News & Updates
Antenamóvil in LA’s Little Tokyo!
Guest post by Kenji Liu!
How do we imagine the possibilities of a place? How do we make that imagining bend towards the local community, rather than the vision of an outside developer with no motivation to be accountable? For the last two months, the AntenaMóvil has been a visually prominent part of a possible answer.
The “First Street North” (#myFSN) block of Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo, bounded by 1st, Temple, Judge John Aiso, and North Alameda streets, is central to one of the only remaining historic Japantowns left in the US. A large chunk of it is also owned by the city, and is up for redevelopment this year. The Japanese American community has faced down several waves of displacement, most famously during WWII when they were evicted and incarcerated in US concentration camps. Part of this legacy is a realization that it is important to be proactive about putting forward a community-based vision, and generating the power to make it a reality.
Just down the street, Boyle Heights (also historically Japanese American) has made national headlines in recent years because of the presence of militant anti-gentrification activism from within the mostly Mexican American and Central American neighborhood. The Little Tokyo and Boyle Heights communities have a long history of working together, and have many issues in common that could be the basis for new solidarities.
Art@341FSN took over an empty Little Tokyo storefront on 1st St during August and September as an arts activation project of Sustainable Little Tokyo. SLT is a collaboration of Little Tokyo community groups and promotes a comprehensive, grassroots-based vision of locally-controlled community development. Art@341FSN members, led by Scott Oshima of JACCC, asked the question, if the local community had full control over the First Street North block, what kinds of activities would happen there?
This question has been answered in other Asian American neighborhoods over the decades. For example, in San Francisco, young Asian Americans inspired by the Black Panthers created senior centers, food programs, bookstores, and arts and culture spaces. Art@341FSN’s answer has been to program the 341 1st St storefront with music, literary events, visual arts, senior and youth programs, small business incubators, and much more.As part of the literary program, the AntenaMóvil was set up in a nearby plaza (in front of the 
Japanese American National Museum) almost every weekend in August, including during one of the biggest annual festivals, Nisei Week. Stocked with tons of small, indie press and handmade books—focused on local and national Asian American, Asian, Latinx and other writers of color, as well as multilingual, translated, and queer writers—the móvil has been a cheery visual marker and conversation starter for visitors to Little Tokyo. It has also been a way to collect signatures for a petition to pressure the city to place any redevelopment plan under community control, to the extent possible. Visitors to the AntenaMóvil have been excited and amazed at the range of books for sale, and more than one has walked away with a big stack of new reads.
Japanese American National Museum) almost every weekend in August, including during one of the biggest annual festivals, Nisei Week. Stocked with tons of small, indie press and handmade books—focused on local and national Asian American, Asian, Latinx and other writers of color, as well as multilingual, translated, and queer writers—the móvil has been a cheery visual marker and conversation starter for visitors to Little Tokyo. It has also been a way to collect signatures for a petition to pressure the city to place any redevelopment plan under community control, to the extent possible. Visitors to the AntenaMóvil have been excited and amazed at the range of books for sale, and more than one has walked away with a big stack of new reads.Books by local favorites have been a big seller, with works by Sesshu Foster topping the list. The móvil has also stocked Naomi Hirahara’s Mas Arai mystery novels and Taz Ahmed’s “Muslim V-Day Cards,” alongside many other LA-based writers.
The AntenaMóvil has moved on to a new site, but the books are still for sale in the 341 1st St storefront through September. Many thanks to partners Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, Little Tokyo Community Council, LTSC +LAB, Sustainable Little Tokyo, Antena, Visual Communications, Japanese American National Museum, and Small Press Distribution for their participation and support.