Mourning a Neighborhood
Since she was born, Lili Sanchez has lived on the same street in Elysian Valley, a few houses down from the Elysian Valley Recreation Center. Almost like a second home to her, this park space has been foundational to her upbringing. She remembers spending many hours of the day there throughout her childhood, playing and…
Read MoreDivine Intervention
As a business owner, Rosa Mata is constantly working to make sure that her business runs smoothly. Within her long list of responsibilities, finding new clients is a low priority, because she knows that her clients will always find her first. For more than 18 years, Rosa has owned and operated “Botánica Ochosi” on Fletcher…
Read MoreA Dream Turned Reality
Since she was a little girl, Micaela Solís has always had to be independent. Originally from Puebla, Mexico, the experiences and lessons she learned during her childhood have deeply impacted her current role as small business owner. Growing up, she learned about the importance of punctuality, being serviceable and attending to the needs of others,…
Read MoreA Tree Grows in Elysian Valley Pt. 2
After Ruben Molina and his family moved into Elysian Valley in 1958, Ruben, aged 5, soon found himself in what he calls “paradise.” At the time, the ongoing construction of the 5 Freeway left behind sandlots in Elysian Valley — the remnants of the homes that were destroyed to make way for this huge infrastructure…
Read MoreLand Back in Los Angeles
Following the first land return in 200 years to the Indigenous peoples of Los Angeles County, the Tongva Taraxat Paxaava Conservancy was formed. Located in the Altadena hills, the Conservancy represents the beginning of a process meant to rematriate and reestablish connections between tribal members and California native plants to their ancestral and unceded lands.…
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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