Newsletter: ‘Viva México!:’ Barrio Logan celebrates Mexican independence with ancestral restaurant opening
Plus, San Diego City Council approves $25 minimum wage for hospitality workers.
For the first time in 215 years, a woman led Mexico’s El Grito (Cry of Independence), as the country’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, rang the Bell of Dolores in México City.
On Tuesday, people celebrated the beginning of Mexico’s liberation from Spanish rule, which began more than two centuries ago.
In San Diego, events were held throughout the county over the last few days to memorialize the historic day — bringing communities together for traditional performances, food and to celebrate a shared love for Mexico.
In Barrio Logan, ancestral Mexican restaurant Fonda del Barrio opened its ornate wooden doors to the community during a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening amid one of the local celebrations of Mexican Independence Day this year.
People gathered outside the restaurant as the eager owner and founder, Gerry Torres, stood with a large pair of scissors. Surrounded by friends, family and coworkers, Torres yelled “Viva México!,” before cutting a glistening red ribbon in front of his new establishment, then quickly ushering everyone inside.
Complementary tunes by hand drum and flute serenaded the lounge filled with lively conversation, specialty drinks and light bites.
For Alexandra Perez Demma, the opening was not just about food, but rather about spotlighting culture in San Diego. She is the director of the Barrio Logan Association and president of nonprofit All For Logan.
“It’s really about celebrating tradition: where we came from and who we are,” Perez Demma said.
Angel Martinez, a University of San Diego student whose family is originally from Guanajuato, Mexico, said she feels seen in the Barrio Logan and Logan Heights communities. She frequently studies there, gets lunch with her family and attends cumbia nights, which feature Latin American dance and music.
“They do some really great events…which brings in the greater San Diego [community] into the neighborhood,” Martinez said. “There are a lot of small business owners in this area, and everyone is super passionate about what it is that they do.”
Perez Demma used to own a small shop on Logan Avenue, where Fonda del Barrio now stands. After putting time into grassroots initiatives helping other small businesses in Barrio Logan, she developed her nonprofit and joined the Association.
She said her organizations have been built up to support businesses like Fonda del Barrio.
“We want to be here and welcome them, and make sure that they're successful,” Perez Demma said.
Torres has worked in the food service industry for over 30 years, having started at a submarine sandwich shop in Oceanside — his first job in the United States — later opening more than 15 restaurants throughout his career.
He said the idea for Fonda del Barrio began during a conversation with his now chef, Eduardo Baeza, where they both shared that they don’t get Mexican food from restaurants because they lack authenticity and ancestral flavors.
“If we’re going to eat Mexican, we eat it at home,” Torres said.
Torres wanted to provide a place where Mexicans and Mexican-Americans could sincerely enjoy the dishes they grew up with. He said he wants to be a source of pride for Mexican people, Mexican cuisine and Barrio Logan.
So, when this storefront became available, he decided to “take it fully traditional, fully ancestral,” and create a space that he said wasn’t around until now.
He and his team held the opening ceremony on Mexican Independence Day to signify the meaning behind the restaurant’s existence: to connect people with the roots and culture that make San Diego special — and made Torres into the man he is today.
“America and Mexico have been my countries for pretty much half my life, both sides,” Torres said. “I'm both Mexican and American in nationality, and I'm proud of it.”
Martinez said Mexican Independence Day in the U.S. is about bringing people together for shared culture.
“[It is] a reminder that we are a transborder community,” she said.
Martinez, whose family regularly visits Tijuana, wore a Club Tijuana soccer jersey to her classes that day and said she was appreciative of other people doing the same as their own way of celebrating their culture while going about daily routines.
With the recent surge in ICE raids and political divisiveness, Torres said restaurants like his offer an especially comfortable place for conversation.
He said food heavily signifies the cultures of different countries and people, and cuisine encourages curiosity to learn about experiences outside of one’s own. This, he said, may help people sympathize and empathize more with other people in the U.S.
As part of the conversation, he said immigration reform is necessary, and the way the American public and politicians think about immigrants and Mexico must change.
“What makes America great is all its people, all its immigrants, all of the different forms of views and ideas and trains of thought that have made it fantastic,” Torres said.
Sept. 16 also marks National Guacamole Day in the U.S., which Torres said is just opportunistic timing to sell beer and other products, but he thinks maybe this day should be about more than an Americanized version of Mexican Independence.
Perez Demma said the Mexican Independence Day celebration with Fonda del Barrio has a more political message about the community than just a new business to the neighborhood.
