East Los Angeles, California

East Los Angeles, or East L.A., is an unincorporated area in Los Angeles County, California. It is 96.7% Latino - the highest percentage of the 272 neighborhoods of Los Angeles County.

Geography
East L.A. is located immediately east of the Boyle Heights district of Los Angeles, south of the El Sereno district of Los Angeles, north of the city of Commerce, and west of the cities of Monterey Park and Montebello.

The unincorporated area known as City Terrace occupies the northern part of the East L.A. CDP.

Population
East Los Angeles is the least ethnically diverse community in Los Angeles County as noted by the Los Angeles Times' Mapping L.A. survey.

2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that East Los Angeles had a population of 126,496. Population density was 16,973.5 people per square mile (6,553.5/km2). The racial makeup of East Los Angeles was 53,934 (50.5%) White (1.5% Non-Hispanic White), 817 (0.6%) African American, 1,549 (1.2%) Native American, 1,144 (0.9%) Asian, 63 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 54,846 (43.4%) from other races, and 4,143 (4.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 122,784 persons (97.1%).

The Census reported that 126,176 people (99.7% of the population) lived in households, 174 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 146 (0.1%) were institutionalized.

There were 30,816 households, out of which 17,509 (56.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 15,497 (50.3%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 7,104 (23.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 3,238 (10.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 2,516 (8.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 199 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 3,781 households (12.3%) were made up of individuals and 1,781 (5.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.09. There were 25,839 families (83.8% of all households); the average family size was 4.33.

The population was spread out with 39,804 people (31.5%) under the age of 18, 15,193 people (12.0%) aged 18 to 24, 37,354 people (29.5%) aged 25 to 44, 23,281 people (18.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 10,864 people (8.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29.1 years. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.

There were 32,201 housing units at an average density of 4,320.8 per square mile (1,668.3/km2), of which 10,986 (35.7%) were owner-occupied, and 19,830 (64.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.2%. 47,123 people (37.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 79,053 people (62.5%) lived in rental housing units.

According to the 2010 United States Census, East Los Angeles had a median household income of $37,982, with 26.9% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

2000
As of 2000, there were 124,283 people, 29,844 households, and 25,068 families residing in the community. The population density was 16,697.4 people per square mile (6,449.7/km2). There were 31,096 housing units at an average density of 4,177.8 per square mile (1,613.7/km2). The racial makeup of the community was 39.3% White, 4.52% Black or African American, 1.29% Native American, 0.77% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 54.01% from other races, and 4.22% from two or more races. 96.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.

As of 2000, speakers of Spanish as a first language accounted for 87.30%, while English accounted for 12.65%, Japanese was spoken by 0.16%, Armenian made up 0.09%, Vietnamese was at 0.07%, Chinese at 0.05%, Russian at 0.04%, Tagalog at 0.03%, and Mandarin was at 0.03% of the population.

There were 29,844 households out of which 51.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were married couples living together, 21.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.0% were non-families. 12.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.15 and the average family size was 4.42.

The age distribution of the community was as follows: 34.6% under the age of 18, 12.6% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 14.2% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 101.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.2 males.

The median income for a household in the community was $28,544, and the median income for a family was $29,755. Males had a median income of $21,065 versus $18,475 for females. The per capita income for the community was $9,543. About 24.7% of families and 27.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.0% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over. East Los Angeles has a very large Latino population that consists of Mexicans, Guatemalans, Salvadorans, Hondurans and Nicaraguans.

Latino communities

Transportation


Light rail service to East L.A. is provided by the Metro Gold Line's Eastside Extension, which opened in 2009.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) provides bus service from East L.A. throughout the L.A. area. Local shuttle service is provided by El Sol (the East Los Angeles Shuttle).

Government and infrastructure
As East Los Angeles is an unincorporated community, it does not have a local government, and relies on the County of Los Angeles for local services. Supervisor Hilda L. Solis represents East LA on the Board of Supervisors.

In the California State Legislature, East Los Angeles is in, and in.

Despite multiple failed attempts in the past, residents are currently campaigning for cityhood for East Los Angeles. Proponents of incorporation include California State Senator Gloria Romero and Congresswoman Grace Napolitano.

Since East Los Angeles is an unincorporated area, fire protection in East Los Angeles is provided by the Los Angeles County Fire Department with ambulance transport by Care Ambulance Service.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) operates the East Los Angeles Station in East Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Central Health Center in Downtown Los Angeles, serving East Los Angeles.

