Microaggressions are the everyday, thinly veiled instances of racism, homophobia, sexism and other biases that come across in gestures, comments or insults. But the "micro" doesn't mean that the acts don't have a big impact. Have a listen and learn more.
Join the County of San Diego Filipino American Employees Association (CSDFEA) and Middle Eastern Employee Resource Group (MEERG) for a discussion of "A Beginner's Guide to America For the Immigrant and the Curious" by Roya Hakakian on June 16 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Register to attend via Eventbrite. Online event details will be provided to registrants.
Book Synopsis:
A stirring, witty, and poignant glimpse into the bewildering American immigrant experience from someone who has lived it. Also, a mirror held up to America. Into the maelstrom of unprecedented contemporary debates about immigrants in the United States, this perfectly timed audiobook gives us a portrait of what the new immigrant experience in America is really like. Written as a "guide" for the newly arrived and providing "practical information and advice", Roya Hakakian, an immigrant herself, reveals what those who settle here love about the country, what they miss about their homes, the cruelty of some Americans, and the unceasing generosity of others. She captures the texture of life in a new place in all its complexity, laying bare both its beauty and its darkness as she discusses race, sex, love, death, consumerism, and what it is like to be from a country that is in America's crosshairs. Her tenderly perceptive and surprisingly humorous account invites us to see ourselves as we appear to others, making it possible for us to rediscover our many American gifts through the perspective of the outsider. In shattering myths and embracing painful contradictions that are unique to this place, A Beginner's Guide to America is Hakakian's candid love letter to America.
Customer service; It’s what we do — the HEART of our Customer Experience Initiative.
And it’s a tribute to all our County employees that customer service wasn’t slowed by the coronavirus pandemic.
The pandemic, with social distancing and limits on public gathering, has been a challenge. But County employees recognized it as a customer service opportunity.
Here are just a few examples of ways some of our Land Use & Environment Group departments have ratcheted up customer service to meet that opportunity.
Expanding Technology
Planning & Development Services live-streamed San Diego County Planning Commission meetings before the pandemic. But to protect the public and enable them to participate, PDS instituted a phone-call system for public comments. In addition, they started video-taping and posting Planning Commission presentations online a few days before the meetings. That allowed the public time to watch those presentations at home and not have to worry about missing information if their Internet connections are interrupted during the meeting.
In addition, PDS extended virtual meetings for Code Compliance appeal hearings and piloted them for some building code inspections. Public Works used Skype and Microsoft Teams to do virtual watershed protection, flood control and recycling meetings.
PDS also increased online services to help customers access services and stay safe. Those included online zoning verification requests, building permit modification requests, building plan check and permit renewals, electronic discretionary pre-applications, and discretionary permit digital approval processing.
The Agriculture, Weights and Measures department conducted virtual field inspections. And Parks and Recreation offered a virtual recreation center for students, complete with virtual tours, hikes, education and more.
Summer Movies in the Park — at Home and Beyond!
DPR is planning to offer a hybrid version of the popular Summer Movies in the Park series this summer to accommodate all comfort levels DPR will be offering virtual movies as we did in 2020 and will transition into drive-in and traditional live events that meet all health and safety guidelines.
Virtual Earth Day Celebration
San Diegans love the outdoors and the County’s annual Earth Day celebration gives residents more than a dozen ways to celebrate. The LUEG team banded together last year in 2020 and again this year, 2021, to build a web page full of games, virtual experiences, educational videos and live online events.
The celebration featured Facebook live videos that let people talk with park rangers, learn how to plant a tree, or about birds of prey, reptiles and snakes, or about clean air and clean energy. There were Earth Day related coloring books, word-scramble games, puzzles and videos. Visitors could learn about what the County is doing about climate change and reducing greenhouse gases. There were virtual scavenger hunts, hikes and tours. It was, in all, a celebration!
Again, these are just a few examples of how LUEG employees met the challenge of the coronavirus pandemic. No surprise. They did it with HEART.
Remember that our Customer Experience Initiative website is a resource for you. You can get information on training, find a printable HEART job aid and review our Journey to a Positive Experience.
Join the Pacific Islander Society of County Employees (PISCE) for a half-day of deep sea fishing on May 15. This is a family-friendly event is open to County employees, family and friends.
Tickets include a one-day fishing license, use of a fishing pole and tackle, live bait, food and other goodies.
Space is limited. Register early so you don’t miss the boat. It will be “reel” fun!
The Emerging Workforce Association (EWA) challenges you to opt-outside for the “Tour Our Trails” Challenge with County Parks & Rec at the Sycamore Canyon/Goodan Ranch on Sunday, April 25.
