Los Angeles Downtown News 06-29-20

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June 29, 2020 I VOL. 49 I #26

JUNETEENTH

When celebrations and protests meet

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Protesters march through the streets of Downtown on Juneteenth.

A performer sings for the crowd gathered for the Juneteenth celebration in front of City Hall.

Photo by Sarah Donahue/LA Downtown News

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A pickup truck guides protesters through the streets of Downtown on June 19.

Photo by Sarah Donahue/LA Downtown News

Photo by Sarah Donahue/LA Downtown News

Juneteenth: When celebrations and protests meet

By Sarah Donahue he battle for Black liberation in the United States has not ended, as this year’s Juneteenth celebrations intertwined with the continued protests against systemic racism.

Hundreds gathered Downtown on June 19, marching through the streets, celebrating and protesting at the same time. Activists riding in a decorated pickup truck led protesters through the streets, while speakers riding in the tailgate led chants, saying “Juneteenth, unity.”

Since the 1800s, African Americans have celebrated the annual holiday known as “Juneteenth,” also known as “Freedom Day” and “Emancipation Day,” which honors the end of slavery in the United States. Despite the Emancipation Proclamation being signed on the first day of 1863, slaves in Galveston, Texas, weren’t aware of their freedom until two and a half years later on June 19, 1865, when federal troops took control of the state.

“It’s been 155 years since then—to the date,” said activist La’Asia Stith in front of City Hall on June 19. “Why are we still going through the same things?”

This year’s Juneteenth celebrations were conjoined with the continued protests surrounding the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless other Black lives at the hands of police. Protesters marched through the streets of Downtown, passing through Skid Row to deliver bags with kits of food, water, hand sanitizer and masks to unhoused Angelenos. City Hall was the ending point, where

JUNE 29, 2020

protesters were met with live performances from local musicians, organized by the activists.

Signs held by protestors highlight the other forms of oppression that Black people in this country currently face, like lack of affordable housing, jobs and health care, as well as mass incarceration.

“A lot of people aren’t paying attention,” Stith said, highlighting how many people don’t see that the fight for equality hasn’t ended.

She emphasized the importance of education, and how Black history is often erased from what we’re taught.

“Most Black people who are millennials don’t even know what Juneteenth is until we make a difference by standing up, coming out, making noise, playing our music and educating them on every level we can,” she said.

Stith, who also goes by “Ms. IAMART,” was among a group of activists who set up a tent stand across from City Hall to pass out free water, food and masks to protesters, as part of its movement Chosen for Change. The group of activists also offered quiz games about African history, and if someone gets the question right, they get a free shirt from its brand Be Dope 365.

“For me, Juneteenth has been a celebration of Black heritage,” Deoné Newell said while holding a sign in front of City Hall. “It’s a celebration of how much we as a society have evolved and acknowledge the scars that are in American history.”

Newell drove from Victorville to attend the Juneteenth celebrations at City Hall, saying

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how the holiday is extremely important for not just Black Americans but for the entire country.

Newell said she believes Juneteenth should be a national holiday, and many other activists and legislators share the same view. The last time Congress approved a national holiday was in 1983, when they established Martin Luther King Jr. Day to observe the iconic civil rights leader. Elected officials in Texas announced their intent to change that and introduce legislation to make Juneteenth a federally observed, paid holiday.

“It’s the true Independence Day,” said Phillip Melo while holding a Juneteenth sign outside City Hall. “The idea that July 4th is an Independence Day for some has always been kind of apparent,” he said, saying how that part of history must be acknowledged.

Melo teaches history at a community college in the Inland Empire. As an educator, he highlighted the historical significance of Juneteenth and how it must be taught more. He also noted the importance of teaching about the Tulsa Massacre as well as the Colfax Massacre.

“These things need to be acknowledged,” he said, saying it’s not for the sake of making people feel bad but viewing it as something we can move forward from as a country.

The Tulsa Massacre refers to the event in 1921 where a white mob burned a prosperous, Black-owned community to the ground. Historians say an estimated 300 Black people died, and another 8,000 were left homeless.

