Category Archives: history

Casa de Sousa getting evicted

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When I stop and think about days of future past and dealing with landlords evicting my family and I from our home/apartment, I remember what it felt like. To have to turn off everything in the house/apartment to make it seem like no one was home. Getting on all floors and looking through the crevace the bottom of the door waiting for the shadows to leave all the while hearing knocking on the door and the manager say, “when are you going to pay your rent ? I know you’re in there. You need to pay soon or else I’m going to have to kick you out of the house/apartment.” I felt that same feeling of uncertainty when I was talking to Conchita Sousa and Fernando Cruz about Cafe Casa de Sousa receiving an eviction notice from the manager in charge of the Placita Olvera merchants and stores.  However the circumstances and reasons for Casa de Sousa receiving that eviction notice last week still remain unclear because no one from the management has given them a proper reason for the notice, even after Sousa and Cruz tried talking to them to come to reasonable out come and work things out civily. No dice. Continue reading →

Thee Eastside Theme Song Poll

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lowriderart
When you think of the Eastside, what song(s) do you think of? Is there one definitive tune that can be called the Eastside Anthem? I’ve been trying to find the answer to those questions and I’ve come to the conclusion that there are too many factors to consider before attempting to define a song that embodies the broad richness and historical flavor of our Querido Eastside. For one thing, we must consider the era that holds the strongest meaning to us. Would you favor the “Classic” Eastside era of the 60’s and 70’s or beyond? And of course we must also filter our choices by the unique tastes of the various subcultures and cliques found in our community. The Cholo types might  have certain musical preferences as would the Low Riders, Old Skoolers, Cruisers, Disco era types, Rockers, Punks, Hip Hoppers, Regionals and so on. Do we consider if it’s a cruising song? or perhaps a dance number or a song just for kicking it Eastside style? Continue reading →

What’s in a song

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California Love

I woke up this morning and put my tunes on shuffle. “Sweet Home Alabama” comes up and I ponder to myself, what is the equivalent of that song but for L.A. Cheech and Chong have “Born in East L.A.” a great jam. I was always partial to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers “Under the Bridge” and La Cindy says that Randy Newmans “I Love L.A.” is also a good choice. Hmm… I’m curious. I want to know what are some of the best songs that when you hear them, you think L.A. Any suggestions ?

The Real Number of Unemployed Nationally: 16.5 %

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I'm glad we agree, this is not a job. Pic by Steve Schwartz

I'm glad we agree, this is not a job. Pic by Steve Schwartz

Often when my friends and I talk about issues of unemployment a question comes up. How do we know if this number that we read in the paper is including everyone?

What about your friend who hasn’t had a job in two years and has just stopped looking?
What about people who work temp jobs, so they sort of have a job, but not really?
What about people who got a job at the mall during the SUPER SUMMER SALE, but then got let go?

I found a table to answer those questions.

There is a table in the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. It’s table A12. It is the Alternative Measures of Labor Underutilization.  (H/T to Jonathan Tasini of Working Life, I was actually going to work this number out the old fashioned way with pencil and paper, but you saved me time.) 

16.5% is the number of unemployed nationally if you take into the account all of things that we all wonder about in regards to true unemployment: Continue reading →

The new numbers & a list (a long one) of people who will be having a bad Xmas.

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Where is MY JOB!

Where is MY JOB!

The new unemployment rates for June 2009:

North Carolina: 11.0
Ohio: 11.1
California: 11.6
Nevada: 12.0
South Carolina: 12.1
Rhode Island: 12.4
Oregon: 12.2
Michigan: 15.2
Some unemployment numbers for the end of May for individual California cities.

Riverside: 13.0
Bakersfield: 14.0
Stockton: 15.0
Fresno: 15.4
Merced: 17.3
El Centro: 26.8

Facts from the BLS
Google reported 19% gain in profit, so when is our relief coming.
Didn’t Google just lay a bunch of people off?

When is the tech industry going to unionize, because they need to. That industry is highly exploitative.

Here’s the warning lay off list from July-December of 2009. It is a list that companies have to send to EDD so you can get your unemployment and food stamps!! The number represents the number of people being let go. The date is when it’s happening. Your boss knows when they are going to let you know, but they don’t tell you. You might take some pencils and staplers and you know how much those items cost to replace. Continue reading →

D.R.E.A.M. Graduation at City Hall

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storm-the-hill-poser

I have been helping put this together the last few weeks and on behalf of Dream Team Los Angeles, I want to invite everyone reading this post to come to city hall on Tuesday and be witness to an amazing event.    From the press release.

Students Participate in West Coast DREAM Act Rally Day

Urge President Obama and Congress to Pass DREAM Act this year, 2009!

WHAT: DREAM Graduation Ceremony held in Los Angeles, CA in solidarity with the United We Dream Coalition’s National Day of Action in Washington D.C., in support of the DREAM (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) Act.

The DREAM Act is a bi-partisan legislation that if passed, would provide undocumented college students a path to legalize their status after meeting strict requirements. These requirements include that the student must have entered the country before the age of 16, graduate high school or obtain a GED,  have good moral character (no criminal record),  and have at least five years of continuous presence in the US. The students will then have six years within which they must obtain a two-year college degree or voluntarily complete two-years of military service, in order to have the chance to adjust their conditional permanent residency to U.S. citizenship.

WHEN: Tuesday, June 23, 2009

12:00 p.m. – 1:00p.m. – DREAM Graduation and Press Event

WHERE: Los Angeles City Hall Lawn

200 N. Main St. Los Angeles CA

WHO: UCLA student speakers will discuss the importance of the DREAM Act.

Undocumented students will provide testimonials of their journey as undocumented.

Wendy Carrillo, will be the Masters of Ceremonies

Kent Wong Director of the UCLA Labor Center will be the Key note speaker

Opportunity for interviews with members of the community, speakers, students and

allies.

WHY: Highlighting the achievements of our nation’s undocumented youth and the vast support for passage of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act.

Continue reading →

Dago or Chicano?

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The gorgeous Silvana Mangano singing her famous mambo from the 50’s movie “Anna” (banned in some places for years), Mangano, in this movie I saw as a kid at the old Starland Theatre in Lincoln Hts, even though it was on the list of forbidden movies tacked onto the front doors of Sacred Heart Church, was my first pubescent sexual fantasy and she still turns me on.

The LA Eastside has always been a melting pot and home to immigrants from many places in the world. Boyle Hts and East Los Angeles, besides Mexicans, had the Jewish, Russian, Japanese and Armenian immigrant communities, Lincoln Heights and environs had the Irish, Italians, Okies (immigrants?), and Mexicans, among others. This stew sometimes produced the typical ethnic clashes, stereotyping and prejudice, but more often, on the much more common positive side, gave one the opportunity (especially the children growing up together), to learn about and understand other cultures. This education was priceless to me and Lincoln Hts was one of those special places where different working class ethnic groups all lived in close proximity and where many lifelong friendships were established, on the streets, in school, at work, and through intermarriage.
Continue reading →