Category Archives: history

From the Bay to L.A. and AZ: Print Marathon at Self Help Graphics and Art

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In a show of solidarity against the anti-Latino/a and immigrant sentiment in Arizona and the 30 days 30 actions campaign currently going on,  artist from here in East L.A. and the Bay area organized a 12 hour print-a-thon, silk screening more than 1,000 posters, some stickers and shirts with various designs for the July 29 action taking place in AZ against SB 1070. Joel “Rage” Garcia and Melanie Cervantes first got the ball rolling for the print marathon after discussing solidarity work with the AZ coming up. Garcia along his partner/artist FelicaMontes , musician Olmeca and Vyal have been working with artist in AZ for the last few months. Doing organizing, connecting with artist there and helping them get the resources not found in AZ. Cervantes and her partner Jesus Barraza at the same time have been working on the AZ campaign as well providing artistic resources and support with groups, orgs and individuals in AZ along with frequent partner and collaborator Favianna Rodriguez. Initially the plan was for everyone to go to AZ and do the work there, but contributing artist Ernesto Yerena warned them that the weather conditions and the AZ boycott would impede their productivity. Soon enough the conversation turned to printing here in L.A. and with the help of artist Dewey Tafoya, Self Help opened their doors to use the space and the marathon was on.

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The “Take Our Jobs” Campaign

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The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Arturo Rodriguez
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election Fox News

Last summer while I was visiting my family out in Utah I tried my hand at working at a farm picking raspberries. My family did it every season because it was good money and the farm owners needed the help harvesting. I put in a days work and I said to myself never again. Picking raspberries out there wasn’t as labor intensive and demanding as picking grapes, lettuce and other foods out in the valleys here in California. Or having to live out there and breathing in all that pesticide and chemicals used out there. But half way into the day my arms were scratched up, I was sneezing, I had watery eyes from all the pollen and my back was already aching from all the bending. There’s no machine or technique for this kind of work. It has to be done by hand and with care, other wise it all goes to waste.

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From the Barrios of LA to the Bay: Concierto sin Fronteras

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I know Chimatli mentioned this already on Botanitas, but I have to plug it up again. Why ? Because there is an amazing line for that night. Musically and in spoken word. This is one of those events that you don’t wanna miss out on because if you do, you’ll be sorry when everyone else is telling you how much they had and how dumb you feel for not going.

SATURDAY, JULY 10TH
6PM to 2AM
-LA CASA DEL MEXICANO-
2900 Calle Pedro Infante
Boyle Heights, CA 90063

Tickets $8 pre-sale at Corazon del Pueblo (available SAT 07/03) * $10 at the door

Anime Expo 2010

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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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FORGET IT JAKE, IT’S CHINATOWN!

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Photo courtesy of A Vanishing World

Yee Mee Loo Bar and Restaurant in Chinatown, Wow! What a loss to Los Angeles when they tore that great dive bar down. The little bar was always jumping, the drinks served by the legendary Richard Mau were nonpareil, the crowd and the booze, the cigarette smoke, and music from the old fashioned jukebox  was reminiscent of a scene from a Raymond Chandler book, Humphrey Bogart, Claude Raines, Mary Astor, or Charlie Chan would be right at home there.
The place was a bookie joint and the regulars could always be depended on for a tip on a longshot at Santa Anita or Hollywood Park. And before drinking my first Mai Tai or Long Island Ice Tea I always laid a buck down on the counter so Richard would light a stick of incense and place it on the Buddha on the spectacular carved wooden altar on the wall, bowing and saying a prayer in Chinese.
The conversations overheard always seemed a bit shady and full of conspiracy, as dark as the joint, where somehow you were in a different time and the atmosphere was 1935 or 1945, Los Angeles.

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Save the Spring Street Bridge!

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Photo courtesy of Bridgehunter.com

Despite the city going through one of the worst financial times in it’s existence, they are pushing forward on tearing down the perfectly fine historic Spring Street Bridge to spend tons of city funds to build a brand new one. Very few folks who live in the adjacent communities support this project but despite their protests and objections, the Board of Public Works approved the bridge demolition. It’s now up to the City Council Transportation Committee to approve the project. The Los Angeles Conservancy is asking folks to show up at a hearing tomorrow to protest this unneeded new project and to call for the protection of our beloved little Spring Street Bridge.

Here’s more info from the Los Angeles Conservancy:

The city’s Bureau of Engineering (BOE) is rushing to approve a project that would dramatically widen the 1929 North Spring Street Viaduct — nearly doubling its width, stripping away all historic ornamentation, and eliminating the bridge’s eligibility as a city landmark.

After years of inaction, the BOE is now scrambling for quick approval of this project in order to qualify for $5 million in state funds.

The Conservancy has been advocating for an alternative that would retrofit the historic bridge and construct a separate pedestrian-cyclist bridge alongside it.

The Conservancy, the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission, and residents from communities on both sides of the river are protesting the project. Yet our voices have been largely excluded from the planning process.

