{"id":880,"date":"2022-04-22T09:55:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-22T16:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/nourishing-the-soul\/"},"modified":"2023-05-04T13:24:46","modified_gmt":"2023-05-04T20:24:46","slug":"nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\/","title":{"rendered":"Nourishing the Soul"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-3678-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-3678-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"Nourishing the Soul\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  This image by celebrated photographer Edward Ruscha shows the Nayarit in 1966 at the height of its popularity. Although the Echo Park restaurant is long gone, the building on Sunset Boulevard with its iconic sign remains \u2014 a cherished part of local history. (Photo: Edward Ruscha, Edward Ruscha Photographs of Sunset Boulevard and Hollywood Boulevard, Getty Research Institute, 1966.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=faculty\">Faculty<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>Nourishing the Soul<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  A beloved Los Angeles landmark, the Nayarit, founded by the grandmother of USC Dornsife historian Natalia Molina, fed the senses \u2014 not only with its acclaimed regional Mexican cuisine but also by providing a haven where the marginalized could feel seen and find belonging.\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">Susan Bell<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">April 22, 2022<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 2.518315-1.68841575 4.0350275 0 1.5167124.60096154 2.9475732 1.68841575 4.0350274 1.058837 1.0874543 2.51831502 1.6884158 4.03502747 1.6884158 1.44087681 0 2.80427251-.5423678 3.86936601-1.5289606l.1656615-.1594552 2.2321428-2.2321428-1.6311813-1.6311813-2.2321429 2.26076c-.6581959.658196-1.5167124 1.0016026-2.43246332 1.0016026s-1.7742674-.3434066-2.43246337-1.0016026c-.65819597-.6581959-1.00160257-1.5167124-1.00160257-2.4324633 0-.8547009.2991453-1.6595442.87416905-2.2981957l.12743352-.1342677 2.23214286-2.2321429zm6.88661855-.40736607-5.26116068 5.26116075 1.61881868 1.6188186 5.2611607-5.2611607zm1.3837569-5.54501488c-1.4408768 0-2.8042725.54236779-3.869366 1.52896062l-.1656615.15945513-2.23214282 2.23214286 1.63118132 1.63118132 2.2321429-2.23214286c.6581959-.65819597 1.5167124-1.00160256 2.4324633-1.00160256s1.7742674.34340659 2.4324634 1.00160256 1.0016026 1.51671246 1.0016026 2.43246337c0 .85470089-.2991453 1.65954419-.8741691 2.29819559l-.1274335.1342678-2.2321429 2.2321428 1.5739469 1.5739469 2.2321429-2.2321428c1.0874542-1.058837 1.6884157-2.5183151 1.6884157-4.03502751 0-1.51671245-.6009615-2.94757326-1.6884157-4.03502747-1.058837-1.08745421-2.518315-1.68841575-4.0350275-1.68841575z\" transform=\"translate(-3 -3)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Copy Link<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_facebook\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#facebook\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Facebook\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_facebook\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m23.9512 6h-16.9024c-.57923625 0-1.0488.46956375-1.0488 1.0488v16.9024c0 .5792362.46956375 1.0488 1.0488 1.0488h9.10024v-7.34768h-2.46772v-2.87584h2.46772v-2.11508c0-2.45404 1.49872-3.79012 3.68828-3.79012.7389668-.00263323 1.4775241.03516995 2.21236.11324v2.56348h-1.51392c-1.18788 0-1.4174.56544-1.4174 1.39612v1.8316h2.84772l-.37088 2.87584h-2.47684v7.34844h4.83284c.5792362 0 1.0488-.4695638 1.0488-1.0488v-16.9024c0-.57923625-.4695638-1.0488-1.0488-1.0488z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -6)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Facebook<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_twitter\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#twitter\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"X\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_twitter\">\n              <svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\"\n\t y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 30 30\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 30 30\" xml:space=\"preserve\" width=\"19\" height=\"19\">\n<path fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M14.5,16.2l-0.8-1.1l-6.3-9h2.7l5.1,7.3l0.8,1.1\n\tl6.6,9.4h-2.7L14.5,16.2L14.5,16.2z M16.9,13.4l7.4-8.7h-1.8l-6.5,7.5L11,4.8H5l7.8,11.4L5,25.2h1.8l6.8-7.9l5.5,7.9h6L16.9,13.4\n\tL16.9,13.4z\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">X<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_linkedin\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#linkedin\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Linkedin\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_linkedin\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m25 21.4220779c0 1.974026-1.6038961 3.5779221-3.5779221 3.5779221h-11.84415582c-1.97402598 0-3.57792208-1.6038961-3.57792208-3.5779221v-11.84415582c0-1.97402598 1.6038961-3.57792208 3.57792208-3.57792208h11.84415582c1.974026 0 3.5779221 1.6038961 3.5779221 3.57792208zm-14.5584416-12.21428569c-.98701295 0-1.60389606.61688311-1.60389606 1.48051949-.12337663.8636364.49350649 1.4805195 1.48051946 1.4805195.987013 0 1.6038961-.6168831 1.6038961-1.4805195 0-.86363638-.6168831-1.48051949-1.4805195-1.48051949zm1.3571429 