Wes Avila, the founder of Guerrilla Tacos, is turning to cherished family recipes as a source of comfort during a challenging period marked by personal loss and community tension.
Having lost his mother in 1995, Avila often reflects on her memory. His father, Jose Luis Avila, is alive but has temporarily returned to Mexico to avoid potential ICE raids targeting undocumented immigrants in Los Angeles, putting many families, including his own, on edge.
“They’re even picking up people who have legal status, and they’re just coming right back,” lamented Wes Avila, who also operates the Mexican restaurants MXO and Ka’teen. “So he left for Mexico.”
Jose Luis Avila, a legal resident of the U.S., fears being wrongfully taken by immigration enforcement. With a retirement home and land in Durango, he often travels there to garden and maintain his property. However, this trip carries an air of dread rather than leisure for both father and son, particularly after Wes encouraged him to leave amidst the anxiety surrounding ICE activities.
“I couldn’t stomach the thought of my father being apprehended while out on a hike or shopping,” Wes shared.
During this separation, Wes finds solace in cooking traditional dishes that remind him of his upbringing. He often prepares a Durango-style stew filled with beef, potatoes, and chiles, bringing a taste of home into his kitchen.
“When he’s not around, that’s something I like to make. It connects me to him,” said Wes Avila. “I talk to him every other day, and we have a very close relationship.”
Jose Avila made the journey to California in 1974, motivated by family members in Whittier to seek out a promising future. He worked at various jobs, including at a car wash and later at a paper factory where he remained until retirement.
Wes’s roots in Los Angeles run deep, influenced significantly by both his parents’ cooking. His father would often make menudo during the Christmas season and was known for his caldillo—a robust meat soup served with tortillas—that became a staple in their household.
His mother, Julia “Judy” Luz Alicia Ponce Avila, was a prolific cook who delighted her family with various dishes. A favorite among the children was her beef taquitos, which she prepared with a rich avocado sauce.
Judy’s culinary influence reflected a blend of personal and cultural history. Born in Lincoln Heights, she drew inspiration from her Texan father and her Concho grandmother while also absorbing elements of 1960s Americana, often using canned beef in her recipes.
For Wes, cooking these traditional meals is not just about preserving family heritage; it also fosters a sense of comfort in tumultuous times. The current volatility in the Los Angeles restaurant industry—exacerbated by the threat of ICE raids and a general slowing of business—has added to Wes’s challenges as a restaurateur.
He encourages patrons to support local eateries saying, “Go and support your local food stands. Go and support mom-and-pop restaurants because they need that.”
Wes acknowledges that while his establishments have a degree of backing to weather the storm, many smaller operations are struggling to keep their doors open.
“Just go eat. And don’t let these guys [ICE] into your restaurants,” he concluded, highlighting the importance of community solidarity during these precarious times.
This desire to connect through cooking serves as a reminder of the power of food in cultivating relationships, preserving cultural identities, and providing solace amid uncertainty.
For those eager to recreate the familial ties embedded in Wes Avila’s cooking, he shares recipes such as his Durango-inspired stew and his mother’s beef taquitos in hopes of keeping these cherished traditions alive.
An integral part of Avila’s life, these dishes not only represent his family’s influence but also serve as a bridge during times of separation and anxiety.
image source from：latimes
