Share: Bamboo poles thump against the ground as dancers weave in and out between the poles. Music fills the area as the dances switch into one of color and fabric, called cariñosa. Colorful dresses, fans, and handkerchiefs flow in the air as pairs of dancers get lost in the movement. The Reunited Organization of Pilipinx Americans (TROPA) performed at the second celebration for Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Heritage Month this past Thursday, May 8. The event featured traditional Filipino folk dances, tinikling, and …
My Territory: A walk through Hansen Dam showcases Pacoima’s scenic and cultural charm
Share: Located in the San Fernando Valley, Pacoima is a neighborhood deeply rooted in culture and history. Known for its vibrant Latino community, its strong Mexican-American heritage seeps through each and every pore of its local businesses, colorful murals, and neighborhood festivals. Understanding the history of Pacoima adds a layer of depth to my experience here. Originally inhabited by the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians, Pacoima has a legacy that dates back centuries, reflecting the resilience and spirit of its people. The Tataviam tribe …
Armenian Heritage Month celebration unites a scattered people
Share: Joyful Armenian pop-style music filled Galloway Plaza as Armenian students, faculty and vendors gathered to celebrate Armenian History Month while dancers from Lilia Dance Studio dressed in colorful clothes to perform traditional Armenian dances to the delight of the crowd. With a chef on-site to teach everyone how to make traditional Armenian dishes, the activities demonstrated the many aspects of Armenian culture. Last Tuesday, April 29, PCC’s Joint Armenian Network (PCC JAN) presented an Armenian Market as the last event celebrating Armenian Heritage Month …
Endgame for Pasadena comic shop: Distributor bankruptcy, tariffs close the book
Share: For more than 30 years, Comics Factory stood as Pasadena’s fortress of solitude for superheroes, manga, and all things nerd culture. But in recent weeks, its front windows are no longer covered in comic posters or lit by neon signs. Instead, stark “STORE CLOSING” signs plaster the face of a beloved local cornerstone, a quiet casualty of a collapse far larger than it first seemed. “Diamond Comics, one of our big distributors, declared bankruptcy,” Comics Factory owner George Huang said. “It [would] be very …
A family bond forged by fire: Inside PCC’s first Wildland Fire Academy
Share: “You really do become family.” That’s how Madeline Woodman, class leader of Pasadena City College’s first Wildland Fire Academy, or Wildland Fire Academy 1, described the eight relentless weeks of training — weeks that, in her words: “pushed every one of us physically, mentally, and emotionally,” forging a group of strangers into a unit shaped by fire. On the morning of April 12, that unit, 38 strong, gathered into the Creveling Lounge to celebrate what they’d accomplished. As friends and relatives filled the room, …
PCC alum uses poetry to find strength through struggle
Share: The first of April was a warm and welcoming afternoon as students made their way to the Writing Success Center eager to indulge in poetry. Words filled the room as author Adrian Ernesto Cepeda recited poems from his book, “La Belle Ajar,” a book with pages and pages of inked-out poems inspired by the iconic book written by Sylvia Plath, “The Bell Jar.” On Tuesday, April 1, the Writing Success Center hosted a reading, Q&A, and writing experience in celebration of the start of …
My Territory: A love letter to Griffith Park
Share: It’s 2:37 p.m. on a Tuesday; my room is scattered with school work and books; my brain is overflowing with words. I stand up, grab my keys, walk out to my car, and pull out onto Riverside Drive. It’s 78° and sunny, and all my windows are down. The smell of wood and laurel sumac fills the car as my hair gets tangled in the wind. Songs by the Eagles are blasting throughout the interior as I speed down the road. I turn onto …
My Territory: The Rose Bowl inspires my Pasadena pride
Share: The wind starts to pick up on a warm summer night, and the sweat beads on my face prickle as the breeze blows by. It’s Independence Day, the summer of 2015, and my son and I are sitting in the parking lot of the Rose Bowl Stadium alongside dozens of rows of tailgaters and other spectators eagerly awaiting the traditional light show. An eerie silence falls amongst us as we anticipate the first sounds. Boom! Boom! Boom! We hear the fireworks shoot towards the …
Inspiration LA wraps a marketplace, museum, and party into one damn good time
Share: To the thousands of visitors, clothing vendors and vintage fashion enthusiasts alike, who attend the Inspiration Los Angeles vintage clothing fair each year, the event may have all of the hallmarks of a marketplace, yet it is often described as an experience more akin to what you would encounter in a museum. With one-of-a-kind archival clothing pieces often being fitted on mannequins instead of on racks for trying on, some dating as far back as the 1800s, it’s easy to see why. However, the …
Huntington garden curator balances Chinese culture with SoCal roots
Share: According to the Huntington Library, more than 1 million people step foot onto its grounds every year. Liu Fang Yuan, or The Garden of Flowing Fragrance, welcomes tourists from different parts of the world to learn about their heritage and culture at this popular destination. This past Thursday, April 3, PCC’s Circadian hosted keynote speaker, founding curator of the Chinese Garden, June Li to discuss the creation and significance behind the highly esteemed garden. After almost 20 years since the garden’s completion, Li discussed …