Personal Narrative Essay: East Los Angeles

Jonathan Verduzco

10/2/12
EAST SIDE IS THE BEAST SIDE Good ole Los Angeles. I’ve been lucky enough to visit many cities around the world; Amsterdam, Rome, New York, even Mexico City, and its safe to say that there isn’t any other city in the world that has the robust mixture of urban concentration and suburban pride. Nowhere does this ring truer than in East Los Angeles. While some believe “east los” is nothing more than a breeding ground for failure, crime, and Hispanic illegal immigrants I believe it is much more than that. I believe the east side of los Angeles is a unique community with a vibrant history and culture that enlightens its residents and surrounding communities with a different perspective of the world, giving them an
advantage in any ventures they undertake. One can simply take a stroll down 1st street to understand what I am talking about. The aromas of some of the best and most delicious foods on the plant fill the air. Hungry? Have a dollar? Stop by the taco stand set up on the main boulevard. Although it is illegal to have an unlicensed food dispensary, at least these people are working for their income rather than depending on help from the government and draining welfare.
Numerous murals paying homage to Hispanic legends and idols appease ones visual sense. If that doesn’t do it for you, people watching is always an option. There are always interesting folk roaming the streets. Want to go for a jog? Evergreen cemetery, in the heart of East Los Angeles, has a track pad around the perimeter. On any given night it is full with residents looking for a good workout that’s also low impact on their knees! There is a multitude of landmarks one can visit. Many are recognizable in movies (however infamous due to the content of these movies). Certainly one of the most well-known is Linda Vista Community Hospital, an abandoned hospital first built in the early 1900’s in the Boyle Heights neighborhood. It ceased operations in 1991 and is primarily used as a filming location. Pearl Harbor, Buffy the vampire slayer, ER, and true blood are only some of the movies, TV shows, and music videos filmed at this location. Another site worth visiting, although not technically within the borders of East Los Angeles, is Olvera Street. Abundant with Mexican influence, Olvera street reminds all of us that this great city wouldn’t be what it is today without the work of Mexican settlers nearly 250 years ago. Today it is recognized as the birth place of Los Angeles. One can shop for handcrafted souvenirs including pottery typical of old Mexico, enjoy traditional authentic Mexican cuisine, and take free tours of the historic surrounding buildings. It really is like a trip into an old time Mexican village. Not only is East Los Angeles in touch with its historic roots, it has recently undergone a modern transformation.
Public transportation is at its best with the construction of the gold line. One can travel to any part of Los Angeles, starting with the gold line. Many neighborhoods, such as Boyle Heights and city terrace are experiencing an influx of more affluent ownership. Areas closer to downtown are being revitalized by artists all in good taste, compared to the scandalous graffiti of the old. And it’s only getting better. Even my own school, East Los Angeles College has undergone modernization. I first attended ELAC during high school when I was 15. Five years later it is a world of difference. The modern décor appears to stand with the times and beyond. It now competes with the likes of Pasadena community college and Rio Hondo community college. In my opinion, ELAC is now prettier than Cerritos community college. The renovation of Caesar Chavez Boulevard is also a thing of beauty. Several restaurants and shops have adopted an adobe design, staying true to old time Mexico but also embracing the future decor. I believe these implementations reflect the attitude of the “new east los Angeles”. One where we understand where we have come from, but also moves us forward to better ourselves and our community for future
generations. As with anything, you take the good with the bad. Yes, Los Angeles’s east side has a reputation for being a tough side of town, but things have taken a turn for the better in recent years. While I was in Europe, I would tell people I was from Los Angeles. Their reaction was always a shocked one, asking me how I haven’t got shot yet. It always made me laugh. How can some have such a bad view of a place they have never been to? The answer is media. There have been hundreds of movies that depict LA as a crime ridden, gang infested, and scary place to be. Films such as Blood in Blood Out, American Me and Street Kings (just to name a few) portray East LA as dangerous, with crime around every corner, a modern day wild west. As a lifetime resident, I can assure you it simply isn’t true. Chon Noriega, director of the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, says that “For the most part, Hollywood ignores Latinos. When you see a number of Latinos in movies, you typically see a gardener, a cholo, or maids. And those stereotypical roles are disrespected.” In fact, according to the LAPD website, crime rates are the lowest they’ve been in years. As of the end of November 2011, preliminary reported crime data shows that criminal homicides decreased by 7 percent in Sheriff’s patrol areas (152 YTD in 2011 and 163 YTD in 2010), and have decreased by 46% compared to five years ago (2006). The east la of the 90’s isn’t the east la of today. People that believe East Los Angeles is nothing more than a place where the bottom of the barrel settle or where crime rules the streets, are usually the people who have never visited “big bad east los” for themselves. There is much culture and history to be seen here in this great city.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_Vista_Community_Hospital http://moviemaps.org/locations/18v
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/11/hollywood-stereotypes-depictions-of-latinos-east-los-angeles_n_1415238.html