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Generally
encompassing the land east of the Los Angeles River, "East Los Angeles"
is a populous area which for many years has been anchored by
communities such as Boyle Heights and Lincoln Heights. Home to the
Gabrielino Indians for more than two thousand years, the area fell into
the hands of the Spanish in the late eighteenth century, with Mexican
and American ranchers taking control of the land for much of the
nineteenth century. Farmers eventually used portions to grow vegetables
and fruit and raise dairy cattle, but agriculture took up only
temporary residence, ultimately pushed aside as urban society rapidly
expanded.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, East Los Angeles became a
popular immigrant destination. In the early 1900s, Russians, Jews,
Japanese, and Mexicans all had a significant presence in the area.
Living east of the river and working in nearby factories, or traveling
by electric rail into downtown Los Angeles, immigrants and their
children helped fuel the prosperity of the growing metropolis. By the
onset of World War II, East Los Angeles was a nearly exclusively Latino
community, soon reinforced by Mexican workers who arrived to man the
machines in the area's burgeoning war industries. Although the
face of the city of Los Angeles and its surrounding communities has
changed considerably, East Los Angeles has maintained this basic
character throughout the last sixty years. As a result of its history
as a long-standing
Mexican American community, the area of East Los Angeles continues to
be studied and documented by scholars from around the world.
Images:
- El Pueblo de Los Angeles
Historic Monument, 2000. Photograph shows the Plaza and the Old Plaza
Church (built in 1818).
[County of Los Angeles Public Library]
Agoura Hills |
Antelope Valley |
Carson |
Catalina Island |
Claremont |
East Los Angeles
Gardena |
Lakewood |
La Puente Valley |
Pico Rivera |
San Dimas |
San Fernando
San Gabriel |
South Gate |
Willowbrook
