Mural depicting Charlotta Bass and victims of Zoot Suit Riots.

The Untold Story of the Zoot Suit Riots: How Black L.A. Defended Mexican Americans

The unity of two long-neglected communities during trying times is a reminder of what we desperately need in Los Angeles.
Drawing of Speedy Gonzales

Why Do So Many Mexican Americans Defend Speedy Gonzales?

A stereotype? Definitely. Problematic? You bet. But many Mexican Americans still love the cartoon character.
Police Officers observing and guarding.

Trump's War on Election Integrity Follows a Racist Playbook Used in 1980s Orange County

As Trump calls for legions to, as he proclaimed, 'go into the polls,' we should recall the sordid episode of voter intimidation that happened in Orange County.

California to Apologize Officially for Mistreating Japanese Americans

Nearly 60 years after FDR authorized the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, California plans to apologize for its role.
Two tacos.

The True Story of How National Taco Day Was Invented — Then Appropriated

As seemingly all of the American food media tripped over itself to create listicles around National Taco Day, I shook my head in disgust.

An Obituary for Old Orange County, Dead at Age 129

Once reliably red, the official cause of O.C.’s passing is a case of the blue flu.

When The U.S. Government Tried To Replace Migrant Farmworkers With High Schoolers

When the blazing sun came up on the teenagers' first day of work, "everyone looked at each other, and said, 'What did we do?'"

How a Jewish Youth Camp Birthed the 1968 East L.A. Chicano Student Walkouts

‘The young Mexican American is tired of waiting for the Promised Land.’

The 10 Best Songs About Illegal Immigration

Over the past decade, music devoted to the cause of amnesty for undocumented immigrants has flourished across the U.S.