Chavez Ravine Research Paper

Chavez Ravine is a modern day example of institutionalized racism against Chicanos on a smaller scale than the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Chavez Ravine was made up of low income Mexican Americans who were forced to live there because of discrimination in other parts of Los Angeles. Mike Davis, a Los Angeles based author, writes in his book that most of the original Spanish-speaking homeowners initially unwilling sell gave into greedy developers representing the city and its public housing authority. Through Spanish speaking agents, the homeowners were offered immediate cash payments for their homes. Homeowners that did not take advantage of the immediate cash payments were offered less for their home. Panic set in among the remaining homeowners.