The Brief

Events in Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles are set to mark the 55th anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium.

On Aug. 29, 1970, nearly 30,000 people marched through the streets of East Los Angeles in one of the largest Mexican American anti-war demonstrations in U.S. history. The peaceful protest condemned the disproportionate number of Latinos dying in the Vietnam War.

Though a crackdown by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies led to chaos, injuries and three deaths, including of journalist Ruben Salazar, it became a pivotal moment in the Chicano civil rights movement.

This month, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors formally honored the Chicano Moratorium by approving a motion strengthening protections for journalists covering protests and other public demonstrations.

Whether you’re marching, watching a play, or reflecting on history, here’s are ways to honor the movement this weekend.

March and rally led by Centro CSO

Boyle Heights-based grassroots organization Centro CSO is holding a march and rally to Ruben Salazar Park to honor the 55th anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium. Learn about the history behind the movement, hear from Chicanos who were there and celebrate community together. Union del Barrio, UTLA and Black Lives Matter will also march in solidarity.

When: Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, at 3 p.m.

Where: The march starts at 3 p.m. at Sounds of Music (4945 Whittier Blvd.) and ends at Ruben Salazar Park (3864 Whittier Blvd.) for a rally and program at 4:30 p.m.

More info: @centrocso on Instagram.

August 29 at the Latino Theater Company

August 29 is a play about Chicano identity, anchored by the legacy of journalist Ruben Salazar. The production blends personal stories with the larger Chicano Movement, offering emotional and relevant reflections on cultural pride, activism and justice. With strong performances and impactful storytelling, it’s a must-see for anyone who appreciates thought-provoking theater.

When: Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, at 8 p.m.

Where: East Los Angeles College, Recital Hall S2

Admission: Pay-what-you-can, suggested $10 at the door.

More info: latinotheaterco.org/august29

55th Annual Chicano Moratorium Commemoration

The 50th Chicano Moratorium Committee is uniting with the National Chicano Moratorium Committee for a march and rally. Demonstrators will march from Atlantic Park to Ruben Salazar Park. The program will then continue with vendors, booths, activities and music to celebrate the historic event.

When: Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025

Where: Assemble at 8 a.m. at Atlantic Park (570 S. Atlantic Blvd.), then march to Ruben Salazar Park (3864 Whittier Blvd.) at 10 a.m. The program begins at noon.

More info: 50thchicanomoratorium.org

Fernandomania at CASA 0101

Support Chicano theater by attending Fernandomania at CASA 0101, a play festival featuring 12, 10-minute plays celebrating the life and legacy of the world-renowned Mexican Major League Baseball pitcher, Fernando Valenzuela. Join a Q&A on Friday to hear from Maria Fernanda Valenzuela, daughter of the legendary pitcher, as she makes her debut as a playwright.

When: Aug. 29, 2025, to Sept. 21, 2025. Fridays and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m.

Where: Gloria Molina Auditorium at CASA 0101 Theater, 2102 E. First St., Los Angeles, CA, 90033.

More info: casa0101.org

Alexandra Lozano Kennedy — a former immigration attorney who made wide use of social media and Latino religious iconography to attract clientele — had offices across the U.S., including one in the city of Commerce in Southeast L.A.

Lozano Kennedy was licensed by the Washington State Bar Association, which enabled her to represent clients nationwide. In May, she resigned in lieu of discipline for misconduct and is permanently barred from practicing law in that state. As of June 2026, she is also suspended from practicing before the Department of Homeland Security, including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; immigration courts; and the Board of Immigration Appeals.

Lozano Kennedy, who had tens of thousands of clients, is accused of falsifying stories of trafficking and abuse without her clients’ knowledge, according to lawsuits and immigrant advocates.

At her office in Los Angeles County, clients were met with a large image of the Virgin of Guadalupe in the reception area, flanked by flowers and votive candles, much like a scene inside a local Catholic church. This holy image was also on business cards distributed at the locale. Lozano Kennedy’s use of this iconography as a business strategy harmed community members, said M. Lucero Ortiz, supervising attorney at Loyola Law School’s Immigrant Justice Clinic.

“A lot of them are questioning their own faith," Ortiz said.

“Her fraud really only had a shelf life of about five to six years, because that's how long these cases take to be processed,” Ortiz added.

The clinic she supervises is using social media to help Lozano Kennedy’s former clients navigate the fallout amid the Trump administration’s ongoing mass deportation campaign.

Lozano Kennedy billed herself as a miracle worker, Ortiz said. The work permits clients received as their applications made their way through the immigration process bolstered this belief.

"Clients would think: ‘Oh, my gosh! Everybody else told me that my case was too complex, but this woman got me a work permit in six to nine months,’" Ortiz said. “But what they didn't know is that, five years later, that case would be denied. And they would be in removal proceedings.”

