American History

East Los Angeles is an unincorporated, residential suburb of Los Angeles County, California in an industrial area. This area, which has a cultural center and performing arts center also, has a large population of Mexican-Americans. The history of Los Angeles has partly been associated with the entertainment industry and the general popular culture (Fireman, 2005). While considered the hub of the worlds entertainment industry, the people living here also have normal lives to lead that might be very different from what the movies tell us.

Traveling along the streets of the East LA, one cannot fail to see that the population consists of generally a youthful generation of 26 years old. According to the census of 2000, the population was 124,283 people consisting of 29,844 households and 25,068 families. Out of the entire population, 39.3 were White, while the African American constituted 4.52. Other races included Native American at 1.29, Asian at 0.77, Pacific Islander at 0.06 and other races at 54.01. The Hispanics in East Los Angeles constituted 96.8 (120,000) of the population this is the highest for any place outside the Puerto Rico (US Census Bureau, 2000).

The African American, a minority group in the East Los Angeles is a hopeful group they have wealth, large industrial opportunity and a buoyant spirit. Los Angeles is a wonderful place to stay. Going back in history, in 1902, Jefferson L. Edmonds, editor of the bolack Los Angeles newspaper the liberator declared that California is the greatest state for the Negro, and went further to elaborate in 1911 that

Only a few years ago, the bulk of our present colored population came here from the South without any money, in search of better things and were not disappointed. The hospitable white people received them kindly, employed them at good wages, treated them as men and women, and furnished their children with the best educational advantages offered anywhere. They were treated fair in courts. Feeling perfectly safe, the colored population planted themselves.

However, racial discrimination, according to Caleb Holden was still the order of the day and the greatest barrier to economic prosperity for black men and women in the United States. In Los Angeles, discrimination was compounded by the areas heavy reliance on the cheap Mexican labor (Sides, 2003). The Koreans who are majorly entrepreneurs in the East Los Angeles have created many opportunities for employment. The many Mexican emigrants from Mexico who settled in Los Angeles during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centurys called themselves Mexicanos.

In the industrialization era, Los Angeles grew from a town of about 100,000 people to a metropolis of over a million. This they achieved by curbing the problems of water, energy, labor and harbor for a time hence making the city grow tremendously. Abundant natural supply of oil deposits replaced coal as a driver of ships, railroads, and industrial machinery. Los Angeles is also a manufacturing city with cheap electricity due to the dams in Colorado River. The Los Angeles harbor handles a lot of tonnage and traffic generated by the Panama Canal. The communication networks and improved industries have made Los Angeles to emerge as a chief exporter of manufactured goods, importer of machinery and technology, supplier of labor, processor of agricultural products, and distributor of financial capital.

East Los Angeles does not have a local government since it is an unincorporated community and hence it relies on the County of Los Angeles for local services. It is represented by Supervisor Gloria Molina on the board of Supervisors. It has good middle schools like the Griffith Middle School and Belvedere Middle School. There exist other private schools, colleges and universities and even very modest public libraries. All these show an evidence of money and can testify to the prosperity of the inhabitants of California.

The Walk of Fame, a replica to the one in Hollywood but focusing more on Latino celebrities, was inaugurated in April 30, 1997 to honor leaders who have made historical and social contributions to the city. Sites such as the Getty Center, Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, and the Hollywood sign are a must-see when you travel to Los Angeles. More exciting places for exploration include LA attractions such as the Beverly Hills Hilton, the Formosa Caf, and Pinks Hot Dogs. There are multilingual guides to help a visitor explore the city plus numerous restaurants to pick from such as the sushi restaurants as if Nobus, Kazu and Matsuhisa and several other favorites as if the Roscoes chicken and Waffles and Baja Fresh. Several other delicacies for the Asians can also be found from Koreatown or Japantown and delicious delights from the East. Major advertisements include also airports like the Hilton Los Angeles airport and hotels like the Millennium Baltimore hotel. Recreation and parks in Los Angeles are operated by the county of Los Angeles. Atlantic Avenue Park in East Los Angeles is characterized by several fantastic features that make it more attractive to many. For instance, the park has childrens play area, mens locker room, barbecue and picnic areas, six-lane swimming pool and a womens locker room. The park also have beautiful rose gardens among others sceneries.

