The View From Here

Mai Vang has always been a trailblazer. She is a first generation Hmong-American, and the eldest of 16 children. As a young adult she started a non-profit to give political voice to her South Asian community. Now, she’s a school board member and aspiring Councilperson for Meadowview. Is it a thirst for power, a sense of altruism, or something else that drives her to working tirelessly for the public?

Margarita Chavez has the best house on the block. At least, that’s how she describes it to all who come to visit her in Detroit Park. She wants all of her neighbors to feel that same pride in their home. So Chavez patrols nearby streets to report neighborhood ills; trash, stray dogs and overgrown lawns. She’s a familiar voice to the city’s 311 operators — a squeaky wheel who knows how to get things done, for herself and her neighbors.

The team is still working on the next episode of Making Meadowview. So far, you’ve met people facing big community problems in south Sacramento. Next, we'll introduce you to Margarita Chavez. The retired grandma patrols her neighborhood and is determined to rid it of overgrown lawns, illegal trash piles and other eyesores. But what do her neighbors think? Find out next week.

Rolanda Wilkins grew up in Meadowview and lived through its crack epidemic in the 1980s. Now, she dedicates her life to empowering neighborhood girls, some of whom may be working through residual effects of the crack epidemic’s “lost generation.”

We’re excited to share the next episode with you — which we’re still producing. In the meantime, we’re going to share a few snippets of other stories we’ve gathered during the past year CapRadio has been in Meadowview. When an unarmed black man named Stephon Clark was killed by police there in 2018, it reinforced negative stereotypes about the neighborhood. We decided to ask residents how they define their neighborhood and why they choose to live there.

Teenager Lamajhe Miles wants to be a professional football player one day. And he has the talent. But without a bed to sleep on, poor grades and bad influences all around him, all he has is his will.

Meadowview residents still talk about how much they loved Officer Dan Ware, one of Sacramento’s first black policeman. He often patrolled by foot, and as a baseball coach, he was a role model for young neighborhood boys. But he also had personal battles with his employers at the Sacramento Police Department.

A large community of Pacific Islanders lives in Meadowview, attending Christian churches and public schools. When members of the Tongan community were becoming active in criminal gangs, elders brought them back to their roots by teaching them Polynesian dance. Music credits:Building the Sled by Blue Dot SessionsJungle by Last VoicesHukilau (instrumental version) by Benjamin Isles Group Album: Enchanting Hawaiian HolidayKiko by Queen Victoria SchoolMaori HakaMate Ma’a Tonga by Tupou Loto’aniu

Hear a sneak preview of Making Meadowview, the next season of The View From Here. Check back Oct. 10 for the launch of the new season, featuring six stories showcasing some of the people making a difference in the south Sacramento neighborhood.

Sacramento's housing shortage affects everyone, from middle-class renters to homeless residents. We explore the history, politics and economics of housing in California's capital through personal stories of neighbors hit the hardest.

Friday Oct. 6 The View From Here will release a documentary capping off Place and Privilege. The show explores the history, politics and economics of housing affordability through personal stories of neighbors living on the edge. Here's a sneak peek.

On Aug. 15, The View From Here will release the first three podcast episodes of our newest series Place and Privilege which explores the history, politics and economics of housing affordability in California's capitol.

More than 3 million unauthorized immigrants live in California. Most of these men, women and children come from Mexico. Despite lack of legal status and without a path to citizenship, they are making lives for themselves and their families.

Despite the Sacramento region's agricultural abundance, many in our community don't always know where their next meal will come from. Hidden Hunger tells stories of people who are food insecure and of those working to alleviate hunger.

If you're not a caregiver now there's a good chance you'll become one, joining millions of others who make up what is often called the backbone of our long-term health care system. But who cares for family caregivers? How do they care for themselves?

One out of four adults in California is a high school dropout. Class Dismissed takes an up-close look at the crisis through the lives of four young people from the Central Valley. The stories reveal what's at stake for their future and ours.

Twenty years after a sharp rise in autism rates, thousands of California children are aging out of special education. Each one enters adulthood with a unique combination of social deficits that promises a challenging life, even with support.

The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act mandates school meals with more fruits and whole grains, while reducing sodium and fat. Sacramento-area schools are creating new menus, juggling budgets and cooking up ways to convince kids to eat their vegetables.

Every dollar spent on prevention today could save $5 in future health care costs. Community health innovators in California and Mexico apply strategies and technologies to help people become more resilient and require less medical care.

Type 2 diabetes is hitting hardest in communities of color, where access to health care and healthy choices can be limited by income, education and geography. Across California, culturally-based approaches are lengthening and saving lives.