What is Lozano Kennedy accused of?  

According to the Washington State Bar Association, Lozano Kennedy's alleged misconduct includes:

• directing staff to use a script that contained false and/or misleading information when communicating with prospective clients
• filing applications for immigration benefits with USCIS when she knew the clients were ineligible for those benefits
• using nonlawyers to perform legal functions on behalf of clients, and/or delegating legal functions to non-lawyer staff, such as performing client consultations and providing legal advice 

Find a full list of her alleged misconduct here. Lozano Kennedy has denied any wrongdoing.

What do advocates recommend?   

If you were represented by Lozano Kennedy and have petitions or applications pending before USCIS, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center and Loyola Law School’s Immigrant Justice Clinic have provided guidance for former clients. The latter recommends former clients take the following steps:

• Open an account online at my.uscis.gov. This allows people with pending immigration cases to manage and track their status in real time, including filing applications, receiving digital notices, uploading evidence and communicating securely with USCIS officers.
  
• Submit a change of address (USCIS Form AR-11) request. Be sure to file online and mail the request.
  
  • Cases with a receipt number starting with EAC should mail the request to the Vermont Service Center, USCIS Service Center Operations, Attn: Humanitarian Division, 38 River Rd., Essex Junction, VT 05479-0001.
  • Cases with a receipt number starting with LIN, should mail the request forms to the Nebraska Service Center, USCIS Service Center Operations, P.O. Box 87918, Lincoln, NE 68501-7918.
• Send USCIS a revocation of legal representation letter expressing that you no longer want the attorney of record to represent you and that you will be representing yourself (pro se) while you hire another attorney.
  
• Request a copy of your case file online at USCIS FOIA and through email from Luz Legal.
  
• Check your case status at USCIS and immigration court.
  
• Submit a request to the victims’ compensation fund with the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA).
  
• After you receive a copy of your case file, consult a licensed and experienced attorney about the strategy in your case.

Ortiz, the supervising attorney at the clinic, stressed that these are all steps community members can take for themselves, without the help of an attorney. You can find details for each step here.

The Immigrant Justice Clinic also addressed these frequently asked questions:

• Should all of Lozano Kennedy’s former clients withdraw their pending USCIS application?
  
  • No, if a pending case is withdrawn, it can lead to a notice to appear (NTA)/deportation process. Consult with a licensed and experienced attorney before making any decision regarding your case.
• Are all former clients eligible to join the two pending civil lawsuits against Lozano Kennedy?
  
  • No, not all former clients will be able to join the pending lawsuits.
  • To learn more, former clients can share their contact information and a summary of their case online at https://lozanocivilaction.com/#register
  • In California, the statute of limitations for civil fraud claims is three years.
  • A civil lawsuit will not address or fix an individual’s pending immigration case.
    

As another Los Angeles Unified school year starts Wednesday, district leaders say they hope to maintain recent academic progress while they also contend with a series of budget cuts needed to make ends meet.

"The decisions will be hard, but we cannot lose sight of what defines us," said Andrés Chait, the district’s new superintendent, in a July speech kicking off the start of the new academic year. "We are the system that lifts students to opportunity, turns potential into achievement, creates spaces of belonging, healing [and] growth."

The country’s second-largest school district resumes classes as federal immigration raids continue along with the detention of area parents and children.

What we are hearing

For the most part, LAUSD students told LAist they’re experiencing the usual mix of nerves and excitement associated with the first day of school.

They’re also aware that local and national politics are reshaping their education, including who is in the classroom.

Andrea, a sophomore at Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School in Lincoln Heights, said there were days last year when so many students were absent that teachers would pause their lessons.

“What's the point of teaching it if half the class is gone?” Andrea said. “That really makes everybody behind.”

Educators have patrolled the neighborhood near Andrea’s school to notify families of any ICE activity nearby.

“That definitely made us feel more safe and more respected in the school,” she said. Throughout the year, she noticed more of her peers return to class.

A looming shortfall

LAUSD’s spending is budgeted to exceed revenue by $2 billion this school year. For the third consecutive year, the district plans to pay the difference with reserves that were largely built up by one-time federal pandemic relief dollars.

The district’s financial projections show LAUSD will be short $231 million by November 2027.

The L.A. County Office of Education, which oversees the finances of local districts, intervened in July after the board approved new labor contracts for LAUSD’s largest unions.

“The financial reality before the District raises serious concerns regarding its ability to meet its financial obligations,” wrote Debra Duardo, L.A. County Superintendent of Schools, in a July 2 letter.

If district officials decide to request an emergency loan from the state, it would trigger a rare takeover that would strip LAUSD’s board of decision-making power and likely take years to undo.

