This little strip mall is almost always busy because it features a lot of great businesses. Among…read morethem, Poke Ramen, Vapor Forrest, Antonio's Mexican Food, LA Playa Soul Kitchen, Luz's Beauty Salon, Jose Luis Tax Preparer, The Barber Club, Hueneme Mail & Print, and Surf Side Liquor & Minimart.
There is a nice private parking lot, so usually its possible to find parking, and the parking is free.
The main reason I visit the Hueneme Center is to enjoy the wonderful food at LA Playa Soul Kitchen. I'm telling you, that place has got it going on! If you haven't tried LA Playa, I recommend you get over there and get some of their great food. They have absolutely wonderful espresso drinks too!
I also like the vape shop here, Vapor Forrest. And, clearly, everyone else loves Vapor Forrest too. That shop is always hella busy. Really nice selection of all sorts of vaping/smoking/playing-with-fire tools and accessories.
Surf Side Liquor is another one of my favorite shops in this Center. Hueneme Beach Park is just a couple blocks away. That makes this the closest liquor store to the beach. The beer here is colder than an IRS agent's heart.
All of the above is well and good, but the reason I created this page and wrote this review is to highlight the very cool mural that adorns the building.
The mural was painted above the front windows and doors of the tenant businesses. It is broken up into individual scenes that reflect key moments in the history of our continent. It begins with scenes of indigenous people living in peace, pre-European contact. You see images of a shaman and what to my eyes look like an Olmec totem and a Mayan pyramid. Next come scenes of The Conquest, with ugly sword-wielding Conquistadors, and natives in chains.
These scenes are followed by depictions of the arrival of the Franciscan missionaries and Mission life. Next, there are scenes from the early days of California statehood, with wagon trains and vaqueros/cowboys on horseback. These are followed by scenes of the building of the railroads, featuring the courageous Chinese immigrant laborers with picks and shovels.
The series of vignettes ends with an outline of our state with a State Flag and three strong images of Mexican American men.
The artwork is signed, Xowiie Menddez, 1971.
Wow! 1971! That means this amazing art has been here for over 50 years. I asked a few people working in the Center if they knew anything about the artist and no one had any information to share. I went home and searched the internet. I came up empty. I can find nothing online for any artist names Xowiie Menddez.
The few years before and after1971 were a heady time for Latinos in Southern California. It was when Mexican American students in the LA Unified School District staged the largest walkouts in the history of American education. Called Blowouts, these walkouts were in protest of the second rate education that was foisted on Mexican American students. LAUSD teacher Sal Castro helped guide and protect the student protesters.
At this same time the Brown Berets, a pro-Chicano paramilitary organization was organizing protests against the war in Vietnam. Sal Castro and many student leaders and Brown Berets were rounded up and put on trial for conspiracy. All or nearly all were acquitted.
I highly recommend you check out these amazing murals when you visit the Hueneme center. Although the are in plain sight, I'm sure most people barely notice them. That's a shame. They should be appreciated and celebrated!
Mikey C says: please message me if you have any information on Xowiie Menddez!
