Latest news with #CarlosDeLoera
Los Angeles Times
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Bad Bunny's residency gives local artists the chance to tell Puerto Rico's real history
Hello, this is De Los reporter Carlos De Loera. I will be taking over the Latinx Files for the next couple of months while Fidel is on parental leave. I hope I do him justice! 'No me quiero ir de aquí.' It's more than just the name of Bad Bunny's months-long Puerto Rico concert residency; it's a radical declaration against colonialism and gentrification, as well as a defiant call for cultural preservation and celebration. This week the U.S. federal government exercised another overreach of power over Puerto Rico, when the Trump administration dismissed five out of seven members of Puerto Rico's federal control board that oversees the U.S. territory's finances. All of the fired board members belonged to the Democratic Party; the remaining two members are Republicans. As other parts of the Spanish-speaking world grapple with being priced out of their own communities, and a watering down of their long-standing cultures, artists in Puerto Rico are using their work to give visitors a not-so-gentle reminder: No one can kick them out of their own home. Last week, the Latinx advocacy group Mijente — alongside the art collective AgitArte — collaborated with local Puerto Rican artists and organizations to present a free art exhibition that highlights the everyday societal struggles of Boricuas. Located in the Santurce barrio of San Juan, the 'De Aquí Nadie Nos Saca' exhibit is marketing itself as a spiritual companion piece to Bad Bunny's album, 'Debí Tirar Más Fotos,' by delving into the musical joy and ongoing resistance movements of the island. The name of the exhibition itself is a play on the lyrics from Bad Bunny's track 'La Mudanza,' in which he sings, 'De aquí nadie me saca' — 'nobody can get me out of here.' But the space has more than just a thematic connection to the Grammy-winning artist. Members of AgitArte and one of its affiliated community theater collectives, Papel Machete, contributed to the 'La Mudanza' music video by providing a giant papier-mâché puppet named La Maestra Combativa. It can be seen in the last minute of the video, holding up a colorful sign that reads 'De aquí nadie me saca.' The momentum of Bad Bunny's latest album and subsequent tour met Mijente's mission at a serendipitous time that led to the creation of the new showcase. 'The socio-cultural moment and the political moment needed different kinds of things, not just the normal playbook of social work,' said Mijente communications director Enrique Cárdenas Sifre. 'We needed to experiment a little bit more.' According to Cárdenas Sifre, part of the hope for the exhibition is to combat a pervasive narrative that Latinx people are more conservative-leaning than they realize. Bad Bunny's sentiment of 'todo el mundo quiere ser latino' — and the universal praise and online utilization of 'Debí Tirar Más Fotos' — allowed for Mijente to reopen the conversation about the true values of Latinx people in Puerto Rico. 'We can use the opportunity of a mainstream event to experiment with reoccupying and reutilizing all the cultural work for our causes,' he said. 'For immigration causes, for liberation, decolonization, social, racial, gender equity and struggles ... especially in Puerto Rico. So all of that came together at the same time.' With hundreds of thousands of tourists descending upon the island to watch the 'Baile Inolvidable' singer perform, it seemed like the right time to challenge tourists to engage with some of the more difficult and harrowing experiences of Puerto Ricans. 'No seas un turista más,' or 'don't be just another tourist,' is one of the main phrases used to advertise the exhibition, which asks people to confront colonialism, gender dynamics, environmental ruin, state violence and displacement. 'If you only have a few moments to be in San Juan [for the tour], please come to the exposition and help us amplify, connect and support all the local organizations that are doing the work,' Cárdenas Sifre said. 'No seas un turista más, conoce un poco de la historia real de Puerto Rico.' Telling the 'real history' of the island are over 39 artists and organizations — with special help from AgitArte curator Dey Hernández — that make up 'a piece' of the whole movement that Mijente is pushing for. 'We always try to recognize that we need joy, we need perreo, we need our culture, we need our sazón, but at the same time, we keep fighting for the things that we want in our lives and in our future,' Cárdenas Sifre said. 'We want to go a little bit deeper for tourists to understand that it's generations of struggle. So you can come to the exposition and support by donating directly to an organization or artist that is presenting.' Open from Wednesday through Sunday, the exhibition will continue showcasing its works through early October. After its opening weekend, organizers of the event are enthused by the intergenerational crowds and the litany of responses the art has elicited. 'They see their fights, they see themselves in the exhibition,' Cárdenas Sifre said. 