the cultural communities of
"THE LATINX COMMUNITY HAS AND CONTINUES TO TRANSFORM LOS ANGELES."
- JORGE LEAL
gen·tri·fi·ca·tion
A phenomenon in which low-income city areas experience an influx of wealthy classes who rebuild homes and businesses that often results in an increase property value while displacing earlier, usually poorer residents.
The root of the word gentrification is gentry, a term birthed in the UK that refers to people of good social position and are often powerful members of society.
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Gentrification is a phenomenon that has been being documented in Los Angeles since the 1980’s. In recent times, gentrification is becoming a more commonly talked about topic in the media; as well as taking place in LA neighborhoods more than ever before.
Media tends to display the aftermath of earlier residents that have been removed from their neighborhoods followed by the properties that have replaced them. In the process of the removals of these neighborhoods, it is essential to recognize and preserve the richness that these cultural communities left in the East side of Los Angeles have to offer.
Dulce Caldwell is the proud owner of the tiny but mighty restaurant in East Los Angeles, Zenaida’s Cafe. Caldwell was raised in Michoacan and moved to Los Angeles around in her later teenage years. The inspiration to open a cafe stemmed from her mom Zenaida Caldwell’s dream of opening up a food business in the very location it sits in today, off of Townsend Ave and City Terrace Dr.
Some of the specialties Zenaida’s Cafe serves range from chorizo and egg tortas to milanesa tortas that are smothered with a “secret spread," an ingredient that keeps customers returning to support the small business.
Though Caldwell lives in Hancock Park, she is committed to keeping her cafe standing firm on the East side. "The reason I started the business here is because my mother was concentrated on this side of town," she says.
"THE REASON I STARTED THE BUSINESS HERE IS BECAUSE MY MOTHER WAS CONCENTRATED ON THIS SIDE OF TOWN."
- DULCE CALDWELL
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Zenaida's Cafe is located on the corner of City Terrace Dr and Townsend Av
The interior of Zenaida's Cafe displays the business' specialties in food amongst a colorful atmosphere.
The exterior of Zenaida's cafe, known and appreciated for its welcoming atmosphere.
Zenaida's Cafe is located on the corner of City Terrace Dr and Townsend Av
Photography by Cassey Ayala.
Jorge Leal is a cultural historian and assistant professor at UC Riverside who examines how the Latinx cultures have reshaped Southern California communities. Along with his studies and writings being published in anthologies such as “Post-Ghetto: Reimagining South Los Angeles,” and “Beginning a career in Academia: A Guide for Graduate Students of Color,” Leal is the curator of The Rock Archvio LA, a public history respiratory that collects, examines, and shares Latinx youth cultures ephemera.
Leal was born in Guadalajara, Mexico and migrated to Los Angeles during his teenage years which resulted in his involvement in the rock scene within.
“I wanted to read and learn about this city that was so interesting to me, but I didn’t quite understand it… Perhaps if I had been born and grown up in Los Angeles, maybe I would have just taken those things for granted - where as an immigrant, I was trying to find out the history of the city.”
Upon Leal’s arrival to Los Angeles at such a young age, he felt it was important to chronicle the city. He first became a reporter during his college years at CSUN and went on to cover Los Angeles politics and Latinx cultural topics for both English and Spanish publications in Southern California, Mexico, and Spain.
“As a first-generation Latinx, most of our time is spent laboring and working, so we don’t have the time to think about this. So for me to write about this in accessible ways was important to me,” says Leal.
In “Post-Ghetto: Reimagining Los Angeles,” Leal examines the journey of a shopping mall in Lynwood that was left desolated after the 1992 riots. Following the riots, big name businesses and companies were not willing to invest in these communities, and this later resulted in the mall catering to the Mexican demographic in the area. Leal argues that despite being low-income communities, Latinx changed the built environment in their own ways.
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“It’s really important to show how Latinx have contributed to the city, and how time and time again people of color in American cities have reshaped them and brought not only vibrancy but cultural innovation,” he says.
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Leal also currently works as a co-curator and museum educator at the Boyle Heights Museum, a project that aims to preserve and celebrate the multi-ethnic history of Los Angeles' Boyle Heights neighborhood.
"IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO SHOW HOW LATINX HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE CITY, AND HOW TIME AND TIME AGAIN PEOPLE OF COLOR IN AMERICAN CITIES HAVE RESHAPED THEM AND BROUGHT NOT ONLY VIBRANCY BUT CULTURAL INNOVATION."
- JORGE LEAL
The rapid growth of gentrification in the city of Los Angeles constantly serves as a reminder to show appreciation for the current cultural communities within it. The neighborhoods of East Los Angeles utilize the existence of El Pino (the pine tree), a large bunya pine on the corner of Folsom St and North Indiana St. El Pino has recently become a symbol of resistance to gentrification.
Photography by Cassey Ayala.
Erualdo Gonzalez is a professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies at California State Fullerton. Born of immigrant parents and raised in Santa Ana, Erualdo finds interest in understanding how and the reasons community practices and policies are implemented. Alongside teaching undergraduate courses on Barrio (neighborhood) Studies, Gonzalez has had his research published in works such as the “Journal of Planning Education and Research and Environment Planning” and “Emerging Issues in Planning: Ethno-Racial Intersections, Preventive Medicine in Active Living.”