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Love on the Goldline

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This past Saturday May 29, LaEastside’s Pachuco 3000, many Eastside artists, art administrators, and familia from LA, Juarez & Texas attended the wedding of our dear friends & curators Pilar Tompkins and Adrian Rivas.  I don’t think Harry Gamboa, Jr. will mind that I’m sharing his photo showing the procession accompanied by mariachis and guests leaving the ceremony at Nuestra Señora Reina de los Angeles [Placita Olvera] to the Mariachi Plaza on the Metro Goldline.  Strolling from the church through Olvera Street, the joyous couple’s first dance was to “Volver, Volver, Volver” played by one of the Placita’s scheduled bands.  Tourists and locals joined in the glee of the whistle blowing guests en route to the Union Station.  The perfect day included a unique 1930’s reception at the beautiful Plaza Salon, formerly a speakeasy that is within walking distance from Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights.  Pilar & Adrian’s love of Los Angeles history, art and architecture [which was featured on Saturday] was a blessing to all that attended.  Que vivan los novios!

LamPosts

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These old lamposts being devoured by creeping nasturtium vines were spotted outside the back gate of Heritage Square Museum in Lincoln Heights/Montecito Heights (the neighborhood designation is variable). The nasturtium has been growing wild there for at least twenty years and it’s amazing to me how large and prolific the vines grow.
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Note to Self: Boycott Arizona’s Racist Laws

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Many ELA Artists, Community Members, Activists and Students have left their 3 day weekend barbecue plans behind to join others working to end the border militarization and racist, colonial laws  that have been adopted by Arizona through a Senate Bill called SB1070.  Many states and cities in the US have joined in boycotting this unconstitutional law, through public criticism in the press and by ceasing all their state and city business with  Arizona. Many local artists speak out publicly through music and exhibit. (More to come, of course.)

This racist law attacks not only the migrant, indigenous and humans of hue, but also the principles of freedom and democracy which this country was founded on.  In the face of Arizona’s police state oppression towards the marginalize and poor people there, the victim Arizona community is asking for  support through peaceful protests and boycotts of these unjust laws which legalize business and home raids; detain citizens based on physical appearance; expel those who cannot immediately produce or refuse to carry documents regarding their citizenship; sanctify sweeps and patrolling of sacred Native American lands near the border without permission; and disregard the American constitutional right to pursuit of happiness (through a peaceful and safe environment) .  Denial of these rights affect us all.

Memorial Day

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Evergreen Cemetery, Boyle Heights

Evergreen Cemetery, Boyle Heights

The official and American observance of Memorial Day is to honor people who died while in the military service. In the Japanese American community, Memorial Day was adapted to be a way to honor the ancestors. Those who know some Japanese call it “haka mairi” which means “visiting graves”.

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Golden Gate Theater now showing…

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Photo by Al Desmadre

Perhaps you’ve all heard the bad news by now – instead of East Los getting a new theater or cultural arts center, we can now say with pride, we are home to a new CVS drugstore. Start the celebration! According to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, this CVS will bring jobs to the area. Yay, minimum wage part-time jobs! What more could we ask for?

Here’s more from the Los Angeles Times article:

Los Angeles County supervisors unanimously voiced support Tuesday for the conversion of the long-abandoned Golden Gate Theater in East Los Angeles into a 24-hour drugstore despite passionate last-minute appeals by some residents to block the project.

“This is not just a building. It is a theater … a monument, the last one in East L.A.,” Sam Barraza told the supervisors. “This is not just a geographic or development battle … the spirit of East L.A. is at stake.”

and from the business side:

“The addition of a national pharmacy chain will be a tremendous benefit,” said Jesse Torres, chief executive of East L.A.-based Pan American Bank.

“We have to have those stores and retailers,” said Al Rivera, who supports the plan. “CVS will be looked at by other corporations. We want to make sure other corporations and investors look at East L.A. as a business-friendly community.”

In my opinion, “business-friendly community” means “hey, we are willing to do whatever you want, come exploit us!” Is that what might happen if East Los Angeles is able to incorporate itself as an independent city? No thanks!

About a year ago, LA Eastside posted a story about efforts to save the theater from commercial development. You can read the piece here.

The DREAM is coming

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“This past Monday, on the anniversary of landmark civil rights case Brown v. Board of Education, Lizbeth Mateo of Los Angeles, Mohammad Abdollahi of Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Yahaira Carrillo of Kansas City, Missouri; were detained Tucson, Arizona, after staging a sit-in at Senator John McCain’s office. With this challenge to local and federal law, these youth hope to highlight the urgency of legislative action in Congress, and catalyze mass grassroots mobilization to pass the DREAM Act before June 15th.”

Lizbeth, Mohammad and Yahaira are undocumented students. They are DREAM Act family. Like all the other undocumented students throughout the country, they can no longer sit idly by as life keeps passing us by. Whenever an undoc student speaks out in public, whenever we travel and whenever we organize rallies and protest, we are putting ourselves at risk for detainment and deportation. These three leaders have put themselves on the front lines because the time for the DREAM Act to be brought to Congress as a stand alone bill and be passed. Since it was first introduced 8 years ago, the DREAM Act is the only way college educated undoc students have to fix their immigration status.

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