day 33, originally uploaded by shalimargonzales.
Today I drove around Boyle Heights looking for the East LA YMCA. Let's be clear, the GPS did not fail me, my eyes did. Can I just say how much I love ELA. The community there is so strong, the Y staff are fun and engaging, and the food (A-MAZING).
Situated just east of the Los Angeles river, Boyle Heights has long been a gateway for newcomers to the city. From the 1920s to the 1950s it was Los Angeles’ most heterogenous neighborhood, serving as home to large concentrations of Jews, Mexicans, and Japanese Americans, as well as Russian Molokans, African Americans, and people of Armenian, Italian, and Chinese descent. Today the neighborhood is primarily Latino, and it continues to serve as a port-of-entry for a number of the city’s immigrant groups.
This port-of-entry poses a particular problem for membership organizations like the Y, who see higher than average termination rates and lower retention that many of the urban facilities in the area. The other problem, safety. There are over 20 rival gangs in the area.
This port-of-entry poses a particular problem for membership organizations like the Y, who see higher than average termination rates and lower retention that many of the urban facilities in the area. The other problem, safety. There are over 20 rival gangs in the area.
More on East LA to come....
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