How L.A. Latino communities carve their own entrepreneurial path
- Share via
Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend:
You're reading the Essential California newsletter
Our reporters guide you through the most important news, features and recommendations of the day.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
- 101 Latino-owned businesses and organizations in L.A.
- The worst flu season in years swamps California.
- Where to find (and protect) quiet places in nature around SoCal.
- And here’s today’s e-newspaper
101 Latino-owned businesses and organizations in L.A.
Los Angeles County has the largest Latino community of any county in the United States, with close to 5 million Latinos calling the region home.
Community support has always been integral to our lifestyle in L.A., whether it’s showing up to events, toasting to our achievements or sharing success stories. Which is why we have compiled 101 of our favorite Latino-owned businesses. This list spotlights the entrepreneurial spirit of Latino-owned businesses and organizations in L.A.
It took almost a year to put it together. Here are some trends we observed along the way.
The pandemic fueled a surge of entrepreneurial creativity.
The COVID-19 pandemic stay-at-home orders halted our day-to-day lives, but also gave people time to discover new hobbies and creativity. At least 10 of the entrants on the list began as hobbies that turned into full-fledged businesses.
Latinx With Plants owner Andi Xoch started selling plants from her Boyle Heights backyard in June 2020. The pop-ups became more popular each passing week and Xoch eventually opened her bricks-and-mortar store. In South L.A., Kristan Coronado turned her pandemic hobby of working on friends’ and family’s nails into nail art business PLAnty of Nails.
A majority of the businesses on the list were created by immigrants and first-generation Americans.
Many of the business owners on the De Los 101 list are immigrants or first-generation Americans who had dreams of forging their own way in Los Angeles — and succeeded.
Guatemalan immigrant Jefri Lindo spent his high school years hustling through L.A. kitchens. He opened ÜLËW Coffee & Juice in January 2024.
In 1987, Mexican immigrant Maria Lopez purchased a vacant lot at the corner of Avalon Boulevard and 54th Street. Nearly 40 years later, Avalon Nursery & Ceramics is still going strong as the oldest plant nursery in South L.A.
For Latinos in L.A., business and family DO mix.
Family is a support network for Latinos that extends into every facet of our lives. So it’s no surprise to see numerous locales on this list where owners have gone into business with their loved ones. Some were created in partnership with parents, siblings or significant others. Others were passed down through generations.
In West Adams, siblings Giovanny and Jasmine Maldonado transform a parking lot into Midcity Mercado, a monthly flea market that brings together local artisans and residents. The space is located between their mom’s restaurant, Mariscos Maria’s, and Jasmine’s boutique, Persona the Shop.
John Estrada founded Grupo Folklórico de West Los Angeles in 1977. The group teaches traditional Mexican folk dances. John’s daughter Rachel carries on his legacy as the current lead choreographer.
“From the moment I was born I had a costume,” Rachel told my colleague Nathan Solis.
When Latinos see a gap in L.A. spaces, they create their own community.
Arguably, all 101 businesses and organizations mentioned in this project were created out of a necessity to fill in voids where the founders did not feel represented. From Central America to South America to the Caribbean, Latinos want to see their culture represented and celebrated. After all, Latinidad is a spectrum.
Monthly party Ambiente Central was founded by city residents Julianna Aguirre Martinez, Henry Abarca and Adrian Garcia as a way to celebrate L.A.’s Central American population. Similarly, Massiel Muñoz and her cousin, chef Victor Ramos, created the monthly dance party Capicúa L.A. to celebrate the Puerto Rican and Dominican diaspora.
“For someone who doesn’t [have family here], they know that they can come to these spaces and feel safe,” Muñoz told De Los contributor Yvonne Condes.
From places to get your body moving to places to see Latino art, the De Los 101 truly has something for everyone. We hope you find a new favorite neighborhood locale while pursuing the project.
The week’s biggest stories
The worst flu season in years swamps California
- By one measure, this season has already been more potent than any seen since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.
- Complicating matters has been an unusually low vaccination rate against flu for children this winter.
- In California, 47.7% of children have been vaccinated against flu as of late January, the lowest since at least the 2019-20 flu season. Last year at this time, 53.7% of children were vaccinated against flu.
Edison knew before the Eaton fire that cutting power risked igniting a blaze
- Southern California Edison was warned in 2022 that an emergency power shutdown risked overloading transmission lines, increasing the risk of a wildfire, according to public records reviewed by The Times.
- Edison has acknowledged that its equipment may have played a role in starting the Eaton fire, but the exact cause remains under investigation.
How Linda McMahon’s mission to dismantle the Education Department could affect California
- The longtime wrestling executive is on track to become the U.S. secretary of Education.
- She told lawmakers during her Senate confirmation hearing that federal funding for students in need would continue — including Title I funding for schools that serve low-income families and funds for students with disabilities.
- But ultimately she stands in solidarity with Trump’s goal of dismantling the department — an overhaul that could affect how billions of dollars in K-12 funding, financial aid and student loans flow to California schools and colleges.
More big stories
- The LAPD has immigrant officers protected by DACA. Could Trump try to deport them?
- The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has hired a law firm, at up to $1,975 an hour, to defend against Palisades fire lawsuits.
- The U.S. Education Department is investigating the California Interscholastic Federation over a policy allowing transgender athletes to play girls’ sports.
- The feds won’t test soil after L.A. wildfire cleanup, potentially leaving contamination behind.
- California and other states sue over Elon Musk’s virtually “unchecked” power in White House.
- Canned tuna sold by Trader Joe’s, Costco and others has been recalled for botulism risk.
- Serena Williams crip-walked at the Super Bowl because Kendrick Lamar asked her to, she says.
- The new Kennedy Center board makes Trump chairman, prompting Shonda Rhimes and others to resign.
- The “51st state”? Canadians say no, thanks. They don’t want U.S. products either.
Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here.
This week’s must reads
Hollywood’s spiciest writing group? It’s at a retirement home for showbiz veterans. The Grey Quill Society is a weekly memoir writing group for residents of the Motion Picture and Television Fund’s community for aging entertainment professionals. Having the space to recount their lives has given members purpose in the later stages of their lives.
More great reads
- Matchmaking shows are on the rise again. Are they changing real-life dating habits?
- After this Australian town burned down, experts warned against rebuilding. Nobody listened.
- Inside the bare-knuckle legal brawl between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected].
For your weekend
Going out
- 😌$99 for an orgasm? Inside an L.A. self-love workshop for women.
- 🤫🍃Where to find (and protect) quiet places in nature around SoCal.
Staying in
- 🧥How to dress for the coldest place in L.A. — the inside of your apartment.
- 🇹🇭 After lounging on Hawaii’s beaches and yachting in Sicily, season 3 of “The White Lotus” — premiering Sunday — heads to Thailand with a new star-studded cast.
- 🍏🥗 Here’s a recipe for shaved apple and peanut salad.
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.
How well did you follow the news this week? Take our quiz.
What happened during the Super Bowl halftime show? Plus nine other questions from our weekly news quiz.
Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