Rather than rebuild what historians call “The Black Wall Street,” local officials destroyed all documentation of the horrific event, erasing it from history. Local museums and historical societies in Oklahoma have come to terms with its history, now educating people about it in detail, but many still aren’t aware of Tulsa’s

Phillip Melo and his girlfriend, Adrienne, celebrate Juneteenth in front of City Hall.

Photo by Sarah Donahue/LA Downtown News

dark past.

The 1873 Colfax Massacre happened in Louisiana during the reconstruction era, a time where African Americans were majorly targeted by the Ku Klux Klan and other white domestic terrorists.

Tensions were high during elections of the reconstruction era in the South. African Americans wanted to exercise their right to vote but white southerners didn’t want to lose power.

The tensions led to a massacre that occurred on Easter Sunday of 1873 where a white mob murdered an estimated 60 to 150 Black men.

“We can’t ignore these things and expect the country to progress if we don’t acknowledge the faults that unfortunately are prevalent,” he said.

And while major progressive strides have been made in the direction of racial equality by Martin Luther King Jr. and the other civil rights leaders in the past, Stith said there’s still a long way to go.

“I’m grateful for where we are,” Stith said.

“But I want us to be further because I know we can. Because anything we put our minds to, we can do it.”

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Downtown’s A+D Museum closes in light of COVID

By William Bergholz he A+D Museum, a Downtown institution dedicated to progressive architecture and design, is closing its building and going virtual.

“The world of creation, collaboration and experimentation was, for a long time, defined by a physical presence, sitting at a table working together and being present,” said Anthony Morey, executive director.

“Over the last five or 10 years, working digitally and from other locations have slowly been taking hold—and reaffirmed by the circumstances we now find ourselves in.”

The A+D Museum will focus on digital programming on its website and pop-up exhibitions in communities throughout the city of Los Angeles and beyond, including San Francisco, Detroit and Miami.

The museum will introduce its new digital home with news, updates and projects on Wednesday, July 1.

This change is in response to the coronavirus. Since the museum was closed to the public, museum employees had the time to create a new path.

The organization will produce mostly architecture and design exhibitions. Without a building to maintain, “The exhibitions

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will be richer and with more resources. The building isn’t the crown jewel; the exhibits are,” Morey said.

No A+D workers have lost their jobs as a result of the coronavirus because of the restructuring. In fact, A+D is adding to a new digital researcher to its four-person and full-time staff. The digital researcher will start next month.

Established in response to the need for a space expressly devoted to the exhibition of progressive architecture and design in Los Angeles, A+D Museum opened in January 2001 in the Bradbury Building.

In June 2015, it moved from Los Angeles’ Museum Row to the Downtown Arts District. A+D was the only museum in Los Angeles where continuous exhibits of architecture and design are on view. Through exhibits, symposia, multidisciplinary projects, educational and community programming, A+D serves as a showcase for the work of important regional, national and international designers, providing a forum for contemporary issues in architecture, urbanism and design that are helping to shape the city.

A+D Architecture and Design Museum is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

The A+D Architecture and Design Museum will introduce its new website and programs on Wednesday, July 1.

Photos by William Bergholz/LA Downtown News

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Covered help LETTERSCalifornia TO THE will EDITOR

JUNE 29, 2020

PETERS’ OPINION

How COVID-19 is affecting addiction recovery Editor: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted everyone in America to some degree, and differently in each case. Californians are just beginning to see an easing of restrictions, as things have started to return to usual following Gov. Newsom’s recent loosening of requirements for reopening.

And while many people are cautious about the prospect, entire demographics depend upon certain services being operational. One of those is a group of people struggling with substance abuse.

These individuals have had quite a dilemma on their hands. Most drug and alcohol treatment providers have remained open during the pandemic, considered an essential service. That doesn’t mean it’s been safe for people to go to facilities that aren’t set up to withstand a viral pandemic like this.

Like nearly everything in American health care, drug rehabs are just about the worst places when it comes to social distancing.

The entire model is based around communal living and group meetings. It’s a catch-22 since people’s lives depend upon these services, which put them at high risk of getting COVID-19.

