By Bridgette Estrada, March 3, 2026
Mariachi Plaza, located in the district of Boyle Heights in Los Angeles is where Joseluis Gomez Zamora, 84, and a member of the community, comes to relax and hang out with his Mariachi friends. He loves to sit on the bench with his comrades as they enjoy a day in the barrio.
“Aqui tengo como 50 años que este es mi pueblo,” Zamora said.
Due to increased immigration raids and deportations from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Zamora and his friend Jeus Monroy, an LA mariachi, have witnessed the impact they have had not only culturally but also economically, especially concerning mariachis.
Monroy said although he has not witnessed ICE agents in Mariachi Plaza, the raids in East LA and Echo Park have affected the Mariachi clientele and the sense of community they normally find at Mariachi Plaza.
Monroy further explained Hispanic/Latino people are afraid and are not feeling festive. There has been a drop in the number of bodas and quinceañeras taking place.
He said people don’t want to have parties. They don’t want to celebrate.
“Mucha gente procura no salir de sus casas para prevenir, hay que cuidarnos,” Monroy said.
Latinx sociology professor at CPP Christian Lopez said the fear she has witnessed in the Latino communities she frequents has struck her. Since ICE raids started, almost six months ago, she has seen several small businesses have their doors closed.
Often, restaurantgoers and shoppers must knock to go inside because the owners and employees fear being arrested and possibly deported, she noted.
“I grew up in the ‘90s in LA, and there was some immigration enforcement that we grew up seeing, but I don’t remember this ever being the case where businesses were closing their doors because of that fear,” Lopez said.
Lopez added the saddest part of how this is affecting small businesses is the legacy of historic establishments, such as those in Placita Olvera, being erased. She said many of these businesses have been passed down through generations, from grandparents who first secured a space there to their children and eventually their grandchildren. Losing them means losing not just a storefront, but a family history rooted in the community.
Still, despite the increased fear from ICE, Zamora and Monroy continue to show up day after day at Mariachi Plaza. The difference now is it’s to fight not only for their neighborhoods and economy but also their culture. They see their music as a powerful form of resistance.
Feature image courtesy of Bridgette Estrada