12.70779219v-8.6363636h-2.83766234v8.6363636zm10.2402597 0v-4.9350649c0-2.5909091-1.3571428-3.8246753-3.3311688-3.8246753-1.4805195 0-2.0974026.8636363-2.4675325 1.4805194v-1.2337662h-2.8376623v8.6363636h2.8376623v-4.9350649c0-.2467532 0-.4935065.1233767-.7402597.1233766-.4935065.6168831-.987013 1.4805194-.987013.987013 0 1.4805195.7402597 1.4805195 1.974026v4.564935z\" transform=\"translate(-6 -6)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">LinkedIn<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_bluesky\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#bluesky\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Bluesky\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_bluesky\">\n              <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\">\n                <path fill=\"#00000\" d=\"M12 10.8c-1.087-2.114-4.046-6.053-6.798-7.995C2.566.944 1.561 1.266.902 1.565C.139 1.908 0 3.08 0 3.768c0 .69.378 5.65.624 6.479c.815 2.736 3.713 3.66 6.383 3.364c.136-.02.275-.039.415-.056c-.138.022-.276.04-.415.056c-3.912.58-7.387 2.005-2.83 7.078c5.013 5.19 6.87-1.113 7.823-4.308c.953 3.195 2.05 9.271 7.733 4.308c4.267-4.308 1.172-6.498-2.74-7.078a8.741 8.741 0 0 1-.415-.056c.14.017.279.036.415.056c2.67.297 5.568-.628 6.383-3.364c.246-.828.624-5.79.624-6.478c0-.69-.139-1.861-.902-2.206c-.659-.298-1.664-.62-4.3 1.24C16.046 4.748 13.087 8.687 12 10.8\"  fill-rule=\"evenodd\" \/>\n              <\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Bluesky<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_email\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#email\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"E-mail\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_print\">\n              <svg height=\"12\" viewBox=\"0 0 18 12\" width=\"18\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m8.14285714 9.42857143c-.17142857 0-.34285714 0-.51428571.08571428l7.28571427 6.34285719c.3428572.2571428.6857143.2571428.9428572 0l7.2857142-6.34285719c-.0857142-.08571428-.2571428-.08571428-.4285714-.08571428zm-1.28571428 1.11428567v.1714286 8.5714286c0 .6857143.6 1.2857143 1.28571428 1.2857143h14.57142856c.6857143 0 1.2857143-.6 1.2857143-1.2857143v-8.5714286c0-.0857143 0-.0857143 0-.1714286l-7.2 6.3428572c-.7714286.6857143-1.8857143.6857143-2.6571429 0z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -9)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Email<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                  <\/span>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n \n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>Drive through Echo Park and you can still see the original sign, faded now but still elegant, spelling out \u201cNayarit\u201d in the slanting script of a bygone era. In its heyday in the 1950s, \u201960s and early \u201970s, people came from far and wide, eager to enjoy the authentic regional cuisine served at this popular neighborhood eatery, described by a <em>Los Angeles Times<\/em> restaurant critic as one of the best Mexican dining rooms he had ever visited.<\/p>\n<p>But to its devoted patrons, this beloved restaurant was much more than a place to eat. For a quarter of a century, the Nayarit was a beacon of belonging and acceptance for those \u2014 many of them immigrants or members of the LGBTQ community \u2014 who struggled to meet these basic human needs in mid-century Los Angeles, where discrimination and segregation were rife.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/migration-uploads\/Nayarit-Molina-InStoryD-3678.jpg\" alt=\"Black and white photo of five women and two men standing behind several people sitting at a table with a tall, flowered plant. \" width=\"630\" height=\"406\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A celebration at the Nayarit in 1968. Owner and founder Natalia Barraza \u2014 Natalia Molina\u2019s grandmother \u2014 stands fourth from left. Molina\u2019s mother, Maria Perea, who worked at the Nayarit, stands far left. (Photo: Courtesy of Maria Perea Molina.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Nayarit was founded in 1951 by Natalia Barraza, a Mexican immigrant and the grandmother of USC Dornsife\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/cf\/ase\/faculty_display.cfm?person_id=1085989\">Natalia Molina<\/a>, Distinguished Professor of <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/ase\/\">American Studies and Ethnicity<\/a> and a 2020 MacArthur Fellow. Intrigued by her formidable ancestor, Molina plumbed her family\u2019s history to understand Barraza\u2019s story, and in the process illuminated many facets of the immigrant experience through the lens of her grandmother\u2019s restaurant. Molina reveals her findings in a new book, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ucpress.edu\/book\/9780520385481\/a-place-at-the-nayarit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>A Place at the Nayarit: How a Mexican Restaurant Nourished a Community<\/em><\/a>(University of California Press, 2022).