In the Midnight Hour, the San Fernando record shop at the center of the Valley's ICE resistance

"It's times like these that make you realize, this is community. You know, this is having each other's back when we are all struggling. Every decade or so, it pops up again and they start kind of questioning our belonging. It's more important than ever to express yourself ... that you're not assimilating, you're not going to give up on your culture."

"The Midnight Hour is a record store, its rows lined with hundreds of vinyls collected from around the world. But to the north San Fernando Valley, it has been a community lifeline and gathering spot since it first opened during the pandemic. When wildfires devastated Los Angeles early last year, the store transformed into a donation center. And since the ICE crackdown began last summer, it has become a safe haven for the city's immigrant population and the go-to headquarters for the resistance."

"It was a night inspired by pachucos, the 1930s-40s Mexican American subculture of zoot suits and ducktails, calό slang and jazz, that rebelled against discrimination as a form of self-empowerment and felt especially relevant since immigration agents began mass roundups of Latinos in Los Angeles."

The Midnight Hour record store in San Fernando has evolved into a vital community space, particularly for the immigrant population facing increased ICE enforcement. Beyond its primary function as a vinyl retailer, the store has served multiple roles since opening during the pandemic—functioning as a wildfire donation center and now as a gathering place for resistance and solidarity. The store hosted an event celebrating pachuco culture from the 1930s-40s, a Mexican American subculture that emerged as a form of self-empowerment against discrimination. Owner Sergio Amalfitano draws connections between contemporary immigration enforcement and historical persecution, specifically the 1943 Zoot Suit riots. The event featured live soul music, vendor booths, and cultural expressions, emphasizing the importance of maintaining cultural identity and community support during challenging times.

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