♪♪
[speaking in Spanish]
-He is the eyes and ears of a scrutinized community.
See how reporter Jaime Mendez advocates
for our Latino neighbors in every newscast.
-When I see a little child
playing the music,
my heart gets so happy.
[♪♪]
-Inspiring the next generation
of musical talents.
Orquesta Northwest is reshaping this field
of underpresented musicians
through access and opportunity.
-We were intentional in providing
an accessible art space here in the neighborhood.
-Plus, we take a look around the
Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery-- how art gives a voice
to our area's marginalized communities.
These stories and more are coming up next on CityStream.
♪♪
-Hi, I'm Enrique Serna and welcome
to the Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery here in White Center.
Located near the southwestern
edge of Seattle's city limits,
White Center has always been
a neighborhood with a lot of potential.
Back in the early 1900s, this was mostly swampland
and forest,
but that didn't stop
speculators from buying it up, betting on its future.
The two largest landowners
at the time, Hiram Green and George White, decided
the area needed a name, so they flipped a coin.
You can probably guess who won.
Over the years,
White Center had a very Americana feel.
From pancake races through the middle of town
to the futuristic Astro Land park,
this area seemed destined for big things.
While it may have been slow to materialize,
White Center is now finally starting to pick up.
Reasonable housing costs and eclectic
small businesses are driving its resurgence...
places like the Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery.
We'll talk to the owners in just a bit.
Music is a huge part of Latin culture,
but classical music, well, not so much.
The nonprofit Orquesta Northwest
wants to change that notion
with a program
that's rooted in Latin culture
and an emphasis on youth.
As co-founder Paula
Madrigal says, if you've got enough courage
to step on stage and perform,
you can do just about anything. Si, se puede.
[applause]
- Cuando desde el momento
que epmiezo a caminar en el senario,
siento que es mi momento en el mundo...
- For orchestra conductor
Paula Madrigal,
music grounds her.
- Que es mi espacio en el mundo y yo me siento feliz
[♪♪]
- In every way,
all the time.
- Me siento llena.
Me siento plena
[♪♪ - symphony performs]
[♪♪- squeaky violin]
- Even at times like this.
Este dedito y este son amigos.
Cuando veo
a un nino
aprender musica, mi corazon se llena es buena
When I see a little child
learn the music,
my hearts get so happy.
(laughs)
[♪♪]
Yo creo que si
ellos aprenden
algo de esa calidad
ellos entienden
que ellos merecen cosas asi.
[Applause]
- Originally
from Guadalajara,
Mexico,
Madrigal moved
to the United States
in 2014 after studying
cello and conducting
at the
Universidad Autónoma,
in Guadalajara.
She believes
her connection
to music began
at the very beginning
of her life.
-I think, like
all humans, it starts
the moment
that we are born,
when
we do our first yell. Ahhhh!
That's the first moment
where I probably listen
something myself (yells)
and I fall in love
with my voice.
(Laughs)
- Now
Madrigal is
the Music Director
of the nonprofit
Orquesta Northwest.
Their goal:
to empower
the next generation
of aspiring musicians,
especially those
in the Latino community.
- Por que ellos se sen como yo
y eso llena mi corazon.
Yo creo que todos los seres humanos,
merecen tener la experienca
de aprenderia y vivir
porque se un nivel artistico y intelectual un poco mas alto que la musica que a veces escuchamos popular.
y intelectual
un poco mas alto que la musica
que a veces escuchamos popular.
- You know,
you never heard of,
like a famous
violinist who's Mexican.
But I think it's
just a way to show,
especially when
I'm playing music, that,
Yes, I'm...
This is my heritage.
This is where I am from.
This is my background.
That's kind of showing
that we can do
that, too.
- For Madrigal
and Orquesta Northwest,
what's worse
than not hearing
the music,
is not having access
to it.
-Todos esos jovenes
reciben un instrumento gratuito.
Ellos no paga nada
por el instrumento o por las clases.
por las classes.
[♪♪]
Repite.
- What we want
to try to avoid
is having young people
who have that drive
and that talent,
and don't have
the opportunity
to fulfill it,
to see where
it could take them.
