Ethnic Mexican Place-makers in Mid-Twentieth-Century Los Angeles

This talk examines place-making in the LA neighborhood of Echo Park through a Mexican restaurant that became an “urban anchor” for its owner, employees, and customers. Unlike residents of other LA ethnic enclaves, Echo Park residents occupied a geographic and cultural crossroads. The community’s complex economic, racial, and ethnic history transcends the conventional narrative of white flight, disinvestment, and segregation.

Natalia Molina is Professor of History at UCSD and author of How Race Is Made in America.