COMMUNITY FIRST
Thirty community leaders from all over Los Angeles were invited to break bread and engage in conversations that would lead to collaborations. As the guests walked into the Institute of Contemporary Art in downtown LA, they were greeted with cocktails from Puerto Rican Mixologist Danyliz Rijos. Then they made their way around the transformed entrance of the museum, where host Walter Thompson-Hernandez welcomed them to the table. The theme of the night was; Shaping the LA narrative today and for the future. Walter was celebrating the launch of his new book, The Compton Cowboys so Manolo López, Paula Durán, and chef Michelle Lainez designed a menu that would unite these leaders in conversation.
If there is one thing that connects most Central American and Caribbean families, it’s frijoles. There are many differences among our countries and cultures but beans are a staple. Now, how we cook them is what makes them different. For example in the Dominican Republic they’re sweeter, in Mexico they’re spicier. Which is probably why Lainez chose to incorporate beans in every dish.
Each course also came with questions to the guests about social issues in communities of color. The menu had a quote that read “Como frijolitos, nuestra gente se adapta a cada reto”—like beans, our people can face any challenge. At the end of the dinner many topics were discussed, and the energy was lifted with renewed enthusiasm to tackle these issues. Authentic human connection was made, not by bringing together influencers, but by bringing together a group of people who genuinely care about the state of Los Angeles and its future.
Community engagement is not a trend for Manolo, it’s a way to share content or create events that uplift the Latinx community. Beyond an influencer, Manolo is a guide to understanding the different challenges that Puerto Ricans and other Latin American communities face.
What are Community Gatherings?
Community Gatherings is a series of dinners, gatherings, and activations moderated by local community leaders. We invite community members to engage in conversations about the challenges that they face so they can find ways to collaborate.
Daniel Buezo(left), Walter Thompson-Hernandez(middle), Rodney King(right) at the Community Gatherings dinner in Los Angeles.
My favorite part of moderating the community gathering dinner was seeing the worlds that Manolo brought together. In what may be one of the most divisive times in our history, bringing a diverse group of thinkers, creatives, and artists is no small feat. It’s a testament to Manolo’s vision and dedication to social change and community building.
—Walter Thompson-Hernández
People Power
Top 5 Latin American Populations in the U.S.
Source: PEW
Mainstream media and narratives will lead you to believe that the Latinx population in the United States is a recent phenomenon. The fact is that Spanish was spoken in the U.S. before English. The Spanish colonized Florida in the early 1500, almost 100 before Jamestown was established by the British. Montana, Arizona, California, Nevada… these are all Spanish names! Today, the United States has over 41 million people that speak Spanish and this is nothing new.
Of course, there are many dialects and variants of Spanish. And there’s also many people of Latin American descent that don’t speak Spanish fluently. Often, we hear stories of families that didn’t teach their children the language because they didn’t want them to be discriminated against. However, there is a growing movement to embrace our identities.
Manolo is part of a movement of entrepreneurs that acknowledge that there is an opportunity to better serve our community through businesses that are culturally aware. In the past decade, Latinx-owned firms grew 34% compared to 1% for all business owners in the United States, according to a Stanford University study. The same study shows that although Latinx businesses are growing their revenues at faster rates than White-owned businesses—they are “significantly less likely” to get loans approved from national banks.
“Thanks for taking the time to get to know me. If you made it here, you’re now part of my story as well. The next part of this is not written, we will write it together.”
We created this website so you see that everything I do has a purpose…
What do I hope to accomplish?
I hope people see my work as a window to the systemic problems happening in Puerto Rico, but also the reason I’m in love with my island: the land, the people, and the culture.
I hope we can rally more allies as we continue to fight for Puerto Rico’s liberation. I understand that is a big word, but liberation can mean many things. To me, it’s autonomy for my island to finally take control of its own destiny and not be subject to what others say.
But most importantly, what I want to accomplish is for you to be aware, aware that we’re fighting, aware that we’re here and aware that we live every day with intention.
What are my dreams and aspirations?
At the beginning of this project I did a guided meditation with Camille Padilla Dalmau, she helped bring all the stories you just read to life and in the meditation she asked me to envision myself 10 years from now.
She asked “Where are you?’’ and I replied “in my home, nestled on a mountain overlooking the ocean between the towns of Añasco and Rincón. Then she asked “Who’s in the house with you? I said “Mom and Joaquín, they’re much older, but healthy.” The meditation went on for another 10 minutes and when I came back I felt a surge of happiness.
I don’t know if this is the case for all Puerto Ricans in the diaspora, but I yearn to live the second half of my life in Puerto Rico enjoying the later years of my parents, seeing Joaquín become a man, and living off the land. I believe it’s attainable and something to look forward to.