There’s No Place Like Casita
Bookstore owner Franceshi-Chávez sitting in a lounge area of her bookstore, Casita. Photograph by Isabella Siqueira
Bright red flowers grow in an open book, watered by three helping hands in a house-like frame. Beneath it reads, “Cultivating Comunidad”, a slogan created by Casita Bookstore’s proud owner.
To Antonette Franceshi-Chavez, this is more than just an image printed on a tote bag, it is the embodiment of Casita’s mission.
“We want to make sure that we’re open to our community and open to being a safe space for different communities. It all came from that design,” Franceshi-Chavez said, in reference to the tote bag on the wall.
Before opening Casita Bookstore, she was a dual immersion school teacher in the El Salvador Community Corridor of Los Angeles.
“I saw how hard it was to find books that were fully representative of all my students,” Franceshi-Chavez said. “Finding Spanish books, too, was a really difficult feat.”
Parents in her area were primarily Spanish speakers, which set Franceshi-Chavez on a hunt for Spanish books that were not only direct translations of English titles, but original stories representative of the families within her classroom.
“I wanted to ensure that they were representative of the kids– that they touched on the sports or games they liked to play, or family experiences and holidays that they celebrated,” Franceshi-Chavez added. “That was really hard to do when you’re thinking about what was accessible within my area there. There weren’t too many bookstores like this, where you could see diversity on the cover.”
After having her second child in 2022, Franceshi-Chavez considered continuing teaching until she drove past a little building she would soon name, Casita.
One of the many books written by a Latinx author that is available for purchase at Casita Bookstore. Photograph by Isabella Siqueira
Franceshi-Chavez signed the lease in December of that year and Casita Bookstore opened its doors to the Long Beach community soon after.
Now, customers gravitate towards the various titles hand picked by Franceshi-Chavez, admiring the stories, cultures, and traditions represented on every cover.
“I think it is important for kids to see the diversity of what’s out there,” Franceshi-Chavez said about the children’s books displayed on the shelves.
In her hands Nancy Valdivia, an Orange County native, holds When I Wrap My Hair, a children’s book about the long practiced tradition and importance of head wrapping within the Black community.
“It’s my first time here and the vibes are great,” Valdivia said. “I wish we had something like this closer to home.”
Casita is one of four independent bookstores on Retro Row. Each with their own niche, but with a similar goal at their core: to create a safe space for books and those that find themselves within their pages.
“If independent bookstores start to disappear, then that opens our community to division and creates a lack of empathy and understanding,” Franceshi-Chavez said. “We want to make sure there are spaces for an open dialogue.”
Past the picture books, Franceshi-Chavez ensures that older readers are equally represented on Casita’s shelves.
In the adult section, titles like Loca: A Novel by Alejandro Heredia and Emperor Of Gladness by Ocean Vuong await the eyes of hungry readers.
“It’s also important for adults to read the stories that are outside of our immediate little bubbles because that’s how we build empathy, that’s how we build community,” Franceshi-Chavez said. “If we don’t read about how the other half of the world lives, then we’re not exposed to it.”
Walking through the doors of Casita, visitors and staff alike are hit with the welcoming energy Franceshi-Chavez radiates throughout the shop.
A scene from inside Casita Bookstore, where books are categorized in different sections, such as “Hispanic Heritage” or “Immigrants Make America.” Photograph by Isabella Siqueira
Prior to working at Casita, staff member Estrella Contrevas heard about the bookstore through the surrounding community. “I feel like this is the safest place I’ve ever been in,” she said.
“It’s amazing, especially because it’s Latina owned and because we’re supportive of any person of color, any sexuality– whatever you identify with,” Contrevas added.
Through its three years, Franceshi-Chavez has ensured that every person who walks through her door finds a piece of themselves on Casita’s shelves.
“I’m proud that a place like this has lasted three years,” she said. “It’s a place I wish I had as a kid.”