My group and I went to EL Mercado that was located in the first street in East Los Angeles. El Mercado is a three-story market place that has a multiple of things to enjoy. El Mercado is famous for the restaurant that is located on the third floor with mariachi playing to enjoy. El Mercado has so many small shops located in each level with so many items that are imported from Mexico to buy. It is a place a place that has the feel and items to make people feel as if they were in Mexico.
As we were there we explored each level and store as we interviewed and took notes. El Mercado has been a place that I have gone a couple of times with my family but never really paid to the issues. We found many social problems within the place, the more people we asked to interview the more we got turned down. It was frustrating but later noticed they were afraid of deportation which caused a lack of trust within their own culture (us).
One of the few interviews was with a jewelry storeowner inside the Mercado mentioned that we looked undercover and was shocking to us. We were dressed in jeans and sweaters but I guess the big clipboard and cameras scared them away too. He mentioned that people go there because they feel at home and find Mexican goodies there. He mentioned how it is a place that is always full so makes businesses there get money.
Inside the jewelry shop there was a guy by the name of Jaime that was Carlos the jewelry shop owner. As Carlos was busy with a client he showed me a gun that was located in the side of the jewelry clear box. He also pointed out how there was allot of empty alcoholic beverages that were out in the open because they drink there with friends. I asked them if they had bought the gun from someone and if it was registered. He said it wasn’t registered and was a gun that Carlos bought of a person. I told them if they even knew it was a clean gun (meaning it wasn’t a murder weapon or something that made him sell it). I quick learned that the gun they bought was in no way safe and he even told me they buy guns they like to just resell and it was all about money.
Allot of the businesses there have illegal items like medicines. As we walked around we noticed there are even needles that are easy to purpose in some shops. Another social issue was that allot of items there are not FDA (Food Drug Administration). We noticed allot of the candy was and food was in the out and made it easy for any bug to fall in one of the Mexican candy like the tamarindo (dark, sticky, thick, candy in a big bucket).
I was asking questions and those few people like Angelica, Jaime, Carlos and a older man gave me their point of view of why it is a place where allot people go but mostly Hispanics. They said it was because the place does give a small feel of Mexico like boots, food, candy, corn, clothes, cd’s, and more. Something I captured from three different people I interviewed of different ages was that they said appearance was one really important reason why many didn’t talk to us. They said that when they are there they dress in a cowboy manner but when they are in the streets they dress with shoes and jeans. Jaime which was in his mid twenties and a older man in the age of seventy something both agreed is a place where the people shape the environment with the way they decorate (with Mexican flags and Virgin Mary) and what they decide to sell. The place also shapes a person because they dress in a certain way when they go and speaks Spanish when they are there.
( Virgin Mary painting located in the parking lot of El Mercado)
(Mariachi playing in El Mercado)
( Los Angles City Council Richard Alacron talking about some social issues in El Mercado)
