When Cecilio Acevedo decided to pack up the few possessions he had to his name in 1964 and migrate from Mexico City to Los Angeles, he brought an invaluable asset with him. Three years of experience working across different furniture shops in Mexico would allow him to open his own business, which he’s now run for 52 years. In 1971, he founded Mission Furniture Manufacturing, a 7500-square-foot family-run shop that sits on Whittier Boulevard in the heart of East LA, which has sold hand-made furniture since its doors opened. His best sellers are traditional three-cushion sofas which have remained popular over the years.
Author Archives: Marcos Franco
Posted inEquity
Juan De La Cruz and other Latino philanthropists aim to counter the lack of Latino leaders in the field
Growing up as a first-generation Latino in historically impoverished Boyle Heights, Juan De La Cruz remembers the times he and his siblings did their best not to get sick. Like many other Latinos in under-resourced neighborhoods, the lack of health insurance meant panic, a memory that fuels his work today. For the last 16 years, De La Cruz has dedicated his life to philanthropy, serving in different capacities with the Los Angeles Unified School District and Young Men’s Christian Association. Today, he manages an $11.3 million budget as president of the Adventist Health White Memorial Charitable Foundation (AHWM), a nonprofit that supports research in the medical field and education. As a leader in philanthropy, De La Cruz is an industry minority, an inequity he hopes to change by spreading awareness and promoting himself.
Posted inLatinos
Alliance for a Better Community honors prominent Latinos at its first Zócalo event
The Latino advocacy and outreach group, Alliance for a Better Community (ABC), partnered with the performing arts nonprofit, Grand Performances, to curate song and dance presentations that pay tribute to the county’s more than 4.8 million Latinos, which account for 48% of the total population. The event took place in October 13 at the California Plaza amphitheater in Downtown, Los Angeles, commencing a nonprofit’s debut Zócalo series. The event drew inspiration from the Zócalo in Mexico City, the main ceremonial center in the former Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan.
Posted inHealth
East LA Latinos reflect on mental health and cultural stigmas
The cultural “machismo” stereotype is upheld in many Latino households, forming a stigma around therapy and seeking help, which is often associated with weakness. When this practice is passed from one generation to the next, it becomes a difficult cycle to break. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, annually, 33% of Latinos suffering from a mental illness seek treatment, compared to the U.S. average of 43%. Gaithri Fernando is a psychology professor at California State University, Los Angeles, who recognizes how difficult having these conversations can be. “I hear many parents say, ‘If only [my kids] knew what I went through,’ and they don’t want to disclose those personal stories because of the trauma and they don’t want to burden their children,” he said.
Posted inRepresentation
A Place Called Home community center kicked off Latinx Heritage Month with commemorative theater festival
A Place Called Home is a South Central youth development center in South LA. The center organized a four-day theater festival, “El Centro Del Sur: Tu Hogar,” which runs Sept. 14-17 in honor of Latinx Heritage Month.
Posted inCulture
Voices of Olvera Street: A glimpse into the lives of the merchants devoted to their crafts
Felix Muñoz was still a teenager when Fernando Valenzuela parted the sea of fans lined up to shake his hand on Olvera Street in the 80s as the world champion beelined it towards the taquitos. He is one of the many merchants on Olvera Street, who for decades, have continued to preserve the essence of Olvera Street.
Posted inRepresentation
The Fight Continues: Community Activists Remember the Chicano Moratorium 53 Years Later
The Chicano Moratorium movement of Aug. 29, 1970, was built up from years of frustration among community members who united against educational and social inequalities, with emphasis on the disproportionate percentage of Chicanos killed daily in the war. Today, Chicanos and Latinos continue to celebrate and remember the moratorium.
Posted inEspañol
La lucha continúa: 53 años después, activistas comunitarios recuerdan la Moratoria Chicana
No llevó mucho tiempo para que los agentes del Sheriff, que se iban acercando a los más de 20.000 manifestantes ondeando banderas mexicanas a lo largo del bulevar Whittier en el Este de Los Ángeles, dispararan cápsulas de gas lacrimógeno y menearan libremente sus porras. Lo que inicialmente pretendía ser una expresión de oposición pacífica […]
Posted inLGBTQ
First LGBTQ+ Center Mi SELA Opens in Southeast LA
The Latino Equality Alliance (LEA) opened Mi SELA, an LGBTQ community center at 4265 Florenve Ave. which offers leadership development, academic support, parental guidance, substance abuse education, counseling and other drop-in opportunities.