'Some people have to go outside to cry for a minute, because there hadn't been a place that hit on all these social battles and they recognize the years of work that went behind collecting it all. There's also joy and celebration, it's really run the gamut of every emotion.... Everyone tells us that this space was needed.' One thing that Cárdenas Sifre wanted to make clear is that the exhibit is not affiliated with any electoral political alliance, but rather a 'real new alliance of the folks doing the work on the ground every day.' 'These organizations and artists don't always have a space to come together to talk about the work that [they] are doing, talk about the struggles they are facing. [It's about] generating a little space [to] conspire the next [steps for] the movement in Puerto Rico.' Julio Salgado is a visual artist based in Long Beach. His work has been displayed at the Oakland Museum, SFMOMA, and Smithsonian American Art Museum. (@juliosalgado83) Unless otherwise noted, all stories in this section are from the L.A. Times. SoCal heat wave: When can you expect relief? Sadly, not anytime soon
Los Angeles Times
06-06-2025
- Los Angeles Times
As ICE ramps up activities targeting undocumented immigrants, communities are fighting back
Periodically, the Latinx Files will feature guest writers. Filling in this week are De Los reporters Carlos De Loera and Andrea Flores. Last week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers tried to execute two raids in San Diego. San Diego fought back. It all started on May 30 when heavily armed ICE agents showed up at the Italian eateries Buona Forchetta and Enoteca Buona Forchetta in the South Park neighborhood of the SoCal border city, as The Times' Ruben Vives reported. A spokesperson for Homeland Security Investigations, a branch within ICE, said the agents were executing search warrants related to alleged 'violations of hiring and harboring illegal aliens and false statements.' But as ICE members were making arrests, San Diego community members came out to defend those targeted and push back the agents. 'Shame! Shame! Shame!' hordes of San Diegans yelled at the gun-wielding, protective vest-wearing agents while forcing them to move away from the restaurants, social media video showed. Other videos revealed that ICE used flash-bang grenades against the protesters who interfered with the raids. Ultimately, four people living in the country illegally were taken into custody, HSI claimed. A federal search warrant, obtained by several San Diego news outlets, claimed that the restaurant owners were 'knowingly employing both illegal immigrants and individuals not authorized to work in the United States.' Additionally, it stated that HSI initially received tips about the restaurants' alleged activities in 2020 and a follow-up tip on Jan. 31 of this year. Reports on exactly how many restaurant workers were initially apprehended vary from a handful to the entirety of the staff. Claire Cody, who works at Buona Forchetta, spoke with KPBS San Diego about the situation. 'You always see this anywhere else, but then you experience it,' Cody said. 'I'm just thinking about my co-workers and I'm thinking about their families. This is just really unfortunate and very sad. I'm just praying that they're OK.' Officials from San Diego and across California commented on the situation, often scolding the ICE agents for their brute display of power. San Diego Rep. Scott Peters, whose district includes South Park, said, 'People must have thought: 'Wow, there must be an MS-13 [gang member] here or some drug kingpin like El Chapo at the bar.' No. They took four people away — dishwashers, busboys, maybe a cook.' North San Diego County/south Orange County Rep. Mike Levin also criticized the move. 'If there is any evidence, even a shred of evidence, that any of the individuals at that restaurant on Friday were guilty of any other crimes, they were violent in any way, if they were gang members, if they were drug dealers — that evidence needs to be put forward right now,' Levin said. 'In the absence of that evidence, what happened on Friday was fundamentally wrong, fundamentally un-American and could happen presumably to 1 in 5 San Diegans working in the service sector.' California State Sen. Steve Padilla called the events a 'disproportionate and dangerous display of force' in an official statement and applauded the San Diego community's response to ICE agents. 'Over-the-top tactics to carry out the policy stunts of this small president will not deter us in our fight to protect all Californians, nor succeed in intimidating hard working immigrant families. Immigrants have always and continue to enrich our society and their earnest belief they can make a better life in America is what makes this country great already,' he wrote. 'As our neighbors so bravely demonstrated in protest of these attacks, we stand together against this weaponized hate.' Last week's raid was the latest in a series of similar ICE activities carried out throughout Southern California. In late May, officials announced a raid at an L.A.