Archive for the ‘Los Angeles’ Category
La Cholita – Larger than life! VivirLatino Exclusive
6:46 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Arts| Culture| Los Angeles| Women · 8 Comments
10 Aug 2009
Image by Laura Byrnes
Makeup by Melissa Pizzamiglio
The following interview is a VivirLatino exclusive interview with the Latina Queen of Burlesque, la Cholita, by the Latina Queen of writing, Adele Nieves.
Adele Nieves: You’ve been described as the Latina Queen of Burlesque, and L.A.’s Premier Burlesque performer. How would you describe yourself?
la Cholita : I would definitely agree with both of those (laughs). I’m also extremely fiery and passionate. When I first started they used to say I was the “MVP” – most volatile performer – and “The Firecracker,” because my stage persona is very explosive. When I get up there it’s just larger than life. Every time I meet someone the first thing they say is “you’re so much shorter than I thought you’d be!” I have a very strong, over-the-top stage presence and it’s just kind of overwhelming, like “BAM!”
So I would definitely agree. And I would even say I’m the Queen of L.A., because why not?
A.N: What is it about burlesque that inspires your expression and performance? Also, how did you get started?
L.C: I always loved dressing up. I would put on my mom’s jewelry and lipstick, put on her bras and stuff them and try walking out of the house (laughs). I loved singing, dancing, and the theatre. I went to my first show, a burlesque convention, only about six years ago. It had women from all over the world, and legends like Dixie Evans, Tempest Storm, Isis Star, Satan’s Angel – these women were the O.G.s of burlesque, and they’re still up there and doing it better than a lot of the young ones. There was so much diversity, girls who in normal society wouldn’t be looked at twice or would be criticized for cellulite, and each one looked so cute, so charming, and so sexy, whether they were campy, glamorous, raunchy, or had big props. Every girl did her own thing, and for those few minutes each girl was on stage, you couldn’t take your eyes off her. Once I saw that, I was like “oh my goodness, this is what I need to do.”
Another reason I started was because I didn’t see anyone representing what I wanted to see. As a homegirl from Los Angeles, you’ve gotta represent, right? That’s a big part of me and my performance.
VivirLatino Goes to Hogwarts: Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince Giveaway!
9:28 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Books| Entertainment| Events| Gifts| Los Angeles| Marketing| Miami| New York · 12 Comments
6 Jul 2009
We Latinos know a little something about mixed blood and the trouble that brings. Perhaps a little magical training would help?
VivirLatino is lucky enough to offer some of our readers the chance to see special screenings in New York, Miami,
and Los Angeles of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.We also have 2 Harry Potter Mini Posters to give away.
Want to win? Click after the jump to find out how.
Villaraigosa Bows Out, Won’t Run for Governor of California
6:53 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · California| Los Angeles| Politics| society · 1 Comment
22 Jun 2009Along with celeb Mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom, L.A.’s Latino mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (and co-star of telenovela-like love dramas) had his sights set on becoming the Governor of the great state of California, but today has announced that he’s bowing out:
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced on national television today he would not be running for California governor in 2010 after flirting with a bid for higher office for months.Elected to a second, four-year term in March, the mayor told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that he wanted to devote his full attention to Los Angeles, which is facing its worst fiscal crisis in decades.
Villaraigosa’s decision adds a dash of clarity to the race for the 2010 Democratic gubernatorial nomination which, at the moment, appears will be between state Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. Brown has yet to say if he will run, while Newsom already has announced his candidacy.
The L.A. Times attributes the bow-out to the Mayor’s low approval ratings – 55% on the job he’s currently doing as mayor in L.A. — and the fact that historically, Los Angeles mayors have had a very hard time at gaining support in their quest for Governor of California. Oh, and the $530 million deficit for the city in fiscal year 2009.
Meanwhile, Mr. Villaraigosa was just re-elected as Mayor of the great city of L.A., which apparently means he has a lot of trabajo to do.
Any L.A. reader want to let us know the real deal? Is L.A.’s crisis just an excuse? Did Villaraigosa ever even have a chance to be governor? What’s his report card for L.A. looking like? Let us know in the comments.
Via / Los Angeles Times and Politico
Latino Gang Suspected in California Hate Crime
10:50 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Los Angeles| crime| race| society · Comments Off
4 Jun 2009
A family in Pasadena, California thought they were moving into the home of their dreams. African-Americans who had no qualms about moving into an all-Latino neighborhood called Duarte, the Davy family they thought both the home and the area had everything they were looking for. That is, until their house was destroyed from top to bottom in an allegedly racially-motivated attack. The Los Angeles Times reports:
Davy never thought about the fact that they would be the only black family on the mostly Latino block — until someone reminded her in a way that still makes her eyes tear and her stomach twist.On May 8, Davy opened the door to her home and was greeted by a barrage of spray-painted racial epithets. The hardwood floors, the mirrors, the televisions, the dressers — the vandals had turned the entire place into a canvas for that six-letter word used for decades to scare and scar African Americans.
