El Tímpano

On the morning of June 25, Sofia ‘Sofi’ Palacios was preparing for what she called a “once in a lifetime opportunity.” She had a long day ahead of her, and began by eating a traditional Chilean torta hojarasca, while a teen Netflix show played in the background. A pastel-colored ‘Happy Birthday!’ banner from her 10th birthday celebration just two days earlier hung on the wall behind her.

Para María García, los domingos son sagrados. Antes de emigrar a Estados Unidos hace 22 años desde México, solía pasar las tardes de los domingos con su familia viendo fútbol, una tradición que lleva en su corazón. Read this story in English. Mientras crecía, sus padres trabajaban temprano por la mañana y hasta tarde por la noche durante toda la semana, y los domingos eran su único día libre.

Position: Full-time exempt, reporting to El Tímpano’s Managing Editor Salary: $80,000-$92,000 depending on skills and experience Deadline to apply: August 7, 2026; applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis The Senior Health Reporter will produce original enterprise, primarily English-language coverage on health issues affecting the Bay Area’s Latino and indigenous Mayan immigrants.

For Maria Garcia, Sundays are sacred. Before immigrating to the United States 22 years ago from Mexico, she would spend Sunday afternoons with her family watching fútbol—a tradition she holds close to her heart. Growing up, her parents would often work early mornings and late nights throughout the week and Sundays would be their only day off.

California se convirtió en el primer estado del país en abrir el programa Medi-Cal a todos los residentes con bajos ingresos, independientemente de su estatus migratorio, un logro que, a lo largo de la última década, permitió que aproximadamente 1,6 millones de inmigrantes se beneficiaran de la cobertura médica financiada por el estado.

California became the first state in the country to open Medi-Cal to all low-income residents, regardless of immigration status, an achievement that, over the past decade, brought an estimated 1.6 million immigrants into state-funded health coverage. For the first time, many gained access to primary and specialty care, as well as mental health and dental benefits that had long been out of reach.

El miércoles pasado, los clientes entraban y salían del Mercado Discolandia, una pequeña tienda de esquina, de dueños mexicanos, ubicada en la calle 23 de Richmond. Mientras los clientes que se encontraban en la tienda compraban alimentos y refrigerios o enviaban dinero a sus familias, algunos también se detenían a ver el partido del Mundial que se retransmitía en el pequeño televisor de la tienda.

Community-powered immigration news from the Bay Area. Welcome to El Tímpano’s Weekly Dispatch. I’m Vanessa G. Sánchez, senior health equity reporter. In my conversations with health experts and providers, they always tell me that access to insurance is a crucial metric of health equity because it is a main gateway to the health care system.

Last Wednesday, customers trickled in and out of Discolandia Market, a small Mexican-owned corner shop on 23rd Street in Richmond. As individuals inside the store picked up groceries and snacks or sent money back home, some also paused to watch the World Cup match playing on the store’s small TV. Behind the counter, Oscar Guevara silently kept an eye on the Ghana vs. Panama match as he helped customers.

En 2024, Guadalupe Martín obtuvo la ciudadanía estadounidense, casi dos décadas después de haber huido de un exnovio abusivo en su Guatemala natal. La inmigrante maya-mam de 42 años, originaria de Santiago Chimaltenango, un pequeño pueblo en las tierras altas occidentales del país, recordó cómo se sintió cuando supo que le habían concedido la ciudadanía, años después de haber sufrido grave violencia doméstica en Guatemala y de recorrer un largo e incierto camino para permanecer en Estados Unidos.