We’re proud of CNC Volunteer, Monserrat Ramirez Hernandez, who spoke up for her family and her neighborhood at her most recent regional redistricting meeting. In Coachella, "communities of interest" are currently being formed, which are neighborhoods, communities, or groups of people who have common concerns and who benefit from being grouped together in one district. Keeping communities who share similar interests together is critical so that they are not left out of the political process. By sharing our stories, we can help define OUR communities of interest and protect what matters most to our families.

Here is Montserrat’s story, in her own words:

Hi, Good morning. My name is Monserrat Ramirez. I have been a volunteer with Communities for a New California here in the Coachella Valley since October 2018. I’ve been living in the city of North Shore for 20 years. My community is located in Riverside Country in the Eastern Coachella Valley, which includes the city of Mecca and Thermal. The major streets of my community are California Highway 111 and 68th Ave. One of our shared interests as a community is that most of our population is Latino or Indigenous, who share a similar ethnic background.

To begin, our main priority is quality education for our children and youth. It is very important to our families and we would like to see an improvement in our education system. Another area of interest to us is infrastructure, such as street lights and sidewalks, which are currently lacking in all of our neighborhoods.

There are many infrastructure needs in our community. With this in mind, another major concern is water quality. The color of our tap water is yellow and has a bad taste. We are not sure if it’s safe to drink, so my family has to purchase bottled water.

Finally, our top priority is air quality, as many residents are currently suffering from asthma and other respiratory issues. The Salton Sea emits a foul order and there is a big mosquito problem. In the past, the mosquitos have tested positive for the West Nile Virus.

We would like to be in a district with the communities of Mecca and Thermal because we share similar ethnic backgrounds and share the same school. I am here today to uplift my community so you can get to know my community, and so I can get to connect with others to hear these ideas to positively improve our community. It’s important to keep our neighborhoods together so we can connect with each other to reach our goals and to make a community where we can all feel safe.

Follow CNC Education Fund on Facebook to learn more about redistricting and how to get involved in your community's redistricting process.