we are a mix of artisan vendors, gardeners, herbalists, hood scholars, muralists and musicians. over the years, we have been involved with different collectives including Community Education for Social Action (CESA) and Colectivo Houtngna, as well as the former autonomous community space Casa Solidaria del Sur (Solidarity House of the South). we focus on strengthening intra-communal solidarity efforts by directly supporting dispossessed communities across turtle island.
our community programming is facilitated by CASA.
about us
*Mural by Alicia Siu
Center for the Arts and Social Action (C.A.S.A.)
CASA transforms our relationships with ourselves & the world through the arts, strengthening the well-being of multi-generational, multicultural, and diasporic communities in the San Gabriel Valley and Los Angeles County, and encouraging connection through participatory education, ancestral knowledge, & social justice.
you can follow CASA updates @casa.sgv
principles of unity
as visitors and displaced peoples on this land, we must be accomplices to Indigenous struggles and defer to the guidance of the original tenders/caretakers of Houtngna, or so-called El Monte, in our efforts and land-back struggles.
the community space centers Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (QTBIPOC) in all of the activities from events, workshops, classes, and speakers.
an ideological tendency does not bind us; however, we maintain that, as arms of colonial violence, the state and oppressive pedagogies cannot be tools for decolonization or liberation. our aspiration is, therefore, not to seize the state and “power” but to dismantle and abolish both by practicing mutual aid, resisting hierarchies, building solidarity, and organizing through popular education.
we learn from and work with our neighbors — our community. therefore, we inform our efforts through a complementary balance of lived experience and an application of diverse theories and ideas at our community’s disposal; this is crucial to a process of popular education — we learn, work, theorize, and build together.
internationalist approach. solidarity with (third world) global movements against capitalism/imperialism. connect with our relatives around the world.
our principles are not set in stone; they are fluid and can change as we learn, work, and build with our community. this includes constantly revisiting these principles.
community agreements
respect one another
have fun
no xenophobia, ableism, and fatphobia
no racism and sexism
be creative
no transphobia and homophobia