At Don Polvorón Bakery in Hayward, the staff describe Three Kings Day as their “Superbowl.” See our photos of early morning rosca preparation and reflections from bakery employees and customers about roscas, Reyes, and tradition. www.eltimpano.org/english/cult...

In our first Weekly Dispatch of 2026, @ehellerstein.bsky.social brings you the story of an Indigenous Maya family deported last year to Guatemala—a story that's been erased by deportation data. www.eltimpano.org/newsletter/e...

In @eltimpano.bsky.social's first Weekly Dispatch of 2026, we bring you the story of an Indigenous Maya family deported last year to Guatemala. Their story has been erased by deportation data. And, reflections on Venezuela + Renee Nicole Good. www.eltimpano.org/newsletter/e...

Reyna Canales, who lives in a mobile home in San Pablo, says uncertainty around rising rents leaves her family stressed and anxious. She and others are calling for a mobile home rent stabilization ordinance to protect homeowners from unpredictable rent hikes. www.eltimpano.org/english/hous...

As we look back on this year in images, we are proud of the work and deeply grateful to the community members whose courage made it possible. See a selection of photos—and read the corresponding stories—at the link below. 👇 www.eltimpano.org/english/phot...

Our latest investigation, months in the making & reported from Oakland to Guatemala.

Indigenous people flee discrimination and danger in Guatemala only to face more of it when they seek asylum in the U.S.

In Feb, Fabiana A. and her family were deported from Oakland to their hometown in rural Guatemala, where they are now struggling to rebuild. Their story, as told to @ehellerstein.bsky.social, reveals the erasure Indigenous immigrants face in the U.S. and back home. www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...

🧵1/ A few months ago, I began speaking with Fabiana, a Maya Mam woman who, along with her husband and daughter, was deported from Oakland to Guatemala in February 2025 while their attorneys were preparing to file a U-Visa case. www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...

For the past few months, I've been talking to an Indigenous Maya woman who was recently deported to Guatemala from Oakland with her family. The story is as much about the present as it is about the past. My deep dive: www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...

If you are looking for a weekend read, I'd love to share my #longread for @eltimpano.bsky.social on the complex realities facing Indigenous Mayan immigrants affected by the administration's immigration crackdown, and the erasure they confront in the US and abroad. www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...

This fall, My Eden Voice, a nonprofit serving unincorporated segments of Alameda County, started hosting “fogatas comunitarias,” or community bonfires. The gatherings aim to fill a growing need for “third spaces” and mental health support during Trump’s second term. www.eltimpano.org/english/heal...

FREE #JAWS WEBINAR: Protecting Sensitive Sources - Join us Wednesday, Jan. 14 at noon ET for ways journalists can work with sources while minimizing harm from panelists with @eltimpano.bsky.social, @transjournalists.org and @thesignalsnetwork.bsky.social. Register: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

I'm really happy to share a piece I've been working on @eltimpano.bsky.social that has been many months in the making. It's about the multifaceted challenges facing Indigenous Mayan immigrants swept up in the second Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. www.eltimpano.org/english/immi...

In this week's Weekly Dispatch, reporter Vanessa Sánchez shares how air pollution from industrial activity in deep East Oakland is affecting residents’ health—especially in Latino immigrant communities. www.eltimpano.org/newsletter/t...

In this week's Weekly Dispatch, we spotlight our team's efforts to combat the spread of disinformation around potential ICE raids, alleged ICE sightings and legal scams in the Bay Area. www.eltimpano.org/newsletter/i...

In our latest #mihistoria💬, community health ambassador Maria L. reflects on the parallels between the COVID-19 lockdown and the immigration crackdown, and how speaking up about her mental health led her to support others. www.eltimpano.org/mi-historia/...

This week's Weekly Dispatch dives into the renewed threat to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections for nearly 60,000 people from Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal—many of whom have lived and worked in the Bay Area for decades. www.eltimpano.org/newsletter/t...

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/...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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

✨ 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.

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

🌿 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!

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...

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.

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...

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...

Modern Media Diets + Storytelling Tools for Turbulent Times + AI for Comms (for Good) + ComNet25 Keynotes + Jobs — Read our September Newsletter! @jonathancapehart.bsky.social @dianeyentel.bsky.social @madbair.bsky.social @eltimpano.bsky.social @moreincommonus.bsky.social @obi-belonging.bsky.social

In honor of #LaborDay, we've been looking into trades where immigrant labor is essential. @ehellerstein.bsky.social's last newsletter detailed how CA fast food workers are striking for safer conditions and calling on employers to protect them from ICE raids. www.eltimpano.org/newsletter/c...

A project @cgaribay.bsky.social and I worked on for @eltimpano.bsky.social is a finalist for the Knight Award for Public Service by @journalists.org 💪 Wouldn't have been possible without @heathergilligan.bsky.social and the support of @pulitzercenter.org 🤝 awards.journalists.org/entries/pois...

💐 Welcome Vanessa G. Sánchez to El Tímpano! Our new Senior Health Reporter/Editor joins us from KFF Health News, where she covered Latino health and national immigration policy. She lives in SF with her cat, Fidel Cat-stro. 🐾

Last week, India Currents was on the radio! Community Reporter Tanay Gokhale was a part of @kqedforum.bsky.social with host Alexis Madrigal and a panel of ethnic media outlets including @eltimpano.bsky.social, @lataco.bsky.social, @amcommmedia.bsky.social and Nguoi Viet Daily News.

It was an honor to be part of of the selection panel for the Clarence B. Jones Impact Award -- and a pleasure to vote for El Timpano's great work. Do check them out.

ICYMI: A.I. Propaganda Has Arrived + Americans Are Tired of Division + Rebuilding Social Trust + Jobs — Read our August Newsletter! Special shoutouts to @eltimpano.bsky.social @moreincommonuk.bsky.social @greatergoodmag.bsky.social @kelliparker.com 🎉 #Comms4Good #Philanthropy #Nonprofits

We are absolutely honored to be named the 2025 Clarence B. Jones Impact Award winner from the @comnetwork.org, an award that honors the game-changing effects of smart, strategic communications. 💪 #JonesAward #Comms4Good