The land where my papá was born was for the longest time a maligned place in the stories told through the land I called home. In fact, exactly six years ago in a discussion regarding the U.S.’s immigration quotas Trump referred to El Salvador, as well as Haiti and other African nations, as “shit-hole countries.”
That same year I visited El Salvador for the first time. I was 27 then, and nothing would stop me from breaking through to this world I’d heard enough about but which I hadn’t seen for myself yet; instead of “The Violent Animals of MS-13,” I saw the volcanic highlands that enclosed the first pupusas ever known to a people and their pueblos, to say nothing of an entirely new family tree. It was also in San Salvador where I tried pupusas de masa de arroz for the first time, which to this day are still my favorite kind to ask of pupuseras in Los Angeles.
I also learned that the hometown had prepared me over a lifetime to find my way “back.” According to the 2022 Census, just under 1.7 million Central-Americans call L.A. home,* but that’s surely an under-count since the community grows daily in L.A. County while also doing its part to make Southern California one of the richest havens of culture in all of North America.
This January, I return to El Salvador for just the second time ever as an Election Observer for presidential elections taking place there. I’ll be part of a small delegation to show enduring commitment to a free and just El Salvador.
I’m now fundraising to pay for the trip! My fundraising goal covers the costs of the airfare, as well as in-country costs including lodging and transportation, and about $100 for miscellaneous expenses (like a few delicious queso duros). In addition to my role as an Observer, I’ll also be documenting the efforts of my delegation leading up to presidential elections on February 4th, including interviews with my fellow delegates and the Salvadoran people to uplift only more of this pueblo for Los Angeles.
As usual, you’ll be able to find all of these cuentos via jimbotimes.com, J.T. the L.A. Storyteller Podcast, and on Instagram: @jimbotimes. For any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Trust that I’m going to do my best to make you proud, Los Angeles, and thanks so much on behalf of Los Cuentos!
*An earlier version of this article mistakenly noted the Central-American population in L.A. as being at 836,000 people, when in fact the number is significantly higher.*
J.T.