Dancing the Night Away
For David Torres, second-generation owner of Los Candiles Nightclub in Glassell Park, you could say it runs in the family. It was here that in 1965, his parents first met on the dancefloor at Los Candiles, then named El Jardín. Having both recently immigrated from Ecuador and El Salvador respectively, his father and mother frequented…
Read MoreGrowing through Judo
Johnny Hoong’s passion for martial arts began reluctantly at the insistence of his cousin Tay. Johnny and his family moved to the U.S. when he was just three years old, settling in Claremont. Growing up, during summer breaks from school, Johnny would often visit Tay and his family, who at the time lived in Cypress…
Read MoreTires, Oil Changes, and Community Building
Since 1977, Pepe’s Tire Shop in Cypress Park has continued to provide quality service to its customers, growing into a true pillar of the community. Raised in the border town of Tecate, Mexico, Pepe arrived in Los Angeles in 1966 at the age of 17 and landed in the then-Italian neighborhood of Cypress Park. At…
Read MoreSilent Killer
Dayana Molina is no stranger to gentrification. As a longtime resident of and advocate for Northeast LA, she has seen her community change drastically. It is part of the double-edged sword that comes with fighting to improve one’s neighborhood. Dayana has engaged with community activism since her youth. As a teenager playing in Anahuak Youth…
Read MoreA River’s Watershed
Mark Hanna is a civil engineer with a specialization in water resources management and river restoration and revitalization. His passion for rivers has led him to work extensively on a variety of projects up and down the LA River. “I prefer projects that are right here in Los Angeles. I live here, my family lives…
Read MoreThe Story Behind the Myth
It is easy to spot Don Raúl Macias in the middle of the crowd: just look for his beret. If that doesn’t work, follow the sounds of the hundreds of children and teens that Anahuak Youth Sports Association trains weekly in parks throughout Northeast Los Angeles. His most recent position as Director of Anahuak, a…
Read MoreOro
“In Guatemala, green coffee beans are called oro — gold — because the Europeans and people who bought the coffee were paying in gold coins.” Having long been fascinated by the coffee traditions of his mother’s homeland, Yancey Quinones opened Antigua Coffee Roasters in 2005 in El Sereno. Later, after an opportunity arose to relocate…
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