“We're here, we're resilient and we're not going anywhere,” Perez Demma said.
— Sam Barney-Gibbs
This weekend, San Diegans can volunteer during Coastal Cleanup Day throughout San Diego County, attend an art opening that blends floral arranging with ceramics, celebrate kale in City Heights and chill out while listening to music during Blanket Sounds at Waterfront Park.
— Lauren J. Mapp
Salon provides gender-affirming care for trans youth
The North County LGBTQ Resource Center hosted its annual salon last Saturday. This year’s Trans Salon provided makeup tips, nail painting and more than 40 haircuts, with a total of 60 participants during the center’s afternoon activities. Community experts in these fields volunteered their skills, scissors, nail polish and makeup brushes to provide gender-affirming care to queer youth.
— Sam Barney-Gibbs
The rise of Make America Healthy Again arrived with big promises for kids: an end to chronic disease, a focus on nutrition and healthier school meals. But those hopes are colliding with reality. Despite MAHA’s rhetoric, the Trump administration has cut programs supporting children’s health and school nutrition.
— Story by Stacie Stukin, Capital & Main
Protestors decry Justice Barrett visit
More than two dozen San Diegans gathered for a last-minute demonstration in downtown San Diego Wednesday evening to protest U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s visit to the city. The demonstrators marched and chanted outside the Intercontinental Hotel, where Barrett was said to be attending an event in her honor, though nothing was publicly confirmed.
— Sam Barney-Gibbs
Hospitality workers win raises at San Diego City Council
The San Diego City Council unanimously approved a $25 minimum wage increase for hospitality workers during its Tuesday meeting. The wage bump will apply to those working at or contracted by hotels with 150 rooms or more, as well as amusement parks and event centers, which includes the Civic Theatre, Pechanga Arena San Diego, Petco Park and the San Diego Convention Center.
— Lauren J. Mapp
Other news
San Diego City Council approved a plan for paid parking at Balboa Park, with charges to be implemented later this year. Discounted rates for verified city residents will likely follow early next year. Meters will be installed at a fixed rate within the park, but there will also be a tiered system based on the proximity of the parking space to the park’s attractions.
The County of San Diego confirmed this week that since 2020, it had spent $5.2 million on storing a stockpile of medical gowns and face masks that expired last month, Voice of San Diego reported. Instead of sending them to medical students serving in Tijuana to reduce waste, they’re now likely in a landfill.
On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new bill requiring insurers to cover the cost of COVID-19 vaccines, KPBS reported.
Assembly Bill 144 went into law the same day as new COVID-19 vaccine guidelines were announced by the recently launched West Coast Health Alliance — a coalition of California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii. A response to the new Food and Drug Administration guidance — which only approves the updated shots for seniors and people with underlying health conditions — the Alliance recommends shots to anyone 6 months and older.
Upcoming Events
Sept. 20
Coastal Cleanup Day: I Love a Clean San Diego is hosting its 41st annual Coastal Cleanup Day with beach and inland events scheduled throughout the county. Volunteers will have a short orientation followed by a cleanup of their site. Participants are encouraged to bring comfortable, closed-toe shoes, sunscreen, hats and water bottles. Volunteers can register online. 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. at multiple sites across San Diego County
Preventative Care Clinic: The North County LGBTQ Resource Center is hosting a preventative care clinic provided by the Reproductive Justice Project. The event will feature gender-diverse preventative care screenings, including on-site mammograms, cervical cancer screenings and HPV testing. There will also be physical therapy, chiropractor services and a workshop on gender diverse preventive care. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., 1919 Apple St., Oceanside, CA 92054
Chicano Skate Park Celebration: The Barrio Logan Association hosts the ninth annual Chicano Skate Park Celebration, a day of skateboarding with food, art, raffles and music by DJ Kutz. 12 - 4 p.m., Chicano Park, 1949 Logan Ave., San Diego, CA 92113
Sept. 21
No More Markets: Attendees can exchange art, clothes, baked goods, dance lessons, seeds, outdoor gear, household items and more during a free swap hosted by No More Markets. 12 - 5 p.m. at Freedom Park, Jacaranda Place and Arnold Ave., San Diego, CA 92104
Blanket Sounds: SD Melanin invites people to grab a blanket and some buddies to head down to Waterfront Park for its summer Blanket Sounds series. The free event features live musical performances, DJ sets, activities for kids and local vendors. Reserve a spot online for free. 3 - 7 p.m., Waterfront Park, 1600 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA 92101
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