Huell Howser Visits a Lowrider Show

I’ve seen loads of Huell Howser episodes. But a friend recently mentioned this one that I had never seen. If I haven’t seen it, maybe you haven’t either. Huell visits the old Sports Arena (now the really nice home to the new Los Angeles Football Club) for a Super Show of Lowriders. It’s an awesome episode highlighting some aspects of Chicano culture. I really like the bike at the 14:00 minute mark, with the Jesucristo wheel, some fish in the bike seat, and a live scorpion to get some attention. Enjoy!

Click on this link to see the full episode.
https://blogs.chapman.edu/huell-howser-archives/1994/09/04/visiting-201-lowriders/

Fallen Anarchist Honored at Odd Fellows Cemetery…A Century Later

markeriww2

Thanks to the hard work of the good folks at the IWW, the Black Rose Historical and Mutual Aid Society, some solid local comrades, and caring anarchists from around the world, Rafael Adames, killed by the LAPD back in 1913 during what came to be known as the Christmas Day Riot, finally has a marker for his grave.

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Undocumented Event, Friday December 2 in Boyle Heights

Chicano Studies Research Center (CSRC) of UCLA is holding its first “Undocumented Event”

In conjunction with the ongoing L.A. Xicano exhibitions, CSRC will hold “Undocumented Event No. 1” on Friday, December 2, 3:00–8:00 p.m., at the Boyle Heights Farmers Market. Coproduced by the Mobile Mural Lab, an art space on wheels created by Los Angeles-based artists to foster dialogue and engage the community around matters of public art, this free public event will focus on muralism in Los Angeles.  Artists will be on hand to discuss the history of muralism, its role in community development, and the L.A. City Council’s mural moratorium, which was instituted in 2002 but is currently under review. The Mobile Mural Lab will offer outdoor video screenings and a mini-exhibition, and attendees can record their comments on the truck’s exterior—a portable mural space. The Boyle Heights Farmers Market is located on Bailey Street at East 1st Street , near Mariachi Plaza .

The Undocumented Event series will continue with pop-up events and activities. Each will be different in nature, involving community members and Chicano artists in varied capacities and covering a range of themes, including paper fashion, music, muralism, and other visual arts. The events will take place at public sites throughout Los Angeles through February 26, 2012. 

Don’t miss the next Undocumented Event — Friend CSRC and L.A. Xicano on Facebook!

The Price of Beer

As a 20-year-old coed at UCSD the newness of each day as an adventure, still had its momentum. The first female in my family to go to college, to move out at 18-years-old was at once my second-generation-immigrant family’s dream and nightmare. My first year of away-from-home loneliness was defeated by my freedom. I sucked it up, and watched other ingénues file out one by one—until there was 1 Chicana for every 17 Chicanos in my class of 100 in a sea of 7000 students. Freedom meant learning to think and speak critically, handling finances, self-management, validating my culture, being creative, making wise choices, defining myself and not appearing to have been too sheltered by my Christian-freak family.

Being away from family also gave the freedom to live completely bacchanalian, if one chose it. It was an undergraduate rite of passage “to thy own-self be true” and part of the experience needed on the road to where you were headed. By the time some of my high school friends became freshmen, I was their mentor and resolver of all acculturating problems.

I’m not sure how the situation came about–my high school friend Danny taunting me into asking Jose a 22-year old senior to buy us beer, because we were too young. I was uncomfortable, knowing that I would owe Jose some favor that I could not pay back—because he was obviously interested in me. The night ride down Torrey Pines Road in the back of a dark VW bus with Jose and my napping, assigned-sentry Raul, with John as shot-gun and Danny driving, seemed excruciatingly long. Occasionally Danny would pull back the blue Hawaiian print curtain that divided the cab from the carpeted surf den to say, “Is everything ok back there?” followed by a wink and grin at me. He knew I went reluctantly and this was his silly gesture to make light of it, while protecting my honor. Continue reading

NEWS FLASH! “Quantifying Hate Speech on Commercial Talk Radio”

flyinureye 2010

The UCLA Chicano Studies Department has some very interesting presentations and programming during the week.  Wish I didn’t have to work–darn! For the price of parking and some gas, you are invited to join these important topics taking place (mostly) at the UCLA Chicano Studies Department. 

