The Los Angeles Times weighs in on the simmering debate over mobile taco wagons, commonly known as taco trucks, in East Los Angeles. The story frames the debate as one of vendors (taco trucks) versus merchants (restaurants). Featuring quotes from both vendors and merchants stating their cases, the story is light on the opinions of…

Restaurants Vs. Taco Trucks ~ East LA

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Erick Galindo is an award-winning writer, director, and journalist from Southeast L.A. His work spans TV, film, podcasts, and essays that explore the intersection of identity, culture, and chaos in Los Angeles.

Erick Galindo

Calvary Cemetery. Photo by Erick Galindo for L.A. TACO.

Featured

City of the Dead: The Forgotten History of the People of Los Angeles, Told By Six East L.A. Cemeteries

Abraham Marquez is a freelance writer from Inglewood and a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ). He is a 2021 USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism Fellow. He writes about social movements, sports, politics, and immigration. Instagram: @abemarquez02

Abraham Marquez

A band, Levitation Room, are pictured together. Four bandmates pose playfully in front of a white background.

Music

The Chicano Psychedelic Scene Has a New Emerging Star

Andrew Lopez is a Los Angeles native with roots all over the Eastside. He comes to Boyle Heights from Oakland, where he earned a master’s degree at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism. He enjoys covering the intersections between art, culture and history within communities. Andrew is part of the inaugural cohort of the California Local News Fellowship and will be supporting Boyle Heights Beat into 2025.

Andrew Lopez

A customer picks up an order from the heavily stickered window at Jason’s Tacos in East L.A.

Food

Locked Doors, Warning Signs, and a Pivot to Delivery: How Eastside Businesses Are Adapting Amid ICE Raids

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

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

The exterior of Maravilla Housing Development from Google Street View.

News

Maravilla Housing Project Residents Fearful After Receiving Notice That Their Citizen Status Could Be Shared With DHS

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

Culture

Kids of Taqueros Take Over East L.A. Taco Stand to Keep Families Safe

Fried chicken with plantains, toppings and a special sauce.

Downtown

A Running List of Mom N’ Pop Businesses In Danger Of Closing That Need Community Support Right Now

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Celebrating the Taco Lifestyle in Los Angeles, CA

L.A. TACO

A.k.a. Afroxander; Editor-At-Large (formerly Weekend Editor) at L.A. Taco and a lecturer at San Diego State University. He has covered arts, culture, history, politics, and sports with an emphasis on Latin America and its U.S. diaspora for over two decades.

Ivan Fernandez

Sports

Are The Lakers Still L.A.’s Team?

Sam Ribakoff is a reporter, journalism teacher, communicator for labor unions, and a nice guy from Long Beach.

a man stands in front of a mural with a pig in a police hat being crossed out

Sam Ribakoff

a drawing of Karen Bass and Nithya Raman looking at one another

Politics

Who Won Last Night’s Debate Between Nithya Raman and Karen Bass?

Izzy Ramirez is a Los Angeles-based staff reporter with L.A. TACO, documenting immigration enforcement and state power as it unfolds on the ground. Their work centers real-time alerts and long-term public archiving throughout the Southern California region.

Izzy Ramirez

The East L.A. Artist Behind ‘Homeboy Beautiful’ Magazine Has Championed Queer Chicano Liberation Since the 70s

Karina Soriano is a Los Angeles-based journalist who covers the crossroads of music, food, art, and social issues. She spotlights the everyday people who really keep L.A. moving. Usually, while stuck in traffic, looking for a good place to eat.

Karina Soriano

You See His Murals Across L.A. and at Your Favorite Restaurants. Now Meet the Painter

Jared Cowan is a photographer who also writes and podcasts extensively about L.A. filming locations. He is the co-founder of My Valley Pass, through which he leads film tours of the San Fernando Valley and Pasadena. Jared is also the co-editor of the recent book &#8220;World Film Locations: Los Angeles Volume 2&#8221; and the editor of the upcoming &#8220;World Film Locations: Philadelphia.&#8221;

Jared Cowan

L.A. Taco Guides

The Ten Most Shocking Movie Scenes Ever Shot in L.A., Ranked

<div>Ivan Ehlers is an Ecuadorian-American cartoonist and writer. He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker, MAD Magazine and the Los Angeles Times.</div>
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<div>IG: <a id="m_-8957504711371111195plusReplyChip-0" class="gmail_plusreply"></a>@ivan_ehlers</div>

Ivan Ehlers

Comix

Sunday Taquitos #31: “For Sale: Basketball Team, Never Won” (Plus Bonus Taquitos!)

L.A. TACO STAFF

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East Los Angeles

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

Original Pantry veterans Alex Ortiz and a cook named Pablo prepare breakfast at East Los Tacos., with Alex stretching across the kitchen to read an order as Pablo cooks pancakes on a griddle.