Shaken, she immediately left and called police. And aside from one trip back to pick up some clothes, Davy has refused to return to a scene authorities believe was created by members of a local Latino gang.
“As far as hate crimes go, it’s probably one of the worst ones I’ve seen in my career,” said Sgt. Tony Haynes of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Duarte station. “They trashed the furniture and tossed drawers — there was pretty much no room left untouched.”
Chanisse discovered this terrifying scene upon coming home from picking up her daughter from day care. Since then, the Davys have been living in a hotel and are afraid to return to their home.
The LA Times reports that interracial shootings have happened in the past in Duarte, but no one in the community seems to have been prepared for something of this magnitude.
Earlier this week, Latino and Black victims of hate crimes in Pasadena, including Chanisse Davy, came together to demand an end to the violence.
Via / LA Times
Live from the Reform Immigration for America Conference
1:42 pm By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Events| Immigration| Los Angeles| Washington DC · 1 Comment
3 Jun 2009I am writing to you from Washington DC and am in the company of about 700 other people with one thing on their mind, Reform Immigration for America. What that means for each individual differs pero the energy is high and all the people here are here to work. So far I have met people from so many different states, from so many different backgrounds. Some are policy makers, some are activists, some are importantly, immigrants themselves.
I need to sit down with my notes from the Welcome Luncheon which included a keynote speech from Representative Luis Gutierrez and breakdown a little, the tone that was set for this summit.
Pero in the meantime, I think it speaks to the some of the strategic organizing when you think how this summit is part of a national effort across the country that includes local actions which jumped off yesterday. Here’s a video from the Los Angeles jump off.
Gay Latino Teen is Prom Queen in L.A.
3:49 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · California| GLBT| Los Angeles| States| society| youth · Comments Off
1 Jun 2009It sounds like a script for the feel good movie of the year, but it’s a true story. An openly gay L.A. teen decided it might be fun to be a part of his high school’s prom court, but he didn’t want to be prom king — he thought prom queen would be more up his alley. And instead of being the target of bullying or ridicule, Sergio Garcia’s classmates at Fairfax High rallied around him and made his wish come true:
A few days before the dance and election, the contenders gave short speeches on why they deserved the crown.“At one time, prom may have been a big popularity contest where the best-looking guy or girl were crowned king and queen. Things have changed and it’s no longer just about who has the most friends or who wears the coolest clothes,” Garcia told the crowd of seniors. “Sure, I’m not your typical prom queen candidate. There’s more to me than meets the eye.”
The audience erupted in applause after his speech, and a group of his female friends spent the rest of the week wearing pink crowns and campaigning for him.
On Saturday night at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, wearing a charcoal-gray tuxedo and a black bow tie, he was named prom queen.
“I felt invincible,” Garcia said.
He’s among the first male students in Southern California to take the title usually owned by female high school beauties.
“It just shows how open-minded our class is,” said Vanessa Lo, 18, the school’s senior class president.
Congrats to Sergio and his classmates. We can only wish that the rest of high schools in America — or in California for that matter — were so cool. Viva Fairfax High!
Meanwhile, anti-gay marriage protests rage in Sergio’s home state.
Via / LA Times
Cracking Down on Taco Trucks, Revisited
3:36 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Controversia| Food| Health| Justice| Los Angeles| business| society · Comments Off
20 May 2009
Back in 2005 we told you about how our beloved taco trucks were getting smacked down by health officials in a few cities, among them Nashville, for being dirty. A taco truck? Dirty? Ha! And what difference does it make, when everybody knows a little chile can kill anything! Now it seems that taco trucks are yet again the victims of haters, but this time in on its real home turf: the Los Angeles area. Wha? Maegan first reported on this last year and The LA Times reports today:
Last summer, the City Council took action.No longer could loncheras set up for hours at parks or construction sites. Instead, they could stop only at sites where a bathroom was available to patrons, and stay just half an hour, barely enough time to set up and prepare a meal or two before having to break down and drive away again. In addition, all employees had to get background checks.
Palos Verdes Estates is hardly the only community to crack down on the trucks in recent years. Los Angeles County supervisors last year passed an ordinance making it a misdemeanor for taco trucks to park in unincorporated spots for more than an hour after restaurateurs complained they were siphoning off customers. A Superior Court judge later ruled the law unconstitutional.
Similar restrictions have been imposed nationwide in cities large and small, rural and metropolitan, from Hughson, Calif., to Houston, and in seemingly unlikely spots, including Des Moines; Charlotte, N.C.; and Hillsboro, Ore.
