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Celebrating the Taco Lifestyle in Los Angeles, CA

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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

BREAKING: Over 50 Street Vendors Removed From K-Town’s ‘El Salvador Corridor’ By Cedillo’s Office

L.A. TACO STAFF

L.A. TACO’s and Neon Hum’s “The Sellout” Podcast Was Nominated for a Webby Award, Vote For Us to Win!

David Rodríguez

How a North Hollywood Swap Meet Beat Gentrification and Won Over Its Landlord

Capital & Main

Longtime SELA Residents ‘Disillusioned’ After Finding Out Two Facilities Are Emitting a Carcinogen Into Their Air

One of L.A. TACO&#8217;s co-founders, Hadley Tomicki is a writer and editor on food, travel, and culture whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine, UrbanDaddy, High Times, and many other places.

Hadley Tomicki

Music

Update: Despite Past Controversies, A Boyle Heights Street Will Be Named For Vicente Fernandez After All

Highland Park Has a Yoga Studio Open to Anti-Vaxxers

Gilberto Godoy Jr is born and raised in Huntington Park, Los Angeles. His passion for photography has led him to showcase the authentic side of L.A.

Gilberto Godoy Jr.

Photo Essay

As L.A. Keeps Gentrifying, the Three Vaqueros Behind ‘Connecting Compton’ Want Their ‘Hood to Stay Riding Horses and Growing Their Own Food (Photo Essay)

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

Update: Councilmember Cedillo’s Office Blames Delay of $1.5 Million MacArthur Park Redevelopment on Unspecified ‘Supply Chain Challenges’

Street Vending

Hilda Solis’ Office Forces All Food Trucks Outside Commerce Center in East L.A. to Move, Citing a ‘Pilot Project’ as Reason to Paint Curb Red Without Any Advance Notice

Kamren Curiel is a fourth-generation Chicana born in East L.A. and raised in South San Gabriel. She&#8217;s written for the L.A.Times, Latina, LAist, KCET, Huffington Post, and was the L.A. Editor for Remezcla.com.

Kamren Curiel

‘Spanish Sin Pena’ (Spanish Without Shame) Online Judge-Free Classes Prove That It Is Never Too Late to Learn Proper Spanish