Monday, February 14, 2011

How Far Will It Go?

THE more I learn about the history of L.A., the more I am inclined to not want to be from here. The rapid growth in population was due to an idea that never existed. People chased after a land and a lifestyle that they thought could take away their problems and worries. Competing with San Francisco for size and popularity, the two rail lines that made it happen were the Southern Pacific in 1876 and the Santa Fe in 1886.


In the ten years between 1880 and 1890 the population grew from 11,000 to 50,000. Outgrowing San Francisco was no longer a concern due to the room that southern California had for expansion.After the 1930s, Los Angeles had a population of 2.2 million and was the second largest city in the United States, competing with New York for being the most culturally diverse. I am proud of Los Angeles for its multi-ethnic background, but I am ashamed at the behavior of the “Anglos” towards the other races in the process of settling. The old southern California idea of Manifest Destiny disappoints me and I wish I could have been around to tell Horace Bell and the Los Angeles Rangers exactly what I think of them and their vigilante behavior.

It’s understandable that the people of Los Angeles would use the sunshine as propaganda to promote the region, but labeling it names such as the New Italy, New Spain, and New Athens is taking it a little too far. Not to mention the terms New Eden and Holy Land-- as if the people here lived in complete peace and harmony with one another. I agree with Carey McWilliams when he said that the overwhelming migration to L.A. may have been the largest but it was “the least heroic.”

The continuation of expansion due to the aviation industry, the Pacific Electric rail lines, and the Auto Club spread the outer boundaries of L.A. north to San Fernando, south to the harbor, and west to the coast. With new land came new divisions that are still seen today. It’s interesting to see the breakdown of territory in the mid 1900s and how much things still haven't changed. The Westside of Wilshire and Sunset was home to the Anglo’s, while the East L.A., Boyle Heights area was dominantly Mexican-American. South Central, commonly known as Watt’s, was inhabited by the African American community and I suppose it has changed a bit today because now it includes a community of Asians and Latinos.

Angeleno’s dared to label Los Angeles as the "American Dream Capital, keeper of our national fantasies.” Is that a joke? Sunshine and a couple movie sets don’t make up for the lack of cultural unity and intense racism that was rampant in all areas of L.A. What makes it even worse is that there are still traces of that same racism and segregation today. People are so busy “chasing the dream,” that they couldn’t and still don’t see Pandora’s jar lying open and empty. Is it safe to say that hope has finally escaped? Have we dug ourselves in a hole so deep that it’s going to take more than 4,083 miles of track to reach down and pull us out?

-- J. Garcia

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