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Janette Villafana is an award-winning bilingual multimedia journalist. Her heart lies in community-based reporting, and her work is highly centered on showcasing and uplifting community voices, with a significant focus on the Latino community. She developed her beat at L.A. TACO, covering street vending communities in Los Angeles. Past work has been featured on NBC, LAist, Latino Rebels, and more. She is currently featured at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington in an exhibit titled “¡De última hora! Latinas Report Breaking News.”

Janette Villafana

Street Vending

After an Elderly Street Vendor Is Attacked and Robbed in Long Beach, ‘Mexicahana’ Hibachi Restaurant Offers Him a Safe Space to Work In

Gabriel Chabrán is a food writer and journalist from Highland Park. He currently lives in Long Beach with his wife Katie, their new baby, and their Russian Blue cat, Mars.

Gab Chabran

To Truly Understand Long Beach, Eat Tacos Past Midnight at El Sauz

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

Featured

Uptown Provisions, the Mom and Pop Food Shop of Whittier’s Dreams, Is Opening September 14

Sean Vukan

Gentefication vs. Gentrification: Montebello’s New ‘Blvd Market’ Container Food Hall Is Now Open

‘To People of Color, Never Oppressed:’ Xibalba’s Bilingual HardCore Approach Is Still Here to Rattle Your Skull and Push You Into the Pit

Professional punk and Editor-In-Chief for James Beard Award-winning L.A. TACO. Associate Producer for JBA-winning Las Crónicas Del Taco. Former restaurant scout for Jonathan Gold. Co-author of &#8220;Oaxaca: Home Cooking From the Heart of Mexico (2019, Abrams) and &#8220;Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling&#8221; (2023, Abrams).

Javier Cabral

A Flour Tortilla Map of Los Angeles, From Sonoran to Mexicali-Styles

Liz Ohanesian is a journalist covering arts and culture in Los Angeles.

Liz Ohanesian

History

In the 90s, ‘Request Video’ Was Essential TV for SoCal Music Nerds

Food

A Long Beach Latina Honors Her Father’s Mariscos Legacy with a Legendary Cóctel de Camarón

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

News

Here is the Quickly Growing List of L.A. Bars Not Allowing Unvaccinated People on Premises

Tacos

Your Compton Taco Crawl: Nayarit-Style Al Vapor Tacos, Jalisco-Style Tostadas Raspadas, and OG TJ-Style Asada

Long Beach