Chile earthquake: Southern California’s Chilean community organizes to help quake victims

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Southern California’s small but tightknit Chilean community scrambled Sunday to contact loved ones affected by the magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck their homeland Saturday, and began organizing to help victims.

‘We have a lot of anguish,’ said Jorge Rojas, 44, whose family is from Talca, a region hit hard by the quake, which was centered offshore of the southern city of Concepción. ‘You can’t see your family. You can’t even talk with them.’

Rojas’ San Bernardino group, Club de Huasos, which celebrates Chilean cowboy traditions, planned to meet with the consul general Monday to ask how club members might help. The group is small, Rojas said, but ‘if we can do anything to help them, I’ll be happy.’

Continue reading Southern California’s Chilean community organizes to help quake victims by Paloma Esquivel.