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Sinceras
Sinceras is a great zine coming outta East L.A./Monterey Park for the last few months now. They just recently put out issue #5, and they’re still going strong. Â They describe themselves as “a Los Angeles based collective organizing in a movement toward conscious living, creative freedom, unity & action. We organize music/art events and publish a zine; it is an outlet for Artists, Writers and Activists.”
I’ve met folks who work on the zine, but I forget who they are until I run into them, and I’m all like “hey !! wazz up?” (Sticking my tongue out, like in those old budwieser commercials) all awkwardly, but it’s cool cause we don’t remember each others names or when we first met, but we recognize each others faces, you know?
Anyway, just wanted to share it, since alotta folks contributing/reading this bloggito here, come from the school of DIY punk rock zines. The zine itself features everything from original poetry/art to articles about healthy eating and living, all from local folks and East L.A. College students. (That’s probably where I’ve met all these folks!! Duh pendejo!!) I also really dig the fact that they put it up online for folks to read and share, but sometimes I still prefer the physical copy 😀
They’re always looking for folks to contribute, so get at them at SincerasVoice@gmail.com and you can also keep up with them through their facebook page. You can check out pics from release parties, get updates and find out when the next zine is coming out.
The Price of Beer
As a 20-year-old coed at UCSD the newness of each day as an adventure, still had its momentum. The first female in my family to go to college, to move out at 18-years-old was at once my second-generation-immigrant family’s dream and nightmare. My first year of away-from-home loneliness was defeated by my freedom. I sucked it up, and watched other ingénues file out one by one—until there was 1 Chicana for every 17 Chicanos in my class of 100 in a sea of 7000 students. Freedom meant learning to think and speak critically, handling finances, self-management, validating my culture, being creative, making wise choices, defining myself and not appearing to have been too sheltered by my Christian-freak family.
Being away from family also gave the freedom to live completely bacchanalian, if one chose it. It was an undergraduate rite of passage “to thy own-self be true†and part of the experience needed on the road to where you were headed. By the time some of my high school friends became freshmen, I was their mentor and resolver of all acculturating problems.
I’m not sure how the situation came about–my high school friend Danny taunting me into asking Jose a 22-year old senior to buy us beer, because we were too young. I was uncomfortable, knowing that I would owe Jose some favor that I could not pay back—because he was obviously interested in me. The night ride down Torrey Pines Road in the back of a dark VW bus with Jose and my napping, assigned-sentry Raul, with John as shot-gun and Danny driving, seemed excruciatingly long. Occasionally Danny would pull back the blue Hawaiian print curtain that divided the cab from the carpeted surf den to say, “Is everything ok back there?†followed by a wink and grin at me. He knew I went reluctantly and this was his silly gesture to make light of it, while protecting my honor. Continue reading
Undocumented and Living in Alabama
Victor Palafox is a 19 year old, undocumented resident of Alabama, pre/post HB 56. He was interviewed by dreamers adrift, a collective that documentes the undocumented, in Dallas, Texas a few weeks ago. In this candid interview, Victor describes what it’s like to live in the south, what it means to be undocumented there, how the community has changed for the worse and what the future holds.
Beware of “Cholo Adventure”
Last Chance to Catch “Blu” this Weekend
From left Blu (Xavi Moreno) and Lunatico (Phillip Garcia) Photography by Graham Kolbeins
Through an amalgamation of poetic proses and bits of Caló, Virginia Grise’s play “Blu,†conveys a romanticized view of the life and times of a family living in the barrio. Following the story of a queer Chicana/o mother, that despite their best efforts to keep her family together, is challenged at every turn by the every day violence that manifest itself through gang life, police abuse, the prison industrial complex, militarism and the continued abuse toward women of color. It’s hard no to feel bombarded and lost for split second, when trying to deciphering the multiple themes in the story. Which slows down the momentum of the play at times. Continue reading
South Central Art Walk
Around January this year I started a monthly South Central walk. We walked different main streets each month until about summer time. It was basically just me and whoever wanted to join. There is so much to see and learn in such a controversial part of the city. Great photo shots, art, street food, mom and pop restaurants, old houses, industrial and more. My friends who love the grimy aesthetics of SC enjoyed the walks. I will call this post the first SC art walk…more to come, and if you are interested in ever walking along hit me up!
