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Celebrating the Taco Lifestyle in Los Angeles, CA

L.A. TACO

Lexis-Olivier Ray is an award-winning staff investigative reporter for L.A. TACO known for holding powerful people in Los Angeles accountable and his reporting on Los Angeles culture. As well as an artist and filmmaker. In 2022, the Society of Professional Journalists&#8217; Los Angeles chapter named Ray one of their &#8220;distinguished journalists.&#8221; In 2023, Ray won a second place Anthem Award in their Health Innovation category for a texting service geared towards the unhoused community and service providers that he launched in 2021 with L.A. TACO and Subtext. Ray was a 2020 USC Center For Health Journalism (CHJ) Data Fellow. As well as a 2022 CHJ Impact Fellow. As a freelancer, Ray has contributed to the L.A. Times, Men&#8217;s Health Magazine, KCET and SFGATE.

Lexis-Olivier Ray

Featured

‘This is the Beginning of Healing:’ Descendents of Tongva, Chumash, and Tataviam Tribes Organized the Toppling of Junípero Serra Statue In the Birthplace of L.A.

Juan Diego Ramirez is Futuro Studios and Latino USA’s Production Assistant At-Large. He is a multimedia producer and journalist based in New York City. He co-produces and co-hosts Racist Sandwich podcast, a James Beard Foundation nominated podcast on food, class, race, and gender across the globe.

Juan Ramirez

How an Anti-ICE March in L.A. Exposed the Anti-Immigration Sentiment Behind This Tequila and Mezcal Brand

I&#8217;m an r&amp;b singer with bad credit ;) I like fried food, and I will absolutely show up to your zine release.

Tolliver Alderman

A Black-Owned Business Boom is Brewing in DTLA Amid Protests and Pandemic, but Will It Last?

Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert is a freelance journalist living just outside the SFV with her retired service dog, Liberty. Her writings offer an intersectional perspective on social justice topics ranging from criminal justice and mental health to sexuality, culture, and food.

Katherine Lippert

DIY Ramen Philanthropy: How This Laid Off Bartender Stepped Up to Feed His Fellow Laid Off Restaurant Workers

Nancy Guan is a multimedia journalist with an emphasis on writing and audio storytelling. She has experience reporting on housing issues in L.A., art, food, and culture.

Nancy Guan

San Gabriel Valley for Black Lives Matter: Hundreds Turn Out to Protest Police Brutality in L.A.’s Suburbs

Laura is a desmadrosa, a product of East Los, an educator, and a hood establishment connoisseur.

Laura Tejeda

‘This Is Bigger Than Carnitas:’ How an ‘All Lives Matter’ Post by El Momo Underscores Deep-Rooted Anti-Blackness

L.A. TACO STAFF

Los Angeles

Get Your L.A. Taco Merch

Nick Gonzalez is a recently graduated senior from the University of Southern California with a major in Political Science and is also a Policy Fellow at the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Initiative. Nick is a first-generation college graduate from South San Francisco and intends on using his education to pursue a career in public service.

Nick Gonzalez

Class of COVID-19: The Turmoil of Being a First-Generation College Graduate in the Midst of a Global Pandemic

Melissa Mora Hidalgo was born in Montebello and grew up in the L.A./O.C. borderlands of East Whittier and La Habra. She holds a Ph. D. in Literature from UC San Diego and is the author of Mozlandia: Morrissey Fans in the Borderlands (Headpress UK, 2016).

Melissa Mora Hidalgo

Did Alison Roman Dress Up As a Chola? The Difference Between Cultural Appropriation and Cultural Appreciation

Erwin Recinos is a seasoned visual artist with an eye for capturing life as a working commuter aboard public transportation in and around Los Angeles. For 20 years now, Recinos has been documenting the urban landscape, street culture, and Hispanic communities of Los Angeles utilizing his daily routine and the city of Los Angeles as an inspiration. Recinos also works with popular food and event websites such as LATACO.com and Eater LA to capture the cuisine and culture that is so important to the city of Los Angeles and across Southern California.

Erwin Recinos

Photo Essay

No More Kids in Cages: Thousands Gather at City Hall to Stand Against ICE