The sign illuminates eight lanes of the neighboring 710 Freeway. In contrast to the new monument to luxury, the gritty … More
Tag: KCET Departures
Worth Gold: Feminism and Leadership at the Miss Bell Gardens Pageant
Bell Gardens City Council members with the 2015 Miss Bell Gardens Court. Photo: City of Bell Gardens “All the court … More
I can defend myself: One mother’s story, a whole community’s struggle
Laverne Cox thinks Zoey Luna rocks and you will too. In this interview, Zoey and her mom, two Downey residents, … More
The Time is Now: Radical Feminism at Rock Camp in Southeast LA
Excerpts from the KCET Departures’ essay, “The Time is Now for Chicas Rockeras in Southeast L.A.”: After the “Radical Body … More
A Man in His Backyard: sightseeing in City of Commerce with author Stephen Gutierrez
Read Vertiz’s new essay on KCET: “A Man in His Backyard: sightseeing in the City of Commerce with author Stephen … More
Latina Leadership in Bell Gardens, a new KCET essay
“In the parking lot of the Food-4-Less supermarket on the corner of Atlantic and Slauson, two high school students stood … More
How Eleven Brothers Made El Pescador a Thriving Set of Family Restaurants
After five presidents and three recessions, El Pescador seafood restaurants are more popular than ever. Read my new essay on immigrant … More
New Essay on KCET’s Departures
“…now I know what the garden gives.” – Jorge Segura, educator and photographer, Downey, CA Read a love letter I … More
On KCET’s Departures, “Bell Gardens? That’s Indian town!”: 1980s Pow Wows and Cultural Persistence
My family has lived in Bell Gardens since 1976, but we never drove past a pow wow at a local … More
Vértiz Featured on KCET’s Departures
As part of the reading series “LAnguage” at the Last Bookstore hosted by Mike the PoeT Sonkensen, Vickie Vértiz was … More