It's a beautiful Saturday morning in South Central, Los Angeles, and two young locals, Marvin Valencia and Patricia Amador, stop at the corner of 28th Street and Central Avenue to buy some hot, protein-packed tamales at Susie's Ricos Tamales.

"Hello, how are you? What are you wearing today?" Susie said as she greeted them while preparing two giant pots of tamales that were under her rainbow-colored umbrella.

The stand is one of 16 local businesses in the area that Valencia and Amador, along with their friend Erick Solís, have incorporated into a new project titled “Locals Only Passport to South Central.”

It is a coupon booklet that seeks to support local businesses affected by the ICE raids and also show the community everything that their little corner of Los Angeles has to offer. They add that it is a way to end negative ideas about a part of Los Angeles that they say is often forgotten.

"South Central doesn't always appear in the media; we only hear negative things, so we want to change that. We want to boost the community; we want money to circulate within the community," said Amador, 31, while sheltering from the sun at Susie's booth.

“A lot of people think they have to leave South Central to enjoy good quality food, or anything good, but with this passport we hope people realize that quality is right here in these neighborhoods,” he added.

Love for your community

Both Amador and Valencia have never hesitated to show their love for their community through work. Valencia, along with his friend Solís, has documented local South Central businesses through stunning aerial shots and short videos posted to his Instagram and TikTok accounts since 2021.

Although Amador has worked closely with businesses as a graphic designer, she has recently begun developing an app called Vendor Maps, which highlights local street vendors in your area and makes it easy to find the nearest one.

"We had an idea similar to this for about a year, but it never went beyond just an idea. Then we attended one of the meetings she was organizing for her application and, during that meeting, we realized that we were both trying to do the same thing, so we decided to work on it together," Valencia said.

"It was a good collaboration; I couldn't say no. I had the creative skills and they had the network of contacts to carry it out, so I felt it was a natural union," Amador said before choosing between a meat tamale and a sweet one.

The three have collaborated with local artists to design the passport, which includes information not only from restaurants and street vendors, but also from other local businesses such as skate shops, coffee shops and sportswear stores. The project was launched in April and the coupons included in the limited edition booklet will be valid until August 31.

Incentives for customers

The idea was not only to make their community known, but also to offer incentives to those who decided to visit the places they had selected. That's where coupons come in: some stores offer a percentage off your order, while others offer special deals and even free items.

At Susie's stand you can buy a dozen tamales for $30 and receive two free items, either more tamales or a drink.

The merchant has been selling tamales for 25 years and commented that in the last year business has decreased due to continuous ICE raids. For her and many others, being included in these types of projects gives them the opportunity to expand their client base.

“It's nice to be included because it's been difficult; sales are down a lot since last year and this does help,” Susie said as the morning sun reflected off the bright logo on her T-shirt, casting a light glint on her hands as she prepared the orders. “I just hope you like my tamales, but we are here to serve you with pleasure.”

On the way to a second place to eat barbacoa de lamb, Valencia said that much of the inspiration for his work came from seeing firsthand how places they have frequented since they were children suddenly began to close or worry about keeping their doors open due to raids and rising prices, places like Café Calle or Birrería Baldomero, a place he remembers because that was where he tried Menudo for the first time.

“According to the conversations we have had, many of them have lost customers, and people are more afraid than ever to go out to shop and walk the streets,” he said. “And people often forget that, for these businesses, this is everything; this is how they support their families, so they depend on the support of the community to stay open.”

Helps businesses get ahead

For the owners of Barbacoa Estilo Toluca, who have a restaurant and a food truck in South Central, the last year has been a difficult test. In a talk with the owners' son, Jovanni Ventura, he said that being part of the project has helped them recover some of the customer traffic they lost after the raids.

“There was one weekend where we had to close completely because they were carrying out intense raids near here,” he explained. "We have been through difficulties. We depend on everyday sales to pay for our services and our employees. Therefore, it is very important to support local businesses: by doing so, you are supporting more than one family."

His family's business has been open for more than 20 years and, although it is not the first time they have faced difficulties, he said this time has been different from the previous ones. Beyond the raids, he said he's tired of the prejudiced idea that South Central has nothing to offer.

"People say South Central is a ghetto, or that it's not the safest place, but there are still a lot of beautiful places around here; there's a lot of diversity and culture," he said. “If you really come to know the community, the people and the businesses, you will find that there is a lot of love here and a lot of people are very welcoming.”

As Ventura returned with a plate of barbacoa tacos, Amador and Valencia commented that anyone who comes here with their passport in hand can get a 25% discount on their order. They recommended ordering tacos or barbacoa by the pound, with a portion of their delicious consommé on the side.

Both said that, for now, those who are interested in visiting the location can access the complete map on their Instagram, and those who want to take advantage of the incentives of each location can purchase a passport at establishments such as Toshi's BBQ, Café Calle, Espressaria Café and others. Although the brochure is currently in physical format, he said they hope to create an app that will streamline the process a little more.

“All of these places are pillars of the community and we don't want them to disappear,” Valencia said. "We are the generation that is taking over and looking to show the positive aspects of South Central, because if we don't do it, who will? Los Angeles is more than just Hollywood and Venice. South Central is, without a doubt, the heart of the city and it is important to keep it alive."

Follow the project on social media at Locals Only Passport.

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