Cervantes, who works with the We Are America Coalition to bring awareness about the issues affecting many undocumented immigrants in the country, often worries about friends and relatives who might be deported.  "There is a large portion of Latino community members who have a relative or know someone who's undocumented," she said.

Several weeks ago, Immigration Customs Enforcement officials arrested over 1,000 undocumented immigrants in California during a three-week period - resulting in one of the largest deportation raids in U.S. history.

The historic and long-winded presidential election finally came to an end Tuesday night with yet another historic moment - the election of Barack Obama as the nation's first African-American president.

Throughout the day voters went to the polls primarily to cast their ballot for president, but there were other key issues on the ballot that concerned many Californians.  From allowing gays to keep their rights, to giving rights to chickens, the propositions in this year's ballot seemed to deal with every issue.  However, the one thing that brought the nation together - and to a standstill - was the election of our 44^th president, something that only happens every four years.

From waiting in long voting lines, to waiting to hear the results, to finally celebrating when the next president of the U.S. was declared, the anticipation and excitement was palpable throughout the city of Los Angeles.  Below is a snippet of what I witnessed on Election Day in the Montebello, USC, and West Los Angeles communities.

Animal cruelty is still a common practice in many industries, and the agriculture sector is no different.  State laws already prohibit cruelty to animals, especially to those we traditionally keep as pets, protecting them and other animals against brutal treatment.  But is giving a right to a chicken stepping over the boundary of rationality?

Well, proposition 2 is coming in the defense of chickens and other livestock raised for commercial purposes, many of which face cruel conditions prior to being killed for human consumption.

The ballot measure known as the California Prevention of Farm Animals Cruelty Act will engender safety and humane standards for confining farm animals if approved by California voters in the November 4^th general election.  

The third and final presidential debate between Senators John McCain and Barack Obama has ended with a clear victor in mind.  It can be confidently said that the winner of this last debate was neither Obama nor McCain, but...'Joe the Plumber' - who may symbolize everything that is wrong with this economy.

The figure known as 'Joe the Plumber' of Ohio, who's name is Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, gained instant fame when he was mentioned in an exchange between both candidates at the debate to symbolize the plight of the middle class in today's bleak economic crisis.  

(AP Photo/Madalyn Ruggiero)

It seems like the first presidential debate came and went in a news-flash as journalists and politicos were already setting their eyes on the vice presidential debate between Sen. Joe Biden and Gov. Sarah Palin at the conclusion of the McCain/Obama battle.