Site Scene in L.A.

Some traditions need to be broken. You may disagree with me but Thanksgiving is one of them. At least in the sense of how and why the day is celebrated. I mean, do we really believe the Wampanoag people had a three day celebration of feasting on harvested crops while dancing with the English colonists in 1621, or have we been following the US narrative without questioning it? My earliest recollection of decolonizing the elementary school teachings of the first Thanksgiving is from the time my 6th grade class broke into a paper mache food fight on stage during our pageant. Half the class was made up as Pilgrims and the other as Indians . That was during the politcally incorrect 1960's. It also coincided with the birth of the Chicano movement where us children were becoming aware of the untruths we were being fed. We were part of the Reading, Writing and Assimilation generation and many of us were breaking free from the hyphonated identity of Mexican-American. In doing so we beg...

It's been several years since I took part in Dia de los Muertos festivities. I was a regular attendee, participating group show artist and vendor at Dia de los Muertos celebrations hosted by Los Angeles Photography Center and Self Help Graphics dating back to the early years when the Chicano art movement embraced the tradition. Over the years the commercialization and mass appeal to turn Dia de los Muertos into another Drinko de Mayo was a major turn off. Having to explain repeatedly that Dia de los Muertos is not Mexican Halloween and seeing how a once grassroots celebration had become over popularized I knew I needed to let it die, and I did...for years. Instead of heading out I would paint my calaca face and sit at home reflecting on loved ones and not so loved ones who have passed. As the years add up so do the numbers of those I've known who are no longer here. Not having a car makes getting around difficult and very few opportunities arise for taking public transportati...