Oscar Rosales Castaneda

Contributing Writer

Articles by Oscar Rosales Castaneda

Stale cookies and unsolicited conversations

by Oscar Rosales Castaneda | May 22nd, 2019

Real Change columnist

I joined peers from the UW School of Social Work on May 3 to counter-demonstrate an “Affirmative-Action Bake Sale.” We collectively decided to show our presence, not so much to directly engage but to observe and be present for anyone in need of a sympathetic ear or a space to process their thoughts. The event was, after all, a cheap stunt meant to antagonize and dehumanize.

A celebration of worker resistance

by Oscar Rosales Castaneda | April 24th, 2019

Real Change columnist

As organizers prepare for this year’s May Day march, the symbolism and timing of the event are not lost on me, because 2019 marks the march’s 20th anniversary. It’s also the 20-year anniversary of the WTO demonstration, which will be commemorated later this fall. Added to these benchmarks, we also recognized the 100-year anniversary of the Seattle General Strike in February.

I note this in order to offer some historical perspective for May Day and what it symbolizes.

Reflections on navigating higher education in the wake of the Operation Varsity Blues scandal

by Oscar Rosales Castaneda | March 27th, 2019

Real Change columnist

Several days have gone by since the college admission bribery scandal hit the news. In many ways, I long expected the wealthy to utilize their means and privilege to aid their progeny in accessing elite institutions. But I was shocked that they would go so far as to commit fraud.

There is so much to unpack with this story and I still grapple with many of my personal feelings about the matter.

Trump’s wall is a petty vanity project

by Oscar Rosales Castaneda | January 23rd, 2019

Real Change columnist

It is a new year and, sadly, we collectively encounter many of the same issues that we wish we had left in 2018. Odds are, when these words are printed on paper, a vapid, orange-hued man with nuclear launch codes will still be holding us all hostage.

As the government shutdown nears a full month, the question remains why the populace should have to fork over $5.7 billion to mend a racist, failed businessman’s fragile ego as a precondition for government services.

Diciembre en la mente

by Oscar Rosales Castaneda | December 26th, 2018

Real Change columnist

December often leaves me in a pensive state. Beyond thinking retrospectively about the year, I also reminisce about cultural traits that I wish I had retained. In Mexico for instance, there are the “Posadas” celebrations from December 16-24 in which communities recreate Mary and Joseph’s journey in search of safe lodging, shelter and human kindness.

On the border

by Oscar Rosales Castaneda | November 28th, 2018

Real Change columnist

On Nov. 19, Judge John S. Tigar of the U. S. District Court in San Francisco issued a restraining order against the Trump administration. The court decision will be in place until the federal courts issue a new ruling concerning the administration’s reluctance to accept new asylum cases. The original intent behind the Cheeto-in-Chief’s executive actions were to deter the Central American caravan’s attempt to apply for asylum at the southern border.

Problems with the SPD contract

by Oscar Rosales Castaneda | October 24th, 2018

Real Change columnist

On Oct.15, Crosscut published an article that details the specifics of the long-awaited Seattle Police contract with the City of Seattle. The tentative contract, initially agreed upon by the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) in August, sought to reach common ground on wage increases as well as implementation of police reforms that were handed down as a result of the consent decree issued by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2012. Contention over stipulations with reform drove the prolonged negotiation and left SPD without a contract since 2014.

The complexities of celebrating ‘Hispanic’ Heritage Month

by Oscar Rosales Castaneda | September 26th, 2018

Real Change columnist

This is my first “Hispanic Heritage Month” since taking on this column; it feels as though it carries extra weight amid the racist rhetoric being proliferated by the White House — even if I have qualms about the word “Hispanic.”

On one hand, the term “Hispanic” ignores indigenous inhabitants who have little connection to Spain or Spanish culture. Likewise, this term excludes the Portuguese-speaking inhabitants of Brazil, which bears the distinction of being both the most populous nation-state in Latin America and second-most-populous country in the Western Hemisphere.

Now we have a war against the poor

by Oscar Rosales Castaneda | August 29th, 2018

Real Change columnist

Three months have passed since the Seattle City Council’s unceremonious backpedaling and subsequent reversal on funding for very needed affordable housing. Our corporate overlords flexed their muscle and our timid council obliged, lest they bear the brunt of becoming unelectable for not working with our local “job providers.” I’m sure it’s a distinction that many politicians wish to do without.

The psychological toll of immigrant detention and incarceration

by Oscar Rosales Castaneda | July 25th, 2018

Real Change columnist

To understand the psychological impact of immigrant detention, we must also look at incarceration. Though they may not seem intimately related, it is no coincidence that both anti-immigrant legislation and “three strikes” incarceration policies became central focuses of lawmakers almost simultaneously more than two decades ago.