On a warm summer evening at the Chicano Resource Center at the East LA Library, Josof Sanchez greeted former students and mentees as they arrived.
Books on the Chicano Movement and Chicano Moratorium against the Vietnam War packed the shelves in a part of the library that had been turned into a makeshift film studio.
“We’re hope producers. We’re dream builders. That’s the mission,” Sanchez said.
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Sanchez has worked with youth for decades, serving as a probation commissioner for L.A. County and more recently mentoring youth through a film program at Santa Monica College.
His latest project, in partnership with the L.A. County Department of Mental Health, uses film to empower Latino youth to reach other young people and become mental health advocates.
Sanchez sat down in a chair and began drawing out the young people who’d volunteered to tell their stories.
‘It hasn’t been an easy journey’
Participant Britany Flores helped conceptualize the film project, wanting to combine mental health advocacy with the arts.
In her testimonial, Flores opens up about struggling to get out of bed, having several anxiety attacks a day in school, and being diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder.
She also talked about the challenges she faced seeking help.
“Being a Latina of a first generation low-income family, I learned to understand that mental health was … stereotyped and stigmatized in various different ways,” Flores said.
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