[♪♪ - violin music]
- I had
lessons when
I was younger,
but they were expensive
and I couldn't
really keep going.
But then, like
joining Orchestra
Northwest,
it kind of helped me
grow a lot as a musician
and as like
it gave me more passion
for what I do.
[♪♪]
I’ve played in n orchestras
where I'm the only one
in my demographic
or in my
economic situation.
In this organization,
even though it may
not be as big
or as prestigious,
I feel like
it's a lot more
valuable to me
because I can relate
to the people
I'm playing with.
[♪♪]
- Even more important
is access to technology.
Thanks to a grant
from the City
of Seattle's Information
Technology department,
Orquesta was able
to buy their students
new iPads.
- Pues es la realidad, que ahora estamos viviendo
entonces, ya casi todos los musicos
usan su iPad no ese es como
una oficina.
Si tu no tienes computadora,
pues estas astasado.
[♪♪ - violin solo]
- I don't have a
printer at home
and in the summer
I couldn't
go to get my music
printed at school.
And the iPad
kind of like
gives me that chance
to download
as much music as I want,
whenever I want,
even if I'm just
like, curious
and a piece or anything.
I can just find it.
[♪♪ - violin solo]
- They were all
very fluent
with the technology.
They immediately
knew what to do
with them.
They're researching
the composer
that they're playing
or investigating
different violinists,
different musicians,
and they're
studying music.
They're doing
valuable things
that inspire them.
As far as we can tell.
(Laughs)
- I was gifted this
for nothing.
I didn't have
to pay anything for it.
I've always wanted
an iPad
for playing music,
and when I got one,
I thought they
giving me this tool
to learn.
And,
I want to respect that
- Love of teaching.
Love of learning.
Love of sharing.
Madrigal ties
these threads together
through her
love of music.
- The reason
we're a Latino arts
and culture
organization is
because we have a Latina
Artistic Director
who shapes
the artistic vision
of everything,
and it's special
because of that.
(Sings - “La la la...”)
- It's really cool
that she thought
to create something
like this
for people
of the same heritage
as her
I want to keep it
through my life
because it's something
that makes me happy.
[♪♪ - Orchestra plays]
Hay muchas cosas ahorita
que estan atacando
quizas la comunidad latina
y es muy importante nosotros nos unamos.
[♪♪]
Me hace feliz
ver a mi communidad
vivir sin miedo.
[♪♪]
Y en la music, no?
En la musica donde todos ponemos
nuestro corazon
haciendo musica.
es algo.
Eso es algo bello y trae paz.
♪♪
(applause)
-Orquesta Northwest is not just strings
and wind instruments,
they're also involved with the Ballard Civic Orchestra.
They have conducting and composing workshops
and an after school
mariachi program called Mariachi
Estrellas del Norte.
Now, not all of these programs are free,
so check their web
page at orquestanw.org.
Coming up next.
He brings the news to a community living in fear
with a voice they can trust.
-We are the everyday storytellers
of this great city.
We are Seattle Channel. A gateway to everything Seattle.
♪♪
The intersection between government,
culture, news and the ever unfolding
story of the city we call home.
So follow your curiosity and come
explore Seattle with us.
Seattle Channel.
♪♪
-As you walk through this gallery,
you're going to see a lot of works like this
that focus on the government's
immigration crackdown.
It speaks volumes
to a Latino community that's living in fear these days.
So who does the Spanish speaking community
turn to for vital and accurate information?
That's where journalist Jaime Mendez steps in.
For him, it's more than a job.
It's a matter of trust.
... confirm script.
- It's 6 p.m.
time for Jaime Mendez News.
- Here are some of the important news of the day
- From his home studio, Jaime Mendez anchors
the only online Spanish language newscast in Washington state.
“... A blow to Washington State.”
- Why it's important to have a Spanish language platform more than anything
is to be able to be informed.
- In these times,
many in the Spanish speaking community are on edge.
- People are living in fear,
and we need someone we trust to be able to explain things to us.
- Latinos make up
about 14% of Washington state's population, around 1.1
million people, making them the state's second largest ethnic group.
More than half of Latinos in Washington speak Spanish at home,
making Spanish the state's second most spoken language.
