Kids of Immigrants founder Daniel Buezo’s 5 favorite Latino businesses in L.A.
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Co-founder and chief executive of the Los Angeles-based clothing brand Kids of Immigrants, Daniel Buezo takes pride in his Honduran heritage. A first-generation American with roots extending from San Pedro Sula on his mom’s side and Comayagua on his dad’s, the entrepreneur was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., before moving to the Pico Union neighborhood of Los Angeles a decade ago.
His company was inspired by living near the always-active street vendors of Macarthur Park, Buezo said, adding that he witnessed the same hustle culture in New York: immigrant families selling whatever they could to make a buck and give their kids a better life.
The CEO has always been passionate about fashion and worked retail through high school and college. In 2013, he met Weleh Dennis, who has worked at Louis Vuitton and later became co-founder of Kids of Immigrants.
“When he first mentioned the name ‘Kids of Immigrants,’ it just stuck. It was something that was true to who we were,” said Buezo, who grew up rocking brands like Nautica and Polo by Ralph Lauren. “These American heritage brands, we just felt like it didn’t represent who we were.”
Through the years, Kids of Immigrants has formed multiple partnerships with companies such as Nike and Buchanan’s Whisky, the collaborator on their recent Family Reunion line that launched this summer.
We asked Daniel to share his five favorite Latino-owned businesses in Southern California. Here are his picks.
La Maria
Rincon Hondure?o
La Chula Cafe at Pasadena Roots
Open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays.
La Michoacana Boyle Heights Ice Cream Parlor
The term “La Michoacana” is used by thousands of paleterias across the U.S and Mexico, many with different variations of the name, menu and logo. Regardless of ownership, the loosely associated network of paleterias have no shortage of unique chocolate-dipped and fruit filled paletas or overflowing cups of whipped-cream-topped fresas con crema.
Royalty Cleaners
Owner Carmen Bautista and her daughter Melina are all about giving back to the community, donating to the local fridge on Pico Boulevard and Arapahoe Street and even holding food drives during the pandemic. With a five-star review on Google, this South L.A. dry cleaner offers affordable services with a proven track record.
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