I just saw this week’s Discussion Panel and Press Conference—and you are in luck, it’s just downtown.  For those of us looking at ourselves, our actions and (especially) our speech critically, this dialogue is crucial.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011
12:30 p.m. (PST)
MALDEF
634 S. Spring Street
Edison Room, 1st floor
Los Angeles, CA 90014

In a groundbreaking pilot study conducted by the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center (CSRC) in partnership with the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC), a team of researchers have developed a replicable methodology to quantify hate speech in commercial broadcasting—i.e., speech that expresses prejudice against ethnic, racial, religious, and/or sexual minorities. At this event, the principal investigators will officially release the study report. A panel discussion will include two other scholars working in this area.

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Miracle Books

A good reason to subscribe to LA Eastside’s rss feed and twitter page is that Chavo and Chimatli have some killer articles to share and instant moments on the eastside ‘you’d have to see for yourself”.

I got this cool impromptu notification from some literati  friends  (more like book lovers) who give back to the community by handing out books—free.  I love free!  They are called The Miracle Bookmobile.  “Bookmobile”–well, that’s a word I have not heard since I was in grammar school and I lived in an area with too many kids and not enough libraries.  Ergo, some funky bus used to roll up on Chollas Elementary School and 4 or 5 of us could climb aboard for 20 minutes and quickly choose books to check out—a ritual that was repeated for about 20 to 30 kids once a week.  It was a kid-friendly library, nothing in a shelf higher than 5 feet (I think).

Tonight, Saturday, October 22,  The Miracle Bookmobile will be in downtown Los Angeles beginning at 7pm in front of Exilo Studio.  Exilo is located at 435 S. Broadway, 90013.  They have a lot of great new literature from LA and Oakland  and they invite you to “c’mon out and get some!”

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Out the Window

L.A. Woman from Out the Window on Vimeo.

A while back, Victoria wrote about the Freewaves project, “Out the Window.” Well, the videos are finally up and running on Metro buses and they’re online for folks to check out as well. I hate riding the bus, so I’ve been checking them out online instead. Way easier and with none of the awkwardness that comes with public transportation.

Aside from VD’s “L.A. Woman” vid, other submissions that made the cut include a piece on the Maravilla Handball Courts,by Manuel Huerta, Raul Baltazar as Tochtli 7 (the Aztec Bunny) and his adventure at the Chinese New Year Parade and Boyle Heights, as seen by Allen Colombo.

There are 60 different artist participating in total and the videos will be featured from October to November. A different 2-minute video will play each day, appearing once per hour, every hour. Check out their website to stay up to date on the newest videos they feature, an interactive map of L.A. that highlights where some of these videos were produced and the subjects in them. The project was a collaboration between Freewaves and UCLA REMAP.

Memorial for Gilbert “Magu” Lujan

Artist Vibiana Aparicio stands in front of the altar for Magu created by his family.

This afternoon a community memorial service and life celebration was held at the East Los Angeles Civic Center for artist Gilbert Magu Lujan. Emceed by Richard Montoya of Culture Clash, with  ceremonial nahuatl dance and music led by Martin Espino, a poignant opening by curator and art historian Tere Romo, a touching letter to Magu written and read by muralist Wayne Healy, a special “Haiku for Magu” by Ruben Guevara, filmmaker  Jesus Trevino‘s observation of Magu as the spark that invoked a new art movement, as well as numerous other friendship, family and historical moments were publicly made today.

Guests added momentos to the altar "Tree of Life" for Magu.

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Happy Labor Day!


International Ladies Garment Workers Union, Spanish Speaking Branch. Los Angeles, 1933.

While the history of Labor Day is a sketchy one, it was meant to replace the more radical anarcho/commie tinged May Day, it is at least the one day people pay homage to the working class of the good ol’ USA. Except there’s not much ‘good’ around here anymore and – are you working class if you don’t have a job?

This photo is from a 1933 Labor Day parade in Downtown Los Angeles possibly near Olvera Street. It was common for many Mexicans of early Los Angeles to adopt Spanish style clothing when celebrating holidays. It was a fashion thing I think, maybe too much Ramona and Fiesta on their mind. Eighty or so years later and we’ve ditched the ruffles for huipiles.

Libros Schmibros at the Hammer Museum

Photo credit: Anne Cusack/LA Times

Literature pimp David Kipen and his libros volunteer crew are making their way west, as the newest artist in recedency at the Hammer Museum in Westwood. From now till October 9, the lending library will be posted up at the lobby gallery pretty much doing the same thing it does at the eastside store front, sharing the gift of literature with folks across town. According to the museum, “Westwood has also seen the closure of several bookstores recently, as well as a reduction in some hours at nearby libraries. Libros Schmibros at the Hammer will increase Westwood’s access to books, while serving as a public square where visitors can check out, acquire, or donate books, and interact with Kipen, his team of volunteers, and other visitors.”

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