Loyal to Lies

I AM a sports fanatic. Although partial to some sports more than others, give me the opportunity to go to any professional game and no matter what sport it is I’ll be there. I admit that my favorite teams range far outside L.A. county's vicinity but I'm still able to appreciate the loyalty of L.A. fans. The intense and competitive atmosphere takes focus away from racial bias or hatred and challenges that energy toward the game. Notoriously known for its die-hard fans, the Dodgers stadium fills with people of all backgrounds coming together and cheering on their team. Encouraging as it may be, this sense of camaraderie came with a cost.

Before the massive stadium was built, there was a community of around 300 families living in that area previously known as Chavez Ravine. Due to industrial purposes they were forced to move out of their homes under the impression that they would soon be able to return after reconstruction. However, the proposed project fell through and a decision was made to build the Dodger’s stadium instead. Devastated, the people of Chavez Ravine would never be able to resume the peaceful lives they once lived and were reminded daily of the cause of their displacement. A former inhabitant of Chavez Ravine said that going to a game was like “dancing on a grave,” and she could not stand it.

It’s interesting that out of the thousands of Dodgers fans that go to every single game or buy season tickets, very few of them know the history of the stadium's construction and the lives it affected. The sad thing is that if more people knew it still probably wouldn’t make a difference. There's nothing that can be done about it now so it’s not something anybody wants on their conscience. However, I choose to make a silent statement for the families of Chavez Ravine that were forced out of their homes without any place to go. I love sports, and I love going to all competitive games, but I won't step foot again in the Dodgers stadium out of respect for the families whose stories are untold. From now on I will not have a conversation about the Dodgers without sharing the “random fact” that has changed my attitude toward the importance of all sporting events. It may bring people together, which I recognize and appreciate, but a steady community was destroyed in order to create a temporary community that only comes together a couple hours a week. I have to ask myself, where’s the loyalty in that?

---- J.Garcia

caption: "A Blue History"
photo credit: Amanda Yepiz via Flickr creative commons