In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and in partnership with UCLA Labor Studies, enjoy a screening of the award-winning documentary “Backstreet to the American Dream,” directed and written by Patricia Nazario ’91, with executive producer/Medal of Freedom recipient Dolores Huerta.
This modern-day look at the classic American Dream is done through the quintessential 21st Century entrepreneurial endeavor — food trucks. “Backstreet to the American Dream” is a deep dive into the birthplace of the $2 billion global industry, Los Angeles. The 90-minute feature profiles two trucks and juxtaposes the experiences of American entrepreneurs and Mexican immigrants.
After the screening, enjoy a talkback from the filmmaker, the protagonist and two faculty members at the UCLA Labor Center who were featured in this film.
Date: Tuesday, October 10th
Time: 6-8pm
RSVP: CLICK HERE
Meet the Speakers:
Patricia Nazario ’91 is an international and Congressional Award distinguished journalist. She was on assignment for the National Public Radio affiliate, KPCC, in Los Angeles, when she realized the food truck revolution was a game-changer and began producing the independent bilingual documentary for theatrical release “Backstreet to the American Dream.”
Gaspar Rivera Salgado is a project director at UCLA Labor Center, as well as a core faculty member of the Labor Studies interdepartmental program, under the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment. He is also the director of the UCLA Center for Mexican Studies. He teaches classes on work, labor and social justice in the U.S. and immigration issues.
He also directs the Institute for Transnational Social Change and has extensive experience as an independent consultant on transnational migration, race and ethnic relations,and diversity training for large organizations.
Victor Narro is a nationally known expert on immigrant rights and low-wage workers. He has been involved with immigrant rights and labor issues for almost 40 years and is currently a project director for the UCLA Labor Center. Teaching classes that focus on immigrant rights, low-wage workers, the labor movement, and spirituality, mindfulness and self-care in social justice activism, Narro is a core faculty member for Labor Studies. He also teaches courses in the Public Interest Law Program at UCLA’s School of Law.
Doña Guillermina, is the owner/operator of El Pescadito, a mariscos lonchera. Guillermina was born in Nayarit, Mexico, and is the oldest of nine siblings. In 1976, she gave birth to her first child, Felipe. Shortly after arriving to the U.S., she found work on a food truck. She bought her own in 1982 and has been parking in the same neighborhood ever since.