Amid ICE raids, deportations
and rising anti-immigrant sentiment.
Jaime Mendez wants his newscast, to be a trusted source of information.
- It's like a bittersweet feeling because our audience has exponentially
grown, but at the same time is because of the bad news.
- Mendez understands the stress and anxiety
among many in his audience because he's been there.
- I am an immigrant, and I understand the experience of a lot of people.
And when I compare my experience to the the stories that I hear, I heard it easy.
- Jaime Mendez was born and raised in Colombia.
He came to the United States in 1987.
It wasn't easy.
He didn't speak English and worked a series of low paying jobs.
- I went through a lot of crap
before I
was able to say, okay, yeah, I'm I'm stable now.
I'm settled in this country.
- Mendez made his way to the Northwest, and as his English improved,
he enrolled at Evergreen State College, where he earned a degree.
He started working in Spanish language radio and became a U.S.
citizen.
- And I started just talking about issues, community issues,
you know, education, health, the economy, you know, all these things.
And that's how I got my foot on the door.
- In 2007, Mendez was asked to record an anchor audition for the first
locally produced Spanish language television newscast in Seattle.
- On the audition, somebody said, I think you're going to get the job.
And I'm like, oh, I thought, because I'm really good camera.
He was like, no,
because you have anchors hair, meaning a lot of hair and very thick
- That good hair, talent and strong community connection paid off.
Mendez got the job.
He went on to hold the main anchor role for the next 17 years.
- People know him when they approach him.
They approach him like it's part of the family.
He is the same to them, even though probably some of them he'd never met
before.
- I’ve always felt very attached to
to immigrants, to my audience, I understand their problems.
I've been through that.
I came to this country.
- But in November 2023, Sinclair Broadcast Group announced
it would end its affiliation with Univision in Seattle,
resulting in the cancellation of the area's only
local Spanish language newscast at the end of the year.
- That last day was it was a tough day, being so long out of place, you know,
doing a job that I love to do, building up on that job for such a long time.
“My name is Jaime Mendez....”
And then that's the last day you're doing it.
“Thank you... for everything.”
- That was the end of one chapter.
Another was about to begin.
- We came up with the idea of, setting up Se Habla Media to offer our information
in Spanish for the, Latino and Hispanic community in Washington state.
This is something that we both, love doing.
- Through Se Habla Media, an independent media company,
they would continue to produce a Spanish language newscast
and other content for distribution online,
where they would have plenty of flexibility.
- “Oh boy.”
- On January 1st, 2024, the company was launched
with the premiere of Jaime Mendez News.
- No tie today, no blazer
and pizza socks, no shoes.
Really!
-”3...2...1...”
- Jaime Mendez News is a production of
Se Habla Media.
People are watching.
This is the first one is the first one of every off everything.
I've never done a newscast from my house.
(Sigh)
- Since then, they've added
freelance reporters locally and in Mexico to broaden coverage.
New sponsors and partnerships have been developed, allowing the team
to expand their content with podcasts and live online interviews.
- We do every Wednesday at 10 a.m.
it's live, and we try to, bring experts on different topics that we see
the audience is kind of having a need.
- They talk about immigrant rights, scams, targeting
immigrants, taxes, finances, education.
- Mental health is a big one.
- In these unpredictable times,
the Spanish speaking community needs reliable reporting more than ever.
- And I heard that there have been, immigration activities
in my own community.
I didn't know if that was true or it wasn't true.
And what did I go?
Jaime Mendez News, and there it was
that there had been an operation done in my community.
- People are looking at us and going, like, I know these guys are telling us
the truth.
They're not just trying to make it even more explosive
and more sensationalistic about, oh, they're telling us what it is,.
-Se Habla Media offers a wide range of resources
for the Spanish speaking community,
including podcasts on legal support
and coping with the stress
that ICE's presence brings to our communities.
Now you can find all of
their Spanish language content at
Coming up, a conversation with the folks
here in the Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery.
Hear how they build unity through creativity.
-Seattle Channel, 2025 Northwest
Regional Emmy Recipient for Overall Excellence.
