The beginning of a public institution is never complete without a community celebration, and we think the launching of Xispas.com warrants a people's festival!

Join with the staff of Xispas.com and our many friends to celebrate the official launching of our website. On Saturday March 13th, 2004, Tia Chucha's Cafe Cultural in Sylmar will host a massive celebration to usher in a new chapter in Xicano cultural activism. Like the name of our humble enterprise suggests ("Sparks" in English), we hope to ignite the imagination of our people and inspire them to create a brand new day.

Xispas.com Web Launch Party at Tia Chucha's
Sat., March 13th., 2004 6pm - 9pm
12737 Glenoaks Blvd. #22
Sylmar, Califas
(818) 362-7060

Come and meet your extended familia, join the gathering tribe. At 8 pm, the hot new band Somos will perform a free concert, including songs from their soon-to-be-released CD, "Every Now and Then." Somos also includes family members of Luis Valdez and his brother Daniel Valdez. The Valdezes have been active in the United Farmworkers' Teatro Campesino, in films, organizing, and music for some 40 years. We are honored to have them perform for the community during the launch of our online magazine.

...plus, there'll be Poetry, Slide Shows, Speakers, Art, Music, Food, and friends aplenty!

The group behind Xispas.com first met in October of 2002 with a vision to create something special and vital for the Xicano community. Presently Xispas’ staff includes Sergio Hernandez, a longtime community activist, cartoonist and artist who was also on the Con Safos editorial board in the 1970s and 1980s; educator and community leader Diane Hernandez; award-winning music producer, filmmaker and head of Ramparts Records, Hector Gonzalez; his wife and co-Ramparts Record owner Lava Gonzalez; award-winning TV producer and documentarian Jim Velarde; writers Alisha M. Rosas, James Rodrigo Retana and Rubi Mendoza; artist Mark Vallen, and others. Luis J. Rodriguez, who was an editor/publisher of XismeArte in the early 1980s in East Los Angeles, will serve as Xispas’ editor. Xispas.com grew out of Tía Chucha’s Café Cultural.

Visit the Xispas website, at: www.xispas.com