When I first met Kenji (owner of Little Tokyo legacy business Suehiro Cafe) in late 2018, he sought support from LTSC’s Small Business Program to create a business plan for a potential Texas location. As an entrepreneur who inherited a successful restaurant, Kenji had never...
Grant Sunoo, LTSC’s Director of Community Building & Engagement, and Avalon Igawa, LTSC’s Community Engagement Specialist, recently attended the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund’s annual gathering on June 28 and 29 in Montgomery, AL. The AAPI Civic Engagement Fund provides support for our organizing efforts around...
When Carol and Keith married 17 years ago, they shared a dream of retiring to own their own business. However, it wasn’t until a few years ago that inspiration hit. One Christmas, Keith designed and built a handmade wooden ukulele stand for Carol that could...
“To afford rent these days, it’s not easy. You might need to work 2 or 3 jobs to make ends meet or live with other families. Even after that, you might not live in housing with dignity,” explained Fanny Ortiz of Fideicomiso Comunitario Tierra Libre...
Keiko Isshiki received a call from LTSC that she’ll never forget. Her friend Kawasaki-san had taken a bad fall and had been admitted to the hospital. Since Kawasaki-san had no family in the US, Keiko knew her friend needed her now more than ever. Soon...
When the pandemic hit, Setsuko realized that she was disconnected from her community. Despite being a long-term resident in LTSC’s Casa Heiwa apartments (affordable housing in Little Tokyo), she barely knew her neighbors. As a renowned artist, she was typically busy traveling for shows and...
Bilha Escun immigrated from Guatemala hoping to provide a better life for her children. When she first arrived, Bilha and her husband worked strenuous hours at sewing factories in the garment district and struggled to make ends meet. But even worse, she barely had time...
When Ashley (they/them) uprooted their life in Los Angeles to earn their Master’s degree in Art Therapy and Counseling in Pennsylvania, they had no way of predicting they would find themselves unhoused while juggling school, an internship, and two jobs. As Ashley struggled to find...
For Yuka and Malina, becoming first-time business owners wasn’t easy. In 2021, the pair took over Kuragami Florist in Little Tokyo from Masami and Mary Onoue, who ran the business since 1984. With assistance from LTSC small business counselor Mariko Lochridge, Kuragami Florist found new...
The ability to call East Hollywood “home” has grown more challenging in recent years for many local residents struggling to make ends meet. Accelerated gentrification and for-profit housing have displaced family-owned businesses and individuals, threatening the vibrant diversity and culture that shape the neighborhood’s identity....
