is a bilingual community news project produced by youth, offering “noticias por y para la comunidad,” or “news by and for the community.”
The Boyle Heights Beat/Pulso de Boyle Heights is a bilingual, independent project under the fiscal sponsorship of the non-profit Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs.
Boyle Heights Beat offers a unique brand of community journalism, built around neighborhood meetings that youth reporters lead each quarter to solicit ideas and hear concerns. The New York Times hailed Boyle Heights Beat for serving “an ever greater need” for immigrant communities to have their stories heard. The Columbia Journalism Review praised its unique brand of community journalism, lauding its youth-led community meetings, which give residents a chance to help set the news agenda. The Beat sustains its youth development and community news project entirely from foundations and individual support. To learn more about how to contribute to our success, go here
Editorial Independence Policy
We subscribe to standards of editorial independence adopted by the Institute for Nonprofit News:
Our organization retains full authority over editorial content to protect the best journalistic and business interests of our organization. We maintain a firewall between news coverage decisions and sources of all revenue. Acceptance of financial support does not constitute implied or actual endorsement of donors or their products, services or opinions.
We accept gifts, grants and sponsorships from individuals and organizations for the general support of our activities, but our news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support.
Our organization may consider donations to support the coverage of particular topics, but our organization maintains editorial control of the coverage. We will cede no right of review or influence of editorial content, nor of unauthorized distribution of editorial content.
Our organization will make public all donors who give a total of $5,000 or more per year. We will accept anonymous donations for general support only if it is clear that sufficient safeguards have been put into place that the expenditure of that donation is made independently by our organization and in compliance with INN’s Membership Standards.
April Aguilera is a junior at Lincoln High School. She enjoys listening to music, photography, and spending time with friends and family. She hopes to attend a four year university and find a major in something she is passionate about. More by April Aguilera
Keven Almontes graduated from Roosevelt High School in 2019. He is currently a student at East Los Angeles College and plans to pursue filmmaking and multimedia once he transfers. More by Keven Almontes
Keven Almontes se graduó de la secundaria Roosevelt High en 2019 y actualmente estudia en Los Angeles City College. Planea estudia cine y multimedios cuando pase a la universidad. More by Keven Almontes
Leilani Arevalo attended MSTMA at Roosevelt High School from her freshman to junior years and now as a senior attends University Pathways Medical Magnet Magnet Academy, to pursue her dream of being in the medical field. She loves capturing her culture and community through photos. More by Leilani Arevalo
Maria Arredondo is a full-time working mom who always finds time to sit and have a meal with her family. Maria was born and raised in Boyle Heights where she currently lives with her husband, daughter, son and her two puppies. She calls herself an “Accidental Foodie” and loves to write. More by Maria Arredondo
Boyle Heights Beat is a bilingual community newspaper produced by its youth “por y para la comunidad”. The newspaper and its sister website serve an immigrant neighborhood in East Los Angeles of just under 100,000. Read more about our teamMore by Boyle Heights Beat
Rosario Bonilla is a senior at Óscar de la Hoya Ánimo Charter High School. She enjoys art and reading. She hopes to attend a four-year college after high school. More by Rosario Bonilla
Lucia Brawley is a co-founder of amp.it, an interactive digital media platform that tells content owners who’s watching and why. She is an Executive Producer of two-time Interactive Emmy finalist, “Take Back the Mic: The World Cup of Hip Hop.” She is a contributor to national outlets including CNN.com and the Huffington Post. Follow Lucia on Twitter: @luciabrawley. More by Lucia Brawley
CalMatters is a nonpartisan and nonprofit news organization bringing Californians stories that probe, explain and explore solutions to quality of life issues while holding our leaders accountable. We are the only journalism outlet dedicated to covering America’s biggest state, 39 million Californians and the world’s fifth largest economy. More by CalMatters
Marco A. Covarrubias is a lifelong Northeast L.A. resident currently working for a community-based organization in Boyle Heights. In 2017, he graduated from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona with a bachelor’s degree in history and a minor in political science. More by Marco Covarrubias
Ethan Fernandez is a sophomore at Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School. He enjoys photography, music, and writing. He hopes to attend a four-year university in the future. He is determined to pursue a career involved either in film or journalism. More by Ethan Fernandez
Diego Flores is a senior at Óscar de la Hoya Ánimo Charter High School. His hobbies include skateboarding, playing the drums and going to backyard punk shows. He hopes to attend a private four-year university away from home. More by Diego Flores
