By Arturo Castañares
Publisher

A rowdy rally organized by labor leaders outside of the San Diego County Administration Building on Tuesday morning meant to garner support for the appointment of their preferred candidate to become the County’s new Chief Administrative Officer turned into a harsh attack on Board Chairwoman Nora Vargas using Spanish slang words that seemed more like crass cultural (mis)appropriation and not-too-subtle racism.

Among the rally speakers was Brigette Browning, the head of the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, a group of 135 local unions representing a combined 200,000 workers.

Browning, who is a White, non-Hispanic woman, began her comments with a greeting in Spanish to the group that included many Hispanic workers, but then she used two slang comments that were used to demean Vargas, the first Hispanic to ever serve on the County Board of Supervisors. 

“Buenos dias, so, I want to talk about our Chair, the Chingona,” Browning said mockingly to open her remarks in front of a large group of union workers. 

Vargas has a wooden plaque that hangs over her County office door that defines “Chingona” as a woman who is “intelligent, fearless, and can get things done.”

The plaque also includes “Boss” or “Badass” in the definition.

Ironically, the plaque was a gift from one of Vargas’ friends from their membership in HOPE; Hispanas Organized for Political Equality, a nonprofit nonpartisan group dedicated to ensuring political and economic parity for Latinas.

Surely they meant that as a term of endearment and empowerment.

But Browning used the slang term in a derogatory and mocking way toward Vargas.

“[Vargas] says she’s here for workers, but she’s making backroom deals with [Supervisors] Desmond and Anderson, and that doesn’t sound like someone who’s supporting workers to me,” Browning added in an increasingly casual tone with a hint of an accent which isn’t part of her usual speech style —a form of “brown voice” where non-Spanish speakers mimic or use mock accents, à la Taco Bell’s commercials with the infamous talking Chihuahua with it’s cringy “Yo quiero Taco Bell!

Browning then criticized Vargas for announcing that San Jose labor leader Cindy Chavez would not be interviewed for the CAO position after La Prensa San Diego discovered and reported that she was the favored —but arguably unqualified— candidate last year as Nathan Fletcher was resigning from the Board amid a sexual assault and retaliation lawsuit.

Chavez, who is finishing her second term on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, previously served two terms on the San Jose City Council and lost her bid for San Jose Mayor in 2022 but has never held an administrative position of the scope of managing the County’s 20,000 employees and its $8 billion annual budget.

Previously, Chavez served as the leader of the Bay Area’s Labor Council, a group representing 90 unions and over 100,000 union members in Santa Clara and San Benito counties, and is a close ally of both former Assemblywoman and now statewide labor leader Lorena Gonzalez and her husband, former County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher.

“You know, Cindy Chavez had my job, she was the head of the Labor Council, and she is a fierce woman who would do anything for workers,” Browning added, giving the impression Chavez preceded her here in San Diego when in fact she had a similar position in the Bay Area.

Browning went on to call the Board’s decision to remove Chavez from consideration for an interview for the position as “some bullshit.”

Then Browning said she wanted to start a chant among the group.

“No mames, Nora!” Browning started chanting to the group. “No mames, Nora,” she repeated with the group repeating it, too.

“You’re not a Chingona for us, sister,” Browning said to close her remarks.

For non-Spanish speakers, “mames” is a conjugation of the Spanish verb “mamar” which literally means to suckle or breastfeed.

The term “no mames” is very crass slang used contextually in both positive and negative ways and roughly translates to “you have to be kidding me”, “no way”, “stop messing with me”, or even “screw you” and, in the worst context, can refer to performing oral sex, depending on the setting. 

The way Browning used the term to attack Vargas was not only vulgar and unprofessional, but it was weaponized to demean Vargas, a native Spanish speaker who grew up both in San Diego and Tijuana.

Browning, who graduated from the private Catholic University of San Diego High School (now Cathedral High School near Del Mar) and UC San Diego in La Jolla, lives in a 114-year-old historic Victorian home in Chula Vista originally built by wealthy banker and civic leader Greg Rogers in 1910. Rogers served on the City’s first City Council after Chula Vista was incorporated in 1911.

And Browning’s husband, Daniel Rottenstreich, is one of the busiest—if not the most connected— political consultants in the region, running the campaigns of County District Attorney Summer Stephan, SD City Attorney Mara Elliott, and even an independent expenditure campaign for Todd Gloria’s 2020 election, to name a few.

Browning has come under fire —mostly by La Prensa San Diego— for having had a conflict of interest when she testified before the San Diego City Council in support of the Midway Rising development team that was selected by Mayor Gloria to rebuild the Sports Arena site into a $2 billion mixed-use project.

