Natalia Molina + George J. Sánchez for A PLACE AT THE NAYARIT

2122 East 4th Street,Long Beach CA 90814

07 September, 2022

Description

Join Bel Canto Books as we welcome USC professors Natalia Molina and George J. Sánchez to celebrate A PLACE AT THE NAYARIT: HOW A MEXICAN RESTAURANT NOURISHED A COMMUNITY. This is an outdoor event in the garden at The Hangout (2122 E 4th Street, LB). Attendees will be required to follow all current COVID-19 restrictions and staff instructions. Please stay home if you are feeling sick. ABOUT THE BOOK "Combining histories of family, ethnic queer, labor, women, and space, this book is a masterpiece of place as it shows how a neighborhood restaurant functioned as the center of multiple ignored-too-long universes." -- Gustavo Arellano, columnist, Los Angeles Times MacArthur Genius Natalia Molina unveils the hidden history of the Nayarit, a restaurant in Los Angeles that nourished its community of Mexican immigrants with a sense of belonging. In 1951, Doña Natalia Barraza opened the Nayarit, a Mexican restaurant in Echo Park, Los Angeles. With A Place at the Nayarit, historian Natalia Molina traces the life’s work of her grandmother, remembered by all who knew her as Doña Natalia––a generous, reserved, and extraordinarily capable woman. Doña Natalia immigrated alone from Mexico to L.A., adopted two children, and ran a successful business. She also sponsored, housed, and employed dozens of other immigrants, encouraging them to lay claim to a city long characterized by anti-Latinx racism. Together, the employees and customers of the Nayarit maintained ties to their old homes while providing one another safety and support. The Nayarit was a local landmark, popular with both Hollywood stars and restaurant workers from across the city and beloved for its fresh, traditionally prepared Mexican food. But as Molina argues, it was also, and most importantly, a place where ethnic Mexicans and other Latinx L.A. residents could step into the fullness of their lives, nourishing themselves and one another. A Place at the Nayarit is a stirring exploration of how racialized minorities create a sense of belonging. It will resonate with anyone who has felt like an outsider and had a special place where they felt like an insider. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Natalia Molina is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California. Her research explores the intertwined histories of race, place, gender, culture, and citizenship. She is the author of the award-winning books, How Race Is Made in America: Immigration, Citizenship, and the Historical Power of Racial Scripts and Fit to Be Citizens?: Public Health and Race in Los Angeles, 1879-1940. In addition to publishing widely in scholarly journals, she has also written for the LA Times, Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, and more. Professor Molina is a 2020 MacArthur Fellow. ABOUT THE IN-CONVERSATION PARTNER George J. Sánchez is the author of the award-winning book Becoming Mexican American and is Professor of American Studies and Ethnicity and History at the University of Southern California. He currently serves as Director of the Center for Diversity and Democracy at USC, which focuses on issues of racial/ethnic diversity in higher education and issues of civic engagement. Latinx Heritage Month event with USC professors Natalia Molina and George J. Sánchez, hosted by Bel Canto Books in Long Beach, California