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Cultural Politics

The arts have always been used to tackle difficult issues on a wide scale. From poetry that ignites millions to photography that captures injustices, artists are using their creativity to make space for the marginalized and give light to untold stories.

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Variedades: Olvera Street | BTS image Olvera AB s9
53:40
This look at Los Angeles’ Olvera Street is part-history lesson and part-immersion in stereotype of the birthplace of Los Angeles.
Installation view of Doug Aitken: Electric Earth, September 10, 2016–January 15, 2017 at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, courtesy of The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles | Joshua White
50:40
For more than 20 years, Doug Aitken has shifted the perception and location of images and narratives. His diverse works demonstrate the nature and structure of our ever-mobile, ever-changing, image-based contemporary condition.
Salon of Beauty and Scar Printing
54:40
Artbound explores Ted Meyer's "Scarred for Life" art project, photographer Candacy Taylor's focus on salons and diners, Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre's mobile "Duck Truck" and Jeff Speetjens with a variety of marionettes.
Vietnamese spring rolls at the Kickstand Cafe in Arlington, MA on Jul. 20, 2015. | Photo by Lane Turner/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
We asked Chef Diep Tran of Good Girl Dinette to give us a rundown of Vietnamese dishes we should try aside from the usual pho and banh mi.
Pho | Pho Hoa
There are many thriving Vietnamese communities in the United States which are also flourishing as culinary destinations.
Rubén Ortiz-Torres. Alien Toy (La Ranfla Cósmica), 1997 | Collection of Tom Patchett, courtesy of Track 16, Los Angeles
Through Ruben Ortiz-Torres' own work over the past three decades, the artist has grappled with and celebrated themes of hybridity, identity and cultural transmission that weave through many of the exhibitions now on view on Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA.
Migrant Kitchen Japanese episode. Chef Tetsu of Wolfgang Puck's crudo with the black cod | Courtesy of Life & Thyme
Whole grain activist and Japanese culinary expert Sonoko Sakai wrote these commandments more than 30 years ago. She continues to stand by these tenets of Japanese cooking today.
Masienda's heirloom corn tortillas | Molly DeCoudreaux
Masienda, a broker and importer for small-scale Mexican farmers of landrace corn, provides quality corn that help elevate Alta California cuisine.
Yellowtail Tostada from Wes Avila's Guerilla Tacos | Courtesy of Life & Thyme
What makes claims to authenticity so important for reaching consumers and why are we — the eaters and consumers — so desperately in search of what is real and authentic?
A pastorero at Vilsito | Lesley Tellez
It takes skill, instinct and years of practice to produce sumptuous al pastor meat, not to mention sell it. 
Tomas Martinez of Tacos Tumbras | Samanta Helou Hernandez Grand Central Market
Grand Central Market has been open for a century. Those who shop there have found sustenance, but for industrious immigrants, working at the market is also a way to stay in touch with and share their culture.
China Cafe sign at Grand Central Market | Samanta Hernandez Helou
At the heart of the 100-year-old Grand Central Market market is a 60-year establishment that, to this day, draws consistent crowds: China Cafe. 
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