Daniela Franco is a graduating senior at Roosevelt High School in Boyle Heights and will be going to UC Berkeley in the fall. She likes to watch Dodger games and spend time with her nephews/nieces. She loves hearing Banda and Bad Bunny music in her free time. More by Daniela Franco
Guadalupe Félix is a junior at Felícitas y Gonzalo Méndez High School. She plans on continuing her education and hopes to attend a four-year university away from home. More by Guadalupe Félix
Andrea Galdámez is a junior at Math, Science and Technology Magnet Academy at Roosevelt High School. She enjoys playing the piano on the weekends and going places. She hopes to to major in Communications and Journalism in the future. @galgamez_ More by Andrea Galdámez
Andrea Galdámez es estudiante de primer año de la Universidad de California en Irvine. Durante sus años como estudiante de la preparatoria Roosevelt High School en Boyle Heights, fue miembro del equipo juvenil de reporteros del Pulso de Boyle Heights. More by Andrea Galdámez
Andy García is a senior at Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School in Boyle Heights. He enjoys theater and painting. He hopes to study the performing arts at a university and have a profession in the entertainment business. More by Andy García
Libertad Gonzalez is a senior at Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School. She enjoys photography, reading and writing. She will be attending San Francisco State University as a Photojournalism major and hopes to take part in the Spanish-language journalism class. @librtty on Instagram and Twitter. More by Libertad Gonzalez
Marco Antonio Gonzalez is the Founder and Proprietor of MaGO! PR and Board Chair of the Latino Equality Alliance. He holds a Master’s degree in Communications Management from USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. More by Marco Antonio Gonzalez
Carmen González is a former Boyle Heights Beat reporter, a 2019 graduate of Felícitas and Gonzalo Méndez High School and a student at Cal State Long Beach. González is a fellow with the CalMatters College Journalism Network, a collaboration between CalMatters and student journalists from across California. More by Carmen González
Valentina Guevara-Hernández is a senior at Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School. She passes her time watching documentaries, making music playlists, and editing for her school’s newspaper. After graduation, she plans on attending university as a history major/minor in film. More by Valentina Guevara-Hernández
David Gutierrez graduated in 2022 from Felícitas and Gonzalo Méndez High School in Boyle Heights and will be attending Santa Monica College in the fall. He lives in Boyle Heights with his family. More by David Gutierrez
Azucena is a senior at Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School. She passes time editing and contributing to her schools newspaper and watching scary movies. She hopes to attend a four year university and major in journalism. Twitter: @aazzucenaa More by Azucena Hilario
Azucena es estudiante de cuarto año de la escuela preparatoria Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School. Le gusta editar y contribuir a su periódico escolar y ver películas de miedo. Espera asistir a la universidad y estudiar periodismo. Twitter: @aazzucenaa More by Azucena Hilario
Emily is a journalist from North Carolina, fresh out of the Television Production program at Cal State Northridge. In college, she covered protests including the unrest at Echo Park Lake and spent six months covering the Beverly Hills Freedom Rally, plus stories about incarceration, government, and public utilities for her school paper the Daily Sundial. She is from Brevard, North Carolina. More by Emily Holshouser
Bio: Dr. Huerta is an assistant professor of urban and regional planning and ethnic and women’s studies at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He is the author of “Reframing the Latino Immigration Debate: Towards a Humanistic Paradigm,” San Diego State University Press (2013). More by Alvaro Huerta
Nayeli Huerta is part of the Digital Promotoras program at Las Fotos Project who participated in the fall 2019 “Con Safos” visual documentation project. More by Nayeli Huerta
Paola Jaime is part of the Digital Promotoras program at Las Fotos Project who participated in the fall 2019 “Con Safos” visual documentation project. More by Paola Jaime
Ahiti Juárez is a senior at the Math, Science, and Technology Magnet Academy at Roosevelt High School. He enjoys playing golf and volleyball on his spare time. He hopes to major in Business Marketing or Journalism to become a sports analyst. More by Ahiti Juárez
The California ballot propositions are notoriously confusing, with complicated backstories and wording that can be ambiguous. This year, KCET is back with “Props in a Minute,” our California proposition explainer videos.
Go to KCET’s Ballot Brief page for all the information you need to vote on the props in the November Elections. Here you’ll also find other voting resources and election news from our partners, from compilations of useful candidate guides to information on how to find your polling location.
LAist is the trusted friend showing you what’s happening in your neighborhood and why it matters. Telling stories from inside the deepest pothole to the top of Mt. Wilson — and beyond.
We are part of Southern California Public Radio (SCPR), a member-supported public media network that operates across the region, reaching from Santa Barbara down to Los Angeles and Orange Counties, and out to the Coachella Valley. SCPR informs and interacts with our communities on the radio and through our websites, social media, apps and live events.
