Hardcore music saved Isaac Canales’ life the day he got elbowed in the face in a pit at a Turnstile show.
Speaking to a captive audience of dozens at the headquarters of Gente Organizada in Pomona, the young man from East L.A. shared his personal story of how a newfound love for hardcore led him to Mosh For Youth. The nonprofit organization provided him with a scholarship to attend the University of California Riverside where he is majoring in history and hopes to one day become an educator, much like Victor Campos, his mentor and the founder of MFY.
The occasion allowing for Canales’ public vulnerability in a room full of strangers was a community screening of “Xicano Hardcore: A Mosh For Youth Documentary,” by director Magdalena Aparicio. The 12-minute documentary short is a snapshot of Pomona's local hardcore scene and features Campos explaining his impetus for launching MFY.