The county appointed a fiscal advisor to the district, but did not grant that person the authority to override the board or superintendent’s decisions.

The county directed LAUSD to provide more details about the district’s plan to stabilize the budget through $3.6 billion in cuts spread out over three years. District officials said their plan envisions furloughs for all employees in the 2027-28 school year — a move that requires negotiating with the unions that represent those employees.

“I think what they expect to see from us… is frankly a prove-up around the fiscal stabilization plan,” Chait said. “They want to see that we can actually implement what we put into that plan.”

District staff have previously said that plans to stabilize the budget could lead to more than 6,000 layoffs, amounting to more than 10% of LAUSD’s current workforce.

One unknown is how future state funding will change the district’s budget projections. While California education funding has risen in recent years, the state plans to hold back $3.9 billion for schools and community colleges in the most recent budget.

“No one is asking the state for anything more or less than what we are due,” Chait said. “We are not asking for a handout.”

New, but familiar leadership

Though Chait is new to the district’s top job, he is familiar to many from his nearly three-decade tenure as a district educator and administrator.

District principals greeted Chait with a standing ovation at his first opening-of-schools address in July.

“As I was preparing for this talk, I was thinking about how to introduce myself,” Chait told a crowd of several hundred administrators at James A. Garfield High School. “But then I realized you don't introduce yourself to family.”

Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Andrés Chait speaks with educators and support staff at Pacoima Middle School on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026.

(

Allen J. Schaben

/

Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

)

Chait highlighted preliminary results from the state’s standardized reading and math tests that show a third consecutive year of improvements.

However, even with that progress, the majority of students do not meet the benchmark for either subject. It’s unclear how LAUSD’s performance compares to the state because those results have yet to be released.

Chait is the first LAUSD insider to serve as superintendent in a decade. His hire came after two high-profile external hires — Alberto Carvalho, a former Miami schools leader, and Austin Beutner, an investment banker and former publisher of the L.A. Times.

LAUSD’s elected seven-member board, which has the final say on the district’s financial decisions, is unchanged. Voters re-elected incumbents to this year’s three board races from a sparse field of candidates in June’s primary contest.

Ongoing enrollment challenges

LAUSD is projected to enroll 378,000 students in transitional kindergarten through 12th grade this school year.

As birth rates decline, fewer students are enrolling at schools throughout the state. The drop in enrollment is steeper in areas with high costs of living, such as L.A.

California funds schools based on an average of how many students show up to class each day, with additional money for every student in the district who is low-income, an English-language learner, unhoused or a foster youth. Over time, fewer students could lead to less funding.

District leaders attributed last school year’s larger-than-expected drop in students to the “fear and instability” associated with federal immigration raids.

Even students who continued to attend school reported changing their behavior in response to the raids.

Alvira, a junior at Lake Balboa College Preparatory Magnet K-12, is an immigrant from Bangladesh. She started carrying a photocopy of her passport until she could get a REAL ID.

“Just in case anything happens, I can prove that I'm a citizen,” Alvira said.

Dîner en Blanc — the DIY, fine, alfresco meal held in secret locations — has returned to L.A.

The event had been on hiatus here for seven years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and struggles to find a new volunteer host.

But on Aug. 1, around 1,500 people dined and danced right on the street in front of the Beverly Hills City Hall. Past locations include the Santa Monica Pier and the plaza at the Music Center in downtown L.A. The mostly volunteer organization says it's looking to come back in March 2027 with double the attendance.

I heard about Dîner en Blanc about 10 years ago and always wondered if it was worth the hype, a question I’m asking myself more frequently as many pop-ups are more geared towards cool photo-ops as opposed to a good experience.

The event is held in cities around the world, but started in France and is rooted in both celebrating French culture and the tradition of gathering to break bread together —- a concept I can get behind.

Attending requires some planning and legwork, including online registration, a membership fee, a nice picnic, carrying a table and chairs, not knowing where you are going because the location is kept secret until the last minute, and working with a group of strangers to find the spot and set up everything.

Everything you wear and put on your table has to be white. Not eggshell. Not cream. Not even off-white. Paper and plastic are discouraged.

Guests are encouraged to get extra fancy with their table decor and outfits, and awards are given out for both. Those who go all out wear full costumes with wigs, masks and hats, and some tables are decorated with shining glass and twinkling lights.

Then there’s the cost

Creative table settings are encouraged, and judges choose one for a prize.

(

Julia Paskin

/

LAist

)

Entry is $65 per ticket, plus a $14 membership fee. Tickets are sold in pairs. 

It's $15 for table and chairs rental (optional instead of bring your own). This is worth it if you don’t already own white folding chairs. Plus you don’t have to transport anything.

