Dia de los Muertos Continues at Self Help Graphics!

Self Help Graph​ics & Art presents

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS
Day of the Dead Progr​ammin​g 

THROU​GHOUT​ THE MONTH​ OF NOVEM​BER!!

Join us in our conti​nuing​ community celeb​ratio​n in East LA.
Free for the commu​nity—donations accepted.

** A Call To Witness: All Is Not Forgotten Dia de los muertos exhibit, in SHG’s Brooklyn Gallery will be open for viewing ** 

KEEP READING! Details on these exciting evenings follows!

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The Brewery, La Mano Press, City Hall. Walking in L.A.

A special van.

A special van.

Every year I go to the Brewery. It’s an automatic pilot type thing. I have very few traditions. In fact I have only two traditions. I go to the Hollywood Christmas Parade every year (if I’m in Los Angeles) and I go the Brewery Art Walk. I’ve been going to both of these events longer than I can remember. I’m so obsessed with them that I will actually go by myself. I remember two years ago I couldn’t trick anyone to come with me to the crappy Hollywood Christmas Parade, even my boyfriend refused to do it, “It’s lame why do you do this every year.”
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Dia de los Muertos at El Gallo Cafe

Regular commenter Urbanista submits the following pics and text about another DDLM event that took place tonight, enjoy! (Oh yeah, if you ever want to send in your own pics and text, get in touch with us via the contact us page.)

Good Evening LA Eastside,

I wanted to forward some pictures (cell phone pictures) from the event that took place over at El Gallo Cafe. There was artwork displayed as well as altars. There were some vendors selling some of their crafts with the theme of dia de los muertos. They also had a live band – Upground which got a mini mosh pit going and revived the crowd (no pun intended lol). (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yvy3FBHBhWc) <=== (Dia de los muertos song). I also got a signed “Viva Obama” print from Lalo Alcaraz.

More pics ahead.

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Botanitas: Halloween Edition 2008

Launderland Disfraces, Lincoln Heights, 2008

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!

Halloween and Dia de los Muertos events after the jump!

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Dia de los Muertos

 

~ Alter from Teocintlis Dia de los Muertos celebration ~

I love Dia de los Muertos. The beautiful art work, the food and of course the unity of family and friends remembering loved ones. It’s a celebration of life because your not really dead until people forget about you. As long as family and friends honor their loved ones, they’ll never be gone. Doña Junta knows exactly what I’m talking about because she built one of her own and it looks awesome. Whether it’s personal or communal,big or small as long as your heart is in it it’ll be a wondrous sight to behold. Ofelia Esparza and her family have been gaining recognition since 1980 for their beautiful alters at Self Help Graphics and all over the world. I never really knew the full meaning behind the celebration until I saw her give a presentation at ELAC last year. The following is excerpts edited together from the story I wrote for the school paper last year. 

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720 to Crazyland. Cocktail race relations.

I took the Purple Line to the 720 to an art event on Sunday.

And this happened:

I was pouring myself some wine and a woman said, “That’s a beautiful dress you have on.”  I said thanks. She went on to say it was the first time she had been at this particular establishment on Wilshire Blvd. I told her I went to this particular establishment all of them time, well rather used to.

I said the place had lots of events. Art talks, poetry, jazz…she then stopped me.

“Oh I like jazz, but I don’t like rap music, sorry. I don’t like it.”
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Latino Punk Fest 2008

Los Angeles, you are in luck! If you haven’t been able to make it to Chicago for the past two Latino Punk Festivals, this time around you’ll only have to figure out how to get to Montebello cuz it’s taking place here! I don’t have much else to say about this event because I haven’t been to the previous ones but I’m quite sure it’s the largest festival of Latino Punk bands in the US. (Err, maybe it’s the only one?) It’s also appropriate that the Fest take place in LA, easily the city with the biggest Latino Punk scene, not that anyone outside of the Eastside would notice. For more info about the event, check out their FAQ where they have helpful info like this great tip:

4. I get out of work late, what can I do?

–If you can afford it, call in sick or take the day off! How many fest like this one will you have an opportunity to attend in your life time? A lot of the bands playing the fest are traveling from out of town so there will be all kinds of shit going on all day, each day, where you can hang out!

