Tag Archives: Montebello

We Left Pasadena for Montebello During the Eaton Fire

Near Schurr High School in Montebello, view of Eaton Fire looking north toward Pasadena. Photo: Jonathan Pacheco Bell

Originally posted on LinkedIn, this message is cross-posted on my website and facebook.

Thank you to fellow planners and community members who reached out. As the Eaton Fire grew, Alejandra and I left Pasadena for mom’s in Montebello. Not everyone had that possibility.

My heart breaks for our friends and neighbors who have suffered catastrophic losses. It is just devastating. Altadena, Pasadena, and neighboring communities are changed forever. While we collectively grieve, there is a monumental community support and mutual aid effort underway. Assistance, support, solidarity is welcome.

Before leaving our block, we donated to the Pasadena Humane Society. They are inundated with animals of all sizes needing treatment and shelter. If you would like to help our communities, consider donating to Pasadena Humane.

Teacher Appreciation Week 2023

At my drafting table in 1995. Photo: Angela Pacheco

I wouldn’t be here without public school teachers in the Montebello Unified School District who had my back.

Shout out to Mr. Perez at Montebello High School who taught me the word “meticulous” and trained us little foolios to be #architects.

Shout out to Ms. Georgino at Montebello Intermediate who encouraged my writing on bizarro #futurism in 1989.

Shout out to Ms. Peterson at Washington Elementary who taught me how to #write my very long name which used to have a confusing hyphen.

This is #TeacherAppreciationWeek

Thank a teacher 🍎 ✏️ 🌏 ♥️ 🙏🏽

We Saw Ourselves in Cypress Hill

Representing Cypress Hill in my 1992 yearbook photo at Montebello High School

I wrote about the impact of Cypress Hill’s trailblazing self-titled debut album that dropped 31 years ago today, and explained why I represented them to the fullest in my 1992 yearbook photo at Montebello High School.

The #HipHopHistory microessay is on my Instagram (private but I add): https://www.instagram.com/c1typlann3r/

Excerpt:

“We saw ourselves in Cypress. They talked like us. We looked like them. Or tried, if you could grow a goatee.

This foolio went all in. I wore out that cassette tape. I grew a whiskery #brocha. I joined the Cypress Hill fan club, scoring stickers, newsletters, and the OG Cypress Hill t-shirt with the skull, weed, & globe in compass album cover on the front, and on the back it read: “The Phuncky Cypress Hill Shit.” The iconic gear got me suspended from Montebello High and gaffeled up by Magic Mountain security —“harassed by a pig real fast,” to quote B-Real.

When it came time for my 1992 yearbook photo, I had to represent. Vatos don’t smile ey. But I was moody too. The night before I’d phucked up my mustache trim. I cut it all off rather than leave it #chueco in the yearbook. I told myself that I was still down for mine. That’s not Johnny, it’s SKUZ ONE.”