The Midway Rising team had already paid Rottenstreich more than $200,000 before Browning used her labor union clout to push for selecting the developer who had enriched her and her husband without properly disclosing their mutual conflicts.

By the way —and probably not coincidentally— Rottenstreich was also the consultant who ran the campaign which Midway Rising owner Brad Termini gave $100,000 to for Gloria’s 2020 election before being selected for the multi-billion dollar project.

This is a well-connected, wealthy White woman who called a Latina a “Chingona” before taunting her with a chorus of “No mames!”

So is this an isolated case of Browning attacking a rising Latina leader?

Nope. In fact, she went after two Latinas in the same week.

Browning has been making calls to City Councilmembers in National City to get three votes to dump Port Commission Sandy Naranjo who has been battling with the Port since last fall when her colleagues concocted reasons to censure Naranjo just before she was to become Chair of the Port’s Board.

Naranjo has defended her actions as simply asking tough questions about the Port’s in-house lawyer who maintains a law practice and business interests outside of his official Port duties.

Browning and Naranjo, who have known each other for years, got sideways three years ago after Naranjo met with Browning to tell her she would be creating a consulting firm to help teach people how to organize community support after having worked as a union organizer herself for years. 

Naranjo claims that Browning turned against her and has been behind a move to oust the Commissioner before her term is up in December.

We know Browning contacted National City Mayor Ron Morrison to seek his support for ousting Naranjo, but if three or more members of the City Council agreed through Browning to take an action, that could be a violation of the state’s Brown Act which bars a majority of a public body from agreeing beforehand to take an official action at a future public meeting.

The agenda for next Tuesday’s City Council meeting in National City now includes an action item to review Naranjo’s term on the Port. Browning seems to have succeeded in getting three votes to do as she commands.

That’s two Latina leaders who both grew up in the South Bay under attack by the same White labor leader at the same time. Coincidence?

Browning has become the most powerful union leader in San Diego. She holds the job that was previously held by Lorena Gonzalez, who went on to serve in the State Assembly before becoming the leader of the California Labor Federation in 2021.

Her use of Spanish slang to demean and attack Nora Vargas is wrong, offensive, and uncouth.

Even if the attack had come from a Latina it would have seemed inappropriate in the context of the public discourse about serious public business. It would have looked petty and boorish.

But coming from an entitled professional White woman who is non-native Spanish speaker, the words she used were offensive and demeaning when leveled against a Latina.

If Browning had invoked language traditionally used by the Black community to attack a Black elected official she would have been called out immediately.

There should not be a lower standard when dealing with Latinos. We are not Piñatas to take swings at for entertainment. 

This was wrong. It should never have happened. Period.

As the oldest Hispanic news outlet in San Diego, we believe Brigette Browning owes Nora Vargas —and the entire Latino community— a sincere apology and we should all remember to disagree, not only without being disagreeable, but without resorting to base personal and cultural attacks on our community. 

Watch video from the rally starting at 14:40 and you decide:

Students at UC San Diego remained in their encampment of support for Palestinians in the Middle East on Thursday, the second day of the protest, near the Geisel Library.

The UCSDivest Coalition is demanding a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. Among the group’s other demands is a call for the university to divest from all of its Israeli financial interests.

“We won’t leave until our demands are met,” said Hala Abdullah, a senior at UC San Diego with extended family in the West Bank.

She joined hundreds of other students and community activists who say they do not want violence to erupt at their camp as has happened on so many other campuses in the past week.

“The amount of cultures, identities, and religions that we have in this encampment, in this community that we have created is bringing us together,” Abdullah said. “It’s not just centered on Gazan people, but it’s centered on all marginalized and oppressed people across the world.”

UC San Diego is on a quarter system, which means students still have about a month left for their regular classes. Some faculty support this protest and are using it for a teachable moment.

“If you oppose student movements on campus, you’re really on the wrong side of history,” said Curtis Marez, holding a sign of support in front of the encampment Thursday.

He is a professor of ethnic studies who protested in between teaching his classes.

“Free speech protests, anti-war protests, protests for ethnic studies … all of those things have been on the right side of history and good, even though they were opposed by administrations at the time,” Marez said.

So far, the university has not responded to the group’s demands. Officials say they are committed to keeping everyone safe. UC San Diego’s chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla has said he supports the right to free speech. He, however, has also released a statement stating the encampment “violates campus policy,” which prohibits unauthorized encampments.

For now, the encampment remains.

