LA's Piñata District has been pummeled by ICE sweeps: 'A party is now a luxury'

A party store from the outside, full of colorful piñatas hanging from the ceiling.

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Just east of the Fashion District in downtown L.A., in a riot of color and shape and texture, the Piñata District on Olympic Boulevard sells everything you could need for a vibrant party.

But now, amid ongoing ICE sweeps, the goods are still there, but the customers are not.

On a recent visit, most people in the area were employees unloading merchandise. Talking to vendors was difficult — they were either too scared to speak or too short-staffed to stop and chat.

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Nini Santoyo, owner of El Cora Productos, imports merchandise from small towns all over Mexico. She says businesses in the Piñata District have seen a large drop in sales. “You see how lonely it is? There's no cars; there's no people walking," Santoyo said. "It is dead.”

"Everybody's really scared of coming,” she said.

A woman with medium skin tone and blonde hair is holding an artisan pitcher with both hands. She's wearing a black shirt and a red skirt. In the background, there are Mexican artisan goods displayed on shelves.

Nini Santoyo at El Cora Productos.

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Karen Mariana Cardenas Ceballos

LAist

)

Party supplies store aisle with a variety of cantaritos on the right and piñatas hanging from the ceiling.

Customers are few at Party Time and Candies.

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Karen Mariana Cardenas Ceballos

LAist

)

Hugo Beltrán, who works at La Dulcería, said sales had dropped more than 90%. His shop's entire customer base is Latino — and parties are the last thing on people’s minds.

“A party is now a luxury,” Beltrán said.

Santoyo said this moment is worse than COVID, because at least then, “people were still gathering at home. Now nobody’s doing anything.”

Cars are parked on both sides of a street, a wooden crate behind one of them. Power lines and store signs are visible in the background.

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She’s had to adapt to different strategies, including creating an online store. But she says shipping is difficult because a lot of their merchandise is fragile. “There is a loss right there too,” she said. “If something breaks, we also lose.”

She's started doing videos on social media showing the merchandise they have as a sales strategy. “But it's not the same [as] when you get everybody coming here, back in the day,” she sighed.

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Daniel Morales, who works at Party Time and Candies, said they’ve even lowered their prices — but despite that, people still aren't coming. “People stopped doing events, parties, many things, because they don’t want to be affected,” Morales said.

His coworker, Angela Flores, who has worked at the business for 14 years, wants to encourage people to visit and experience what the Piñata District offers.

“Come and support us by buying candy, piñatas," she said. "We need the job. We have families. We have to pay for our things. Sometimes we don’t have enough."

“We don’t have income from other sources, and we are taking a risk by coming to work.”

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Angel Calle, owner of Miches Trakas, sells micheladas, palomas, mojitos and capirinhas while playing music from Mexico, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and Colombia.

A medium skinned man with a beard wearing a black shirt, a silver necklace, and a fanny pack with a sign that reads “NIKE.” He has tattoos on both arms.

Angel Calle of Miches Trakas.

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Karen Mariana Cardenas Ceballos

LAist

)

Painted cantaritos are displayed on shelving, with signs that read “RAIDERS,” “LA SUEGRA,” and “LOS ANGELES LAKERS.” The shelves also hold a variety of imported alcoholic drinks, plastic cups, and a transparent cup with a dollar bill inside.

Calle pivoted his strategy to go to his customers.

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Karen Mariana Cardenas Ceballos

LAist

)

With the ICE sweeps affecting business, he figured out a different sales strategy. He converted his truck to the "Trakas mobile" and now takes his drinks — and music — to people who might be afraid to go out, at no extra charge.

“What they pay here, they can pay from their home as well,” Calle said. He figures if he can't bring customers to him, he can bring the experience of being at his stand to them — and some enjoyment at a difficult time.