First launched in 2021, Midcity Mercado is a monthly market held in West Adams with over 30 BIPOC vendors. Its June festival will raise money for local immigrant communities.
(Giovanny Maldonado / Mid-City Mercado)
15 food fundraisers and events that support L.A.’s immigrant communities
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Ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids have sent shock waves across the Southern California region, with many people sheltering indoors out of fear of being targeted by anti-immigration efforts.
With Latinos and immigrants representing the majority of the food and agricultural work forces, these raids have had an immediate impact on local restaurants and food businesses. Restaurant owners and managers are scrambling to keep their staff safe, even offering transportation and grocery deliveries to those who fear navigating public spaces.
But L.A.’s restaurant industry is coming up with innovative ways for patrons to support workers, including the launch of limited menu items, the collection of shelf-stable foods for distribution and fundraising events that span an Independence Day block party, all with at least a portion of proceeds going to local organizations aimed at protecting immigrant rights. Keep reading for ideas on how to get involved:
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Casa Vega
Sherman Oaks Mexican Cuisine
(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)
Casa Vega is serving up a limited special with its Mexican Caesar wrap that’s available from Friday, June 20, through Sunday, June 22, with all proceeds benefiting the Immigrant Defenders Law Center. The wrap is available for dine-in and takeout and can be ordered with grilled chicken or a vegan substitute. Fingers crossed that owner Christy Vega, who has been a voice for immigrant rights since ICE raids began in L.A., puts the wrap on the classic Mexican restaurant‘s permanent menu.
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Midcity Mercado
West Adams Seafood $
(Brian Saucedo / Mid-City Mercado)
Siblings Jasmine and Giovanni Maldonado launched Midcity Mercado, a monthly festival with rotating BIPOC vendors in 2021 in West Adams, where they both grew up. The festival has only grown since then, with the siblings even hosting the neighborhood’s first annual Día de los Muertos celebration. For their June pop-up on Saturday, June 21, from 3 to 9 p.m., the pair have partnered with the United for Immigrants movement, with all vendors pledging to donate proceeds toward the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) and GoFundMe campaigns that support local immigrant families. As always, Mariscos Marias will be on hand serving cocteles and micheladas.
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Anti-ICE Community Fundraiser
Glassell Park Event
This anti-ICE fundraiser is being thrown by Silk and Sugar Co. at Dead Friends L.A. retail shop in Frogtown on Saturday, June 21, with live music, poetry, shopping and local food and drink vendors serving up everything from birria to ceviche and matcha. Tickets are $10 per person and T-shirts will be available for $25, with a portion of proceeds donated to multiple organizations supporting immigrant rights. Live music will begin at 7 p.m. and vendors will be available to shop all night. Tickets can be purchased online.
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Food Fight: Culinary Resistance Against Prejudice
Venice Pizza $$
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angles Times)
Former political organizer turned pizzaiolo David Turkell is behind this pizza pop-up taking place off the Venice Boardwalk on Sunday, June 22 from 5 to 9 p.m. The chef, who is also part of the L.A. Pizza Alliance that formed to provide relief to those hit by January wildfires, promises pizza, kebabs, suya, ranch shots and special guests, with all proceeds donated to organizations defending human rights, including the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA).
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Fan Girl Cafe
West Hollywood Coffee
(Carlin Stiehl/Los Angeles Times)
The bubblegum-pink walls of this West Hollywood coffee shop are adorned with posters of women and LGTBQ+ musicians, with emphasis placed on the ‘90s and early-aughts bands that co-owner and former concert photographer Betsy Martinez grew up loving. Through June 27, the cafe is donating 10% of all drink sales and 100% of molletes sales to MyCielo, an organization focused on social justice issues affecting Indigenous communities.
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The Stache Bar
Long Beach Bar/Nightclub $
Head to Long Beach on Sunday, June 28, for an evening centered around art, music, food, drinks and community action. Expect summer cocktails and art from local makers, with next-door burger bar Sideburns serving food until 1 a.m. Proceeds from the event will go towards Long Beach-based nonprofit Organizing Rooted in Abolition, Liberation & Empowerment (ÓRALE).
