Latinx Files: It's still time for Kevin de León to resign

Embattled councilmember Kevin de León appeared at Tuesday's city hall meeting, resulting in chaos.

Dec. 15, 2022 8 AM PT

On Tuesday morning, embattled L.A. Councilmember Kevin de León appeared on CNN and reiterated that he had no plans of resigning in the wake of a leaked audio tape that rocked city hall two months ago.

Calls for De León’s resignation have come from all sides — from his colleagues and mine, activist groups, and even President Biden. Still, the council member said that he would not step down.

“Tens of millions of Americans go to work every single day with folks that they don’t like,” De León told anchor Kate Bolduan. “You know what they do every morning? They get up and they go to work.”

In that same interview, De León said he intended to stay because of the constituents of his predominantly Latinx district, many who faced “the threat of being evicted because of the eviction moratorium that will soon be lifted in Los Angeles.”

De León also added that he planned on attending Tuesday’s city council meeting, a critical one in which newly elected Mayor Karen Bass’ declaration of a homelessness emergency would be voted on.

True to his word, de León showed up at City Hall. Predictably, chaos broke out. Videos of verbal altercations between protesters and De León supporters showed up on social media. In one, captured by videographer Sean Beckner-Carmitchel, a small group of older Hispanics is seen chanting “All lives matter!”

As my colleagues Julia Wick, David Zahniser, Dakota Smith and Benjamin Oreskes report, mayhem was also present on the council floor.

De Léon showed up halfway through the meeting, which resulted in several council members, including newly elected progressive Eunisses Hernandez and Hugo Soto-Martínez, walking off. Council President Paul Krekorian called a recess and spoke at length with De León, who eventually exited.

After his departure, the other council members returned and voted 13 to 0 in favor of Mayor Bass’ declaration. De León was allowed to record a vote from a back room, which is technically considered part of the council chamber.

The council also voted in favor of extending the city’s COVID-19 eviction moratorium for a month, though it’s worth noting that De León, whose district comprises a renter majority, was marked absent.

Pete Brown, a spokesperson for De León, told me that the city clerk had incorrectly marked him as not present, and that he “would have voted in support of extending the moratorium every 30 days.”

(During our conversation, Brown also claimed that the council’s Ad Hoc Committee on City Governance Reform was unfairly targeting De León, which recently took up a motion that would look into amending the Rules of the City Council “to include a list of potential consequences that can be imposed upon a censured Council member.” Brown noted that there were no Latinx council members on the committee and that this would affect the predominantly Latinx residents of District 14.)

When asked, Brown also said that De León had every intention of attending the next council meeting on Jan. 10.

If that really is the case, then it’s safe to say that we’ll see a repeat of what we saw on Tuesday.

De León isn’t wrong that tens of millions of Americans go to work every day despite the presence of co-workers they don’t like. But it’s also true that tens of millions of Americans don’t bring their place of work to a standstill by showing up. And it’s also fair to say that tens of millions of Americans aren’t caught on camera in a physical altercation at a work event.

De León’s presence on the council has become untenable. To reference “The Wizard of Oz,” a movie the council member alluded to in the leaked audio tapes, here’s hoping he finds the courage to do the right thing and resigns.

Consider subscribing to the Los Angeles Times

Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Become a subscriber.

Oh, to be alive in the time of Messi

Congratulations to the Argentina men’s national team, which on Tuesday defeated Croatia 3-0 for a chance to play in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final. La Albiceleste has been in fine form after stumbling in their first match of the tournament, losing in stunning fashion to Saudi Arabia 2-1.

As we’ve previously written, this tournament is the last chance for superstar Lionel Messi to win the one trophy that has eluded him— the Argentine striker’s quest for World Cup glory is even the subject of a wonderful, new bilingual podcast from NPR and Futuro Media called “The Last Cup/La Ultima Copa,” hosted by friend of the newsletter Jasmine Garsd. I recommend you give it a binge listen ahead of Sunday’s finale against France.

You can find also the Times’ comprehensive World Cup coverage here

Things we read this week that we think you should read

— One of my favorite musical acts in recent years has been Omar Apollo. For the Envelope, Times music writer Mikael Wood chatted with the child of Mexican immigrants from Indiana that’s been compared to the likes of Prince and Frank Ocean.

— Columnist Gustavo Arellano joined historian Kelly Lytle Hernandez and newly elected council members Eunisses Hernandez and Hugo Soto-Martínez for a tour of magonista Los Angeles. And if you haven’t picked up Lytle Hernandez’ phenomenal book “Bad Mexicans,” there’s still time to add it to your Christmas gift list.

— Just in time for the holidays, my colleagues Suzy Exposito and Gustavo Arellano put together this 24-song playlist of the greatest Christmas songs in Spanish. I was asked to contribute, but declined because my list would have just been “Mi Burrito Sabanero (DJ Laz Remix”) 24 times.

— For Opinion, Jean Guerrero wrote about the work that Democrats need to do in order to gain the support of California’s most Latinx county.

— It’s not just Mexicans who make delicious tamales. From our Food team, here’s a handy map of where to get the best non-Mexican masa goodness.

And now for something a little different...

My grandmother was the matriarch of our family, the one who everyone adored and held out family together.

When she passed away the family dispersed and slowly disconnected.
I felt as if I was slowly starting to lose my identity.

I wasn't practicing my Spanish, I was eating less comida Mexicana.

During college I realized that preserving my culture was important to me so I did what I could to hold on.

Years later i started dating my future husband. We connected over our Mexican American culture.

Eventually I learned about his family and their experiences from Campeche and Durango. I grew fond of my soon to be family.

All which nourished and enriched the experiences of my formative years when my abuelita was at my side.

Raylene Barraza is a Chicana graphic designer and illustrator based in Los Angeles.

“Though most of my work is created for the digital world, I enjoy designing print products. My creative style often consists of two elements- vibrant colors and bold linework,” she says.

“The holiday season always makes me feel a little emotional. It’s a time of reflection, a time of traditions and an opportunity to share special moments with loved ones. I wanted to share a story of how beautiful it can be to connect and embrace new experiences.”

Are you a Latinx artist? We want your help telling our stories. Send us your pitches for illustrations, comics, GIFs and more! Email our art director at [email protected].