Ernesto Yerena: Hecho con Ganas

Ernesto Yerena has ganas. At 23 years old, he is garnering attention in the art world for his unique artistic style and in the Latino/a community for his involvement and advocacy for immigrants rights. His visual style incorporates vibrant colors, blending backgrounds, stencils of iconic figures like Fidel Castro, Cantinflas and Cesar Chavez. Yerena’s work also highlights the cultural richness of the Latino/a community in his works by featuring everyday people like musicians. He’s currently working on his latest piece of astronaut Jose Hernandez, commissioned for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. Individuals Yerena admires because of the ganas they have to accomplish the great things they are recognized and known for. It’s what pushes him to do what he loves and to continue to push his limits, his will to the next level, but Yerena admits that it isn’t easy.

Continue reading

Men, check your balls

The first week of April, 1-7, is testicular cancer awareness week. If it wasn’t for the gals over at I heart guts, who made the awesome chart above, I wouldn’t have known this week was TCAW, I thought it was just Easter. So men, get to know your boys a little close this week and give yourself a self exam because early detection is the best way to stop and get rid of testicular cancer.  So what exactly is testicular cancer ? Google health defines it as, “cancer that starts in the testicles, the male reproductive glands located in the scrotum.” It seems that there are no detailed specifics on what causes the cancer in individuals, besides a family history or abnormalities in that region. Symptoms range from nothing to pain in that region, back/abdomen, enlargement of testis and the one you look out for the most is lumps or unusual swelling.

Continue reading

Unincorporated East LA marries three

On April 1, 2010, the entire board of supervisors for Los Angeles County witnessed a historical event at the East Los Angeles civil court: the marriage of Juana Juanes-Robinson and her two husbands, Juan Juanes and Bob Robinson. After twelve years of protest and push from community residents and supporters throughout the county, thousands of supporters for PWWMT (People Who Wanna Marry Two) waited outside of the civil courthouse for Juana and her two husbands to tie their knots.

Thirty seven more 2+1 marriage ceremonies are scheduled through the summer of 2010.

Macy’s Throws it’s Sombrero into the ELA Market!

Macy’s Department store has acquired a small department store which had been struggling for many years and finally closed its doors in December of 2007. The First Street Store aka La Primera at 3640 East First Street, was the only department store in East LA for 70 years and (according to business sources) way over due for a make over.  Xavier von Dido, Regional VP of Marketing for the Macy’s stores, was quoted as saying, “I am so proud to be part of the team initiating this mega deal for the community of East LA.”

Macy's of ELA will be a beautiful contribution to the community. Architect's rendering above.

According to von Dido, Macy’s is planning a fresh array of Hispanic feeling products that will have mass appeal to the forward looking East LA consumer. “If these products go well in East LA,” von Dido said, “we will look towards a national and international saturation campaign of similar products.”
Continue reading

Chicano Jewish School to Open in Boyle Hts.

The Breed Street Shul in Boyle Hts. has announced that they will soon begin classes for local residents to convert to Judaism. The goal is to tie Latinos to Judaism so that when Latinos have more political power they will continue America’s support for Isreal.

Ricardo Montoyiswich a recently converted Chicano Jew said, “This will help re-establish the Jewish presence in Boyle Hts. and hopefully lure Canters back to the heights!” Montoyiswich, who will be teaching several classes at the Shul, said his life has changed for the better since he made the switch. “As an actor I was having a hard time getting work, but out of no where, once I converted, I started getting all these cool gigs.”

Some of the classes that will be offered include: “Putting Down Those Whiny Santos,” “How To Leave La Virgen and still Love Your Mom,” “Circumcising The Chile: Grin and Bare It,” “Menorah and Dradle Care for Chicanos (Don’t smoke it and it’s NOT Pon),” and “How To Trace Your Distant Jewish Roots.”

Sleepy Tonatiuh, a next door neighbor to the Shul and proud Aztec dancer said, “This ain’t right. They should be teaching people about the people on this land and how this land was stolen, just like the Isreali’s stole Palestine.” He plans to protest the classes once they open by having his danza group do ceremonies during class time. When asked for a response, Montoyiswich said, “Sounds like that indio needs to see the play “Palestine New Mexico” and learn how Indians are Jewish.”

Will there ever be peace in the mid Eastside?

Jaime Escalante school proposal

Ron Unz announced that he was planning on opening an elementary school in the MacArthur park area to be named after his good friend and fellow Republican Jaime Escalante.

An Unz spokesman Will Garglio, stated that this will be called Jaime Escalante Westside Elementary School (JEWES). Unz plans to open a similar school on the Eastside.

JEWES curriculum will be total English immersion with a focus on media manipulation. Plans include having a student run television station just like professional Latino TV stations. They plan to staff the station with the lightest and blondest of the community, even if they have to import them all the way from Miami to do so. Will Garglio said, “We want these youth to feel like they are in the real world and that world doesn’t look or speak like them, so they need to get used to it now.”

