Anime Expo 2010

The Anime Expo. Next to the San Diego Comic-Con, it’s one of the biggest cons here in the west coast. Kids, their parents and Otakus like myself, come from far and wide to get their anime on. Like any other convention, the Anime Expo brings together fans of all levels into one single city for one weekend to share in their love and passion for all things Japanese, but mostly the anime. BHHappa talked about this fandom a while back and even though it hasn’t been accepted or welcomed in the past, Eastern and anime  influences can be seen all over the place these days. It’s cool to like anime now thanks to Hollywood and Disney. But there’s still a deeper, darker level of fandom seldomly seem by others.

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Botanitas: July 2, 2010


Mexican Americans on Fourth of July, 1923. Photo courtesy of LAPL

Botanitas is an ongoing feature bringing you stories and news from various sources, upcoming events and other bits of ephemera that might be of interest to LA Eastside readers. Suggestions welcome!

So where will you be this weekend with all your illegal fireworks? Hopefully that wasn’t your uncle’s house that got busted with all those cuetes in El Monte, what a waste…tsk, tsk..won’t someone think of the children?

As my Chicana mother always told me, California wasn’t part of the U.S. when the U.S. got independence from England so we don’t really gotta put our heart and soul into celebrating Fourth of July. But what Mexican is gonna give up a good reason for drinking and bar-b-queing? Dang, we invented bar-b-que, the word comes from the Spanish barbacoa, so however you feel about this “independence day” of ours, make it a good time!

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