In 2005, a national report revealed that Fresno contained some of the highest rates of concentrated poverty in the country. Now, 20 years later, we wondered: have those economic conditions changed? In today’s episode, we speak with KVPR reporter Israel Cardona Hernandez about how Fresno’s economy has evolved in the last 20 years, how the situation feels for Fresno residents, and how local organizations are trying to turn the tide.
A Valley native, Elizabeth earned her bachelor's degree in English Language Literatures from the University of California, Santa Cruz and her master's degree in journalism from New York University. She has covered a range of beats. Her agriculture reporting for the Turlock Journal earned her a first place award from the California Newspaper Publishers Association.
Israel Cardona Hernández was born in Santa Rosa, California, and raised in Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico. Now based in Fresno, he is a junior at Fresno State, majoring in Mass Communications and Journalism with a focus on Broadcasting. He previously completed two years at Fresno City College and is currently gaining hands-on experience as an intern for the Fall 2025 semester. Fully bilingual in Spanish and English, Israel brings a multicultural perspective to his work in media and communication.
Jonathan Linden is a podcast producer at KVPR. Born and raised in Riverside, he's a Southern California native. Jonathan's passion for public radio began at a young age when his brother would play NPR while driving him home from middle school. He earned his B.A. in journalism from Biola University in 2019.
