Pass the DREAM Act now

Art by Nico of Los Poets del Norte

When I was kid, I was always told in school that you needed to go to college to get a better quality of life. Teachers always encouraged me and my fellow students to pursue a college education. They would ask the class, “what do you wanna be when you grow up ?” I always said that I wanted to be a vegetarian, because I love animals and I wanna help them. The teacher would then correct me and say, “ohh you mean veterinarian, silly.” The class would laugh and we would move on to the next kid who wanted to be a doctor, a lawyer, an astronaut, a dentist etc. Never once in my life growing up did it occur to me that in order to be anything great in this country, that I am proud to call my home, that you needed papers. I figured that if I did like my teachers said, I got good grades, applied myself and worked hard I would get into a college and make something of myself. Lies. Fucking lies.  Continue reading

Randoms Rundown: Mayday Mayhem

It would seem that everyone and their mom is going to be in Downtown this Saturday for the May Day march. I myself will also be there of course, but what about after the march is over. Then what ? Well, jump on board the Goldline and make your way East of the river and indulge in a night out in Boyle Heights. Marching, chanting and holding up signs can take its toll and work up a hunger. Well what better way to end a protest than by supporting the Boyle Heights Street Vendors Association. The street vendors are officially back. All the hard work from East Los Angeles Community Corporation’s Community Organizing Department will culminate into what is sure to be a great night of some of the best antojitos in L.A.

137 N. Soto (soto st. and Michigan Ave) between 6pm and 10pm.  Help us support street vendors who are struggling to make a living and fighting for the right to work in their own community. (Bring Cash, no credit cards accepted)

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SB 1070 signed in Arizona

“Fuck tha police,Comin’ straight from the underground.Young nigga got it bad ’cause I’m brown,And not the other color so police think,They have the authority to kill a minority.Fuck that shit, ’cause I ain’t tha one,For a punk …mutha fucka with a badge and a gun,To be beatin’ on, and thrown in jail.We could go toe to toe in the middle of a cell.”

Dark Crossing Opens Today!

Dark Crossing finally hits the theaters today! Never heard of it? Me neither. But hey, it has Miklo of Blood In, Blood Out fame so its got to be good. Showing in select theaters only, the nearest one seems to be in Texas.

Or you could wait a few weeks and check it out at your local library.

Action Packed!

Click ahead for some classic Miklo clips. You know you’re gonna.
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Boyle Heights Open Air Market: Coming Soon

I am ecstatic to report that Boyle Heights is in the process of finally getting a place for food vendors to share their fabulous foods with the people once again. Harmony between the vendors, police and people calling the police on the vendors is one of the key problems that the food vendors faced when they were doing it alacart on Breed and Chavez. East Los Angeles Community Corporation and it’s amazing organizers have done an amazing job in helping the vendors get this market going, meeting requirements that will give it the final ok from the L.A. City Council. Can I have my pancakes with cajeta now ?

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Open Air Market community forum

Last time I reported on the Breed Street Food Vendors, I was telling everyone to show their support by signing the petition to get an evening farmers market going here in Boyle Heights. Well I’m ecstatic to report that not only were there enough petitions turned in, but the L.A. City council approved the motion to get this farmers market up and running. Whether you agree with this move or not, it doesn’t really matter because you aren’t the one’s that are struggling to make ends meat, hiding from police and wonder when you will be able to make a living selling your home made dishes and sharing them with everyone else. So, come to Corazon del Pueblo and find out what the future holds for street vendors.

Street Art

I found this on Cesar Chavez and Eastern on the side of a liquor store. I first saw it riding the bus going to school and this sign stood out like the jewel that it is.  I made some edits on photoshop, but only to bring out the colors. To me, this says it all right here. The tagging of gang bangers, crews, tagging crews and corporate companies. The dog eat dog competition of getting up, being seen and having your stuff be seen by everyone. Being a rockstar right ? It’s funny that this piece of advertising, covered in tags from head to toe, seen as an eye sore by everyone, never got taken down. Even as the wall it’s next to it gets buffed out every morning after it’s tagged up, they leave advertising like this alone because if it were to get painted over, the city could possibly be sued by the company or the store owner. I’m not entirely sure how the laws regarding murals/advertising works. No one does and that’s part of the problem right ? The city is so desperate to stop this problem that they’ll make an example out of anyone they catch. Even if you may or may not be beautifying the city with cool kitty cats.

Bravo Gustavo!

My sombrero is off to UCLA for “¡Asking A Mexican!” to be their keynote commencement speaker this year. Congratulations to our esteemed friend,  Gustavo Arrellano!

“Gustavo Arellano is a keen observer of life in America — in particular the culture and diversity of Southern California,” Judith L. Smith, dean and vice provost for undergraduate education at the UCLA College, said in a statement. The columnist was recommended by a committee of faculty, students and administrators.

Article, L.A. Times. April 9, 2010

MEXICO MEMORIES: CANICAS

Man Uno and I were at a corporate lunch last year and were asked to share with the table a childhood memory.  A memory from Tijuana entered my mind immediately. Man Uno went first and his memory was about being in Tijuana too.  I realized at that moment we all have Mexico memories to share.

Here’s one of mine:  Canicas

I grew up in San Diego, South Bay to be exact, 2 exits away from the border.  When I was about 4 years old my abuelita still owned apartments in Tijuana and we’d go down a few times a week.  They were more like shacks that she rented with dusty wood floors, some with out houses and those with indoor toilets had to pour a bucket of water in them to make them flush.

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Feliz 2nd Anniversary

Can you believe that after 2 years and 1,066 post later we would all still be here? Time is sure flying by. I just wanna say, in my own special way, thanks to everyone who reads and writes on this here little blog. In the 2 years this space has been around, we’ve managed to get attention from all over L.A. I, for one, am thankful for being part of this space, being able to write what I think and create conversations about the communities we live, their changing streets and the people who make up this great city east, west, north or south of the river. Here’s to another great year 😀