Support Tia Chucha's Centro Cultural

Growing up in the northeast San Fernando Valley, I always encountered a few problems that interfered with school work. But who hasn't, right? From finding a safe place to go after school to finding an available library with enough resources to please the growing mind.

However, on one particular weekend in my high school days, I realized how difficult it was to get my homework done within the parameters of the predominately low-income community that I called home. For a compulsive-obsessive competitive student like myself, this was truly a devastating moment.

"How hard could it be to find a bookstore?" I thought to myself. "Com'mon dad, let's go!" I shouted as I grabbed my assignment and stuffed it into my backpack. My goal on this day was to purchase a dictionary/thesaurus--a compact one to fit nicely into my book bag. And yes, this was part of my homework—worth a total of twenty points on my homework sheet.

Together my dad and I hit Laurel Canyon Blvd., the spine of the San Fernando Valley. "Think, think, think," I told myself as I rode in the car. My dad would only drive within a 10-mile radius of our home and I had to think quickly of all the possible places to find my dictionary. After hitting a few general stores, in the hopes that we could find a book section, this assignment turned into a quest. No joke. All I wanted was a bookstore, someplace where I could buy books, BOOKS!

That day, I gave up. My heart broken still aching for a spot with countless rows and rows of bookshelves filled with books from every subject. I settled. Yeah, you heard me. In the back of an office supply store, I put up my white flag as I grabbed a tattered and dusty generic dictionary from the back of the self. The last one in stock.

Tia Chucha's opened a few years after this experience. In 2001, when it opened its doors, it became the first bookstore in the predominately Latino northeast San Fernando Valley. But in order to keep its doors open it needs your help and support.

Tia Chucha's Celebration of Community and Culture
The Ford Amphitheatre, Los Angeles
Sunday, July 29 at 6:00pm
(tickets: $30, students and children $12)
buy tickets here.

Angelino artists unite in support of Tia Chucha:
Hosted by Comedian Ernie G.
Performances by:
Comedian group Culture Clash
Latin R&B group Tierra
John Desmore from The Doors
Chicano writer and poet Luis Rodriquez
Jarocho/Rock group Ollin
Ska/Funk by Upground
Hip Hop beats by Xela and El Vuh

Do it because sometimes it's nice to have a bookstore in your community regardless of how poor you may be.

Thank you,
My heart.