FRONTERAS: 'Promotoras' Initiative; Border Vigilante; & Piñatas For Affordable Housing

By Norma Martinez

Published January 12, 2018 at 12:05 PM CST

Bob Maupin, 78, poses on Aug. 30, 2017, for a portrait with his dogs Shadow and Inky while patrolling his ranch that borders Mexico. Maupin erected his own 10-foot-high fence, including razor wire at the top, which took him five years to build.

This week on Fronteras:

“Promotoras” initiative to help some San Antonio families on the west side reduce incidents of child abuse.
New Mexico aims to get more students of color into nursing programs (8:19).
A modern day vigilante stands guard on his property along the U.S./Mexico border (12:08).
A Dallas artist takes a whack at gentrification with a Latin party favor (16:14).

San Antonio District 5 Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales and Victoria Salas of Family Service Association

Promotoras Initiative Targets Child Abuse

Incidents of child abuse in one San Antonio district are decidedly higher than in other parts of the city.

Now a pilot program has been created to help reverse that trend by using members of the community to reach out to at-risk families. The Promotoras Child Abuse Prevention Initiative will focus specifically on child abuse.

Fronteras spoke to Shirley Gonzales, City Council representative for District 5, and Victoria Salas, project manager for the project at Family Service Association.

Lisa Knigge-Hunstman, campus director at PIMA Medical Institute in Albuquerque, explains how this simulation works.

New Mexico Schools Recruiting Students Of Color

Nearly one in 10 Americans work in the healthcare industry. One in 10ten New Mexicans also work in healthcare, but the state reports a shortage of nurses. KUNM’s Sarah Trujillo reports on how some medical schools are making efforts to get more nurses into the field, especially nurses of color.

Bob Maupin, 78, checks an area of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border at his ranch outside Boulevard in eastern San Diego County. Maupin said drug and human smugglers often cut through his fence to enter the U.S. illegally. This photo is from Aug. 30, 2017.

A Modern Day Border Vigilante

Some people whose lives revolve around the U.S.-Mexico border considered themselves vigilantes, actively looking for trespassers. KPBS Fronteras reporter Jean Guerrero takes us to Boulevard, in east San Diego County, where a retired mechanic stand guards at the border along his property.

Houses out in the world and in front of construction site.

Dallas Arts Protests Gentrification With Piñatas

A Dallas artist is using his work to take a stand for affordable housing. For the past few weeks, tiny piñatas have been popping up all over the Oak Cliff neighborhood. They’re in response to the numerous luxury apartment complexes invading the area of old, smaller homes. KERA’s Hady Mawajdeh takes us on the protest path of artist Giovanni Valderas as he responds to gentrification.

Norma Martinez can be reached by email at norma@tpr.org and on Twitter @NormDog1