Combining coffee, culture and support for LA\u2019s immigrant community, Cafet\u00f3n is bringing people together to raise funds to help those affected by recent immigration raids.<\/p>\n
The concept of Cafet\u00f3n was first brewed in Chicago through the creative collaboration between V5 Group and local DJs like Aristeo Ramirez.<\/p>\n
“We wanted a space where Latinos can enjoy culture and music, but also feel good, physically and emotionally,” said Lia Monroy, the social media director for the entertainment group.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe host a lot of Latin events, and we\u2019re always looking for new ways for Latinos to gather in community,\u201d Monroy said.<\/p>\n
What started as a local idea in Chicago has quickly grown into a bicoastal movement bringing people together through reggaet\u00f3n.<\/p>\n
Cafet\u00f3n, a play on the words “caf\u00e9” and “reggaet\u00f3n,\u201d was born out of a desire to create a wellness-focused space where Latino communities could connect, all while spending consciously and with a purpose.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now, health and wellness are really popular topics, and we thought: what if we created a space that wasn\u2019t centered around clubbing, but still gave people the energy and culture we love? What better way than through reggaet\u00f3n \u2014 and coffee?\u201d explained Monroy.<\/p>\n
The first Cafet\u00f3n drew massive crowds in Chicago, with over 7,000 people attending an event at Recess.<\/p>\n
After seeing the momentum, organizers decided to bring the event to Los Angeles, where it has already seen a great turnout.<\/p>\n
The past two Cafet\u00f3n events in LA have raised more than $4,400 for immigrant aid and community resources.<\/p>\n
The most recent Cafet\u00f3n event took place on July 14 at SALA Coffee and Wine in Long Beach, where organizers welcomed over 1,000 attendees.<\/p>\n
Admission was based on a minimum $1 donation, with all of the proceeds going directly to CHIRLA, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights.<\/p>\n
Within the last two events, the group has also donated to street vendor aid funds.<\/p>\n
Sunday\u2019s event drew a large crowd with lines wrapping around the block for over three hours.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve created a no-judgment zone,\u201d said Aristeo Ramirez. \u201cEveryone is welcome \u2014 and that\u2019s reflected in the feedback we\u2019ve received on TikTok and Instagram. It\u2019s been nothing but love.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ramirez made sure to emphasize that LA needs this support now more than ever. <\/p>\n
\u201cWith everything that\u2019s going on right now here in LA with immigration, we’re just trying to make a space for everyone to come and feel seen. Music in general is a beautiful artwork to express that, he added.<\/p>\n
Brandy Raygoza, the co-founder of SALA Coffee and Wine in Long Beach, has been a key partner in Cafet\u00f3n\u2019s expansion. She and her business partner, Derrick Montiel, have opened up their caf\u00e9 as the venue for two Cafet\u00f3n events so far.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first turnout was amazing \u2014 we were able to help street vendors and those in need,\u201d Raygoza said. \u201cWe just want to hold a space where we can celebrate our ethnicity, gather during hard times, and offer people a safe and joyful space to connect.\u201d<\/p>\n
The demand for these events is growing, with over 1,000 people on a waitlist, organizers are now scouting larger venues in LA to keep expanding while staying true to the event\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n
They\u2019re also working with partners like Live Nation to launch ticket giveaways for artists like Mora, a Puerto Rican reggaet\u00f3n artist, and plan to continue supporting local immigrant aid groups with each event.<\/p>\n
In addition to music and fundraising, Cafet\u00f3n also offers a platform for small businesses. Local vendors are invited to sell their goods outside the venue before doors open, giving them visibility and community support.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, Cafet\u00f3n\u2019s message is clear. \u201cOur main goal is to create community and a safe space where people can come together, feel free, enjoy a coffee, dance to reggaet\u00f3n, and still run their errands after,\u201d Monroy said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Combining coffee, culture and support for LA\u2019s immigrant community, Cafet\u00f3n is bringing people together to raise funds to…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":68053,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5123],"tags":[1582,276,2961,18448,224,5337],"class_list":{"0":"post-68052","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-los-angeles","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-california","10":"tag-la","11":"tag-long-beach","12":"tag-los-angeles","13":"tag-losangeles"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114864807196893475","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68052"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68052\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68053"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}