All posts tagged: Latinoowned

Raid fears continue to choke business at Latino-owned shops

Raid fears continue to choke business at Latino-owned shops

Published by Sam Flores

Close to a year after chilling immigration raids started across Los Angeles, the specter of ICE continues to depress business at many Southland shopping centers even when no immigration officers are in sight. One mall landlord likened the effect to a mild replay of the COVID-19 pandemic, as shoppers and mall employees cut back on time spent at malls in Latino neighborhoods. Family shopping jaunts that were once leisurely affairs are being scrapped in favor of quick trips during off-hours to grab essentials and go home, suffering business owners say. Business is down for many merchants, and attendance has fallen at community events such as job fairs and holiday celebrations. The potential for a surprise visit by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers is still keeping people on edge, landlords say. “They’re afraid there’s going to be a raid and who knows what happens,” mall operator Sandy Sigal said. “And even for those that are legal, I think the view is that they still get caught up in this, and why go through that?” Sigal’s …

L.A.’s best Latino-owned plant stores

L.A.’s best Latino-owned plant stores

Published by Sam Flores

Specializing in beginner-friendly indoor plants, Prop House Plants carries a wide inventory of pothos, monsteras, hoyas and owner Brittany Montero’s personal favorite — philodendron. Prop House Plants sends each buyer home with a plant card that details the amount of watering, light and humidity required. After bonding with her brother, Jose, over plants during the pandemic, Montero founded the shop in October 2022. Brittany, with Cuban and Ecuadorean roots, credits both of her grandmothers for her green thumb. She says they maintained beautiful flourishing gardens when she was a kid. Growing up in the low-income neighborhoods of Hawthorne and Lawndale, she remembers how her Cuban grandmother’s house stood out for its vibrant greenery. Source link

Xolo Maridueña of “Cobra Kai” shares favorite Latino-owned L.A. spots

Xolo Maridueña of “Cobra Kai” shares favorite Latino-owned L.A. spots

Published by Sam Flores

Xolo Maridueña’s heart has never left the east side of Los Angeles. Though the 23-year-old actor has spent much of his time outside of his hometown of El Sereno, being on sets in Atlanta for Netflix’s “Cobra Kai” and Puerto Rico for “Blue Beetle,” Maridueña remains tethered to his Angeleno roots. His appreciation extends beyond the colorful storefronts, historic boulevards and street food delicacies. Growing up in a predominantly Latino area has gifted him the ability to flourish as his authentic self, a juggernaut creative with interests in hip-hop, podcasting and photography. “I can’t help but feel like the community that I was fostered in, El Sereno, Los Angeles, my family, my friends, Casa 0101, everyone that helped raise me and made me feel so comfortable in my skin — I was allowed to be myself,” he said. We asked Maridueña to share his five favorite Latino-owned businesses in L.A. Here are his picks. Mi Los Angeles In ‘Mi Los Angeles’ we ask influential L.A. Latinos to share their favorite Latino-owned businesses. Find ideas and …

Gamer Tiffany Herrera shares L.A.’s best 5 Latino-owned businesses

Gamer Tiffany Herrera shares L.A.’s best 5 Latino-owned businesses

Published by Sam Flores

Los Angeles helps keep Tiffany Herrera grounded. More commonly known as TiffyQuake on the internet, the 36-year-old influencer has built her career around her love for video games. Since 2010, she has garnered a following of over a million people who enjoy her playful and lighthearted content. As she continues to share her life online, she credits who she is today to her upbringing in East Los Angeles. Shaped by the neighborhood’s “delicious food” and “expressive art,” she says she can feel her sense of confidence flourish. “Living in L.A. has definitely made me embrace my culture. It’s a place where I can shine without dimming my sparkle. It’s given me pride and drives me to learn more about where I came from and who my ancestors are. Here, I’m not just accepted; I’m celebrated,” said Herrera. Coming from a Mexican American background, she is focused on finding events, businesses and restaurants around the city where she can experience her heritage in every sense. “Being a Latina in L.A. is like being in the epicenter …

Leah Gallegos of People’s Yoga shares her 5 favorite Latino-owned businesses in L.A.

Leah Gallegos of People’s Yoga shares her 5 favorite Latino-owned businesses in L.A.

Published by Sam Flores

Leah Gallegos, co-founder of People’s Yoga, will always be grateful for how her neighborhood was as a kid. “If you’ve been to the recent Highland Park, that’s not the Highland Park I grew up,” she said, adding that her childhood was filled with memories of seeing the same street vendors and running into her neighbors at the park. Reflecting on her early experiences in the northeast neighborhood, she says she realizes it’s where she first felt the importance of community. “I took my first Chicano studies class at [East Los Angeles College]. We read ‘The House on Mango Street’ and I felt seen,” Gallegos, 39, said. “Later I joined a group that would become Las Cafeteras and we became very inspired by the Las Zapatistas movement about building autonomy and collective community-centered spaces.” She took what she learned as a member of the band and focused her efforts on bridging the gap between her community and a practice that helped her: yoga. Located in East L.A., People’s Yoga serves a community that didn’t have access …

Xochitl Gomez’s 5 favorite Latino-owned businesses in L.A.

Xochitl Gomez’s 5 favorite Latino-owned businesses in L.A.

Published by Sam Flores

For Xochitl Gomez, there’s no better place than Los Angeles. “My work has taken me to a lot of different places, but I always come back to L.A. with this feeling of how lucky I am to live in a city with so much diversity,” said the 17-year-old actor best known for portraying America Chavez, the first queer Latina superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” Most recently, Gomez won Season 32 of “Dancing With the Stars,” where she paid homage to her Mexican American heritage through her song choices, costuming and stage design. Though she was born in Hollywood, Gomez was raised and still resides in Echo Park. She considers the diverse neighborhood her Angeleno anchor. “Latino-owned businesses are a big part of what makes L.A. special and one of the best ways of taking in culture is through food and art,” she says. “Echo Park is right in the center of all that and I’m lucky to live here.” As part of our “Mi Los Angeles” …

Blogger Julie Sariñana’s 5 favorite Latino-owned businesses in L.A.

Blogger Julie Sariñana’s 5 favorite Latino-owned businesses in L.A.

Published by Sam Flores

Back in 2009, Julie Sariñana was faced with a dilemma. A student at the Fashion Institute of Design and Marketing who was working as a stylist assistant and an WGSN intern, she still felt as if she had more creative energy to give but nowhere to put it. Amid her daily hustle, she decided to started Sincerely Jules, a blog where readers could indulge in all things fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Since then she’s been able to foster a community that seeks out her sleek, everyday style and looks to her for beauty and design advice. Over 15 years, she has built a following of more than 7 million and works with some of the biggest names in fashion. In addition to running Sincerely Jules, Sariñana recently started a nail polish brand, Color Dept. As a Mexican-American raised in East Los Angeles, Sariñana sees L.A. as more than just a home. It’s the place where she found her footing in the fashion industry and has been able to express her creativity. “L.A. holds a special …