So, most people with addiction issues either left treatment when the pandemic struck or delayed their plans if they hadn’t entered rehab yet. The stress of losing employment, isolation, concern about the future, whatever it is for each person, can lead anyone to maladaptive coping patterns. People with substance-use disorder already have a potent coping mechanism in drugs, so it’s not surprising that for many, drug use increased during these times. For those in recovery, this, unfortunately, has meant relapse for many. And for those with no previous history of substance abuse, it would not be surprising to discover that they had begun using drugs or alcohol during the pandemic and now have an addiction.

But is it safe to seek treatment yet? Out-

patient treatment allows a person to continue to live at home but attend regular sessions at the facility. This would be a preferable arrangement for someone who didn’t need detox services or has already completed inpatient treatment.

Other options have emerged out of desperation as providers, and public health officials have tried to keep up with reports of increases in overdose deaths across the country. For the first time, Medicaid is allowing payment for the use of telehealth services in the field of substance abuse treatment. Private insurance companies are making the same move, hoping to create accessibility for their clients in need of rehabilitation services. This means more options for people to get some help, even if it isn’t as effective as face-to-face methods.

The pandemic has forced many to adapt to a virtual, work-from-home era they previously hadn’t experienced. So, it’s no surprise to be seeing local Alcoholics Anonymous groups going virtual with Zoom-hosted 12-step meetings and other encouraging signs of creativity. But it’s important that going forward we don’t sacrifice convenience for effectiveness in a field that already needs all the help it can get.

The technology has been there, so there’s a reason that restrictions have prevented their use in the past. There are obvious concerns over the safety and efficacy of allowing the treatment industry to go down the virtual road. But at this time, it’s clear everyone agrees that any help is better than none.

Joseph Kertis Joseph Kertis is an experienced health care professional turned journalist. His experience in the field of substance abuse and addiction recovery provides a unique insight into one of our nation’s most challenging epidemics.

He utilizes this knowledge in his writing to give an expert viewpoint that spreads awareness through education. He is a featured author of the health care website addicted.org.

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Participation is easy. Go to downtownnews.com, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the “Letter to the Editor” link. For guest opinion proposals, please email christina@timespublications.com.

The other side of the Serra controversy Editor: My name is Francisco Benlloch. I am Spanish and a resident on the island of Mallorca. I was stunned to learn that there will be a demonstration to remove a statue of Fray Junípero Serra that is erected in this city.

As I think you know very well, Fray Junípero was a native of this wonderful island and he did a great job preaching the gospel in those “his” lands. The work he did, in conjunction with the Spanish crown, unlike other countries in Europe, was important precisely to safeguard the dignity of the natives of America as people. He sought training for them to assume ownership and management of the same land, and for this he did not hesitate to face not only religious charges but also other Spanish authorities.

His work “The Representation on the Temporary and Spiritual Conquest of Upper California,” also known as the Representation of 1773, is undoubtedly a true Charter of Rights of the Indians. And all this is without taking into account what the current California owes it in terms of its formation as it is today. The mission system and themselves, founded (San Diego, Los Angeles, San Carlos Borromeo, San Luis Obispo, etc.) or visited by him (Santa Clara, San Francisco), is spectacular.

His work was so great, charitable and disinterested, precisely toward the most unprotected, specifically toward Native Americans, that it earned him to be beatified by Pope Saint John Paul II on September 28, 1988, and canonized by Pope Francisco on September 23, 2015, in the city of Washington, D.C. Or were these two pontiffs wrong?

For this reason, I do not understand these disqualifications toward the person of San Junípero Serra. If there is someone who deserves a statue in Ventura or Los Angeles, it

is precisely he. Let us not forget, he founded the city with the name of San Buenaventura.

History is history and we cannot, nor should we, deny it. We cannot judge people who lived in another time with the ideas that govern today. Especially to people like San Junípero Serra, who was advanced to his time and who saw in the Indians their fellow men defending them from the temporal powers and giving them their faith. Or was that their sin?

My country, Spain, has been invaded since ancient times by innumerable peoples: Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Carthaginians, Goths, Vandals, Arabs, etc., and I do not renounce any of them. I am not demanding the removal of their statues; they are. They have all contributed to building the character of the people of my nation, of whom I am proud. Now people come to Spain from many parts of the world looking for a decent way of life that they may not find in their countries. Nor should you deny your cultures that have much to contribute. But, in no case must we forget our roots, which could have been better, but they are what we have, and if we forget them we are nobody.