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cooking up the American dream<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Barraza immigrated alone from Mexico to L.A. in 1921 at age 21. As she realized her own American dream, running a successful business \u2014 the Nayarit \u2014 and adopting two children, she also sponsored, housed and employed dozens of other Mexican immigrants, encouraging them to lay claim to a city long characterized by anti-Latino racism. Along the way, the Nayarit became a vibrant cultural space that embodied her vision of respect, community and mutual support, as well as an \u201curban anchor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Molina explains that urban anchors are usually considered to be civic projects, such as libraries or hospitals, but in our daily lives, the places where we feel seen, where we feel safe, are often places that we choose to go: bars, restaurants, cafes. These urban anchors, she says, are a different way to look at the city \u2014 not as a city planner envisioned it, but as immigrants finding their place in their new hometown.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese are more than businesses,\u201d Molina says. \u201cThey are sociocultural spaces, nourished by the countless small acts of everyday life that build and sustain affective relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Nayarit was to become a prime example, providing a supportive \u201cfamily\u201d for immigrants and other marginalized people in L.A.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/migration-uploads\/Nayarit-Molina-InStoryC-3678.jpg\" alt=\"Black and white photo of three men and two women dressed for a night out sitting around a circular cocktail table adorned with several drinks and food dishes.\" width=\"630\" height=\"406\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nayarit workers enjoy a night on the town at Casa Escobar in Santa Monica, circa 1968. Working-class Mexican immigrants employed at the Nayarit ventured into wider (and whiter) Los Angeles, asserting their right to the city. (Photo: Courtesy of Ildelfonso \u201cPoncho\u201d Garcia.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Nourishing the soul of an immigrant community<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Molina notes that most Mexican restaurants of that period were called something more accessible, such as El Cholo or El Zarape.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat my grandmother chose to name her restaurant for her home state of Nayarit signals to me that she had \u201cpatria chica\u201d \u2014 literally, \u2018love of a small country,\u2019\u201d Molina says.<\/p>\n<p>It also created a beacon to others from that region. \u201cWhen they wanted something familiar, they knew that regional food would really satiate not just their stomachs, but their souls,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>In her book, Molina details her grandmother\u2019s efforts to serve authentic regional food while still turning a profit.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSometimes she served much less expensive cuts of meat \u2014 pigs\u2019 feet, organs. As the business developed and she had more money, she was able to offer whole fish when it was available. She would travel down to Tijuana for ingredients, like moles and chiles. She offered a taco enchilada combo and served freshly made flour tortillas, more associated with Northern Mexico, that became one of the restaurant\u2019s claims to fame.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote style=\"font-size: 1.2em; font-style: italic;\"><p>\u201cAnyone who was facing discrimination could go to the Nayarit and find acceptance.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The restaurant was a place where you could go, not just to eat food from Nayarit, but to meet people from Nayarit, Mexico, Cuba and other parts of Latin America, and speak Spanish. It became an immigrant hub. And, Molina explains, because the food was so good and the atmosphere so lively, and because Echo Park was both a geographic and cultural crossroads, it drew people from all walks of life.<\/p>\n<p>Musicians would go there after finishing their set, movie stars would eat there after a premier or a long day\u2019s work, and Hollywood celebrities in mixed-race relationships would celebrate there because they felt accepted. When the L.A. Dodgers were in town, Latino baseball players would come to the Nayarit, as would Jaime Jarr\u00edn, the Spanish-language broadcaster for the team.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLatino baseball players had money, but they wanted to go somewhere where they could feel comfortable, speak their language and not be discriminated against,\u201d Molina says. \u201cWhen I asked Se\u00f1or Jarr\u00edn why he enjoyed going there, he said, \u2018I wanted to see friends, bump into people I knew and speak Spanish.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverybody that I interviewed, both in the U.S. and in Mexico, said that the Nayarit was the place to go,\u201d Molina says. \u201cAnd those that I interviewed in Mexico said, \u2018If you visited L.A., but didn\u2019t visit the Nayarit, it was like you hadn\u2019t really visited L.A.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But in addition to the stars, the locals and the tourists, many others came to the Nayarit to find acceptance and a sense of belonging, among them immigrants and members of the LGBTQ community.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnyone who was facing discrimination could go to the Nayarit and find acceptance,\u201d Molina says.