In 1922, Natalia Barraza immigrated to the United States alone. In 1922, Natalia Barraza immigrated to the United States alone. She had grown up in Tecuala, a small town in Nayarit, Mexico. Although she immigrated not being able to write, read, or speak English, Barraza opened up El Nayarit, a Mexican restaurant formerly located in the Echo Park community Los Angeles. With time, the restaurant became a well-established community hub for immigrants, the LGBTQ community, and women.
Molina called El Nayarit, her grandmother's restaurant, an urban anchor, which helped many undocumented Latinos build a community outside of t…
Nayarit workers out on the town, at Casa Escobar in Santa Monica, circa 1968. Left to right: Honario (last name unknown), dishwasher; Refugio …
Doña Natalia’s ad for the Nayarit in El Eco, circa June 1965. Photo by Hemeroteca Nacional de México, Instituto de Investigaciones Bibliográfi…