In the spirit of community, organizers have planned for a visit from a rabbi on Friday, along with study groups for student protesters, daily prayer time, and sharing of stories.

“The way to learn about people, about cultures, and history is through storytelling,” Abdullah said.

Top picks

‘Voices on the Inside’

Poetry, Visual art, Photography | “Voices on the Inside” is a new exhibit of self-portrait photography and poetry by incarcerated women from California, Oklahoma and Tijuana at the Central Library. Led by the nonprofit Poetic Justice, the project explores the way writing, photography and creative self-expression can be restorative and healing. Participants worked with photographer Lisa Loftus to learn the art of portraiture. The resulting exhibit features these photographs along with the incarcerated artists’ poetry and audio recordings of interviews.

One of the curators and advisors on the exhibit is Dr. Reka Barton, who said that the design of the multimodal exhibit is intended to inspire audiences to action.

“The issue of mass incarceration is everybody’s problem. It’s a systemic issue. So this isn’t something that you’re passively taking in and just walking through. We want you to understand, educate yourself and feel the call to action to actually produce change,” Barton said.

Details: [Event information] Opening reception is 1-4 p.m. Sunday, May 5. On view through July 31. San Diego Central Library – Popular Library Fairway, 330 Park Blvd., downtown. Free.

The Big Exchange

Visual art, Family, Museums | The Big Exchange is a reciprocal admission program from the San Diego Museum Council, and it runs May 1-18. If you’re a member of any of these 50 museums, you can use that membership to visit any (or all!) of the other museums on the list. Some already offer free admission, but here are a few of the actual bargains: Birch Aquarium, California Wolf Center, Comic-Con Museum, Fleet Science Center, Japanese Friendship Garden, Living Coast Discovery Center, Maritime Museum, Mingei International Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Museum of Making Music, San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego Botanic Garden, The Nat, The New Children’s Museum and more. Check the list for restrictions, as some museums require advance reservations.

Details: [Event information] May 1-18. Various locations. Free.

‘Stir’

Theater | I was lucky enough to see a staged reading of this play, then called “The Black Beans Project,” during the Old Globe’s Powers New Voices Festival early last year. Playwrights Melinda Lopez and Joel Perez were commissioned by the Globe, and this is the official world premiere, directed by Marcela Lorca.

The play follows two siblings who reconnect — virtually — to try to make their mother’s favorite recipe. I could practically smell the meal being prepared, even though no actual onions sizzled in any pans on stage. It’s a beautiful story that holds food as the backdrop for the siblings to explore loss, trauma and their own relationship.

Details: [Event information] Low-cost previews begin May 4. On stage through May 26. The Old Globe, 1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park. $33+.

‘Notes On Killing Seven Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Board Members’

Theater | Playwright Mara Vélez Meléndez’s 2022 play, “Notes on Killing Seven Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Board Members” follows a Puerto Rican trans woman, Lolita, who ends up storming the Wall Street office of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Board. This is a co-production with Moxie Theatre and Diversionary Theatre, and performances are held at Moxie.

Check out our KPBS Spring Arts Guide interview with director Andréa Agosto about her family’s roots in Puerto Rico, which are part of what drew her to this story. “To even do any theater with, for, by, or about Puerto Ricans, I honestly wasn’t sure that that would happen for me,” Agosto said.

Details: [Event information] On stage May 5-26. Moxie Theatre, 6663 El Cajon Blvd., Rolando. $20-$46.

‘Celebrating Asian American & Pacific Islander Fashion and Stories’

Visual art, Fashion | The Bonita Museum and Cultural Center will open an exhibit that showcases fashion and traditional attire from countries and communities of Asia and the Pacific Islands, connected with family stories. In the May 4 opening reception, modern fashion designer (and Project Runway contestant) Kenneth Barlis will tell his story, and Asian Pacific chefs will offer tastings.

Details: [Event information] Reception is 3-6 p.m. May 4. On view through May 26. Bonita Museum and Cultural Center, 4355 Bonita Road, Bonita. Free.

‘Carmina Burana’

Dance, Ballet, Music | City Ballet of San Diego’s production of a ballet of Carl Orff’s 1936 masterpiece “Carmina Burana” is set during the 1929 stock market crash. The work is choreographed by City Ballet’s Geoff Gonzalez. The company will also perform Mozart’s “Concerto for Flute, Harp and Orchestra” in what they refer to as a “tutu ballet.” Read more about the program, and the husband-wife duo of choreographer Geoff Gonzalez and dancer Ariana Gonzalez in our KPBS Spring Arts Guide feature here.

Details: [Event information] 8 p.m. May 4 and 2 p.m. May 5. California Center for the Arts Escondido, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido. $39+.

