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Boyle Heights Beat
Local graffiti scene has a home at La Calle Sucia
Twenty-nine-year-old Andrew Salcedo has been involved in the graffiti scene since middle school. He remembers his friends having to go to South Central to buy the spray paint they needed to create art on the walls of Boyle Heights. “I always thought like, man, for the guys right here, it...
‘Disconnected Youth’
A new analysis from the Public Policy Institute of California finds the state’s economy is leaving a significant share of young people behind. More than 1 in 10 Californians between the ages of 16 and 24 were not in school, working, or looking for a job in 2022, the Institute found. That’s lower than at the height of the 2009 recession, but higher than just before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Vacant burger spot charred in fire
A fire at the site of a former burger restaurant in Boyle Heights Sunday left the vacant property charred – adding to the blight the spot has brought on for neighbors for years. According to a report by the Los Angeles Fire Department, the fire at 320 S. Soto...
Sidewalk florists bring crowds for Mother’s Day weekend
Under the wide-reaching shade of the ficus trees lining the edge of E. 4th Street, flower vendors wrapped bouquets for eager sons, daughters, and spouses to celebrate Mother’s Day weekend. Close to a dozen vendors, each with unique offerings, set up an impromptu flower market along the sidewalk between...
Wellness Center celebrates 10 years of serving the Eastside
On Saturday, The Wellness Center celebrated 10 years of serving Boyle Heights residents with a community event. The 10th anniversary celebration featured food vendors, musical performances, a health and resource fair, and more. Located within the Los Angeles General Medical Center on State Street, The Wellness Center is a resource...
Kevin de León to serve on L.A. City Council committee seats once again
Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León will resume committee duties he had previously been stripped of following his involvement in a secretly recorded conversation. Council President Paul Krekorian announced Wednesday that De León will be serving on four committees: housing and homelessness, energy and environment, trade and tourism, and transportation.
Cafe Niña brings unique flavors and community to Boyle Heights
From dulce de leche and mazapán to cajeta and arroz con leche, you can get your caffeine fix with an Eastside twist at Cafe Niña. Putting a spin on everyday coffee recipes, this spot is perfect for those looking for their daily latte mixed with classic Mexican flavors.
LAUSD proposes major Garfield High School renovation project
A new library, science labs, and even an outdoor classroom are in store for James A. Garfield High School students and faculty through a $151 million dollar renovation planned for the 98-year-old school. LAUSD introduced its Major Modernization Project during a virtual community meeting on Wednesday, with a scheduled completion...
One week in, student encampment at Cal State LA nearly doubles in size
Student protestors demonstrated at California State University, Los Angeles on Wednesday as part of the CSU-wide day of action. Demonstrators at various CSUs rallied in support of Palestinians and continued to demand Cal State’s disinvestment in Israeli-based companies. Students for Justice in Palestine at Cal State LA, a student-led...
Boyle Heights Beat alumna detained during protest coverage
It was supposed to be a regular shift for Adelmi Ruiz, a San Francisco State University graduate in Broadcast Electronic Communication Arts and multimedia journalist at KRCR-TV. She was assigned to cover a protest at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt happening the night of April 29, one of many across...
Father Greg receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Dolores Mission Church’s Father Gregory Boyle was amongst 19 awarded a Medal of Freedom on Friday by President Joe Biden at the White House. “Father Greg Boyle has dedicated his life to healing and hope,” the White House said in a statement. “Father Greg is a testament to the power of God’s healing love and America’s healing grace.”
L.A. educators celebrate the unveiling of the Central American Studies curriculum for K-12 students
Teachers in Los Angeles gathered Saturday at Jane B. Eisner Middle School to celebrate the unveiling of the Central American Studies curriculum that teaches K-12 students about the region’s culture, practices, and history. “Central American students only get to learn about themselves in classes as relics of the past,”...
On 1st and Lorena, every day is Cinco de Mayo
The intersection of 1st and Lorena streets was officially renamed Cinco de Mayo in honor of the day’s namesake. On every corner of the intersection, you’ll now find permanent ceremonial signs that read its new name, La Plaza de Cinco de Mayo, with the phrases “La Batalla Que Nos Une” and its English translation, “The Battle That Unites Us.”
Metro drivers call out sick over safety concerns, impacting Boyle Heights lines
More than a dozen people stood at the Metro stop on the southeast corner of Soto and 6th Street in Boyle Heights on Friday, waiting longer than usual for the afternoon bus. “I don’t see it,” one person said. “It’s taking forever.”. This scene was commonplace...
Cal State LA students protest the war in Gaza and University’s investments
Students at California State University, Los Angeles, have become the latest local university to establish an encampment to show support for Palestine. Students for Justice in Palestine at Cal State LA, a grassroots organization, organized the event to pressure the CSU system into terminating its financial ties with institutions linked to Israel. On SJP at Cal State LA’s Instagram page, the group said they will continue to occupy the area until their campaign demands are met.
War in Gaza and other social issues take center stage at Mariachi Plaza May Day Rally
Over a hundred gathered at Mariachi Plaza on Wednesday for the neighborhood’s ninth annual May Day rally, with organizers standing in solidarity with Palestine and shedding light on a range of issues from the presidential election in El Salvador to immigrant and worker rights in L.A. Some in the...
New mural at Roosevelt High School inspires learners
A new mural by world-renowned and Boyle Heights-raised Robert Vargas was unveiled today at Theodore Roosevelt High School. The mural, titled “Believe You Can and You’re Halfway There,” took the artist just three days to complete. Although less intensive than his other recently completed mural in Little Tokyo, Vargas said with this mural, he hoped to inspire students to look like the man pictured, throwing his graduation cap upward with pride and a smile.
“Two years of hell”: Abandoned burger spot becomes neighborhood nuisance
Jorge Gallegos tried to ignore the banging outside of his Boyle Heights home during a Sunday night football game in 2022. For a moment, he thought it was the car stereo installers around the corner on Soto Street until he realized they were closed that day. He stepped out to...
Young Latines are leaving organized religion. This divided family is learning to cope
This series is part of a collaboration between De Los and Boyle Heights Beat. Youth reporters interviewed young Latinos and their parents to explore how generational differences shape their identity and how they’re bridging divides. For Gisselle Palomera, growing up in a Jehovah’s Witness household often felt isolating. There...
Boyle Heights high school students take part in social justice workshops at UCLA Mann Community School
On Saturday, high school students across Los Angeles led social justice workshops at Mann UCLA Community School in South Los Angeles. Its Second Annual Youth Participatory Action Research Conference, titled “Building Black and Brown Futures,” was created to allow youth to develop solutions to systemic issues faced by communities of color.
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