatch to learn how she’ll be reporting on the everyday challenges and concerns of Latino and Mayan immigrants in South Alameda County.

www.eltimpano.org/newsletter/g...

When culture cures: the healing power of music for trauma Not yet subscribed? Click here to sign up for our weekly emails.  The Weekly Dispatch Community-powered immigration news from the Bay Area. Welcome to El Tímpano’s Weekly Dispatch. I’m Erica Hellerste...

ICYMI: This week's newsletter is all about @eltimpano.bsky.social's collab with Latino USA. It's the story of Pedro, a farmworker who survived Half Moon Bay's mass shooting. He lost his brother in the attack and was shot 5 times. Then he discovered the accordion.

www.eltimpano.org/newsletter/w...

Music Cures: The Healing Power of the Accordion After a Shooting - Latino USA We travel to Half Moon Bay, where an unconventional music program is helping farmworkers victims of a shooting heal from their deepest wounds through the keys and wails of the accordion.

A shooting at two farms. Seven immigrant workers killed. One survivor.

How an unconventional music program is helping farmworkers heal from trauma through the keys and wails of the accordion.

Listen to Latino USA's latest collaboration with @eltimpano.bsky.social

Gabriela Calvillo Alvarez comes to El Tímpano as a California Local News Fellow based at @berkeleyjournalism.bsky.social.

✨ Welcome Gabriela Calvillo Alvarez to El Tímpano! ✨Our new South Alameda County reporter is a proud Latine journalist, born and raised in the East Bay. As a daughter of Mexican immigrants, Gabriela hopes her work amplifies the voices within the communities she covers and cares about.

Music Cures: The Healing Power of the Accordion After a Shooting - Latino USA We travel to Half Moon Bay, where an unconventional music program is helping farmworkers victims of a shooting heal from their deepest wounds through the keys and wails of the accordion.

Thrilled to share the long-awaited collab btw @eltimpano.bsky.social + Latino USA! I spent months reporting on an accordion class helping the farmworker survivors of the Half Moon Bay shooting heal from their trauma. It's a piece abt grief, love, healing & culture.

www.latinousa.org/2025/10/03/m...

Music Cures: The Healing Power of the Accordion After a Shooting - Latino USA We travel to Half Moon Bay, where an unconventional music program is helping farmworkers victims of a shooting heal from their deepest wounds through the keys and wails of the accordion.

Now available in your podcast feeds — @ehellerstein.bsky.social's Latino USA episode on an unconventional music program in Half Moon Bay that's helping farmworkers heal from trauma through the accordion.

Ep will also air live on @kqednews.kqed.org tonight at 6 pm!

www.latinousa.org/2025/10/03/m...

‘A feeling of safety’: Bay Area health workers, educators weigh in on new California laws to counter immigration crackdown What California's new immigration laws mean, from mask bans to state oversight of ICE in hospitals and schools.

On Sept. 20, California passed new laws aimed at protecting immigrant communities against ICE and federal immigration enforcement. We spoke with Bay Area educators and health care workers about what these new laws mean for local schools, hospitals and clinics.

www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...

After raids and court rulings, California doubles down on immigrant protections Not yet subscribed? Click here to sign up for our weekly emails.  The Weekly Dispatch Community-powered immigration news from the Bay Area. Welcome to El Tímpano’s Weekly Dispatch. I’m Erica Hellerste...

In today's Weekly Dispatch, @ehellerstein.bsky.social highlights new state immigration bills and a regional Stand Together Bay Area Fund that will support immigrants facing financial insecurity due to the federal immigration crackdown.

www.eltimpano.org/newsletter/a...

Voices from the Community: Hopes for East Bay Youth / Voces de la comunidad: Esperanzas para los jóvenes del este de la bahía Amid fears of violence, families call for more resources and support for young people. / Entre miedo de violencia, las familias piden más recursos y apoyo para los jóvenes.

As part of our ongoing reporting on youth gun violence in Oakland, El Tímpano invited community members to share their concerns and hopes for the young people in their lives.