♪♪
-Joining me now are the co-founders
and co-owners of the Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery
Judy Avitia Gonzalez and Jake Prendez.
Thanks so much for letting us invade you today.
Judy, tell me about the gallery?
-We open the doors to Nepantla in February of 2018.
Nepantla is an accessible
art space grounded in the Chicana-
Chicano arts traditions.
We host monthly art exhibitions with themes
focused on marginalized communities,
communities of color.
We have a gift shop where we're very intentional
about uplifting Chicana- Chicano artists, artisans,
LGBTQIA+,
Bipoc artists and other small businesses.
We also host free arts
programing in our space, hiring local artists,
purchasing art supplies, and making sure that art
is an accessible experience for our community.
-So you are very intentional about putting this gallery
right here in White Center. Why?
-I always felt like there
wasn't a lot of spaces for us
Chicano kids growing up here.
When Jake had this idea of an art space,
I was very intentional in keeping it here in
White Center.
White Center is often overlooked.
And so we were intentional in providing
an accessible art space here in the neighborhood.
-So, Jake, your current exhibit
really is timely because it deals
with the ICE crackdown in the country.
-This exhibition is our Chinga la Migra show,
and this has
been our most viral or biggest show so far.
This show,
we have over 80 artists submit over 100 art pieces
with only room for about 45 pieces.
It's a
very timely exhibition, and I think because of that,
the opening night, you couldn't even move in here.
It was completely packed.
And it, I think it just shows this is a major concern
for community right now.
We wanted to create a space where one, artists
get 100% of the sale --
we don't take a gallery cut.
Two, by making sure that in the gift shop
we were really highlighting mom and pop vendors
and then is with the workshop.
We wanted to create free, and accessible art programing,
not just for kids, but for the entire family.
Like we always say, you know,
adults have angst too, that we want to get through.
We want to make sure that everyone has access
and we make all our workshops
and programing free in the space.
-Judy, Jake,
thanks so much for letting us
come in and seeing Nepantla.
Great gallery.
Hope people come and see what you have here.
It's great.
We'll be right back with more of City/Stream.
♪♪
Getting your first job
marks a major milestone in a young person's life.
But sometimes language, access to opportunity
or just life can get in the way.
El Centro de La Raza helps Seattle area
high school students clear that path
through their Youth Job Readiness program.
For many, it's just the nudge
they need to find success.
[♪♪]
- My name is Lesley
Mendoza Osorio.
I'm 18.
I just graduated
from Franklin
High School.
I’m going on to my freshman
year of college
at Seattle University.
- El Centro de La
Raza is within walking
distance of Lesley
Mendoza Osorio’s home.
Her younger sister
attended daycare
there
and her mother
knew of its services.
But Lesley wasn't
aware of El Centro's
youth programs
until its staff
came to her high school.
- I went into the room
they were in,
I was a little shy,
and I was a
little intimidated
because I didn't know
anyone.
They told me
about the summer program
they had last year,
and since it was here,
I was able to come in.
It's not a far walk.
I really got involved
with El Centro.
I was able to be
an intern for Anica,
and it really cought
my attention
because I feel like,
helping her
kind of helped
me, like,
gain more skills.
- Lesley started with us
in our
development department
at El Centro
de La Raza in 2024.
So she was a
part of our youth job
readiness program.
You know,
I have to say,
when she first started,
she was a little bit
shy and quiet and,
she still maintains
her introvertedness,
ness, but with strength.
- Lesley is
one of more
than 200 high school
students participating
in El Centro's
youth services programs.
- Let's go Croc’s!
- Chris Espinosa
Alvarez is the Youth J.O.B.S.
Readiness Program
Coordinator.
- You got it!
You got it!
My program collaborates
with three
other programs: Pa’Lante,
ELEVAR
and College GANAS.
And essentially
what we try to do
is to provide students
with a
well-rounded
kind of support system
and information system.
Así que aquí es donde
empieza el podcast.
En el pagina cinco.
- The focus here
is to help
prepare the youth
for life
after high school,
whether it's college,
technical training
or the workforce.
- Your responsibilities.
I would go to
your next slide.
Are you ready
to present?
-It can be a wake up call.
