Sonic Trace: Julieta, an LA-Born Zapoteca

Since the 1970s, Los Angeles has become a hub for Mexico’s indigenous Zapotecs – a culture that predates the Spanish conquest of the Americas. Sonic Trace has launched a five-part series that explores the connection between Santa Maria Tavehua, a tiny village in the hillsides of southern Mexico, and L.A.’s Koreatown – where more than half the village now lives. In this story, we hear from 33-year-old Julieta Mendez – an L.A.-born Zapoteca who traveled to Santa Maria Tavehua to find out why her mother left… and why Julieta had to return to move on.

Julieta’s story comes to us from Sonic Trace, a new storytelling project fromKCRW. It was produced byAnayansi Diaz-Cortez andEric Pearse Chavez, and edited by Carmen Vidal. Sonic Trace is part of Localoreand the Association of Independents in Radio (AIR). It’s funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.