At UCLA I had a professor who once told the class that the only way to
break down the barriers of race and status was to go to the
neighborhoods where people who are different from you live. I've tried
to remember those words when I go to new and different neighborhoods,
there is no reason to be afraid of how people live.
For the past week I've been serving jury duty in East Los Angeles. I
find doing my civic duty to be inconvenient. However, I'm a big fan of
our democracy and jury trial is a corner stone of that democracy; in
this case, I'll sit through the trial and render a fair verdict.
The superior court is in East Los Angeles, which is only 5.5 miles from
downtown. In order to get to the court house, I have to drive through
Boyle Heights in order to get to the court house. This is the first time
I've spent any amount of time in Boyle Heights. In the past I would
only visit a taco truck on 7th and Soto, maybe I would go down to
Atlantic (in East Los) to get tacos. Never have I driven through or
spent any length of time in Boyle Heights.
In my drives through Boyle Heights I was struck by the land scape of
this portion of the city, in the afternoon the light will strike the
hills and create a blue chiaroscuro hue. There are these old craftsman
style houses stacked on the hills. The streets I take to the court
house, Soto, 3rd, and Boyle seem to run along the crests of the hills.
From the top of these streets it's possible to see into the valleys,
even the valleys are packed with dense craft an style houses. There's
one bridge that spans 3rd street, the under the bridge are the flats,
there must be a thousand houses packed into the flats between the two
hills.
Boyle Heights is 95% Latino. Throughout the 20th century, it was the
first stop for all immigrants to Los Angeles, and due to 'red lining',
was the only place were Jews, the Japanese, and Latinos could purchase
property. The major thoroughfares are lined with old brick and mortar
stores, all of which are from at least the 1920s. The housing stock is
old and worn, but with some dedication,the houses could be restored.
I'm impressed with Boyle Heights so far, I kinda want to drive around
and get to know the town a little bit, I think there is much to learn
about Boyle Heights.