A multi-course meal for two is prepared by Todd English, a celebrity chef. That costs up to $125 — or you can bring your own. The prepared meal is a good option with enough food for two people (if that’s in your price range), but I enjoy putting a picnic together, so I would personally opt to do that part myself in the future.

For beverages:

• Water: 18.5 ounces, optional instead of BYO, $4, or $32 for a box of 12.
• Wine: There's no BYOB. Packages including Chambord and chocolates, from $25 to $68.

And none of that includes parking, gas or rideshare costs.

So was it worth it?

To quote first-time attendee Lilli Burrows: “I don’t need more stuff, I need experiences. I need to have fun things to do and create wonderful memories.”

Guests await the ceremonial napkin wave to start the meal after setting up Dîner en Blanc in Beverly Hills recently.

(

Julia Paskin

/

LAist

)

Hector Gama also attended for the first time and was already planning for next year.

“We kind of downplayed it this time, but I’m sure next time there’s going to be a lot more stuff,” he said.

Alexa Kushner, 26, was invited by friends. “It feels like a really socially unique experience, and it's bonding the community of Los Angeles in a really fun way,” he told me.

Pro tips from guests

• Don’t worry about getting your outfit, meal or table set up perfectly. Be as extravagant as you want, but there are no fashion police or even any judgey vibes. 
• Wear comfortable shoes since you have to carry your items or at least walk to your table.
• Bring a stain remover. Sharing a Tide Pen will make you very popular.

As for me?

• I would pay the extra 15 bucks to not have to bring my own table and chairs.
• I would not pay more than $100 on the pre-made meal when I can bring a cheaper picnic that's more to my taste.
• Would I recommend it? Its a festive event with food, music and sparklers which could make for a fun holiday-like tradition with a group of friends, or if you just want to meet new people in a friendly atmosphere. If that's not your cup of tea, there's plenty of great picnic spots in L.A. that are free.

Get notifications for next year’s Dîner en Blanc here.

This story first appeared on Long Beach Post.

A $790,000 fence recently installed around Long Beach’s main library is drawing renewed criticism from a group of residents who advise the city on homelessness policy.

In a letter sent last week, the Homeless Services Advisory Committee said the money could have been better spent sheltering people rather than driving their encampments away from the Billie Jean King Main Library at the heart of downtown.

“This amount of $800,000, if dedicated to services for homeless individuals, would shelter a minimum of 10 people for a year,” the committee wrote in a letter to the City Council and Mayor Rex Richardson.

Committee members have said they were caught off guard when the fence went up in March, and they’ve asked to be consulted on any similar projects in the future.

Volunteers on the committee are appointed by the mayor and council to advise them on homelessness, but, in this case, they’ve found themselves at odds.

City officials say the fence was a necessary step to restore the library’s ability to hold events on its outdoor terrace, which was often crowded with tents and people’s belongings. And despite its cost to install, it’s started to save the city money, according to city spokesperson Kat Schuster.

Before, the city had to power-wash around the library daily, but that’s no longer necessary, Schuster wrote in an email. She said that’s saved an estimated $70,000 this fiscal year.

A worker powerwashing the ground outside the Billie Jean King Main Library in downtown Long Beach as unhoused people who were camped in the area look on Friday, July 7, 2023.

(

Brandon Richardson

/

Long Beach Post

)

There’s also been a drastic decline in encampments and a drop in the number of police and fire calls at the library, according to Schuster. Fewer people are also being kicked out of the library for rowdy or disruptive behavior, she added.

From April through July this year, only 28 people have been temporarily banned from the library compared to 67 during those same months last year.

In 2022, the library even had to shut down temporarily because of safety concerns among staff. It reopened with increased security, but remained a drain on public safety resources.

“The decision to fence the Billie Jean King Main Library terrace restored the space to its intended purpose as a safe, welcoming area for children, families and library programming,” Mayor Richardson said in a statement.

Personal items are left on the outside of the fence at the Billie Jean King Main Library in Long Beach on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026.

(

Thomas R. Cordova

/

Long Beach Post

)

Advisory committee members, however, worried the city could turn to this tactic more frequently.

“As the City of Long Beach prepares to host high-profile events related to the L.A. 2028 Olympics, pressure will increase on city officials to address encampments of unsheltered individuals,” they wrote in their letter.

Meanwhile, homelessness continues to rise in Long Beach — up 3.7% this year — and the city is under pressure to cut its expenses to close a $58 million budget gap.

“These reductions are likely to have severe consequences for people experiencing homelessness, as more than 2,000 individuals are already living on the streets and in vehicles, and our city currently has an average five-month placement wait time for those who request shelter,” the advisory committee wrote.