🔊 Read and listen to their responses in our latest story.

www.eltimpano.org/english/publ...

Health care in the shadow of ICE Not yet subscribed? Click here to sign up for our weekly emails.  The Weekly Dispatch Community-powered immigration news from the Bay Area. Welcome to El Tímpano’s Weekly Dispatch. I’m Erica Hellerste...

In today's Weekly Dispatch, @ehellerstein.bsky.social reports on how increased immigration enforcement is preventing immigrant families from accessing necessary health care, triggering delays, mental health crises, and worsened outcomes. 👇

www.eltimpano.org/newsletter/h...

Friends of Sausal Creek Sausal Creek is in Oakland, CA. The Friends of Sausal Creek is a 501(c)3 nonprofit working to maintain and improve the Sausal Creek Watershed.

Thanks to Friends of Sausal Creek for partnering with us on this event! If you’re interested in learning more about Sausal Creek or getting involved in restoration efforts, check out their website for upcoming events and volunteer opportunities! www.sausalcreek.org

Latino Conservation Week encourages Latino communities to enjoy the outdoors and participate in activities to support local efforts to protect our natural resources.

Parents, kids, and youth from the group Brothers on the Rise learned about native trees like the arroyo willow and bay laurel, and how volunteers are helping remove invasive species like the English ivy to help the creek thrive.

🌿 Did you know Sausal Creek is one of East Oakland’s hidden biodiversity hotspots? Last weekend, we celebrated #LatinoConservationWeek by hosting a guided hike in Spanish of this vibrant local watershed.

🎉 We're thrilled to see El Tímpano's Strategic Partnerships Manager Malena Data Ernani join the new @aspendigital.bsky.social cohort! Over the next year, Malena will be exploring ways emerging technology can better serve our communities.

Congrats, Malena!

A blow to domestic violence asylum Not yet subscribed? Click here to sign up for our weekly emails.  The Weekly Dispatch Community-powered immigration news from the Bay Area. Welcome to El Tímpano’s Weekly Dispatch. I’m Erica Hellerste...

In our latest Weekly Dispatch, @ehellerstein.bsky.social looks into a recent ruling that will disqualify asylum claims based on domestic violence. Advocates from orgs like @eastbaysanctuary.bsky.social warn this will severely limit protections for survivors.

www.eltimpano.org/newsletter/a...

Preventing the next tragedy Senseless killings and the Oakland-based organization trying to fight them.

Community orgs in Oakland are working to stop the cycle of gun violence by responding quickly to crises, offering mentorship and providing long-term healing.

But these programs remain vulnerable to funding cuts, report Vanessa Flores & @ximenaspeaks.bsky.social.👇

www.eltimpano.org/english/publ...

The Medium Division winner of the Breaking Barriers Award is “Poisoned Pipes and Painted Walls: Oakland’s Pervasive Lead Problem” from @eltimpano.bsky.social.

The day the text never came After the murder of 15-year-old Derbing Alvarado, his loved ones confront grief, the ripples of gun violence and systemic gaps in support.

After the murder of Oakland teen Derbing Alvarado, his loved ones face grief and systemic gaps in support.

“We are sick from sadness," said Derbing Alvarado Sr., Derbing’s father.

Full story by Vanessa Flores and @ximenaspeaks.bsky.social 👇

www.eltimpano.org/english/publ...

Rays of Resilience: El Tímpano’s community-powered COVID anniversary coverage Our reporting, fueled through poetry workshops and an arts and storytelling event, shares the pandemic experiences of East Bay Latino and Mayan immigrants.

Check out our full collection of community-powered COVID anniversary stories below 👇

www.eltimpano.org/english/heal...

Rayos de Resiliencia / Rays of Resilience Voces de la comunidad latina de la Bahía durante la pandemia / Voices of the Bay Area’s Latino community during the pandemic

This year marks the 5th anniversary of the #COVID19 pandemic. We invited our community to reflect on their pandemic experiences through poetry workshops, text messages and oral histories. What resulted is a time capsule of stories of loss, strength and resilience.

www.eltimpano.org/english/cult...