The only thing I hope is that they do not give in to the “tumult” and the “screams” of those who do not know history and, above all, “their” history. It is our past, more or less recent, and it is what has forged us. If we destroy and “demolish” our history, we deserve that the generations that come destroy and demolish what we are doing and what we are so proud of.

Yours sincerely, a Majorcan countryman from Fray “San” Junípero Serra.

Francisco Benlloch Alcalde Palma de Mallorca (Spain)

JUNE 29, 2020

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The statue of Junípero Serra in Father Serra Park was toppled

by Native American activists on June 20.

Photo courtesy Katharine Guerrero

Native Americans topple Serra statue for ancestors

By Sarah Donahue s protesters across the nation organize to remove statues of confederate and colonist leaders, California Native American activists followed suit, removing Junípero Serra from his pedestal in Father Serra Park, leaving it face down with hands painted red.

A group of around 60 Native American men, women, children and elders came together on June 20 to topple the statue of the Spanish colonizer. Serra established the Catholic mission system in California and led the genocide and abuse against

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California Native people in the 1700s.

Jessica Calderon, a Tongva and Chumash Native woman, was at the statue removal and described it as an extremely emotional experience. The Native American participants cheered, cried and hugged as the statue of Serra hit the ground with a loud clunk.

“You’re talking about people who have carried generations of anger and pain and saw an opportunity to do the right thing because the right thing hasn’t been done by people in power,” Calderon said.

It was a “sigh of relief” when the statue

came down, she said, explaining how this man brought tremendous pain onto Native people since he stepped foot here, a pain that has lasted to this date.

Other statues of Serra across California’s coast have been targeted by protestors, where some are being patrolled by police to protect them. A statue was toppled by protestors in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park last weekend, which was denounced

by California bishops.

When Serra came to what is now California, he enslaved and forced labor upon the hundreds of thousands of Native Americans who were already settled on the land.

He forced them to build what are now the missions across the Western coast, and anyone who rebelled was beaten, killed or even raped. They were forced to assimilate and convert to their religion, leaving their

language and culture behind.

The Doctrine of Discovery is what gave the colonizers the right to carry out these atrocities, Calderon said. This doctrine, issued by Pope Alexander VI in 1493, established a framework for the political, spiritual and legal justification for seizing and colonizing lands that were uninhabited by Christians at the time.

Today, Native Americans still suffer from erasure and a slew of other issues, some being inadequate housing and education as well as major violence against women and children. Their land is continuously taken from them, and tribes across the country are often stripped of their resources to this day.

The statue removal came during the continued protests against police brutality and systemic racism. Calderon said the

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statue removal was in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, saying the “tragic and horrific” video of George Floyd was a breaking point for their community.

“It became so real to all of us that this isn’t going to change unless we stand up together and fight back in our ways, anyway that we can think of,” she said.

Katharine Guerrero, a member of the Yaqui and Tohono O’odham tribe who attended the statue removal, said while there has been tension in the past, Brown and Black communities have an “unspoken alliance,” as both groups have been generationally oppressed.

“These statues coming down represents healing,” Guerrero said, saying that this movement is a way for the dark history to come to light and bring awareness to the issues that have affected people for generations.

“It’s bringing history to the table,” Guerrero added, saying these headlines of people tearing down statues are forcing people to have the difficult conversations that make many uncomfortable. “There’s no growth unless you have the conversation.”

Guerrero is a theology teacher at a local Catholic school and said there are posters hung around the school she teaches at, saying “You’re on Tongva Land,” to remind students of the Native stewards who once ruled the land.

She said she makes an effort to teach her

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students the real history of the missions, rather than the sugarcoated explanation most people learn.

Many Angelenos don’t know about the city’s dark past, simply because it’s not widely taught. Calderon said this is because of victor’s justice. “As long as whoever is in power gets to write history, then they get to talk about themselves as beautiful,” she said.

Calderon said that most people are taught Native Amer icans were simple-minded people or “savages” who needed to be saved by the colonizers. And while many who oppose the removal of these statues say it’s erasing history, Calderon feels that it is the exact opposite.

“America erased our history when in the American history books they called us into extinction,” she said. “When people meet me today and say, ‘There’s no way you’re Native American; Native Americans don’t exist,’ that’s erasing me. That’s not just erasing history; that’s erasing the present.”

