Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. Acknowledgments xi
4. Introduction: The Fire and Flames of Funkahuatl 1
5. Prologue 16
6. La Veinte: A Santa Monica Barrio 17
7. Rubén Ladrón de Guevara Sr., 1914–2006 21
8. Superman in Ese Eme 26
9. Music and Movie Moments 32
10. Miss Las Vegas 36
11. La Gatita 38
12. Las Vegas and the Breakup of Our Family 43
13. Sue Dean 49
14. Miss Hollywood 52
15. Shindig! with Tina Turner and Bo Diddley 56
16. The Sunset Strip Riots and My Second Marriage 62
17. The Southern Belle 64
18. LACC and the New Revelations Gospel Choir 68
19. Miss Santa Barbara and the Summer of 1971 75
20. Frank Zappa and Ruben And The Jets, 1972–1974 80
21. Miss Pamela and the GTOs 85
22. Miss Claremont 87
23. Miss Chino 89
24. The Mutiny 91
25. The Movie Star and Miss Blue Eyes 94
26. Opening for Zappa at San Francisco’s Winterland 97
27. Con Safos: The Album 99
28. Pilgrimage to Mexico 105
29. La Gypsy 114
30. From “The Star Spangled Banner” to Punk 116
31. The Whisky and a New Band: Con Safos 120
32. Miss Aztlán 124
33. Gotcha! 126
34. Zyanya Records 128
35. Cristina, Día de los Muertos, and Chicano Heaven 130
36. Born in East L.A.: Th e Movie 138
37. Caliente y Picante 147
38. Performance Art 152
39. To France with Aztlán, Babylon, Rhythm & Blues 154
40. Validation Crisis 170
41. Jammin’ with John Valadez 174
42. Arts 4 City Youth and Trying Again 180
43. UCLA 182
44. Journey to New Aztlán 187
45. The Enchantress 196
46. América Tropical 200
47. Miss Mongolia 203
48. Teaching Poetry 207
49. Inner City Lessons 212
50. Teaching at UCLA 217
51. Becoming a Xikano Tantrik Funk Monk 220
52. Lust into Art: Mexamérica and Performing at the Getty 223
53. The Eastside Revue: 1932–2002, A Musical Homage to Boyle Heights 228
54. L.A. Times Profile of Boyle Heights 231
55. Funkahuatl’s Absurd Chronicles 234
56. The Iraq War 236
57. Cross-cultural Friendships and Protests 238
58. Manzanar Pilgrimage 246
59. Yellow Pearl Remix 253
60. Saving the Toypurina Monument 257
61. Rock ’n’ Rights for the Mentally Disabled 260
62. Resistance and Respect: Los Angeles Muralism and Graff Art 262
63. Miss Bogotá and the X Festival Ibéroamericano del Teatro 264
64. Word Up! A Word, Performance, and Th eater Summit 267
65. Meeting My Brothers from the Westbank First Nation, British Columbia 270
66. Epiphany at Joshua Tree 274
67. Miss Altar in the Sky 276
68. The Eastside Luvers 289
69. The Tao of Funkahuatl 292
70. Release of The Tao of Funkahuatl CD in L.A. and Japan 294
71. MEX/LA 296
72. Rockin’ the House of Dues and Grand Performances 299
73. Fifty Years in Show Biz 304
74. Miss Beijing 307
75. Miss Monterey Park 310
76. End of the Ten-Year Sex Drought 314
77. Seventy and Still Running 316
78. Platonic Homegirls 318
79. Joseph Trotter 319
80. A Boyle Heights Cultural Treasure 321
81. Boyle Heights Por Vida 323
82. ¡Angelin@s Presente! 326
83. Sara Casillas-Gutiérrez Guevara, 1923–2016 328
84. Staged Confessions 330
85. The Fall 333
86. Take Me Higher, Mi Reina 335
87. Index 339