Karina Lara is part of the Digital Promotoras program at Las Fotos Project who participated in the fall 2019 “Con Safos” visual documentation project. More by Karina Lara
Citlalli López –whose Náhuatl name means star– is a senior at Méndez High School and a former Boyle Heights Beat reporter. She plans on attending to a four-year University. Her hobbies consist of going out with friends and listening to music. More by Citlalli López
Jennifer López is a graduate from the University of California, Riverside. She recently graduated this spring as a Business Economics major. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, watching movies and being adventurous. More by Jennifer López
Jennifer López is a graduate from the University of California, Riverside. She recently graduated this spring as a Business Economics major. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, watching movies and being adventurous. More by Jennifer López
Ricardo López, 35, lived in Boyle Heights for 25 years before moving to El Sereno. He works for Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services and is a contributor to the Boyle Heights Beat. More by Ricardo López
Yvette López-Ledesma is the Urban to Wild Director at The Wilderness Society. She works on programs and policies to ensure equitable access to urban parks and open space in Los Angeles, Seattle, and Albuquerque. Mrs. López-Ledesma also serves as a Lecturer in the Urban Studies and Planning Department at California State University Northridge. From 2013-2018 Yvette served as Deputy Director of Pacoima Beautiful, an environmental justice 501c3. More by Yvette López-Ledesma
Armando Magallanes is a 12th grade student at Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School. He has been part of his local choir for 9 years and enjoys reading and is learning how to play the piano. He hopes to attend a 4-year university for next year. More by Armando Magallanes
Pilar Marrero is a journalist and author with long experience in covering social and political issues of the Latino community in the United States. Marrero is the author of the books “Killing the American Dream” and “El Despertar del Sueño Americano.” More by Pilar Marrero
Pilar Marrero es periodista y autora con una larga carrera cubriendo temas políticos y sociales y la comunidad latina de los Estados Unidos. Marrero es la autora de los libros “Killing the American Dream” y “El Despertar del Sueño Americano.” More by Pilar Marrero
Jeanny Marroquin is a City Year Los Angeles Program Director. She oversees the school partnerships in Mendez High School, Roosevelt High School, Hollenbeck Middle School, Stevenson College and Career Preparatory and John Liechty Middle School. She is passionate about asset-based youth development and education equity. She seeks to collaborate with like-minded individuals who know that our students deserve the best education possible because they are today’s leaders. Jeanny is a proud daughter, aunt, sister, LAUSD alumni and Los Angeles native. More by Jeanny Marroquin
A former Boyle Heights Beat youth reporter and a graduate of Theodore Roosevelt High School, .Carol Martinez is a second-year student at UCLA studying to earn a degree in English and Communications. Carol hopes to pursue a career in journalism as she has always loved writing. She tweets @heyitscarolann More by Carol Martinez
A former reporter at Boyle Heights Beat and a 2014 graduate of Roosevelt High School, Melissa Martínez was the first in her family to attend college. She graduated in the Spring from Loyola Marymount University, with a degree in English, and is now a program associate at the Neighborhood Music School in Boyle Heights, the subject of her first article for The Beat. More by Melissa Martínez
Ethnic Media Services works to enhance the capacity of ethnic news outlets to inform and engage diverse audiences on broader public issues with the goal of building a more inclusive participatory democracy. More by Ethnic Media Services
Alex Medina is a graduate of Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School and 2018 alumnus of the Boyle Heights Beat. He is a recent graduate of Hamilton College in Central New York where he majored in Hispanic Studies and minored in Creative Writing. In his free time, he enjoys running and supporting the LGBTQIA+ community. You can find Alex on instagram @starrysighs_green. More by Alex Medina
Alex Medina se graduó de la preparatoria Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet en Boyle Heights y fue reportero de Boyle Heights Beat. Actualmente estudia en el Hamilton College del estado de Nueva York. Es activista por los derechos LGBTQ y corredor activo. Puede seguir a Alex en instagram @alexmedinagreen. More by Alex Medina
Stephanie Medina is a senior at Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez high school. She devotes her free time to different community programs and participates in events that matter to her and her community. She hopes to major in communications and use it to better her community of Boyle Heights. More by Stephanie Medina
Antonio Mejías-Rentas is a Senior Editor at Boyle Heights Beat, where he mentors teenage journalists, manages the organization’s website and covers local issues. A veteran bilingual journalist, he’s a native of Ponce, Puerto Rico, and lives in Boyle Heights. He tweets @lataino. More by Antonio Mejías-Rentas
Victoria Montes is a 21-year educator in LAUSD and is currently the College Advisor at Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet HS. She is the mother of two Bravo Alumni and lives with her family in Lincoln Heights. More by Victoria Montes
