Mary Cummins Investigative Reporter Los Angeles, California: mexico

Showing posts with label mexico. Show all posts

Sunday, October 5, 2025

Take 3 Film Festival at Plaza de Cultural y Artes by Mary Cummins, Maria Rivera

Take 3 Film Festival presented by East LA Film Festival, Panamanian International Film Festival/LA and La Plaza de Cultura y Artes was held October 4, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Event information. Hosted by Catrinas. Performances by Diablos Catrinas, Danza de las Ollas Chinelos, Cuerudos negritos y bandas de musica, Telasofa. Movie premier at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes next to Olvera Street El Pueblo. I was there for the short "Catrinas in the City of Angels" directed by Veronica Bradham aka @veronica.ohyeah76 @catrinas.inthecityofangels #diademuertos #catrinas #marycummins #mariarivera #losangeles #california #filmfestival #catrinsinthecityofangels #eastlafilmfestival #take3filmfestival #laplazadeculturayartes

I was lucky enough to meet Francesca la bailarina de los jornaleros del norte outside the event on Olvera street. Had to get a photo and tell her I'm her biggest fan. I've taken a few videos of her dancing at pro immigrant events.

Event information

Join a groundbreaking celebration! This milestone event unites two visionary festivals and a historic cultural institution under one banner, combining storytelling, heritage, and creativity:

East LA Film Festival’s 17th Annual Film Festival, founded by Juan Escobedo

The Panamanian International Film Festival/LA, founded by Carlos Carrasco

LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, a cornerstone of cultural preservation in Los Angeles

Together, these collaborators bring a bold new initiative that merges resources, talent, and films from around the world. This partnership showcases the leadership of Escobedo, Carrasco, and LA Plaza’s mission to amplify underrepresented voices, creating platforms for stories that inspire and unite audiences.

Join us for an extraordinary experience where local and global stories collide, celebrating the power of film to connect, spark dialogue, and build community. Enjoy screenings, entertainment, a panel, and more! Food and drinks will be available for purchase.

OFFICIAL SELECTION

Catrinas in the City of Angels 

Director Veronica Bradham (8 min)

Della

Director Alessandro Gentile (20 min)

Death in Training

Director Miguel Angel Duran (14 min)

Fiat Lux 5000 

Director Daniel Eduvijes Carrera (13 min)

Freddy the Murse

Director Carlos Carrasco (11 min)

Giving Back the Fruits 

Director Hedy Torres (8 min)

Go Live

Director Michael J. Gonzales (13 min)

Grind

Director Mark Apicella (16 min)

Lil Chuco

Director Mario Hernandez (5 min)

Pictures of Shohei Ohtani

Director Juan Javier “Javo” Aguirre (6 min)

Press Play

Director Estor R. Suares (6 min)

Someday

Director Anna Reynoso (12 min)

Super Latina

Director Cristina Sasso (6 min)

Vampiñera

Director Miguel Angel Duran (8 min)

Vivir

Director Gerardo Maravilla (9 min)

Xinachtli

Director Andy James Garcia (5 min)

Zoot Suit Love Story

Directors George & Ricardo Ortega (3 min)

FOOD VENDOR

El Kikiriki Pollos Asados

Details

October 4, 2025

6:00 pm

LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes

Mary Cummins of Cummins Real Estate is a certified residential licensed appraiser in Los Angeles, California. Mary Cummins is licensed by the California Bureau of Real Estate appraisers and has over 35 years of experience.

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Saturday, September 27, 2025

Today's Deportations and Mexican Repatriation from 1930's by Mary Cummins, Maria Rivera

Deportation, Mexican Repatriation, Mary Cummins, Maria Rivera, color

My grandmother was born in Mexico City in 1899. She came to the US in 1902 with her father and brothers. She became a US citizen in 1922 and married a natural born US citizen in 1928. My Nana told me about the Mexican repatriation of the 1930's. Some of her relatives who were also US citizens were sent to Mexico including their children who were born in the US.

Mary Cummins, Maria Rivera, Mexican American, US citizen, Mexico, California, Repatriation, Deportation

The repatriations frightened my grandmother. She had light olive skin, dark eyes and dark hair. She started using an old time fade cream to lighten her skin. She wore light face makeup, light gloves and light hosiery. She wore hats and used umbrellas so she wouldn't tan. She learned English at the same time she learned Spanish, French and German as a child so she didn't have an accent. Still she didn't speak Spanish outside of the house. She always only wore 100% American fashion and styles. She made sure everyone called her Mrs. Mary Cummins and never Maria Rivera. I believe it's also the reason she married a super white blonde guy with white blue eyes which is why I'm so light. She valued light color because of the discrimination against people with darker skin, hair and eyes. She feared darker relatives being taken away.

