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Meet Alexis Chavez and Johan Moreno of Quince Night in Highland Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexis Chavez and Johan Moreno.

Alexis and Johan, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with us! And shout out to everyone thats been involved with Quince Night! 

Okay, so we first got started with this movement in August of 2017. Johan and I were discussing how much fun Quinceañeras were back in the day. We both share this experience because of our Mexican-American culture (we’re both first generation). The same day, we also discussed the issue of the DACA repeal that is still affecting undocumented youth in Los Angeles today. We were concerned and felt responsible to take action because we did not know what the future held for our undocumented friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers. We held our first Quince Night in January 2018 and it was a success!

We were moved by the support from the first event and wanted to continue using this platform to empower our community. In addition to supporting undocumented youth and immigrant rights, we also recognize that it is our moral responsibility to stand up for other social causes that we support and believe in. We will continue to branch out and use our voice and platform for those that may feel voiceless. We are optimistic and excited for the future of Quince Night!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Not at all. Johan and I don’t financially benefit from Quince Night, and we do this event because we legitimately care about social issues and community empowerment. So because 100% of the proceeds from our events go directly to the organizations we partner with. Our biggest struggle with hosting Quince Night is receiving the financial support necessary to host each event. We struggle to find sponsors and other contributions, but always find a way to make it happen. And although we are extremely appreciative and value our existing partners and new friends, we also continue to struggle with being respected and taken seriously from other professionals.

Please tell us about Quince Night.
Quince Night is a Quinceañera-themed benefit event that brings together live music, art, culture, and activism to raise funds for charitable organizations in Los Angeles. As the two organizers of Quince Night, we can say together that we are most proud of the successful execution of this community event.

What sets us apart from others is that we’re just two ordinary people from the community who are passionate about social justice, music, and art. We recognize the importance of keeping our cultural traditions alive within this event and allowing others to experience them. We also intentionally partner with all local vendors, musicians, artists, and venues, so that this event benefits everyone within the community. In all, that’s what we believe makes this event so special.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
We both wish we would have started with a smaller event because we ended up getting burnt out quickly from having two large events in one year. Other than that, we have no regrets. This is all a learning experience, and we’ve both grown as a result of this, along with helping others along the way.

Contact Info:

 

 

Image Credit:
Rob Aft, Katelee Cervantes, Berny Ortiz

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