-area underground nightclub that ended with the arrest of 36 Chinese and Taiwanese citizens suspected of being in the country illegally. Roughly two dozen day laborers were detained in a border patrol action outside a Home Depot in Pomona in April. But the protests from San Diegans spotlighted a growing contingent of people who are ready and willing to combat ICE agents to protect their communities. Last weekend, 18-year-old Massachusetts resident Marcelo Gomes da Silva was detained by ICE while on his way to his high school for volleyball practice. The Brazilian native was eventually granted bond on Thursday. On Monday, students at Gomes da Silva's school in Milford, Mass., staged a walkout in protest of his detention. Students were seen holding 'Free Marcelo' signs and Brazilian flags. Other members of his community protested the arrest outside Milford Town Hall on Sunday, where they called for the teen's release. On Wednesday, protesters, politicians and community organizers gathered in downtown Chicago to decry the detention of several immigrants at the hands of ICE, the Chicago Tribune reported. The protest was led by Organized Communities Against Deportations, a group that describes itself as 'undocumented, unapologetic, and unafraid organizers building a resistance movement against deportations and the criminalization of immigrants and people of color in Chicago and surrounding areas.' To combat against ICE activity in Southern California, groups such as Unión del Barrio — an independent political organization advocating for immigrant rights and social justice — have helped train community members on how to spot federal immigration officers and alert local residents to their presence using social media. 'We're not violent, we're not trying to break any laws, but we're doing everything within our legal means to protect the community,' Ron Gochez, a member of Unión del Barrio, told The Times in February. The organization has been working with communities for decades, including heavy involvement during crackdowns in the '90s and during the Obama administration. Participants volunteer in patrolling various locations for potential raids and proudly tout that they have helped in stopping and/or disrupting several ICE operations. Adalberto Ríos, a member of Unión del Barrio, summed up the group's mission concisely, telling The Times, 'We're just trying to help the community protect itself.' — Carlos De Loera At only 19 years young, J Noa has been defined by two things; her intrinsic spitfire flow and a refreshing air of humility, elements that resound clearly throughout her latest EP, 'Los 5 Golpe,' her most Dominican project to date. The Caribbean powerhouse and 2023 Latin Grammy nominee gained popularity for her freestyle rap sessions and showstopping Tiny Desk performance. But the music industry has never been easy for humble acts like J Noa, who vents those frustrations in the trumpet-laced hip hop track 'Sudor y Tinta' alongside urban singer Vakero. The earworm melody, and new EP, are a testament to the island's homegrown hustlers. It's creepy, a bit kooky, mysterious and spooky, that is, Los Aptos' newly released song 'Adams Family.' The enchanting Sierreño melody is the leading track from their latest bedroom pop album, 'Temporadas,' which came out on May 29. The genre-blending band embraces a more macabre sound in 'Adams Family,' with ghastly wolf howls and screeching doors; a not so shocking approach for a band originally from the emo Rust Belt of Fort Wayne, Ind. With so many promising música Mexicana groups on the up and up, Los Aptos is surely an act to follow. — Andrea Flores L.A.'s answer to Tiny Desk is hiding inside Mercado La Paloma The Rehearsal, which opened its sixth season last month at Mercado La Paloma, is a live showcase for young musical talent hoping to be seen and for seasoned musicians who want to try out new material in front of an audience. It's also streamed live on Twitch and YouTube each Friday night. Grupo Firme cancels appearance at La Onda festival, becoming latest international act to face visa issues Grupo Firme's news came only a week after Mexican singer Julión Álvarez postponed his May 24 show at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, after he claimed his work visa had been revoked. Also in May, Chicago's Michelada Fest, a Spanish-language music festival that had programmed several Latin American acts was canceled due to concerns over artists' visas. How 'Will Trent' star Ramón Rodriguez became an industry game-changer De Los spoke with the Puerto Rican actor, director and executive producer of ABC's quirky police procedural — which just was renewed for a fourth season. Belinda cannot be tamed. Her latest album, 'Indómita,' proves it The Mexican singer-actor dishes on how she transmuted her love for Thirty Seconds to Mars, anime and Mexican corridos into her most authentic work to date. Pablo Cruz Guerrero didn't grow up with 'El Chavo,' but Chespirito became his purpose Pablo Cruz Guerrero, the star of Max's bioseries 'Chespirito: Not Really on Purpose,' wasn't exposed to Roberto Gómez Bolaños and his work growing up, but he feels that gave him an advantage. How do you get kicked off 'Love Island' before the love begins? Yulissa Escobar shows us 'Love Island USA' contestant Yulissa Escobar leaves the show less than 20 minutes into the second episode. Her use of a racial slur on podcasts may be to blame.
