Mariachi Over the Rainbow

Arts and Music, Performances

Mariachi is a music genre steeped in machismo, by straight men in glitzy charro suits and sombreros singing songs of love and lust about women. Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Angeles (Rainbow Mariachi) challenges that.

The group prides itself on being the world’s first LGBTQ mariachi band. Their tight, energetic, and intricate sound has been honed by the work they’ve had to do to navigate the typically hypermasculine and heteronormative world of mariachi as gay and trans musicians.

Of course, the group’s social power would be nothing if their music-making were not at a high level. Their dual mission of being a respected musical group and advocating for social equality for the LGBTQ community has won the hearts and minds of many mariachi enthusiasts.

The band has performed at numerous gay and transgender pride events as well as the #SchoolsNotPrisons tour for the California Endowment. They have been featured multiple times on Univision morning shows, and highlighted many times in the press.

Watch Mariachi Arcoiris.

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Centering Pregnancy

Health and Medicine, Pregnancy & Prenatal Care, Women’s Health

Prenatal appointments tend to focus on the physical aspects of pregnancy – how much the baby is growing, checking heart rates, blood pressure and more. Though you develop a close relationship with your OBGYN, often the only contact you have with other mothers-to-be is a quick smile or hello in the waiting room.

Centering pregnancy seeks to change that by combining individual medical appointments with group-based prenatal education held on the same day. This gives women the chance to ask questions and share information with other expectant parents throughout their pregnancy and beyond.

In this interview, Dr. Julia Cormano talks to certified nurse midwife Vanessa Wright about the centering pregnancy program at UC San Diego. During a centering pregnancy, expectant mothers with similar due dates meet regularly to go through the physical and emotional aspects of pregnancy together. Learn how the appointments work, who is on the care team, and how the group creates a safe space while assuring individual medical needs are met.

Watch What is Centering Pregnancy?

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Marine Life Observation on a Changing Planet

Ecology, Environment, Global Warming and Climate Change, Marine Bioscience, Oceanography, Science

Southern California’s coastline spans 840 miles, from the Oregon border to the North all the way South to San Diego. The ocean provides a bounty of essential life-supporting services. Yet, a changing climate and increasing human uses are altering marine ecosystems and their ability to continue to provide this wealth of essential services.

Off the coast of California, we are lucky to have one of the world’s longest-running marine observation programs, the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI), which has continuously and comprehensively sampled the marine environment off the California coast since 1949 to monitor the indicators and impacts of El Nino and climate change and to support effective marine management.

Join marine ecologist and California Sea Grant extension specialist Erin Satterthwaite as she tells the story of CalCOFI through a series of case studies documenting how CalCOFI has been used to understand and address human and natural impacts on marine life along the California coast.

Watch Research for Resilience on a Changing Planet – The California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations.

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Creative Expression For Mind-Body Health

Health and Medicine, Mind Body Connection

Our daily lives often move at breakneck speed. Between long work days and busy home lives there is very little time for rest and relaxation, let alone a moment to actually focus on our mental health. Stressors can be found all around us. From the daily grind, to current events in the news, and even the continued uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many people take to their smartphones, using technology and social media as a distraction, as an escape from the reality around them. While it may be comforting, adding screen time to an already busy life may only exacerbate any mental health issues. However, there is a way to get out of the “rut” and find a way back to peace and harmony.

Throughout history, the arts, music, and humanities have served as a medium for healing. Creative expression can foster self-discovery of inner resources, cultivate resilience during life challenges, and transcend socio-cultural barriers through a shared language. This interdisciplinary series aims to explore the role of creative expression in addressing multiple dimensions of mind-body health across the lifespan. Leading UCSF clinicians, researchers, and expressive art therapists from geriatrics, neuroscience, oncology, otolaryngology, pediatrics, physical therapy, and psychiatry present the science behind creative expression, discuss case examples, and lead experiential demonstrations.

Browse more programs in Creative Expression For Mind-Body Health.

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Informed Decision-making: Prostate Cancer

Cancer and Oncology, Health and Medicine, Men’s Health

About 1 in 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. The availability of several treatment options for prostate cancer creates a situation where patients may need to come to a shared decision with their healthcare team regarding their care. Effective shared decision-making requires that the patient and his doctor be informed in order to make the best choices. This series helps patients to think about their care, discuss their case with their own doctors and others, and join in the process of making the best decisions.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men (after skin cancer), but it can often be treated successfully. If you have prostate cancer or are close to someone who does, knowing what to expect can help you cope. Find out all about prostate cancer, including risk factors, symptoms, how it is found, and how it is treated from leading experts at UCSF.

The California Prostate Cancer Coalition and the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center of UCSF held the 2nd Patient Conference on Prostate Cancer, virtually, in May 2021.

Browse more programs in Prostate Cancer Patient Conference.

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