Stand-up comedian Jose Velasquez, better known as Hoozay, has always been loud and proud about his Salvadoran heritage.
“Growing up, I never had any representation, and there was a negative connotation associated with being Salvadoran,” said Velasquez. “When I started doing comedy, I realized there was an opportunity to educate people about Salvadoran culture in a fun way.”
In 2005, Velasquez started the “Backyard Comedy” shows, which were held at local breweries and paired stand-up comedy with local chefs cooking up pupusas. During the pandemic, Velasquez evolved the event into “Comedy Pupusas and Beer” and took the show on the road to different breweries around the country in Nevada, Texas and Kansas. The show is now a residency at Beer Thug Brewery in Bell and features comedians (and pupusas) monthly.
Born and raised in Compton, Velasquez now aims to share Salvadoran culture with the masses. His first one-hour comedy special,”Hoozay: The Salvadoran,” is now available on Apple TV+ and Prime Video. “I see this as a Salvi renaissance era,” he said. “Having a platform allows me to be a positive voice for Salvadoran culture, which is why being such an advocate for Salvadoran culture is important to me.”
We asked Hoozay to share his five favorite Latino-owned businesses in Southern California. Here are his picks.
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Mi Los Angeles
In ‘Mi Los Angeles’ we ask influential L.A. Latinos to share their favorite Latino-owned businesses. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go and what to eat all while supporting local businesses and organizations.
