Over the course of 39 days and 104 matches, locals in Los Angeles County donned their brightly colored jerseys during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, representing the assortment of cultures that call Los Angeles home. |
On Metro buses, at viewing parties and on a nearly two-mile stretch of Artesia Boulevard — the commercial core in my North Redondo Beach neighborhood — the jerseys that often dominated the scene on game days were canary yellow with green trim — the colors of Brazil. |
With a population of about 66,000, Redondo Beach is home to a little more than 400 Brazilian residents, ranking fifth among Los Angeles County’s 86 cities for its Brazilian population, behind much larger cities like Torrance, Santa Clarita, Long Beach and Los Angeles, according to Neilsberg, a market research and advisory company. |
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Sandy Mattice heads to Hi Brazil, a Brazilian market in Redondo Beach on July 31. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) |
But the heart of the Brazilian community is in North Redondo Beach. |
Maybe it’s time to recognize this neighborhood as Southern California’s “Little Brazil,” not necessarily due to its Brazilian population but also for its thriving commercial district that draws Brazilians from across the state to buy traditional Brazilian foods, converse in their native language and feel closer to home. |
What makes this neighborhood so authentically Brazilian |
North Redondo Beach is home to five Brazilian-owned businesses, notably Hi Brazil, a specialty market that celebrated 30 years in operation this year. Located nearby is Panelas Brazilian Cuisine, an eatery that made The Times 101 Best Restaurants in L.A. guide in 2023. |
Surrounded by kitchen staples — including cases of the soft drink Guaraná Antarctica, packets of farofa cassava flour and frozen bags of pão de queijo or Brazilian cheese bread — Ketrin Ofilada owner of Hi Brazil told me she hustled since she bought the shop in 2013 to build her community and customer base. |
Under its previous owner, Hi Brazil primarily sold clothing and offered a remittance service so locals could send money to their families back in Brazil. When Ofilada took over, she said she and her husband remodeled the space to curate a specialty store that sold Brazilian food, candy, perfume and makeup. |
Ofilada built her current following by word-of-mouth. |
“If you’re Brazilian, and you tell me ‘I’m going to do a birthday party at my house,’ I was there with my table and business cards,” she said. |
For a year, Ofilada would go to house parties, community events and festivals with a table full of products to catch the eye of any and all local Brazilians in Los Angeles and beyond. |
Now Hi Brazil draws customers from as far as San Diego, as well as Brazilians in other states who order her products through her online website. |
A feeling of ‘saudade’ |
The Portuguese word customers have used to describe Ofilada’s store is “saudade.” |
“Saudade” doesn’t translate directly to English because it has many meanings including a deep sense of nostalgia for something that you may never see or experience again. |
“People don’t come here to buy an item that they may not find in the U.S., it’s more about the memory,” Ofilada told me. |
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Customer Roseane Dias talks about what she likes about shopping at Hi Brazil, a Brazilian market in Redondo Beach. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) |
She hopes her shop evokes a feeling of Brazil with her inventory but also with the Portuguese music that fills her store and the sound of her Brazilian employees speaking Portuguese. |
“I have people that when they walk in and we’re talking Portuguese because everybody’s from Brazil, they start crying,” Ofilada said. “They’ve said, ‘Oh my God! It’s been so long since I’ve heard someone speak [the language].” |
In her pursuit to find a place that felt like her home in Brazil, Roseane Dias, 24, told me on a recent Friday that she often drove more than an hour from Porter Ranch to North Redondo Beach to visit the specialty store. |
Her first visit was in 2024, when she moved to the Greater Los Angeles area from southern Brazil for work. Dias recently moved to nearby Gardena, so she frequents Hi Brazil more often. |
A Google search of forums and listings led her to Hi Brazil because, “it was the most known,” specialty store and had the greatest variety of items that reminded her of home, Dias said. |
The five businesses that bring together the Brazilian community fall within the city’s 4th and 5th district, represented by Redondo Beach City Councilmembers Zein Obagi Jr. and Scott Behrendt. |
How to designate the neighborhood ‘Little Brazil’ |
Obagi said no one has yet suggested recognizing the Brazilian community in North Redondo Beach but he would not be opposed to it. “I’d be happy to recognize them.” |
Getting official recognition as “Little Brazil” is possible through the California Arts Council which has designated 24 cultural districts throughout the state. |
All that is required is a well-defined geographic area with a high concentration of cultural resources and activities. |
This is my small plea to get North Redondo Beach on the map as “Little Brazil.” |
Today’s top stories |
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Investigators view the Edison equipment as the possible origin of the Eaton fire on Feb. 11, 2025. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) |
The source of the Eaton fire |
- Out-of-service equipment managed by Southern California Edison started the deadly Eaton fire that killed 19 people and destroyed much of Altadena in January 2025, according to a long-awaited report by state and County fire officials.
- The report confirms long-held suspicions about the fire’s origin.
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A bizarre murder mystery in Chino Hills |
- A late-night abduction, high-speed chase and fatal shooting in Chino Hills have left investigators — and residents — grappling with a murder case authorities say is unusually baffling.
- Detectives say the victim and alleged kidnapper were real-estate business partners tied to a contentious $20-million Pasadena apartment deal, but the precise motive remains unclear.
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The internal threats that ended Carvalho’s LAUSD tenure |
- Newly released letters reveal how the L.A. Unified school board moved to dismiss former Supt. Alberto Carvalho citing “unfitness for service,” among other allegations.
- The district’s letter details accusations of undisclosed gifts, outside consulting income, donor-funded travel and misuse of district resources.
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What else is going on |
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Commentary and opinions |
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This morning’s must-read |
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Chinatown has lacked a full-service grocery store since Ai Hoa closed in 2019. The local family behind Gu Grocery is on a mission to improve food access. |
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Other must-reads |
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Keep up with California |
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For your downtime |
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The original Montezooma’s Revenge, which has now been rebranded as Montezooma: The Forbidden Fortress. (Courtesy of Ric Turner) |
Going out |
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Staying in |
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And finally ... your photo of the day |
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Brian Aggrey, left, and Phoebe Novack have transformed their backyard into Chateau Chaparral. They bought their home in 2021 and turned the backyard into a native plant sanctuary. (Dania Maxwell/For The Times) |
Today’s photo is from former L.A. Times photographer Dania Maxwell at the home of a Del Rey couple, who transformed their backyard into a lush 3,000-square-foot garden. |
Have a great day, from the Essential California team |
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
Shi Bradley, audience intern |
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com. |
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