The body of your writing, including your most recent works, Music of the Mill and My Nature is Hunger, you clearly connect with and honor not only Latindad, but working class people as well. What has it meant for you to write about the strengths, the losses and perseverance and the places where we stumble and fall?

For one thing, you still don't get to see these aspects of our culture — the Latino reality and the working class reality — in the mainstream culture. We are still "peripheral" to most film, literature, TV, radio, music, and similar outlets, although in reality we number in the millions and are part and parcel of most cities, most states, and most communities.

I feel this is also part of my contribution — to tell those stories that have not been told, or perhaps cannot be told due to what amounts to economic and social censorship, if not exactly censorship by law (more de facto than de jure). It's also important to point out that Latinos have many things that unite them, but they are also distinctly different, of all races and classes, with myriad interests. I find it hard to demand a unity with "all" Latinos unless it's clear what we mean. I love Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Colombians, Salvadorans, Guatemalans, and others. But they are not Mexicans. And in Mexico, there are differences depending on what state or region one came from. I also found it interesting how different Mexicans in Chicago are from those in LA. Yes, we have many things, essential things, that can unite us. And we should do that. But this should not mean that we homogenize and lose our unique flavors, tongues, expressions, and traditions.

What are some practical ways our readers can support the work of Tia Chucha?

We need people's donations and active participation. We want people to come to Tia Chucha's, to partake in the amazing workshops and events we have for the community, and to attend our outside events like the "Celebrating Words" literacy & arts festival that we hold every year in Sylmar Park — and our annual benefit event at the Ford Amphitheater in Hollywood. We need financial assistance from all over. We also hope in a few years to establish a Tia Chucha's in Chicago — we've been talking to people about this for a while now. And we need volunteers. Anyone in the LA area can help in this regard. Although Tia Chucha's started as a private business by my wife, a brother-in-law, and myself, we are now a 501 (c) 3 tax exempt non-profit organization. All funds, even through the bookstore and cafe, help us meet our mission, goals, and objectives to bring the arts to all ages in the Northeast Valley and the LA area.