Film showcases young people succeeding despite the odds
CSUMB student featured in documentary about East Salinas
A feature-length documentary that had its California premiere at the Carmel International Film Festival features a CSU Monterey Bay student.
Yajaira, a senior at the university, is one of four young adults profiled in “The Salinas Project” by American University journalism professor and filmmaker Carolyn Brown.
All four of the young people – children of immigrant farmworkers – live in East Salinas, an area where deplorable housing conditions and gang violence are part of daily life. All are succeeding despite their challenging life circumstances, overcoming social, political and economic constraints.
The film follows Yajaira; Fernanda, an activist who spoke in Washington, D.C., about youth efforts to combat violence; Lolo, a musician who played the French horn at Carnegie Hall and studied classical music at Long Beach State; and Angel, who graduated from Fullerton State and returned to East Salinas to help his community.
Yajaira was 18 and starting her first year at CSUMB when filming began. She is on tract to graduate this year, despite working 30-hour weeks at a restaurant and dealing with uncertainty around her family situation and housing.
At the premiere, Brown said she hopes the documentary “helps viewers understand a community that is often misrepresented in the media as many news stories focus primarily on the gang violence.
“My film gives a realistic portrayal of how abundant hope and resilience can defy stereotypes and circumstances,” she said.
At the screening, Brown said the film is scheduled for national broadcast on public television, perhaps as soon as next summer.