COMMERCE : Indians Find Aid, Warmth at Center

Over the years, Rose Moreno was active in community groups, her husband’s union and her church. But in each organization, the American Indian said, she always felt a “coolness” from others.

Moreno said her experience is far different at the Southern California Indian Center Inc., at 5900 S. Eastern Ave., where she attends weekly senior citizen gatherings.

“When I go to the center I feel welcomed. There’s a warmth there that I don’t get anywhere else,” said Moreno, 75.

Every year, more than 2,000 American Indians from the Los Angeles area seek job, education and social services at the center. Some like Moreno say they face discrimination at other clubs and work programs, and that the center is the only place that understands their needs.

There are about 33,000 American Indians in Los Angeles and Orange counties, according to figures from the 1990 U.S. Census.

Among the services at the center and at another site in Westlake, at 2500 Wilshire Blvd., are job training, weekly meals for senior citizens, food distribution, student tutoring and a smoking education program.

“A lot of times, they are mistaken for Hispanics but they can’t speak (Spanish),” said Cynthia Sanchez, the job training program supervisor at the Commerce site. “It is very frustrating for them. I want people to know that they’ll get service here right away.”

The Commerce center is one of five run by the Garden Grove-based organization. The Commerce location, established in 1987, relies on a variety of funding sources for its annual $2-million budget, including the United Way, and state and federal governments.

For Nancy Talamantes, the center provided job training and a receptionist’s job. Although Talamantes said she has experienced little discrimination in her life, she said few employers would consider her because she had no formal training.

“This is a chance I never got before,” said Talamantes, now the coordinator of the center’s senior citizens project. “I’ve learned so much. I have a chance to look forward to a better future.”

Information: (213) 728-8844.