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Making the invisible visible<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 315px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/migration-uploads\/Nayarit-Molina-InStoryB-3678.jpg\" alt=\"Black and white photo of a waiter standing with his arm around a well-dressed woman.\" width=\"315\" height=\"490\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Nayarit helped gay men like waiter Carlos Porras, shown with customer Socorro \u201cCoco\u201d Rubio, form lasting friendships with other gay men as well as straight women. (Photo: Courtesy of Rosa Blanca Arrevillaga Sanchez.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>So, how did Barraza establish the Nayarit as a place where marginalized people felt they belonged?<\/p>\n<p>One way in which her grandmother achieved this, Molina says, is through her hiring practices.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf she had just wanted to turn a profit, she could have focused on just hiring experienced Mexican wait staff, but she used the restaurant as a way to bring over family legally from Mexico by providing jobs and the necessary paperwork to obtain visas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Barraza was attentive to the needs of women, helping many single and divorced women immigrate. She also hired gay men and made them feel welcome.<\/p>\n<p>As the book description says, \u201cIn a world that sought to reduce Mexican immigrants to invisible labor, the Nayarit was a place where people could become visible once again, where they could speak out, claim space and belong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Today, the Nayarit is long gone, yet its spirit lives on. Sold by Molina\u2019s mother in 1976 after Barraza\u2019s death in 1969, the space continued to operate as a Mexican restaurant until the turn of the century, when it was transformed into a very different urban anchor, The Echo \u2014 a music venue celebrated for its punk concerts, where another often-marginalized population finds acceptance. The Echo\u2019s owners opted to leave the Nayarit\u2019s iconic sign rather than put up their own. It still remains \u2014 a reminder to anyone seeking a home away from home, a place to be seen and a place to belong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A beloved Los Angeles landmark, the Nayarit, founded by the grandmother of USC Dornsife historian Natalia Molina, fed the senses \u2014 not only with its acclaimed regional Mexican cuisine but also by providing a haven where the marginalized could feel seen and find belonging.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":883,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[158,55,150,143,71,181,250,109],"class_list":["post-880","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty","tag-american-studies-and-ethnicity","tag-books","tag-dei-story","tag-faculty","tag-history","tag-los-angeles","tag-natalia-molina","tag-usc-dornsife-magazine"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Nourishing the Soul<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Nourishing the Soul\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A beloved Los Angeles landmark, the Nayarit, founded by the grandmother of USC Dornsife historian Natalia Molina, fed the senses \u2014 not only with its acclaimed regional Mexican cuisine but also by providing a haven where the marginalized could feel seen and find belonging.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"USC Dornsife News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-04-22T16:55:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-05-04T20:24:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-3678.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"520\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Michael Liu\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uscdornsife\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uscdornsife\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Michael Liu\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d03084ed5319ed7575c96017879a7447\"},\"headline\":\"Nourishing the Soul\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-04-22T16:55:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-05-04T20:24:46+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":3,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2023\\\/04\\\/story-3678.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"american studies and ethnicity\",\"books\",\"dei story\",\"faculty\",\"history\",\"los angeles\",\"natalia molina\",\"usc dornsife magazine\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Faculty\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\\\/\",\"name\":\"Nourishing the Soul\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2023\\\/04\\\/story-3678.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-04-22T16:55:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-05-04T20:24:46+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2023\\\/04\\\/story-3678.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2023\\\/04\\\/story-3678.