Guerrero mentioned how it’s problematic for California students to construct models of the missions and take field trips there.

“It’s like building a little mini plantation,” Guerrero said, mentioning how a Black Louisiana educator has reached out in the past, drawing the comparison.

Many students in Southern states tour plantations during field trips as part of

their curriculum, which Guerrero said is “just horrifying.” It’s taught in a fashion where students learn that these plantations are part of the state’s growth and development, rather than elaborate on the atrocities that took place there, she said.

As an educator, Guerrero said it’s reassuring to see that schools are beginning to move away from the mission school projects. California’s new history and social science framework, passed by the Board of Education in 2016, discourages educators from assigning students the longtime tradition of creating a replica of a mission, calling it insensitive.

When Serra was canonized by Pope Francis in 2015, Calderon said it was more than a stab in the back to California’s Native American people. “It was like a dagger to the heart,” she said.

In protest, Calderon said her aunt walked from San Francisco to San Diego, stopping at every mission along the way. She said they wrote letters directly to the pope, voicing how it’s unacceptable for Serra to be revered as a saint.

However, not everyone is a proponent for taking down these statues or even coming to terms with the truth of Serra’s dark history. Many people of the Catholic faith do not want to learn about the darker side of Serra’s past because they hold their religion in high regard, Calderon said.

“It’s hard for them to accept and digest

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the truth,” she said. “They’d rather deny it because that would make their religion a bad religion—and it’s not.”

Calderon said she believes in the goodness of Jesus but wants people to distinguish the difference between the teachings of the religion and the abuse that some of his followers carried out in his name.

“The people who came over here were not Jesus,” she said. Jesus himself did not carry out the abuse and genocide of Native American people; his followers did.

“So, does that mean that anyone who’s worshipping these religions is bad? No, it doesn’t. Does it mean that there’s bad in every community? It sure does,” she said, saying how not every Native American person is perfect either.

Now that the statue has come down, Guerrero said that as a community they must plan for the next step and what will be put in its place “to resurrect and bring back the history of this land.”

“It’s the beginning of a healing era,” Calderon said. It’s going to take time to get over the hunch where people still don’t see Native American people as equals, she added.

“I think for the next generation, for our children, if we can get through this with understanding that it needs to be a healing journey, I think that we can create a better future for our children as a whole, as the entire rainbow,” Calderon said.

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Angelenos’ frustration with law enforcement persists

By Sarah Donahue Whether it’s in the streets or on a virtual town hall, Los Angeles residents are continuing to make their voices heard, demanding a change against systemic racism and law enforcement after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

The protests surrounding Floyd’s death have prompted the LA County’s Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission to host online meetings to boost transparency and accountability.

“This time has been very difficult for many of us,” Commissioner Priscilla Ocen said at the beginning of the meeting. “Structural racism, racial violence and police brutality are not something that happens every once and a while; it’s something we struggle with every day.”

LAPD has been widely criticized for its history of systemic racism and its use of excessive force at recent protests. As COVID-19 still prevents people from attending public government meetings, online listening sessions have become a new way for the public to make their voices heard.

“I was recently arrested by the LA County Sheriff’s department for breaking curfew by peacefully protesting, and I’m frankly utterly disgusted by the culture of manipulation, power and cruelty that you foster,” Aria Cataño said through her computer.

She described her experience, saying officers removed people’s masks and made no effort to socially distance the detainees who were packed into a cold, dark bus for over six hours.

“We were belittled, taunted and pointedly harassed,” Cataño said. “And throughout the entire process, officers’ badge numbers and names were hidden from us.”

Other speakers who attended protests shared similar experiences while in custody. One young woman said her hands turned blue from the zip ties that the officers wrapped around her wrists to detain her. Despite her pleas for them to be loosened, she was ignored. Only when she called for a medic were the ties cut.

“You can’t pretend to want to change the system and to talk about changing the system while you continue to sit on your hands while the sheriff’s department continues to brutalize innocent people every day,” Cataño said.

Mental health and deescalation training as well as unarming officers were some of the many solutions speakers were suggesting, along with defunding the police.

