LOS ANGELES – On a recent Saturday night in the heart of Boyle Heights, a unique event was held at La Casa del Mexicano, presented by the cultural collective Corazon Del Pueblo.
It was Concierto Sin Fronteras (Concert without Borders), dedicated to the ongoing fight for social justice being waged by the immigrant community in Arizona and elsewhere in the U.S., against scapegoating, persecution, bans on ethnic studies, and discriminatory laws like SB 1070 – spawned as a direct result of the 287g federal immigration program allowing local and state officials to intervene on federal immigration matters.
Hundreds of people were in attendance, mostly from close-by neighborhoods of East Los Angeles and other parts of the city. But some performers came as far as Berkeley and Oakland, like G-Saleem, a community activist and hip hop musician, who dedicated his set to the late Oscar Grant.
“The festival is raising money for [the immigration movement in] Arizona and also Corazon Del Pueblo,” Paco Shakur said, an active member and organizer with the collective.
Corazon Del Pueblo is attempting to create a cultural network through the mediums of art, music and poetry, all with the focus on community self-sufficiency and self-determination.
They hold daily workshops at their Boyle Heights location on topics ranging from poetry, drawing and painting to women’s empowerment – all of which are free.
For more information, call (323) 780-9089 or visit Corazon Del Pueblo at 2003 East 1st St, Boyle Heights, CA 90033. Or e-mail them at corazondelpueblo@live.com.
Photo: PW/Luis Rivas
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