The United States Postal Service East Los Angeles Post Office is located at 975 South Atlantic Boulevard.

Public schools
East Los Angeles is split between Los Angeles Unified School District and Montebello Unified School District.

LAUSD operates Amanecer PC in East Los Angeles. LAUSD elementary schools in East Los Angeles include Anton, Belvedere, Brooklyn Avenue, City Terrace, Eastman, Fourth Street, Ford Boulevard, Harrison, Humphreys Avenue, Robert F. Kennedy, Marianna, and Rowan Avenue. Hamasaki Elementary School, originally named Riggin Elementary School and renamed in 1990, is adjacent to and outside of the CDP. At one time Hammel Elementary School was in the East Los Angeles CDP.

The middle schools in the CDP include Belvedere Middle School and Griffith Middle School. Stevenson Middle School, adjacent to the CDP, is in Los Angeles. James A. Garfield High School is the sole traditional LAUSD public high school in East Los Angeles. Garfield High School participates in the "East LA Classic" against Theodore Roosevelt High School a football game that traditionally draws over 20,000 fans. Ramona High School, an alternative public high school, is in East Los Angeles. Alfonso Perez School, a K-12 alternative school, is in the CDP.

A petition inspired by UTLA social justice activist Jose Lara is calling for the immediate removal of the name D.W. Griffith from an East Los Angeles middle school because his 1915 film, “The Birth of a Nation,” celebrated the Ku Klux Klan.

Esteban Torres High School was built in 2010 on the former Hammel Street Elementary School grounds and in former housing developments.

Montebello USD schools include Gascon Elementary School, Montebello Park Elementary School, and Winter Gardens Elementary School.

Adult Education programs from the Eastside Learning Center and East Los Angeles Occupational Center are intended and currently plan to be relocated at the East LA Star Hospital site. The East LA Star Adult Education project is expected to be completed by 2011.

Oscar De La Hoya Animo High School is in the area.

Private schools
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles operates Catholic schools in the CDP. Schools include Our Lady of Lourdes School (PK-8), St. Alphonsus School (PK, 1-8), and Our Lady of Guadalupe School (K-8). White memorial Adventist School operates Christian schools in the CDP. 

Charter schools
Other schools in the area include the KIPP charter schools. The Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) is a nationwide network of free open-enrollment college-preparatory schools in under-resourced communities throughout the United States.

Public libraries
County of Los Angeles Public Library operates the East Los Angeles Library in the CDP. The East Los Angeles Library opened on May 1, 1923; originally it was a collection of books in a store. A building was built to house the collection several months later. A new library building opened in 1924. In 1932 the library moved to a new building. In 1967 the library moved into another building, which was 15120 sqft large. In 2004 the library moved to its current location, a 26300 sqft facility designed by Stephen Finney of the Glendale, California firm CWA AIA, Inc. The current library has areas for adults and children, the Chicano Resource Center, a 175-person meeting room, a computer room, a Friends of the Library bookstore, and free parking areas. The library design has Mayan design and themes, as requested from area residents. References to the sun and moon, which are themes in Mayan art, were incorporated in the library.

The county operates the City Terrace Library in the CDP. The library has been in its current location since 1979. In addition the county operates the El Camino Real Library in the CDP. The library opened in 1929 as the Stephenson Library. In 1972 the library moved to its current location, and in 1975 it was rededicated as the El Camino Real library, as it is located on the historic El Camino Real.

Also the county operates the Anthony Quinn Library in the CDP. The library, originally known as the Belvedere Library, opened in January 1914. In 1925 the library moved to a storefront facility; at that time its collection was several thousand books. In 1937 the library moved to a new site. In 1973 the library moved to its current location. On January 5, 1982, the library took its current name; the childhood house of actor Anthony Quinn was located on the present day site of the library, and the library was renamed after Quinn. The First Supervisorial District funded a renovation that occurred in 2000. The library reopened in February 2001 with a new appearance and new furnishings.

Latino Walk of Fame
The Walk of Fame is similar to the one in Hollywood, but with a focus on Latino celebrities. The Latino Walk of Fame was inaugurated on April 30, 1997 to honor outstanding leaders who have made historical and social contributions with a Sun Plaque on Whittier Boulevard the heart of East L.A.. Spaces have been created for over 280 plaques. Permanent granite plaques have been put in place for the first 20 honorees. The merchants’ association of East Los Angeles sponsors a Comprehensive Clean-Up Campaign that cleans the sidewalks and gutters daily and removes litter and trash. 