-Okay? -Okay.
We practice,
interviews,
we work on resumes.
We kind of
try to provide
as much support
in the career section
as we can.
It's interesting
how many students think
that getting a job
is really easy,
and they don't
necessarily know
that a lot of positions
require resumes
and cover letters,
and that they have
to be tailored
to exactly
what you're applying to,
and it doesn't
necessarily transfer
to other positions
you might be
applying to.
-Looking back,
Lesley Mendoza
Osorio feels fortunate
to have overcome
her shyness.
Today, El Centro staff
visited her high school.
Had she not,
she would have missed
the opportunity
to grow,
become empowered
and pursue
her entrepreneurial
spirit with the business
she created:
Bouquets by Mendoza.
-I make flower bouquets.
I work
with the turn flowers,
so I make the flowers
on my own
all the petals.
I put it together.
I recently started
working with
natural roses,
which has also helped me
grow a lot,
because a
lot of people do
tend to like
natural roses a lot.
-We actually have
a couple of students
who are kind of
starting businesses
or they're
they're thinking
about it,
and she's
such an inspiration
to them,
and she's
such a great resource
for them
to see
how she's done it.
-She definitely found,
I think, her voice and,
I know that
she's definitely
excelled in
her academics,
and she's
going to be going
to a really
prestigious school
for her, college years.
And I'm just
I'm just so proud of
everything that
she's done.
-Anica once told me,
closed mouths
don't get fed. (laughter)
And thanks to her,
I'm always, like,
trying to
find something new
to join or something.
And, like,
I feel like I'm going
to go to
the next four years.
Like having that,
like I need
to get myself
involved and like,
if I don't ask,
I was going
to tell me
about a program
and that's like, yeah,
I carry that with me. (laughter)
Y una última cosa que quiero decir
mil gracias al Centro de La Raza.
[♪♪]
-The job readiness program runs year round,
but you must be a current Seattle high school student.
If you'd like more information,
go to the El Centro
website at
And look under the drop down Get Help tab for youth services.
We'll be right back.
♪♪
-Art Zone with Nancy Guppy on the Seattle
Channel or streaming any time online.
(♪♪)
- I wanted to bake food from my culture,
and so I wanted to share that with people.
I’m Mayra Sibrian and I run Pan de La Selva.
(♪♪)
By using local ingredients,
it ties us to the ancestral way of using what the land has to offer.
So Pan de La Selva, because “pan”, you know, being pan dulce,
and “selva”, meaning jungle because of my family being where
they're from, Mexico and Central America, that is the landscape there.
Selva.
I like to be very playful and appealing with the presentation
and the flavors and the colors just to, you know, feed the creative soul.
I feel. (Laughs)
So right now, it’s just Sam and I.
And so we start as early as like 3:30 in the morning or four, and we basically
just hit the ground running because I want to bake everything fresh.
After that, we package things up
and then I come over here at the store front,
and then I have Dia here who helps me unload
and then ends at the end like a 12 hour day for me.
(♪♪)
My work ethic I get from my dad and like my drive
and a lot of who I am, is because of my parents.
Have you have that one?
When I started culinary school,
my dad was telling me, I want you to have your own, like, restaurant.
And because I was young and kind of rebellious, like.
And so it's like, no, dad, but joke's on me,
because here I am opening up a store.
And my dad is very happy. (Laughs)
(In Spanish) Somos
- Gracisas!
- Seattle Restored is a program that takes empty spaces mainly
in like Downtown and Pioneer Square, and they fill it with entrepreneurs and so
you get the lease and then you get two weeks to move in.
So the process has just been like waiting and then go, go go go go.
Okay. Then wait to make sure things get approved.
Okay then go go go go go.
And then now we're open. So.... (Laughs)
Okay, here you go.
It's like, dang, that really all happened in two weeks!
(♪♪)
♪♪
-That's all for this episode of CityStream.
If you'd like to learn more
about Nepantla
Cultural Arts Gallery,
including exhibits and workshops,
you can go to their website at
And if you'd like to watch
more of our award winning programing,
go to
and search for feature shows I guess.
I’m Enrique Cerna.
Thanks for joining us.
♪♪