Ditch work, nice! You can check out the full 3 day schedule here, though I think most punks are gonna try and get into the Saturday show to see the reunion of Los Crudos, or cuz they just want to get a glimpse of a band that would name themselves “Cara De Mil Putazos“, certainly one of the best band names ever! Hopefully we’ll have some coverage of this event to report back, there’s some young and not-so-young punks here on the staff of LA Eastside!

Latino Punk Fest 3 October 23-25 (Thursday thru Saturday)
All happening at:
Terraza Jamay 104 S. 10th St. Montebello, CA 90640
Click here for google map.

Click to hear a preview of some of the bands.

Fasting for the future Oct 15

On October 15th, over 100 people will begin one of the largest hunger strikes in American history to call on Latinos, immigrants, and people of conscience–the Immigrant Rights Movement–to rise out of our fear and vote for change. “The Fast for our Future” will be based in a permanent encampment at La Placita Olvera, the historic heart of Los Angeles, and will continue until at least 1 million people have signed this Pledge. Through our shared sacrifice and commitment we will renew our movement and inspire an historic mobilization of Latino, immigrant, and pro-immigrant rights voters. We must remember the I.C.E. raids, those detained and deported, the families torn apart, the dreams deferred. We must remember the marches, the walkouts, the boycotts, and the promise we made: “Hoy Marchamos, Manana Votamos.” Yesterday we marched for our rights, today we vote. 

One way or another the immigration issue has to be addressed by the U.S. government. I urge that anyone that supports positive immigration reform to sign the petition and spread the word. Fast for a day if even possible, even though most of us, including myself, can’t because we have responsibilities that need us in our full mental capacity. Not only that but make sure to register to vote and let your voice be heard. There are some of us that don’t even have that privilege and for someone to just throwaway their vote is ignorant and stupid. Everyone complains about how bad things are, so then do something about it and vote.     

21 DAYS BEFORE THE 2008 ELECTION THE LARGEST HUNGER STRIKE IN U.S. HISTORY 

CALLING ON ONE MILLION PEOPLE TO SIGN A PLEDGE TO VOTE FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS

The Fast for Our Future campaign will begin in Los Angeles on October 15th, 2008, three weeks before the November 4th presidential election. Over 100 people will fast in order to mobilize our community to vote for immigrant rights. Fasters will give up all food and juice liquids. We will only drink water.The Fast will be based at an encampment at La Placita Olvera, the historic heart of Los Angeles. The encampment will be a visual representation of the size of the hunger strike. Fasters will sleep in tents and live at the encampment for the duration of the hunger strike. The Fast will continue until at least one million people have signed the Pledge to vote and take action for immigrant rights.

Daily Public Schedule of the Fast Encampment:

8:00 – 8:30am Prayer Service
8:30 – 9:30am Agenda for the Day
10:00am Public Announcement or Press Conference
11:00am – 12:00pm Rest Period
12:00pm – 4:00pm Work
4:00pm – 5:00pm Rest Period
5:00pm – 6:00pm Vigil
6:00pm – 8:00pm Group Reflection
8:00pm – 10:00pm Free Time
10:00pm – 6:00am Quiet Time

El Pueblo De Los Angeles Historic Park

845 N. Alameda Street

Los Angeles, CA 90012 

The Heroes of East LA

In Quantum Physics, there is a Law of Attraction in which similar objects are attracted to each other. Since we humans are also part of the physical world, that theory would also apply to each of us.
I am fortunate to meet many great men and women during my usual week. They work quietly and diligently in the background, always steady, always faithful—adding more than their share towards the whole. It is not then surprising that two such similar beings should succumb to the Laws of Attraction even on the eastside.
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