“Reform is proven ineffective in the system that’s steeped in violence and racism,” Harlen Case said to the commissioners. “The funding that’s being used for law enforcement should be channeled into providing services that will address

JUNE 29, 2020

individual and community traumas and prevent crimes.”

On June 17, LA City Council officially approved the motion to cut up to $150 million from the current police budget of $1.8 billion. The divested money will be reallocated to Black underserved communities.

Some opposed the budget cuts, saying it’s problematic for the LAPD officers who now can’t get paid overtime as protests persist. Others opposed the budget cuts, saying it’s not enough.

During the meeting, speakers begged the commissioners to listen and actually make a tangible change in order to protect the lives of Angelenos. Bernadette Ramirez voiced her concerns for the way her son was treated when he was detained by two officers for failing to signal while driving to pick up dinner.

“My son was terrified,” she said, noting that he is Latino. “He just turned 18 and feared for his safety because of the officers’ intimidating demeanor and negative, disparaging remarks as well as having his rights violated.”

Ramirez said the officers searched the vehicle, his belongings and cell phone without his consent and made rude comments about the music he was listening to. Ramirez and her son have many family members who work in law enforcement, saying they have “healthy respect” for their profession, but she was disheartened by the way those officers treated her son.

After her comments, Ocen interjected, encouraging Ramirez and the other speakers who faced mistreatment from the police to file a complaint directly to the sheriff’s department. She said while their investigations aren’t always transparent, it’s important to file these complaints so they can keep a record and hold officers accountable.

LA County has spent around $58 million on lawsuits for police misconduct during the 2018-19 fiscal year, according to the county’s chief executive office.

Recent protests have sparked 56 misconduct complaints against LAPD for use of excessive force, where 10 officers have now been placed on desk duty after investigations were made, according to officials.

“Abolish the police,” “Care not cops” and “Invest in communities” were repeated in variations by almost every speaker during the two-hour meeting. Many pointed out that it’s discouraging to repeat the same thing while seeing no tangible solutions be brought forth.

During Commissioner Patti Giggan’s closing remarks, she agreed, saying, “People are saying the same thing over and over, but that’s because nothing is changing.”

JUNE 29, 2020

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Council OKs $100 million COVID-19 rent relief program

By Sarah Donahue To address the detrimental health and financial impacts brought onto Los Angeles families by COVID-19, City Council unanimously voted on June 23 to create a $100 million rent relief program.

The Renters Relief Fund will cover rental payments up to $2,000 for those who have recently lost jobs, become ill or cared for a sick family member since the pandemic struck the United States. Nearly 60% of the city’s population are renters.

“I am reminded every day during this ongoing pandemic that people, especially those in disenfranchised communities, are struggling,” said City Council President Nury Martinez in a statement. “This program will help tens of thousands of Angelenos, and that’s wonderful news.”

The measure, authored by Councilmembers Martinez, Herb Wesson and Mitch O’Farrell, was approved in late May. After receiving a report from the Los Angeles Housing + Community Investment Department on the logistics of the program, it received final approval on June 23.

The funds will cover a tenant’s rent up to $1,000 and are capped at $2,000 per household. The money will go directly to landlords, who are then required to adhere to rules forbidding rent increases and evictions for six months.

The program is funded with money allocated from the $694 million the city received from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. To be eligible for the program, tenants must prove they’ve fallen ill or been financially burdened due to COVID-19 and must also prove they earn less than 80% of the area’s median income, which is $83,500.

To assure the program helps the families who need assistance most, half of the monies will be reserved for households that earn less than $31,300, which is 30% of the area’s median income.

While this is the largest rent relief program created by any US city, some argue that it falls short of addressing all the needs of Angelenos who have been significantly impacted by the pandemic. LA County’s unemployment rates have skyrocketed to nearly 21% since COVID-19 started wreaking havoc on the country.

“Pulling together at every level of government as never before is required to keep people housed and businesses open during this unprecedented time,” O’Farrell said.

“Much more is needed, but this $100 million rent subsidy program is a great start. Allocating this funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act will help stabilize thousands of families in Los Angeles.”

According to a recent report from the UCLA Luskin Center, around 365,000 LA County households have lost jobs, do not have unemployment insurance and are at risk for being evicted once the moratorium is lifted.

