virtual nepantla
We are the Botanica Nahualli collective. This is our digital ghetto where we turn toward spirituality and art in search of rēsistance and liberation.
who we are
In efforts to minimize persecutions, we are maintaining anonymity. Instead, our identities are defined by what Gloria Anzaldúa describes as la nepantlera: borderland dwellers, liminal beings, the torn-betweens while radically-elsewheres. We are a paradox that inhabits the borderlands—the space around and between borders—our mere existence dismantles the very concept of the border.
radical imagination is our rēsponsibility
Embedded in our projects is a vision of a more equitable future; one that doesn’t exist yet. By imagining a different future, we bring it into fruition.
wachale cineteca
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Liberating our minds by learning to see what has been hiding in plain sight—together.
rooted goods
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Rē-establishing our connection to the earth, and strengthening our communities in the process.
mendomuscle
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Smoothies, suppliments, community for every-body. MM is a registered transgender safe space and 100% employee-owned.
“Progressive social movements do not simply produce statistics and narratives of oppression; rather the best ones do what great poetry always does: transport us to another place, compel us to relive horrors and, more importantly, enable us to imagine a new society. We must remember that the conditions and the very existence of social movements enable participants to imagine something different, to realize that things need not always be this way…In the poetics of struggle and lived experience, in the utterances of ordinary folk, in the cultural products of social movements, in the reflections of activists, we discover the many different cognitive maps of the future, of the world not yet born.”
—Robin D.G. Kelley
“Borders are set up to define the places that are safe and unsafe, to distinguish us from them. A border is a dividing line, a narrow strip along a steep edge. A borderland is a vague and undetermined place created by the emotional residue of an unnatural boundary. It is in a constant state of transition. The prohibited and forbidden are its inhabitants.”
—Gloria Anzaldúa
“Robin D.G. Kelley reminds us that there is a point where struggles for social justice have to go beyond "keepin' it real," they need to "make it surreal.””
—Lisa Marie Cacho
rēsist
rēsources for the rēsistance
In an effort to keep each other safe, here are some tools for survival during the immigration raids. We will frequently update this page. If any info. is outdated, or if you want to provide helpful info., please contact us.
additional rēsources
▶︎ boyle heights beat | pulso de boyle heights
highlights
● Pulso de Boyle Heights en Español ➞
○ How to care for your mental health during ICE raids, according to a therapist ➞
○ How to help kids cope with ongoing ICE raids, deportations ➞
○ Looking for legal aid and other immigration resources? We’ve got a list ➞
○ The groups sharing and verifying ICE sightings in L.A. and the Eastside ➞
○ Where to donate, volunteer and get support during L.A. ICE raids ➞
deeper dive into boyle heights beat
This is a non-profit news org. that provides “noticias por y para la comunidad.” They cover Boyle Heights and the Eastside. These are professional journalists, their reporting can be trusted.
▶︎ eastside café
eastside café highlights
○ Sign a petition calling for CalTrans and HACLA to transfer the Maycrest Bungalows to Eastside Café, so that the vacant historic buildings can become an educational, traditional arts and culture space.
○ sign the petition ➞
○ visit @eastsidecafela on Instagram ➞
deeper dive into eastside café
This community center in El Sereno adopts a Zapatista ethos of autonomy and self determination. Since 2002, it has continued to serve as a vital third space for the community, a hub where many decolonial and anti-colonial collectives are housed, and a place where organizing happens.
▶︎ l.a. taco’s ice archives
l.a. taco highlights
○ Call These Numbers If You See ICE Activity, From L.A. and Riverside to the Central Valley ➞
○ 22 Places To Volunteer Your Skills For Immigrants and Angelenos In Need Right Now ➞
○ What to do if ICE comes knocking ➞
○ These are your rights if a restaurant gets raided by ICE, for both customers and owners ➞
○ 11 Pro bono or low-cost immigration resources in L.A. ➞
deeper dive into l.a. taco
LA Taco is an independent news organization on the ground in Los Angeles. They are part of the community, and they look out for the community. They created the Ice Archives with important, accurate, and timely information vetted and written by professional journalists who are putting themselves at risk to report back to the community. LA Taco has made access to the Ice Archives free.
create an l.a. taco account
LA Taco has two types of accounts, a free account and a paid subscription. If you have the budget, by all means, support this amazing resource. But, for those of us that don’t have extra cash right now, the ice archives are a valuable rēsource.
▶︎ union del barrio
udb highlights
○ How to Identify Ice Vehicles ⬇︎
○ A Peoples’ Guide to Online Reporting, Protests, and Organization ➞
○ Sign-up for the Community Self-Defense Coalition neighborhood patrols ➞
○ Watch a video about CSDC community patrols ➞
deeper dive into udb
This independent political organization has been around since 1981. They are incredibly organized, and they mobilized immediately during the state-sponsored siege on Los Angeles. Their reach has been so profound that they are being targeted by the current administration.
how to join udb
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You must first review and be in agreement with the Political Program of Unión del Barrio.
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Find out if udb is active in your area by emailing them at info@uniondelbarrio.org and provide your name, location, and contact information. If you live in an area where UdB is active, someone will reach out to you with more info.
Unión del Barrio of Los Angeles, CA
Comité Local: Patricia Marín
info_la@uniondelbarrio.org -
If you live in an area where udb is not currently active, they require individual prospective members to gather at least 6 other people who are interested in udb. If you already have (minimum) 7 people total in your area who are interested in joining udb, email them at info@uniondelbarrio.org and they’ll show you how to set up an informational session in your area.
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In the meantime, follow @uniondelbarrio on ig.
▶︎ los angeles public press
LA Public Press is an independent, non-profit newsroom. Their journalism interrogates systems of power while supporting those trying to build more equitable and resilient communities.