My Nana carried all those fears and behaviors from Repatriation until the day she died at the age of 91. I was told not to speak Spanish outside of the house because she didn't want people to think I was a Mexican. She told me to stop dying my blonde hair darker. The only time I'd wear Mexican clothing was when we were in Mexico visiting relatives for the holidays. Then we could relax, speak Spanish, eat Mexican food and wear Mexican clothing.

What's happening today is another repatriation. Many US citizens are being deported. Others are leaving on their own just from the fear of being deported. The government is looking for any tiny mistake on citizenship applications to boot people out of the US. Some have lived here since they were babies. Some are married to US born citizens. Some of their children were born in the US.

During the 1930's repatriation politicians told the public that Mexicans were taking white citizen's jobs. That was the reason why Mexicans, Mexican Americans should be kicked out of the country. The real cause of the difficult economic times was of course the Great Depression. When they deported the Mexicans, Mexican Americans, the economy got even worse.

The deportations today are just like the Mexican repatriation of the 1930's. We are destroying people, their families and causing major economic hardships in the US. We're losing major consumers of US goods. US Latinos including undocumented workers purchase over 4 trillion dollars worth of US goods. They also make up most of the workforce in construction, hospitality, home care and agriculture industries. US citizens own these businesses. They're now going out of business. More US citizens are losing their jobs.

After the 1930's repatriation tanked the US economy and WWII the US had to start the Bracero program to bring Mexican workers back to the US as laborers. Will we be doing the same after these recent deportations destroy our economy? People keep getting brainwashed by corrupt politicians. We never seem to learn from history. My grandmother raised me as my mother. This is why I speak up for immigrant rights and have participated in the marches and demonstrations.

My Nana and I at Pt Loma Fort Rosecrans Military Cemetery in San Diego, California

#Deportation #repatriation #mexico #mexican #MariaRivera #marycummins

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Friday, July 4, 2025

Los Angeles July 4th Protest, March at LA City Hall by Mary Cummins

July 4, 2025 protest and march at Los Angeles City Hall. The event began at 9:30 a.m. with live music. Speakers started around 10:00 a.m. Around 12:00 p.m. we marched from LA City Hall 200 N Spring St to the Federal Building at 300 N Los Angeles St and then to the Federal Detention Center at 535 N Alameda. A large truck led the protest with speakers standing in the back. The truck would stop every block or so for speeches and chants.

There were a few thousand people today per local news stations covering the event. The groups Ice Out of LA, 50501, @50501_socal, @ice_out_ofla , End the Occupation, Free America were there besides others. There were two stages of speakers at once for an hour or so at LA City Hall and Grand Park. They were bot on large trucks. Assembly member Isaac Bryan of the 55th district gave a great speech. There was also great live music. Wish I knew the band and singers' names but I can never find an event schedule for these events. Found the band on the Grand Park side with 50501 Los Jornaleros del Norte. http://losjornalerosdelnorte.com/ https://www.instagram.com/losjornalerosdelnorte/ #marycummins #losangeles #california #protest #march #July4th #iceoutofla #lamuertamaria #mariaflores #catrina #mexico #mexican #immigrantrights #50501 #freeamerica

A news outlet asked who are the women dressed in the colorful dresses and what is their purpose. The women including myself are dressed as Catrinas. La Catrina is generally associated with the Mexican tradition of Dia de Muertos, Day of the Dead. La Catrina is a skeleton lady in fancy dress. While she was first conceived by Jose Posada, Diego Rivera turned La Catrina into a national symbol of Mexico.

We are dressed as Catrinas to represent our immigrant roots to support immigrant rights. Some of us carry or wear the Mexican, Guatemalan, El Salvadoran ... flag and/or colors to support immigrants. It's not because we want Mexico or Mexicans to over throw the government which is ridiculous. We're all US citizens. Many of us wore both Mexican and USA flags together to show we represent and support both nations, cultures and people.

Maria Flores aka @lamuertemaria https://www.instagram.com/lamuertemaria/ is a Los Angeles artist and designer who designed and made six of those dresses today. https://www.instagram.com/p/DLtRITwJrIl/ They were generally all standing together, see photos below. Maria is dressed as a Catrina generally with a skeleton face which represents death. Maria Flores' Catrina dresses are hand painted with political images and text, see photos below and in her linked Instagram account. Flores' dresses are her artistic political statement supporting immigrant rights and speaking out against Donald Trump, fascism and the destruction of the United States of America.

Some other women were dressed in native Mexican clothing such as Folklorico skirts, dresses, embroidered tops and were wearing Mexican sombreros, crowns or braids with colorful ribbons. I wore a Folklorico ribbon skirt with an embroidered huipil "shirt." I also wore a flower crown with red, white and green flowers to represent the colors of Mexico because my family is from Mexico. The purpose is to show our support for immigrant rights.

My speech on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8qc7xXqmGFA

Full video of the event
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EmATxB3czI

Isaac Bryan speech
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hCq0C2NlTE&feature=youtu.be

Great singer singing "Which Side are You on."
https://youtu.be/agOAe7id5yM