Junction Trio

Music, Classical | La Jolla Music Society hosts violinist Stefan Jackiw, pianist Conrad Tao and cellist Jay Campbell to perform three unique and diverse works for piano trio by Ives, Beethoven and John Zorn. Each performer is highly regarded on their own, and together as an ensemble, the grouping is electrifying.

Details: [Event information] 3 p.m. Sunday, May 5. The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Fay Ave., La Jolla. $46-$83.

Feminist Image Group: ‘Women Work Together’

Visual art | Working in “duets,” 22 women artists will present works that merge their individual styles and celebrate the collaborative process. Artists include Alessandra Moctezuma, Doris Bittar, Kathi McCord, Kathleen Mitchell, Minnie Valero, Linda Litteral and many more.

Details: [Event information] Opens with a reception from 6-8 p.m. Friday, May 3. On view through Sept. 6. Mandell Weiss Gallery, 2650 Truxtun Road, Liberty Station. Free.

Camarada: ‘Soundtrax’ at the Mingei and Bread & Salt

Music, Classical, Visual Art | The magnitude of cinematic sound will be combined with the unmistakable intimacy of chamber music in local ensemble Camarada’s “Soundtrax” performances. Camarada is a notably talented ensemble led by flutist Beth Ross Buckley. In addition to works by iconic film composer John Williams, they’ll also perform Phillip Glass, Nino Rota and Koji Kondo. Composer Gilad Cohen, who has composed scores and soundtracks for theater, will join the ensemble for a discussion. Two performances will take place at two unique San Diego art spaces: Mingei International Museum (museum admission included in ticket price) and Bread & Salt’s Brick Room (gallery admission is always free).

Details: 7:30 p.m. May 2 at Mingei International Museum, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park, $35+. 7:30 p.m. May 4 at Bread & Salt, 1955 Julian Ave., Logan Heights, $25+.

More arts and culture events

‘Giselle’
Dance, Ballet | San Diego Ballet presents “Giselle.” Artistic director Javier Velasco has adapted the story into Spanish Colonial California, with ghostly Lloronas as the ballet’s “Wilies” — spirits of women scorned by lovers and seeking revenge on all men. Event information. 8 p.m. May 4 and 2:30 p.m. May 5 at Balboa Theatre, 868 4th Ave., downtown. $35+.

Mainly Mozart and Promotora de las Bellas Artes: ‘The Sea Unites Us’
Music, Classical, Youth | Mainly Mozart’s youth ensemble will join with Tijuana’s Promotora de las Bellas Artes children’s choir, plus other ensembles. One of the pieces performed is by composer Jorge Cózatl, who was inspired by ocean research and collaborated with Tijuana-based rapper Danger on the piece. Event information. 5 p.m. Sunday, May 5. Epstein Family Amphitheatre, 9500 Gilman Drive, UC San Diego. Free.

Sound of Music Singalong: Oceanside
Music, Film | The Greater San Diego Music Coterie is hosting its third annual “Sound of Music” singalong. Singers of all abilities are welcome to join in on the classic movie’s hits. Event information. 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 5 at King of Kings Lutheran Church, 2993 MacDonald St., Oceanside. Free.

Evgeniya Golik, ‘Esoterica’
Visual art | Sparks Gallery will open an exhibit by Russian-born artist Evgeniya Golik, showcasing her fantastical, surreal work that’s as beautiful as it is unsettling. Event information. Opens with a reception from 5-8 p.m. May 4. On view through June 30. Sparks Gallery, 530 6th Ave., downtown. Free.

Le Salon De Musiques: ‘Masterpieces By Tchaikovsky, Korsakov, Rachmaninoff & Gretchaninoff’
Music, Classical | This month’s chamber salon concert features works for soprano and piano by Tchaikovsky, Korsakov and Rachmaninoff, as well as a U.S. premiere of a piano trio by Gretchaninoff. Event information. 4 p.m. Sunday, May 5. La Jolla Woman’s Club, 7791 Draper Ave., La Jolla. $45+.

‘The Art of Experience’: Ted Berryman and Martha Moramay Cuevas
Visual art | A new Golden Hill community arts space, Union Hall, will open up their first exhibit on May 4, featuring the work of sculptor Ted Berryman and painter Martha Moramay Cuevas, Berryman’s late wife — in partnership with Santa Ysabel Art Gallery. Event information. Opens with a reception 4-8 p.m. Saturday, May 4. On view through June 16. Union Hall Gallery, 2323 Broadway Ste. 201, Golden Hill. Free.