Category Archives: Mexico

Whittier College and Community Members Embrace Embedded Planning Praxis

Big thanks to Professor Cinzia Fissore, environmental science students, and the Hartley House at Whittier College for hosting my guest talk, “The Strength of Street Knowledge: Embedded Planning as Community-Based Praxis.”

And shout out to my community members and former MURP students for coming through! It’s always reassuring to see friendly faces in the audience.

Embedded Planning Praxis is coast-to-coast and well beyond, with practitioners from Mexico and Brasil. This little idea born on the streets of Florence-Firestone in South Central LA is now a worldwide movement.

IG Live Conversation on Florence-Firestone with Ortopedia Urbana

I’m doing an IG Live Sept 5th at 6pm Pacific with Elizabeth Gómez Ibarra and Ortopedia Urbana. We’ll discuss the social history, planning innovations, and future of the Florence-Firestone community in South Central LA. The conversation is a precursor to our inaugural Latin Labic placemaking event at the Florence-Firestone Community Organization on 9/14! Join the conversation.

Beyond Spanglish in CDMX

I was not raised speaking Spanish. When Nana Josephine Pacheco née Ontiveros came to #LosAngeles from #Texas, the school teachers struck her with rulers por hablando Español en clase. So Nana didn’t teach my mom. And nobody taught me. I learned Español in earnest in the last 8 years working as an Embedded Planner on the ground in Florence-Firestone. For real I’m at like 6th grade level, pero sabes que, es mejor que nada!

On arrival Friday in #CDMX, I quickly had to adjust to Español. It was thrilling. I found myself absorbing the spoken word, the unique rhythm, cadence, & dialect of #Chilango, the Spanish of Mexico City. Immediately I found myself translating signs, speech, & writing intuitively. Dormant neurotransmitters began firing. Parts of my brain were trabajando overtime to help situate myself in this new space & culture.

I recognized this feeling. It had been awhile but I’d felt it long before. I told mi esposita that this exhilaration must have been the same stimulating experience of learning Inglés as a child con mi familia on the streets of East Los Angeles y Montebello 40+ years ago.

Órale.