Los Angeles has a car culture and one might think that you cannot survive long without a car. All the facilities are built with the assumption that everyone has a car even tourist facilities, shopping centers and the work places were built with the assumption that everyone can access a car. Without a car, it is considered dangerous because, at times some major streets are built without sidewalks for the pedestrians. Public transport in California is not convenient and is even considered unsafe it is nearly inaccessible without a car. Renting a car is the norm for visitors who fly into California for either business or pleasure since there is no any other cheaper means to get around from the airport. However, since everyone drives, there is a lot of bad and careless driving and common sense respect and rule of law is rarer compared to areas where driving a car is a privilege rather than a right.

California has several industries ranging from manufacturing to entertainment. The entertainment industry has become so deeply rooted into the peoples culture that it is considered the worlds peak entertainment center. Politics of California is headed by the Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican. Susan Kennedy, Arnolds chief of staff, wields much authority that they have been described as the big governor and the little governor or better still governor and governess. Geoffrey Brown said of her, She has a brilliant sense of power. She is going to knock you over if you do not play ball. She knows how to get power, how to get political support. She knows what you have to give up, what you do not have to give up even Schwarzenegger has a lot of respect for her. East Los Angeles does not have local government and is therefore an unincorporated community and it depends on Los Angeless county for local services. Different elected officials represent East Los Angeles in the state legislature of California. The unincorporated places are represented in State Assembly. Grace Napolitano represent east of Los Angeles in the United States House of Representatives. Residents of East Los Angeles are currently campaigning cityhood despite their past failed attempts for the same. Gloria Romero of California State Senator and Grace Napolitano who is a congressional representative are the proponents of the incorporation.

A visit to the Atlantic avenue Park which has, a childrens play area, barbecue and picnic areas, a womens and mens locker rooms, a large swimming pool gives one a picture of the future of California rather than the past. Volunteers come to maintain the flower garden in the park. Moreover the baseball fields, a childrens play area, basketball courts and many other recreational facilities shows the culture of the people of California. They take leisure and entertainment seriously.

Universal Studios City Walk, in the Valley, features a grand movie theatre with numerous Hollywood movie debuts. It also hosts great restaurants and family shopping centers and many opportunities for visitors. The movies from Hollywood have inspired a great host of activities such as rides, shopping, choosing food menu. Driving down the Main street one would enjoy places like the World caf and Wildflour Pizza. The beautiful beaches are a great appeal to the tourists who can rent the readily available bicycles to explore the beach or just take a simple walk. The Santa Monica Boulevard, Wilshire Boulevard joining through Beverly Hills has a lot of boutiques and Hollywood agencies. Outside and adjacent to CDP in East Los Angeles is Belvedere Community Regional Park. The park support several activities such as because it have variety of facilities. The park has basketball courts, a gymnasium, baseball fields, a childrens play area, picnic shelters, a community room, a splash pad, a skate park, swimming pool, soccer (football), a fitness zone,  a and tennis courts. In the CDP in East Los Angeles is another park called City Terrace County Park. The park has a childrens playground, a basketball court, a gymnasium, a community room, a swimming pool, a multi-purpose field, a computer center, and tennis courts The metropolis of Los Angeles lies between the snowcapped mountains and the beautiful Pacific Ocean. It has one of the best climates in the world hence draws visitors all year round. All these sceneries confirm to the status California has acquired as major tourist hub in the USA.

Los Angeles County is the largest populated county in the nation with a population of over ten million. The history of California differs a great deal with the status it has acquired. In Los Angeles, with the highest number of emigrants Mexicans who used to be a source of cheap labor as it industrialized, this history has since disappeared. The abundant natural status and the abundant skilled and semiskilled workforce labored to bring California the current status.