Tucked into a Chinatown shopping plaza, the modern Filipino restaurant Lasita is typically bursting with energy. Orbs of yellow light wash over plates of juicy chicken inasal; longtime friends catch up over handpicked wines as music thumps in the background.
That all changed on the evening of Friday, June 6, when more than 10 Immigration and Customs Enforcement vans filled the parking lot across from the restaurant, leaving guests and staff “spooked,” said co-owner Chase Valencia.
“We were in a position of just reacting and in a state of shock because we didn’t know how to respond accordingly,” said Valencia, who manages a predominantly Asian and Latino staff.
Since that evening, the Lasita team has weathered canceled reservations and understaffing as the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area has been swept by fear. Restaurant owners and managers have had to scramble to provide a framework of security and support for their staff, many of whom are undocumented immigrants…