Gonzalez’ inspiration for pursuing research in urban planning in Latinx communities stems from a course he took in college that mainly centered around community substance abuse prevention. This course later led to the development of his interest in exploring research that could be of value for political change and improving community health.
Through Gonzalez’ scholarship, he has applied his experiences and learnings by analyzing redevelopment and how gentrification is debated and synthesized in a way that people can digest it and in ways that other have done. Gonzalez opens up about how his work allows him the opportunity to help shed light on the communities that have been pushed aside politically as well as have fewer abilities to be able to advocate for what they should have.
“The communities that I connect with and do research on has made me realize that these are communities that matter most," he says.
"THE COMMUNITIES THAT I CONNECT WITH AND DO RESEARCH ON HAS MADE ME REALIZE THAT THESE ARE THE COMMUNITIES THAT MATTER MOST."
- ERUALDO GONZALEZ
Chicano Movement Mural in East Los Angeles
Aztec appreciation murals in East Los Angeles.
Chicano Movement Mural in East Los Angeles
Photography by Cassey Ayala.
In the early 1950’s, Los Angeles forcefully evicted hundreds of families of Chavez Ravine, a neighborhood of Los Angeles that was once home to many Mexican-Americans. These families were kicked out of their homes in order to make way for Dodger Stadium, then forcing them to find housing elsewhere. Throughout the process of the demolition of her neighborhood, Avrana Arechiga - a resident within Chavez Ravine - fought authorities and expressed her anger of the displacement of her family. An NPR newspaper report documented Arechiga shouting, “Why don’t they play ball in [Mayor Norris] Poulson’s backyard - not in ours?” in Spanish.
"WHY DON'T THEY PLAY BALL IN [MAYOR NORRIS] POULSON'S BACKYARD - NOT IN OURS?"
- AVRANA ARECHIGA
The existence of Dodger Stadium displaced generations of Mexican-American families. According to Statista, the Los Angeles Dodgers now have a franchise value of over $4 million.
Regentrification is a newer term described as “...the transformation of already gentrified, prosperous and solidly upper-middle-class neighborhoods into much more exclusive and expensive enclaves” by gentrification experts Tim Butler and Loretta Lees. According to the Los Angeles Times’ “Mapping L.A.” Database, the phenomenon of regentrification has been most rapidly taking place in areas such as Downtown, the Arts District, and Echo Park.
Owner of La Carreta, Samuel Robles is a native to the Eastside of Los Angeles. Located on Cesar Chavez Ave, La Carreta specializes in Mexican breakfast and has been a staple to the East side for almost 70 years. Both Robles and his wife have been the owners for 17 years now.
He and his wife agreed to ensure that the recipes and menu were to stay the same throughout their time at La Carreta upon becoming owners in order to preserve the authenticity of the food. “It feels really good when people come in and say, ‘this is just how my family used to make it [the food]. We hear a lot from older folks about the restaurant meaning a lot to the community,’” says Robles.
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Robles shares that more than eighty percent of the connections he and his family have made throughout their time as owners at La Carreta are regulars. Their restaurant on the Eastside of Los Angeles has given them the opportunity to make friendships and connect with their customers on a more personal level through La Carreta’s food and cultural environment.
“I think restaurants like mine are super important because it brings identity to the community. People from the community can come to places like La Carreta and feel like this is the community,” Robles shares.
"PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY CAN COME TO PLACES LIKE LA CARRETA AND FEEL LIKE THIS IS THE COMMUNITY."
- SAMUEL ROBLES
Photography by Cassey Ayala.
Owner of La Carreta, Samuel Robles shows pride in running a restaurant to serve his community.
An essential aspect of the cultural communities in East Los Angeles is the strength in their faith. The Virgin of Guadalupe, considered the Patroness of Mexico, graces the street art of the Eastside. According to Sam Quinones, art of la virgencita (the virgin) can serve as a “protector of small immigrant owned businesses” as stated in his books of murals of the saint, “The Virgin of the American Dream.” The city of East Los Angeles shows constant appreciation for their culture through symbolism of their faith painted across towns and neighborhoods.
Portrait of the Virgin de Guadalupe outside of Our Lady of Soledad Catholic church.
"El Tepeyac de Los Angeles" translates to "The Hillside of Los Angeles." Before the Spanish colonized what is now Mexico, "el tepeyac" was considered sanctuary.
Mural in front of St. Lucys Catholic Church in East Los Angeles
Portrait of the Virgin de Guadalupe outside of Our Lady of Soledad Catholic church.
Photography by Cassey Ayala.
Breeana Gallardo, born and raised in East Los Angeles, expresses that she finds the diversity and food within the community special to her. Although she ventured out of the city as she got older, she feels that living in a neighborhood like hers has led her to embrace her culture and learn more about her roots.
“Communities like these are necessary to keep around because it allows me and my community to have a home to come back to,” she says. Gallardo is a regular at El Tepeyac Cafe in East Los Angeles and considers it a staple to the community.
Although people may come and go out of East Los Angeles, those within the cultural communities constantly return to get a taste of the richness in culture of these neighborhoods.