Guadalupe Rosales documents 1990s East LA youth culture
Artist Guadalupe Rosales's memoir preserves 1990s Chicanx youth culture and community stories.
Photos of Chicanx youth collected by Guadalupe Rosales over the years (all images courtesy Guadalupe Rosales, unless otherwise noted) (Photo via Hyperallergic)
Artist and archivist Guadalupe Rosales has released a new memoir, East of the River: A Memoir of Los Angeles Girlhood, which serves as a central component of her ongoing project to document 1990s Chicanx youth culture. The book combines personal essays with a collection of photographs, party flyers, news clippings, and community testimonials.
Rosales began her archival work in 2015 by launching the Instagram accounts @veteranas_and_rucas and @map_pointz. These digital platforms were created to address what she identified as a void in the historical record regarding Latinx youth culture in Southern California, a subject she felt was largely absent from mainstream media coverage.
The memoir explores her upbringing in Boyle Heights, the impact of the 1992 uprising, and the 1996 death of her cousin, Ever Sánchez, due to gang violence. Rosales describes the work as a reflection of her community and a way to share the truths of the women who shaped her experiences.
In a review published Nov. 3, 2026, in Hyperallergic, author Carolina A. Miranda examined the project's significance.
Rosales is an interdisciplinary artist whose work has been featured in the Hammer Museum’s Made in L.A. biennial and the 61st Venice Biennale. Her recent publications continue her efforts to preserve the cultural history of her community.