Some of the reasons remain the same, among them fears about food sanitation, but truck supporters are citing racism as a cause in some cities, with one Houston official justifying their demise by saying “I don’t want us to become, you know, a Third World area.” Well listen, Mr. Whomeveryouare, from one Houstonian to another, we are pretty much already there and it’s not because of taco trucks but because of people shooting each other for fun or stress relief.
What’s to become of taco truck culture in Southern California with these crackdowns? Probably the loss of a lot of great food. But I’m going to guess that this trendy new “taco truck” — all the rage on Twitter — isn’t going to get the same treatment. Nothing against Kogi (on the contrary, I love what they are doing, genuinely) but they appear to be thriving and there’s something unfair about one taco truck being somehow more acceptable when the patrons are more “high-end” and its owners are, well, less Mexican.
Via / LA Times
Image via el en houston on Flickr
L.A. Police kick suspect in head
6:05 pm By la Macha · Drugs| Justice| Los Angeles| Violence| race · 9 Comments
14 May 2009
The notorious L.A. police are embroiled in yet another case of caught-on-video act of police brutality. From the BBC News (which also has video):
The incident came at the end of a car chase through Los Angeles suburbs.
The footage shows the suspect, Richard Rodriguez, 23, trying to escape on foot, then lying down to surrender when he sees there is no escape.
One pursuing police officer kicks him, and another punches his side. The local police department is investigating.
The incident, in the suburb of Pico Rivera, was recorded by news helicopters and broadcast on local TV stations
Already people are justifying this by saying that the man who was kicked was a criminal and deserved it or otherwise asked for it. In reply to that, I just have to ask, have these people never watched or read any Super Hero comics? It’s not up to the police to decide what punishments people deserve for their crimes. The police are not judge, jury and executioner. We supposedly *separate* each of these entities so that even the worst of the worst criminal out there gets a fair trail and sentence that is appropriate to the crime. That’s what a *democracy* is right? That system that we are bombing others into accepting because it rocks so hard?
Good GOD, I’m glad I don’t live out in L.A.
East L.A. Might be on its Way to Becoming a City
10:40 am By Maegan La Mala · California| Cities| Los Angeles| Politics| society · 1 Comment
11 Jan 2009
Latino neighborhoods in the U.S. — New York’s El Barrio, San Francisco’s Mission District, and East Los Angeles – often seem to visitors like cities unto themselves because of their uniqueness, culture and community feel. “East Los” wants to turn that “feel” into something tangible by becoming an city independent from Los Angeles, and this week they have taken the first steps towards accomplishing this goal. Reports The Los Angeles Times:
…on Friday, the community took a major step toward gaining independence. County officials announced that backers had gathered enough signatures for the cityhood process to formally begin. Boosters hope residents will cast ballots on the question in 2010.First, a major study has to confirm what a much smaller, earlier study asserted: that the neighborhood of 140,000 can sustain itself economically as what would be L.A. County’s 10th-largest city.
On Friday, supporters who were gathered along Whittier Boulevard said they were confident of victory, even as they prepared to go door to door to raise $100,000 to pay for the study.
11,000 people signed the petition for East L.A.’s cityhood, getting the cause past its first big hurdle.
The last time cityhood for East L.A. was attempted was back in 1974. Supporters say it’s necessary that East Los become a city because it has no local governance (and therefore no government accountability) and its 127,000 residents live under the auspices of a county official which represents over 2 million constituents.
Via / L.A. Times and Cityhood for East L.A.
Image via ikkoskinen on Flickr
Fast to Change Wraps Up in California
9:30 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Immigration| Los Angeles · Comments Off
11 Nov 2008
Via Democracy Now! comes this really important interview about immigration policy in a post Obama world. Among the topics of discussion was the Fast for Change that happened out in California:
JUAN GONZALEZ: And, Alex, the fast going that’s been going on in Los Angeles, could you tell us who has been involved in it and why?
ALEX SANCHEZ: Well, IDEPSCA has taken a big lead, and RISE. Homies Unidos also took part. And other people, other community leaders, such as Angelica Salas from CHIRLA, and others that took part, individual students, there were elder community leaders, there were people undocumented, there were people that were documented, there were citizens. They all participated, from all realms, because it is an important issue.
We participated because we know that there’s these policies in place that have really made it difficult for individuals to present asylum cases in immigration courtrooms under the assumption that they’re deported—they’re deportable gang members, and that limits the opportunities they may have to seek a real asylum case and be heard.
So, the fast was to bring this awareness into the communities, but also to awake this giant monster that was awakened before but went back to sleep. We’re trying to wake him up and really taking it to the steps of the White House now under a new administration of Obama, in which he is committed himself to really looking out for the immigrant community. And that’s why we’re asking for the demands that we’re asking, for this new administration to actually make—help Obama be successful in legalizing our people, our immigrant people, and keeping our families together in the US.
Hola!
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