Meet Aaron Castillo-white | Non-profit leader, Translator & Linguistic Activist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Aaron Castillo-white and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aaron, what do you think makes you most happy? Why?
Writing and translating are both core to my happiness. I feel fulfilled in helping to make others’ words accessible to a new generation in a new language.

I am constantly driven to be doing something, to feel like my life has meaning, and that often manifests simply in doing, documenting the world around me, even if the stories will never be shared.

What should our readers know about your business?
My business, Kultur Mercado, is a nonprofit that is working to bring different cultural communities together to strengthen civil society and promote human flourishing. We do this through a mix of both fun cultural events and serious scholarly discussions, giving folks the opportunity to be as engaged on an issue as they’d like.

Getting to where we are now and where are headed has not been easy and it likely will continue that way, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Our support is determined by how our work and projects resonate with our members, our community supporters, and foundations. We’ve been overcoming these challenges through personability and a human touch. For instance, I like to be a little old fashioned and send letters and post cards to our community members, to appreciate their work and support, and to keep things a little more analog and personal.

Kultur Mercado continues to evolve to find the best ways to bring different communities together in a way that promotes learning and forging new relationships. There is no right way to do this, a lesson that has come early and reminds me that above all, flexibility is a core for any business that wants to survive and to grow.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When a best friend comes to visit Los Angeles, I like to show them the city through the things I love most—midcentury architecture, walks through neighborhoods with stories in their walls, and the endless, ever-changing sprawl of the city. We’d probably begin in Silver Lake, walking around the reservoir and taking in the houses and the morning, and from there, let the week unfold naturally.

We’d probably visit LACMA and the Academy Museum, stop at the Jurassic Museum of Technology, and visit a couple of art galleries. Among those, my favorites in the last year or so have been: Nazarian/ Curcio, Reisig and Taylor Contemporary,
and Long Play Contemporary.

And always, there would be market both food and retail, starting with visiting Grand Central Market, moving through the stalls of Mercado La Paloma for Oaxacan mole and Salvadoran pupusas, and maybe ending up at an H Mart or Marukai, where they have a pretty solid set of pre-made meals at pretty decent prices that are great to take to eat at a public park.

What I love most about Los Angeles is how it reveals itself in layers—the quiet lines of neighborhoods tucked into the hills, the soft pulse of languages and laughter in the markets, the chaotic rise and fall of city buildings like a breath. There is so much to see across Los Angeles that can only really be learned by foot, if you have the patience for it.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am a product of my environment. And there are too many people to mention who have helped get me to where I am today. In particular, my parents and my partner have been incredible supporters of my work.

My partner, Jackie Castillo, is both an artist and an educator and despite all her work and projects always finds time to help me with my organization when it’s truly needed. She also pushes me to pursue more opportunities and take risks. I think everyone needs a friend or family member who will do that for them, to pressure them to grow and to actively pursue their dreams, even after a hard day.

Website: https://www.kulturmercado.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kulturmercado/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kultur-mercado/

Twitter: http://x.com/kultumercado

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KulturMercado

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChPo4nuN-3S_fYF2ZDwhWKQ