Textbook orders have already been filed and include texts that exclude Sal Castro, Che Guevarra, Rudy Acu~a and other Chicano/Latino heroes that might instill pride in the students, something that must be avoided, according to textbook publisher: Bendover for Texas Press.

Back to the Future: Boyle Heights

1st & Cummings Circa 1958

1st & Cummings Circa March 30, 2010

Paco of Corazon del Pueblo wanted me share these two pictures and write a up a post after he saw the vintage picture on the facebook fan page “Who remembers in East L.A.” In the last 58 years so much has changed in Boyle Heights. I’m 25 and already the barrio is changing once again. In the picture you see all the old businesses and the trolly that ran through 1st. Nowadays we have the goldline running under ground, a few different shops and a bigger police station. I can only imagine what will change and how things will look another 58 years from now.

Be safe on the Blue Line or el$e

I’m all for safety on the road, on foot, bike and train. I’m always cautious of my surroundings and always look twice before I cross, however not everyone adheres to these safety measures and Metro along with the LASD and LAPD want to make sure everyone does abide by the rules and be safe on the road or when going Metro. So, tomorrow morning (3-23-2010) they will be holding police check points all along the Metro Blue Line starting from the 7th street stop all along to Washington Station. They will be there starting from 7 a.m. and be checking up that people aren’t making illegal turns, people driving while talking/texting on their phones and jaywalkers. I got a jaywalking ticket once because I crossed when the hand was flashing red. At least that’t what the officer said and god knows there’s no arguing with the LAPD because that hand went red HALF WAY THROUGH me crossing. What was I suppose to do ? Walk back to the other side ? I hope the $175 fine paved some roads or fixed some parking meter.

Anywho, just thought I’d give everyone that rides the Blue Line in those areas or drives by the heads up. The city is hurting for money so they’ll squeeze every dime outta ya. To be more specific, $175 for jaywalking to $436 for red light violations. HOWEVER, I will note that this isn’t some random thing Metro and the police decided to do, Metro wants to reduce the number of deaths and accidents along these stations. Here is their analysis and break down of how the public just needs more education on safety issues. As a long time Blue Line rider all I can say is that, if you get caught breaking the law or being unsafe, then you deserve the fine.

Random’s Rundown: Chicano/a socialites unite

It gets harder and harder each week to keep up with everything that’s going on sometimes you know. I gotta deal with student life at taco tech, activism work with the team I’m a part of and of course keeping up with my community reporting. Then some how in between all that I gotta make time to earn some cash here and there moonlighting.  Such is the life and I am forever thankful for it. Idle hands are the devils play things you know. In fact, a friend commented to me that I was dropping the ball on my reporting, which is kinda true. So, with that being said, here’s a list of things to do with weekend East of the river. I’ll catch up on here when I’m on spring break next week. In fact, I should be studying rather than blogging. Fuck it.

Continue reading

Movie Screenings–All Weekend in Boyle Heights!

prayer4JuarezIMAGE2

“A Prayer for Juarez” has been a month long of international events raising awareness on the Femicides in Juarez, Mexico. After the slaying of three embassy workers this past weekend in Ciudad Juarez this tragic situation intensifies.  Filmmaker/Producer Dianna Perez is hosting two evenings of FREE film screenings  March 19 & March 20 at Casa 0101 Annex, 2102 1st Street, Boyle Heights. These films are rare and hard to get a hold of, and really amazing.  We invite you to join us!

Friday, March 19th, 8:00 pm
Senorita Extraviada by Lourdes Portillo
Missing Young Woman tells the story of the hundreds of kidnapped, raped and murdered young women of Juárez, Mexico. The murders first came to light in 1993 and young women continue to “disappear” to this day. The evening begins with a short film Sangre y Arena by Rigo Maldonado & Shakina Nayfack, followed by Q&A. This art film shot on location in Lote Bravo (a cotton field irrigation ditch) where 8 women were found at one time in 2001.

Saturday, March 20th, 8:00 pm
Border Echoes by Lorena Mendez Quiroga
Border Echoes-Ecos De Una Frontera, is a documentary that tells the story of the slayings of girls and women in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, through the eyes of investigative reporter Diana Washington Valdez. [Save the date! Award winning El Paso Times reporter Diana Washington Valdez will present in person at Casa 0101 Annex on March 27, 8pm) The evening begins with a short performance called Cihuatl 15 by endy and a screening of Sangre y Arena.
Continue reading

Stupid America

photo(2)

~A message I read on my way to work on the bus ~

A poem by Abelardo “Lalo” Delgado

stupid america, see that chicano
with a big knife
on his steady hand
he doesn’t want to knife you
he wants to sit on a bench
and carve christfigures
but you won’t let him.
stupid america, hear that chicano
shouting curses on the street
he is a poet
without paper and pencil
and since he cannot write
he will explode.
stupid america, remember that chicanito
flunking math and english
he is a picasso
of your western states
but he will die
with one thousand masterpieces
hanging only from his mind.