"Abuelita"

in the city. These include dishes such as birria from Jalisco, moles from Oaxaca, pescado from Guerrero, and flautas from Sinaloa.

“With this movie, we wanted to promote the diversity of Mexican and Mexican American cuisine in L.A.,” said Sarah Portnoy, a USC Food Studies professor and the film’s producer. The idea for the documentary emerged as part of a multimedia exhibit curated for LA Plaza Cocina, a Los Angeles-based culinary museum focused on celebrating the food and culture of Mexico.

“I am proud to be Indigenous and to represent the Mayan culture in the USA,” said Elsa Maria Chan. She added that she dreams of returning home to pass down her traditions to her grandchildren.

The abuelas featured in the documentary are all aware of their legacy. Merced Sanchez was a central figure in the campaign that got the L.A. City Council to pass a measure decriminalizing street vending in 2017.

“We made history,” said Sanchez. “My colleagues might not always know who I am, but I know who I am, and my granddaughters know it too.”