Adventurers should meet between 9 and 9:15 a.m. at the Goodan Ranch staging area located at 16281 Sycamore Canyon Road in Poway. The trek starts at 9:15 a.m. and should be completed by noon.
Wear comfortable clothing/footwear, bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and anything else you may need. All COVID-19 protocols and Public Health Orders must be adhered to. (To learn more about how County Parks is taking actions to help slow the spread of COVID-19, click here.)
For more information and to register to join EWA on the Sycamore Canyon Hike this Sunday, please click here.
Before you hit the trail, take a virtual tour with the video below.
Update: Additional resources have been added to this article.
How do you talk to your kids about race, ethnicity, gender, religion or class? Those conversations can be hard. NPR and the team behind "Sesame Street" have been collaborating on a podcast for parents. Listen to this 3-minute clip or dive deeper into the topic with this article.
Visit HERE for more resources.
Message from Chief Administrative Officer Helen Robbins-Meyer and Office of Equity and Racial Justice Director Andrew Strong:
It’s a profoundly emotional day. And, we hope, a defining moment.
After almost a year, our justice system worked, and the man who murdered George Floyd was found guilty today.
The verdict does not bring back his life or take away the trauma experienced across the nation.
So while we take some comfort in seeing justice for George Floyd, we must recognize there is much work to be done. In our society, in our criminal justice system, and in our County. We must all act together to make enduring, systemic change to end racism and ensure justice.
No matter the outcome of the trial, Floyd’s murder, the wounds it opened, and the reckoning it prompted have affected us in ways we may not know. Please continue to take care of yourselves and know that there are resources for you if you are experiencing emotional distress. Take advantage of the County’s Employee Assistance Program if needed.
Be heartened by today’s verdict that we can move in the right direction. But know it will take our constant energy and attention to keep moving forward. Please stand with us as we reaffirm our commitment to creating an equitable and just County government for all.
Make mom proud! Save big while celebrating all the marvelous moms in your life on Mother’s Day.
You can find a fabulous gift on PerkSpot. The online employee discount program offers benefits and deals through more than 400 service providers and retailers, from food delivery to florists and jewelers. Go to SDCounty.PerkSpot.com and shop. If you are new, click on “Create an Account” to register.
Each month, one of the most popular PerkSpot deals will be highlighted on InSite.
The County Administration Center was illuminated in green in observance of Ramadan on Monday night. Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection, self-improvement and heightened devotion and worship for Muslims.
Message from Helen Robbins-Meyer, Chief Administrative Officer
For a while we’ve almost been afraid to say it aloud, but – it looks like we are on our way to reopening!
The COVID-19 trends in San Diego and across California are moving in the right direction. Assuming that continues, Gov. Newsom plans to lift the statewide stay-home order in mid-June.
Our region’s current status in the Orange Tier has allowed a fairly substantial reopening of many businesses and activities. You’ll see that reflected in County operations. Some of our counter services are starting to resume. It will be a safe and measured reopening. We’ll rely on appointments and other steps meant to minimize the risk of spreading the virus.
Planning is underway now to allow the public some level of in-person participation at our next Board of Supervisors meetings. We expect those to be a hybrid, still using Zoom for some of those who want to comment.
That’s what reopening is going to look like. Not suddenly throwing open the doors, but a gradual process using a variety of options. Many things may not go back as they once were. Departments are going to start planning the various ways they’ll restart on-site operations.
It’s exciting, but I’m aware it may mean another period of challenging transitions. Families have a lot of moving parts, and with all segments of society going through different stages of reopening, it’s hard to get everything synced up. The tremendous flexibility everyone has shown at every level of our organization has gotten us this far, and we’ll continue to rely on that as enter this next phase.
Adding to our confidence about reopening is the success of the vaccine rollout. Demand continues to outstrip supply, but we’ve built a robust system for delivering vaccines when we get them. San Diego leads all large counties in the state in its vaccination rate. From super stations to hard-to-reach populations, our vaccine efforts have been tremendous, and I appreciate everyone who has had a hand in this. You are making reopening possible.
This week vaccine eligibility opens to everyone 16 years old and up. At the same time, we had a hitch with the pause on use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The level of caution in response to an extremely small number of adverse side effects should boost everyone’s confidence in the degree of oversight with these vaccines. They are overwhelmingly safe, and we encourage everyone to take the first opportunity they can to get vaccinated and protected against COVID-19. Pfizer and Moderna shots continue to go out, and we hope after a review, J&J will be back in the mix as well.
It’s been a long, difficult year plus. And we’re not quite there yet. We’ll still need to use caution in coming weeks, and then even beyond a June full reopening, to keep the virus at low levels. But with an appropriate level of vigilance, we appear on the path to being able to be together again, while also working in new ways that build on our telework experience.
I look forward to seeing you – and not having to tell you you’re on mute!
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