As of now, all evictions in California are on hold unless deemed emergencies. The city of Los Angeles has passed extra protections for tenants, forbidding all evictions for those who are unable to pay rent due to the economic impacts of COVID-19 and allowing a year after the expiration of the declared state of emergency to make up unpaid dues.

The LA County Board of Supervisors voted to extend the moratorium to August 1.

The Supervisors also voted to pass a relief measure of $30,000 for those who have been impacted by the circumstances surrounding COVID-19. Details about who will receive the funding and how it will be distributed are pending.

Currently, the statewide moratorium is in effect for 90 days after the state of emergency ends, but the California Judicial Council has recently discussed ending the eviction ban sometime soon.

The funds from the relief program are expected to be available and distributed between August to October. Renters will be able to apply by phone or online.

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JUNE 29, 2020

Chado Tea Room adapts to the pandemic times Reena Shah, left, and Bianca Shah run Chado Tea Rooms throughout Los Angeles.

Photo by Luis Chavez/LA Downtown News

Accessories are available at select Chado Tea Rooms.

Photo by Luis Chavez/LA Downtown News

FAMOUS FIRE-GRILLED CHICKEN

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski When Bianca Shah was young, she was amazed at her parents’ company, Chado Tea Room.

Hundreds of teas and accessories line the walls of the tearoom, where she worked making tea for customers.

“It’s a super family business,” said Shaha, who now works as its chief marketing officer. “We have more than 300 types of teas that we sell online and in our stores, which also have soup, sandwiches and salads to full afternoon teas.”

Chado Tea Room recently reopened all four of its LA locations—Pasadena, Torrance, Downtown LA and Hollywood—and they’re open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Through July 4, Chado is donating the proceeds of all in-store and online tea sales to the National Association of Minority Veterans, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of minority veteran communities across the United States by providing housing, counseling and employment programs.

While all tea sales will support the organization, Chado has also released two timely new summer tea blends in honor of July 4. Red, White & Blue Blend (available in-store) is a fragrant, herbal white tea with hibiscus, cornflower, rose hips, goji, lychee and cabernet flavor.

Boston Tea Party (available in-store or online) is a blend of two light black teas: champagne Ceylon and Indian black tea.

Chado opened on West Third Street in 1990 as a small, almost quaint tearoom with few tables. In 1993, Reena Shah and her husband, Devan, acquired Chado. Six years later, Reena hired Tekeste (Tek) Mehreteab as cook. Mehreteab’s conscientious work, honesty and dedication to tea soon made him a manager, and in 2002 he became a partner with Devan and Reena in opening a second Chado location in Pasadena.

“My mom was born in the Fiji Islands and moved here when she was 2,” Shah said. “She was pretty much raised in LA. My dad immigrated from India in the late 1980s, and he was in New Jersey.

“He moved to LA once he married my mom. When he was in India, my dad worked for a tea broker. Tea was a lot further moving than America. He’s grown up on tea farms. When he moved to America, he decided we needed to have our own businesses. He brought over the first teas from south India.”

Devan, who died in 2016, is credited with bringing chai tea to the United States by the World Tea Academy.

“It was hugely flattering when they gave that to him,” Shah said. “Chai is a household item now.”

Mehreteab came to LA from Eritrea not knowing any English. But, Shah said, he’s come a long way—from cook, to server, to waiter, to manager to part owner.

“He’s one of the most educated men I know,” she said.

She said the pandemic is troubling to Chado Tea Room, which stayed open for takeout orders. Since reopening, all Chado’s tearooms have been reconfigured to offer comfortable social distancing between tables, hand sanitizer stations and immediate sanitation systems upon the departure of each customer. Chado staff is well equipped with gloves and masks.

“Our online sales did jump a little bit,” she said about the pandemic. “We’ve just been waiting to open for months. If we had to go another couple of months, it would have been a different situation. We were closed on Mother’s Day, and that’s one of our busiest days.

“We got a lot of support from the community. We did a whole afternoon tea to go. It came with a two-tier rack that people could display. It’s a do-it-yourself kit for $175, and it came with tea for two, teapots, teacups, the rack and chocolate. We’re thinking about keeping it on hand.”