Noemí Pedraza is a 2020 graduate of Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School. She enjoys playing the saxophone and volunteering. She hopes to double major in Biology and Journalism in college. More by Noemí Pedraza
Noemí Pedraza es graduanda de la clase del 2020 de la preparatoria Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School. Disfruta de tocar el saxofón y de hacer voluntariado. Espera estudiar concentraciones de biología y periodismo en la universidad. More by Noemí Pedraza
Xochil Ramirez is a senior at Math, Science and Technology Magnet Academy at Roosevelt High School. She enjoys hiking, writing, and listening to classic rock music. She has a strong passion for social justice and aspires to major in sociology. More by Xochil Ramirez
Jacqueline Ramírez is a former reporter and recent graduate from Mount Saint Mary’s University. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and New Media. She enjoys sharing the art of storytelling through audio stories and photography. More by Jacqueline Ramírez
Jacqueline Ramírez es exreportera de Boyle Heights Beat y graduada reciente de la Universidad de Mount Saint Mary’s. Ella recibió un grado de Bachillerato de las Artes en Periodismo y Nuevos Medios. Disfruta compartir el arte de la narración mediante producciones de audio y la fotografía. More by Jacqueline Ramírez
Samantha Rivera is part of the Digital Promotoras program at Las Fotos Project who participated in the fall 2019 “Con Safos” visual documentation project. More by Samantha Rivera
Frank Rojas is a native L.A. reporter and a graduate of Cal State Dominguez Hills and the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. His work has been featured in the L.A. Times, LAist, and ABC7. Rojas writes about the intersectionality of identities and the complexities of communities of color. More by Frank Rojas
Elianet is a first generation Latina focused on uplifting underserved communities of color through public affairs and strategic communication strategies. She has a bachelors degree from UC Irvine in International Studied and Political Science. She is passionate about public advocacy and firmly believes in the power of storytelling. She is the co-founder of Las Niñas Fresitas providing affordable desserts to low-income communities. She aspire to be a practicing attorney one day to uplift communities of color. More by Elianet Romero
Sophia Romero is a junior at MSTMA at Roosevelt High School. She enjoys listening to music, playing sports, and reading. She hopes to attend Barnard College and major in Film. More by Sophia Romero
Jaquelin Rosas is in the 11th grade at Roosevelt High School. Some of her interests include photography, writing, and reading. She enjoys learning about Chicano and Ethnic studies and hopes to receive a minor in either when she attends UCLA. More by Jaquelin Rosas
Albert Serna Jr. is a queer Chicano journalist from the San Gabriel Valley. He has a passion for news, politics, and investigative reporting. On his free time he reads about true crime and does drag. More by Albert Serna Jr.
Stephany Solis is part of the Digital Promotoras program at Las Fotos Project who participated in the fall 2019 “Con Safos” visual documentation project. More by Stephany Solis
Samantha Soto is a senior at Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School. Her passions include reading books of all genres, listening to podcasts on her way to school, and art via digital and physical media. She hopes to graduate and make her way onto a four-year university; her major remains undecided as she loves both scientific pursuits of knowledge and self-expression through art, from theatre to painting. More by Samantha Soto González
Olivia Teforlack is a senior at Bravo Medical Magnet High School and it is her second year in the program. In her spare time, she enjoys dancing with her folklórico team at her school, and spends time listening to podcasts. She hopes to attend a four year university next fall. More by Olivia Teforlack
Airin Valdez is part of the Digital Promotoras program at Las Fotos Project who participated in the fall 2019 “Con Safos” visual documentation project. More by Airin Valdez
Kate Valdez is a 2018 graduate of the Math, Science and Technology Magnet Academy at Roosevelt High School. She is currently attending LACC as a declared Film Production Major with a minor in Philosophy, and hopes to transfer to a private university to finish her undergraduate degree. Her passion for storytelling is what connects her aspirations across artistic mediums such as journalism, photography and filmmaking. More by Kate Valdez
Kate Valdez es graduada de 2018 de la Math, Science and Technology Magnet Academy de la preparatoria Roosevelt. Actualmente asiste a LACC con concentración declarada en Producción de Cine y concentración secundaria en Filosofía. Espera transferir a una universidad privada para completar su grado. Su pasión por la narrativa interconecta sus aspiraciones a través de varios medios como el periodismo, la fotografía y la cinematografía. More by Kate Valdez
Óscar Vargas is a junior at Roosevelt High School. His interests include photography, music, and cars. Óscar is going to pursue photography and cinematography as a career. More by Óscar Vargas
Yazmin Nunez is a freelance journalist. A Roosevelt High School alumni, she is one of the founding reporters of Boyle Heights Beat and enjoys writing stories on the history of her community. More by Yazmin Nunez