Beautiful use of colors
Sat., Nov. 19 – DIY SILKSCREENING with DEWEY TAFOYA
DIY SILKSCREENING with DEWEY TAFOYA November 19th (every 3rd Saturday), HOURS: 10am to 2pm
$20 per person / RSVP: workshops@selfhelpgraphics.com
Attendees are required to bring two transparency copies of an original black and white image, no bigger than 8 1/2″ X 11″. Limited number of screens available for purchase. Bring paper and a blank t-shirt or 2 to print your work of art on!Â
Check out the action video—start printing your own money in 1 easy lesson with Dewey!
AT:
Self Help Graphics & Art
1300 East 1st Street
Boyle Heights, CA
NEWS FLASH! “Quantifying Hate Speech on Commercial Talk Radioâ€
flyinureye 2010
The UCLA Chicano Studies Department has some very interesting presentations and programming during the week. Wish I didn’t have to work–darn! For the price of parking and some gas, you are invited to join these important topics taking place (mostly) at the UCLA Chicano Studies Department.Â
I just saw this week’s Discussion Panel and Press Conference—and you are in luck, it’s just downtown. For those of us looking at ourselves, our actions and (especially) our speech critically, this dialogue is crucial.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
12:30 p.m. (PST)
MALDEF
634 S. Spring Street
Edison Room, 1st floor
Los Angeles, CA 90014
In a groundbreaking pilot study conducted by the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center (CSRC) in partnership with the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC), a team of researchers have developed a replicable methodology to quantify hate speech in commercial broadcasting—i.e., speech that expresses prejudice against ethnic, racial, religious, and/or sexual minorities. At this event, the principal investigators will officially release the study report. A panel discussion will include two other scholars working in this area.
RIDE
I was in Santa Ana last night, enjoying the Annual Noche de Altares (where they were charging $20! to get your face painted), when I saw a friend who was on his way to a Douglas Miles exhibit at CSF Grand Central Center, 125 N. Broadway, Santa Ana. Getting out of the cold and finding a non-porta pottie restroom sounded good. He said there would be food too. I followed this white-rabbit around the corner to the Santa Ana Arts District and zoomed into a gallery that I knew had a restroom. The whole building of multiple galleries have the same address – 125A, B, C, D, etc., but luckily as I walked quickly towards the restroom, I saw a gallery with Douglas Miles’ signature art at a distance. I point towards it and tell my friend “There!â€
When we joined up in the gallery, I was so amazed by the beautiful art work (images of famous Apaches and new Apache icons) spray stenciled on found wood, the walls, skateboards throughout by Douglas Miles and Reanna Ruby. It is a small space, but each wall was appointed interestingly, harmonious with each artist’s work playing off each other. Two pink skateboards star as delicious paleta-like sculptures on the wall. Large graphics of skaters by Cory Oberndorfer expand the space in unpredictable ways , there was even a skate ramp ready for the night’s entertainment.
Blaxican
Found this via LA Taco
Councilman to Occupy LA: “Don’t Despair, Job Fairs Are Coming! “
This morning on the Madeleine Bland show councilman Dennis Zine got the laughs going when he bestowed some words of wisdom to all those participants of Occupy LA: Get a Job! You know, in the jobless “recovery”. His great plan to accomplish this feat of full employment? Throw a “Job Fair.”
Haha! For reals? Yes, for reals.
[audio:https://laeastside.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/getajob.mp3|titles=getajob]I went ahead and snipped together some of his inspiring babosadas, cuz I doubt you’ll want to listen to the whole thing. Oh yeah, aside from his “get a job” message he also complains about the “homeless that don’t have anything to do”, the movement is “generated by some international group”, something about socialism, “when you go to the city hall you like to see a nice environment and its sad to see people who are camped out because they have a cause, they can’t get a job”.
How very sad and disturbing it is to see the unwashed poor and the unemployed riff-raff. They should stay over in skid row where we don’t have to see them.
Fucking Hilarious.
Here’s another solution: