Review: The Los Angeles Plaza
There are a lot of ethnic communities in Los Angeles. Much of what makes the city’s history fascinating is how they tussle in creating the place. In Plaza William David Estrada takes a slice through that history framed by the plaza at the center of the city.
That plaza has undergone changes from a traditional European central square to something flavored by Mexico’s emerging identity to a multi-ethnic gathering place. Not to mention how it was manipulated by the people selling a fictional Los Angeles into a tourist attraction. Other parts were just erased. I had no idea how big a part the LA plaza played in the Sun Yat -sen’s revolution in China.
Estrada takes the reader through these twists and turns with scholarship and heart. It’s still a largely academic work, but with plenty of treasures.
Recommended.