How These Boyle Heights Bartenders Made Sure L.A.’s Undocumented Back-Of-House Workers Didn’t Go Hungry During the Pandemic

here is all the help for the undocumented back-of-house workers in L.A.?”

This realization by Aaron Melendrez, Othón Nolasco, and Damian Diaz of Va’La Hospitality during the beginning stages of the coronavirus economic onslaught on L.A.’s hospitality industry was sobering. Melendrez, in particular, noticed something: “I started scrolling through all the different GoFundMes out there and I noticed that there was not a single brown face in any of the photos, just pretty bartenders.” Nolasco had the same thought. 

A few days later, the three of them created No Us Without You to attempt to remedy this ASAP. To this day, it remains to be the only DIY charity organization aimed specifically toward providing aid for undocumented back-of-house workers in the bar industry in the country.