By: Sophia García 

The Self Help Graphics Youth Artivism Interns started their nine-month term in October 2020 and jumped right into working together to create art for the community. As one of their inaugural projects, Priscilla Hernandez, Vanya Navarrete and Sophia García researched, photographed and illustrated a zine for Eastside tenants Tenant Power! ¡Poder del Inquilino!

After hearing concerns from community members back in November 2020, the team brainstormed and developed a booklet highlighting local resources and relevant information for tenants. This includes permanent tenant protections past COVID-19, reviewed by Katie McKeon, an attorney from Public Counsel, a comic of scenarios tenants have found themselves in, like landlord harassment and inability to pay rent, and a map showing local resources across the Eastside. 

Over three months, the artists developed the zine’s content and design. Vanya illustrated the cover art based on a photo taken by Sophia at a direct action on November 7, 2020 at City Hall in Downtown. The team felt the image represented the Eastside community’s presence in the city and commitment to defending the rights of Angelenxs. Priscilla developed a comic starring a cartoon house, Casita, who guides tenants facing eviction through the steps they can take to protect themselves and their housing. Casita clarifies tenant protections in Los Angeles and connects readers to local organizations, like Self Help Graphics, Eastside LEADS and Public Counsel, who support the Eastside community with housing issues and more!

The zine wraps up with a map of local legal, housing, food and health resources on the Eastside created by Sophia. Encompassing the Highland Park, Montecito Heights, Lincoln Heights, East LA, Boyle Heights and El Sereno neighborhoods, this pocket map directs you to free clinics, farmers markets, food banks and free legal advice. One page even includes space for you to include your own finds! 

The team decided to stick to the Eastside LEADS Orange and Blue colors for the zine, a combination they felt would complement the risograph printing by Cynthia T Navarro of Tiny Splendor. A thousand copies will be printed and distributed locally, and we encourage you to print your own at home or even to distribute yourself. You can download it here as well as find it alongside resources for tenants under COVID-19 at eastsideleads.com/resources.

Keep a look out for a sale of prints of artwork from the zine - the funds will be distributed to tenants who lost their housing in a fire in East LA.

Sophia García is a Self Help Graphics and Arts Youth Artivism Intern. They are a multidisciplinary artist, performer, and community organizer from North Hollywood in the San Fernando Valley.