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":520,\"caption\":\"Nourishing the Soul\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Nourishing the Soul\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"USC Dornsife News\",\"description\":\"USC Dornsife news and events\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"USC Dornsife News\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2024\\\/01\\\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/7\\\/2024\\\/01\\\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":330,\"caption\":\"USC Dornsife News\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/uscdornsife\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/uscdornsife\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/uscdornsife\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/USCCollege\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/school\\\/uscdornsife\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d03084ed5319ed7575c96017879a7447\",\"name\":\"Michael Liu\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/16962c8d3900280cb2e47f931ab45f9c2432ea07c167e9c00a6c2f8a0ec3d61f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/16962c8d3900280cb2e47f931ab45f9c2432ea07c167e9c00a6c2f8a0ec3d61f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/16962c8d3900280cb2e47f931ab45f9c2432ea07c167e9c00a6c2f8a0ec3d61f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Michael Liu\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/dornsife.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/stories\\\/author\\\/liumk\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Nourishing the Soul","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Nourishing the Soul","og_description":"A beloved Los Angeles landmark, the Nayarit, founded by the grandmother of USC Dornsife historian Natalia Molina, fed the senses \u2014 not only with its acclaimed regional Mexican cuisine but also by providing a haven where the marginalized could feel seen and find belonging.","og_url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\/","og_site_name":"USC Dornsife News","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife","article_published_time":"2022-04-22T16:55:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-05-04T20:24:46+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":520,"url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-3678.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Michael Liu","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@uscdornsife","twitter_site":"@uscdornsife","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\/"},"author":{"name":"Michael Liu","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/d03084ed5319ed7575c96017879a7447"},"headline":"Nourishing the Soul","datePublished":"2022-04-22T16:55:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-05-04T20:24:46+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\/"},"wordCount":3,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-3678.jpg","keywords":["american studies and ethnicity","books","dei story","faculty","history","los angeles","natalia molina","usc dornsife magazine"],"articleSection":["Faculty"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\/","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\/","name":"Nourishing the Soul","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-3678.jpg","datePublished":"2022-04-22T16:55:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-05-04T20:24:46+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-3678.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-3678.jpg","width":800,"height":520,"caption":"Nourishing the Soul"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/nayarit-mexican-restaurant-welcomed-immigrants-lgbtq\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Nourishing the Soul"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/","name":"USC Dornsife News","description":"USC Dornsife news and events","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization","name":"USC Dornsife News","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USC-Dornsife-Cardinal-Black-on-White-RGB.jpg","width":1000,"height":330,"caption":"USC Dornsife News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife","https:\/\/x.com\/uscdornsife","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uscdornsife\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/USCCollege","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/uscdornsife"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/d03084ed5319ed7575c96017879a7447","name":"Michael Liu","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/16962c8d3900280cb2e47f931ab45f9c2432ea07c167e9c00a6c2f8a0ec3d61f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/16962c8d3900280cb2e47f931ab45f9c2432ea07c167e9c00a6c2f8a0ec3d61f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/16962c8d3900280cb2e47f931ab45f9c2432ea07c167e9c00a6c2f8a0ec3d61f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Michael Liu"},"url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/author\/liumk\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/880","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=880"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/880\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15086,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/880\/revisions\/15086"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/883"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=880"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=880"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=880"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}