Despite their lawlessness, our justice is still just around the way
Locally, the resistance is only getting started. Are you connected?
For the record, there should be nothing surprising about a convicted felon’s office showing utter disregard for the rule of law just days after our community’s legal victory against the federal government was upheld; like it or not, the fact is that the events of the last six months are still just the opening stages of a much longer battle ahead given the administration’s passage of their budget proposal for the next fiscal year.
At the same time, it’s also true that in the midst of this environment are still a myriad of other tiny victories for our community to uplift. Locally, since July 7th, Quien Es Tu Vecindario has raised and distributed over $1,000 to 10 different families or households across East Hollywood; while none of our donations have meant they could just take the day off work altogether, they’ve still served to acknowledge the value of their labor and affirm that their community sees and stands by them during this time.
Below are just a few of the people and stories we’ve closed in on through the devastating events of the last couple of months that I’m confident our community can keep showing up for, one bit of support at a time.
Pedro, in his fifties, has now set up his OJ stand in East Hollywood going on five years. Even at the height of ICE raids, including when they stormed the community’s local Home Depot, he still set out to vend because the small business is his primary source of income; he’s incredibly quick on his feet and sells with a sparkle in his eyes, as if the oranges he surrounds himself with give him an extra bit of zest above the rest.
Diene is a woman in her mid to late forties who’s vended alongside her husband in East Hollywood from their food truck for two years. When Quien Es Tu Vecindario got her some funds recently, she broke down into tears. Sales have declined substantially since the mass roundups began on June 6th, but she’s still brought out the truck to offer hot dogs, pupusas, and tacos to one and all; their dishes have been especially key for construction workers from across the street who’ve got few other options for affordable meals.
Alex & Frank are two brothers, college age, who’ve taken time away from their studies to support their dad’s stand in Virgil Village. The brothers set up nightly around 6:00 PM and work until about 2:00 AM, and while the hostility of the political environment has ramped up recently, the fact is that they’ve been taking risks alongside their dad for quite some time now, going back to even before the pandemic.
Only a few days after a driver attacked a crowd of people gathered outside the Hollywood/Vermont, including two vendors whose hot dog stand was destroyed by the vehicle, Quien Es Tu Vecindario was able to spread the word quickly and also donate to the GoFundMe put together by the vendors’ two siblings; now the family has just under $10,000 raised, and we’re also in touch with them to consider the best next steps for business to keep going.
Filimon, in his forties, has sold natural ice cream similar to agua fresca, but more concentrated, going on 15 years in Los Angeles now, which he first learned how to make from his father in Puebla, Mexico. During the pandemic, Filimon was a recurring presence at East Hollywood’s famous community cookouts, but since the federal government’s attack on Los Angeles began, he’s sparsely gone out to make his rounds, making the bit of support we can provide a leg up he’s truly thankful for.
To donate to our Vendor Buyout campaign, please do so here, and to sign up to volunteer, please do so here. Last but not least, please note that Quien Es Tu Vecindario, also known as Who Is Your Neighborhood, is a separate entity from Making a Neighborhood, which I speak for with support from my colleagues but not necessarily their endorsement.
J.T.