Los Angeles is directly part of the Southwest border area and has the largest Mexican population outside of Mexico City. According to the Los Angeles County 2000 Census, Hispanic's number more than 4 million people and make up almost 50 percent of the total population.
Culturally, the Spanish and Mexican influence can be seen in the different names of different geographic areas in the city. Hacienda Heights means "farm estate," La Brea "tar," Altadena, literally means "Upper Dena,"Toluca Lake, which was derived from an Aztec name, and El Sereno meaning "serene," and the list goes on and on, all one needs to do is jump in the car and drive through the city and what becomes apparent is the cities latin history.
Another influence on the culture of Los Angeles is the food. From every region in Mexico the food inundate the culture as a whole. The styles were taken from Sinaloa, the Yucantan, Oaxaca, Sonora and as each immigrant from the south entered the city they brought a different method and style that seeped into the community and changed what was once bread into a tortilla.  |
| Opening Day 1939 |
Los Angeles has always had a connection with its southern neighbor Mexico, and at one time was part of that same country up until the Mexican-American War, which ended with American annexation and California becoming a state in 1850. From 1850 to the early 1980's the city was predominately Anglo, although through immigration and birthrate the city is far more Hispanic in nature and has more commonalities with the countries to the south than it does with the states of the east coast. An example of this would be seen in the architecture where many early migrants entered Los Angeles at Union Station, which is designed in the Mission Revival style. Union Station took the place of La Grande Station and opened in 1939. The station reflects the cities origins and connects us to the Spanish and Mexican past.
Sources:
Los Angeles Almanac
U.S. Census Bureau
KCET, Union Station
No comments:
Post a Comment