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Ètra and Café Telegrama Block Party Fundraiser
Italian $$
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
In Melrose Hill, Ètra and Café Telegrama are hosting a block-party-style fundraiser in collaboration with Little Fish on Thursday, July 3, beginning at 5 p.m., with a portion of proceeds going to Mad Collective to support its efforts to feed L.A.’s immigrant communities. The menu will include Café Telegrama’s burger, hot dogs (including a seafood option), freshly shucked oysters and fried fish sandwiches, with desserts by Karla Subero Pittol of Chainsaw, all paired with summer-appropriate wines and beers.
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Bar Nuda
Venice Mocktails $$
(Jill Connelly/De Los)
Non-alcoholic drinks pop-up Bar Nuda will celebrate Independence Day with a community resource and wellness event, with all proceeds donated to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA). The event will take place on July 4 from 7 to 10 p.m. at Little Lunch coffee shop in Venice.
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A Tí
Echo Park Mexican $$
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
The modern taqueria in Echo Park is supporting local immigrant communities by selling jars of its house salsa negra — the same earthy sauce that’s drizzled over the restaurant’s crowd-favorite tuna tostada — with all profits going to CHIRLA. Head to A Tí to purchase the jars in person.
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Daisy Margarita Bar
Sherman Oaks Mexican $$
The newly opened margarita bar in Sherman Oaks from the team behind Mírate is running an identical fundraising campaign as its sister restaurant, which is donating a portion of proceeds from all cocktail sales to Ground Game L.A.’s raid support fund and selling art prints featuring the work of local artist Malie Huffman. All proceeds go to No Us Without You, an organization that supports undocumented back-of-house workers. The team is working on turning the same print into a label that will be featured on rotating canned cocktails, with a portion of proceeds donated to similar causes.
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Little Fish
Echo Park Breakfast/Lunch Seafood $
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Anna Sonenshein and Niki Vahle’s casual seafood-focused counter in Echo Park’s Dada Market began preparing and delivering meals to displaced Angelenos during January wildfires, and the pair have launched a similar initiative to support local immigrant communities following ICE raids. Little Fish is collecting donations for Mad Collective, a nonprofit dedicated to uniting communities through food and essential care. Donation requests include shelf-stable foods and hygiene products, and can be dropped off at Little Fish for distribution.
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Mi Cafecito Coffee
Pomona Coffee $
In Pomona, Mi Cafecito Coffee is collecting essential donations in collaboration with Manos Unidos, which provides care baskets to immigrants at risk of deportation. Items requested include snacks and hygiene products. Once enough donations have been gathered, the coffee shop will host a community event to assemble care packages together.
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Mírate
Los Feliz Mexican $$$
(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles Times)
The lush Mexican restaurant in Los Feliz with an award-winning bar program focused on agave spirits is supporting L.A.’s immigrant communities by donating a portion of proceeds from all cocktail sales to Ground Game L.A.’s raid support fund. The team also commissioned a piece of art from Los Feliz-based artist Malie Huffman and will be offering it as prints, with 100% of proceeds going to No Us Without You, an organization that supports undocumented back-of-house workers. There’s a plan to feature the same print — which depicts a woman raising a sledge hammer over her head to crush a piece of ice — on rotating canned cocktails, with a portion of proceeds donated to similar organizations.
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Potluck Local
Eagle Rock Grocer $$
In Glassell Park, neighborhood grocer Potluck Local is working with Mad Collective to provide food directly to neighbors in need. Customers can sponsor a family with a $75 basket that includes shelf-stable foods and essential toiletries, or donate in store or directly online.
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Shiku
Downtown L.A. Global $
(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)
At the historic Grand Central Market in downtown L.A., Shiku has committed to donating 50% of its monthly profits through August to nonprofit organizations supporting local communities, including the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, Day Laborer Network and CHIRLA. Owned by husband-and-wife and Baroo co-owners Kwang Uh and Mina Park, the homestyle Korean stall serves rice combo plates, Korean fried chicken and bulgogi mandu.
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