East L.A. Mexican Independence Day Parade and Festival
East Mexican Independence Day Parade and Festival  starts the parade at 10:30am. The 1 1/2-mile East LA Parade route begins at the corner of Cesar Chavez Ave. and Mednik Ave. The parade travels north on Cesar Chavez, it goes in front of ABC Chanel 7 and Univision Television Network Live Recoding, then turns east onto Gage Ave. The parade participants turn south onto 1st returning to the Grand Festival on Mednik and 1st.

East LA Farmers Market
The East Los Angeles Farmers Market opened in November 2006 located in the East LA Civic Center (By East LA Library), every Saturday from 9:00am to 2:00 pm.

Veterans memorial
The obelisk-shaped monument at Atlantic Park was dedicated on May 30, 1930 during a Memorial Day Parade that ended at what was then called Belvedere Gardens Park. A plaque on the monument reads, "In memory of heroes of all American wars." According to a Los Angeles Times story at the time, over 2,000 ex-service men and members of service clubs marched in the parade. Orval C. Jordan and Millard F. Durham, who donated the monument, were both veterans, said Ansley Davies, a curator with the Los Angeles County Department of Parks. Both lived near the park, according to U.S. Census records.

Parks and recreation
Los Angeles County operates parks and recreation in East Los Angeles.

Atlantic Avenue Park in the CDP has a children's play area, picnic and barbecue areas, a men's locker room, a women's locker room, and a 50-meter, six lane swimming pool. In addition the park has a rose garden maintained by volunteers. The 39.1 acre Belvedere Community Regional Park is located adjacent to and outside of the CDP. The park has baseball fields, basketball courts, a children's play area, a community room, a fitness zone, a gymnasium, picnic shelters, a skate park, soccer (football), a splash pad, a swimming pool, and tennis courts.

City Terrace County Park, located in the CDP, was developed in 1933 by Works Progress Administration crews; the park occupied a piece of 3.5 acre terrace that was formed after crews hacked a rugged and barren hill. In 1957 600000 cuyd pf soil that had been removed from the construction of the Los Angeles Civic Center was transported to the City Terrace County Park. The soil filled a ravine, tripling the park's original acreage. The park has a basketball court, a children's playground, a community room, a computer center, a gymnasium, a multi-purpose field, a swimming pool, and tennis courts. Eugene A. Obregon Park, named after a Korean War Marine veteran and Medal of Honor recipient, is in the CDP. The park's official opening was on May 26, 1966. The park includes basketball courts, ceramic rooms, a community room, a computer center, a fitness zone, a gymnasium, a multi-purpose field, a swimming pool, and a walking path.

The 8.4 acre Ruben F. Salazar Memorial Park is in the CDP. The county purchased the original 1.47 acre of park property from Cedars of Lebanon Hospital on March 8, 1938. The land was officially designated as the "East Los Angeles Playground" two months later. On June 25, 1940 the property was renamed the "Laguna Park and Playground." On September 17, 1970 the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors gave the park its current name. The park was named after Ruben F. Salazar, a Los Angeles Times columnist and an executive at KMEX. Salazar Park includes a baseball diamond, basketball courts, a children's play area, a community room, a computer center, a gymnasium, picnic shelters, a senior center, a swimming pool, and tennis courts. The 4.8 acre Saybrook Park is also in the CDP. The County Board of Supervisors approved final plans for developing the park on May 1, 1973. The park includes two outdoor basketball courts, a ball diamond, children's play areas, a community building with a community room, a computer technology building with a computer room, picnic and barbecue areas, and a tennis court.

The Eastside Eddie Heredia Boxing Club, operated by the county, is located inside a former fire station in the CDP. The club was named after Eddie Heredia, the first club of the champion, who died of leukemia at age 17. One of the members of the Heredia club became a member of the United States Olympic Boxing Team and entered the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Climate
As with the surrounding region, East L.A. has a Mediterranean climate.

Notable people

 * Maria Helena Viramontes, writer and professor Viramontes is currently a professor of English at Cornell University.
 * Lucille Roybal-Allard, U.S. Congress member
 * Hope Sandoval, singer and songwriter lead singer for Mazzy Star
 * Oscar De La Hoya, world boxing champion and 1992 Olympic Gold medalist
 * Edward James Olmos, actor, producer, and director
 * Jaime Escalante, educator, subject of the film Stand and Deliver
 * Constance Marie, actress
 * Carlos Mencia, comedian
 * Sam Johnson, American football player
 * Marvin Sotelo, writer and musician
 * Sergio Mora, boxer