Each of the stores has a small selection of accessories, as well as English goodies like scones and cakes. Tastings are frequent to showcase new teas that have come in.

“We’re just looking forward to welcoming back our customers,” she said. “Rest assured, we’re taking proper precautions.”

JUNE 29, 2020

DOWNTOWN NEWS 11

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Go Little Tokyo to host virtual month-long food fest

By Kamala Kirk Go Little Tokyo is hosting a month-long series of virtual events to experience and celebrate its neighborhood’s culinary experiences.

In its fifth year, this is the first time the Delicious Little Tokyo event is being offered virtually with interactive workshops, live chats with community leaders, giveaways, and themed weeks with live videos that spotlight local businesses in Little Tokyo.

“Delicious Little Tokyo began as an annual event in 2016 as an opportunity to celebrate the culinary delights of Little Tokyo and bring support to the many small businesses in the neighborhood,” said Kisa Ito, creative director of Go Little Tokyo.

“The event is meant to highlight the diverse culinary offerings in the neighborhood and provide a chance for people to learn about their favorite Little Tokyo Foods.”

In previous years, the event consisted of an in-person, weekend-long celebration that featured tastings, workshops and demonstrations. For this year’s virtual experience, between 40 to 50 restaurants and businesses are participating, including local favorites such as Fugetsu-Do, Shabu Shabu House, Café Dulce, Japanese American National Museum and Sustainable Little Tokyo.

“This year, the virtual events are free to attend,” Ito shared.

“Unfortunately, without the in-person audience of our typical celebration, and taking into account the cancellation of community events and festivals, local shops and restaurants will be missing out on the increased business from summer crowds. For Delicious Little Tokyo, we are making special efforts throughout the month to encourage people to shop online to support retailers and order food from local restaurants.

People can participate by tuning in for the workshops, Instagram and Facebook Live videos, and posting on social media with the #DeliciousLittleTokyo hashtag and tagging @GoLittleTokyo.”

For the first time, Go Little Tokyo is creating video productions for Delicious Little Tokyo and releasing a series of videos to highlight the food history of Little Tokyo and a few neighborhood favorites, including matcha desserts. The videos will be hosted

by Kristin Fukushima, Little Tokyo Community Council managing director, and James Choi, owner of Café Dulce and a board member of Little Tokyo Community Council. He will be joined by guests including actor Keiko Agena, writer and comedian Jenny Yang, and artist and community organizer Alison De La Cruz.

In addition to the videos, which will be released weekly, Instagram live chats with community leaders and interactive workshops will also take place weekly. Social media giveaways will be tied to the weekly themes.

“Another special highlight is the interactive workshops with artist Lisa Aihara of Ellette Studio,” added Ito. “Lisa will be leading live illustration workshops on Instagram Live on the Go Little Tokyo account for people of all ages at home to learn to draw cute Japanese food and culture-inspired illustrations.”

Delicious Little Tokyo started streaming on June 26, and it runs through Sunday, July 26, across Go Little Tokyo’s Instagram and Facebook platforms. All month long, the community is encouraged to show how they #LoveLT on social media by posting photos of a past visit or favorite food to be entered into monthly and weekly giveaways for gift certificates.

“Delicious Little Tokyo was created with the intention of bringing the community together to celebrate the rich culinary diversity of historic Little Tokyo and take part in fun and educational experiences,” Ito said.

“Given the unique circumstances this year, we aimed to create a virtual celebration that would still allow our Little Tokyo community to learn and enjoy from wherever they might be. We created the slate of free events that will continue to live on our social media platforms with the intention that anyone can access the workshops and videos at any time.”

Info: golittletokyo.com/delicious

Handcrafted vegan doughnuts from Donatsu in Little Tokyo.

Photos by Maggie Gallagher/Go Little Tokyo

The Original Fruity Pebble Donut Hole from Cafe Dulce in Little Tokyo features a mascarpone buttercream topped with the OG Flinstone’s Fruity Pebbles.

Original Takoyaki from Takoyaki Tanota in Little Tokyo. Takoyaki is a popular Japanese street food from Osaka consisting of a crispy battered ball with a soft and creamy center. Viewers can learn how this beloved Japanese snack is made during the Virtual Delicious Little Tokyo events.

7/31/20.

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JUNE 29, 2020

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