La Cima Magazine - Summer 2022

La Cima

Table of Contents

Page 6: The Rise of Mass Shootings and the Importance of Taking Precautions by: Leslie Tovar

Page 10: Sports and Culture in LA by: Lorenzo Gaytan Jr Page 22: Graffiti and Murals in the Heart of LA by: Fernando Ramos

Page 30: Cultural Eats by: Matthew Medina Page 32: Kobe Bryan The Life of an Iconic Legend by: John E. Sayoc

Page 38: Gentrification in LA The New Norm? by: Jeffrey Barragan

Editor’s Note

To start, I honestly could not have imagined I would be writing this editors note. I joined the magazine as a rookie amongst veterans. This team was fantastic at what they do best, and one of their best qualities was their abiltiy to collaborate and tell a story. LA has an infinite amount of opportunity to share a piece of someones daily life. This city is a melting pot and we did our best to represent our diverse LA culture. We wanted to encapsulate what this city means to so many people. To walk down the street and see one culture and then walk a few blocks to see another is truly a testament as to how inclusive and diverse Los Angeles is.

The staff here at La Cima really poured every ounce of blood, sweat and tears into each story. A huge thank you to John, Leslie, Matthew, Jeffrey, and Fernando for really knocking this issue out of the park. A special thank you to our advising team, professor Wendy Carrera, and Aaron Martinez, your guidance has allowed us all to grow and push our strengths to the limits; for that we thank you.

Putting a magazine together is no easy feat, however this team persevered and moved forward in its completion. I look forward to continuing to tell stories with this crew as the new semester begins. In a world that appears to be chaotic, we believe in inclusivity and diversity and the stories that follow suit. It’s why we decided to show you a little of LA Culture and what it means to us. Thank you for your continued support.

-Lorenzo Gaytán Jr Editor-in-Chief, La Cima.

lorenzo.gaytan5913@my.riohondo.edu

The Rise of Mass Shootings

And the Importance of Taking Precautions

by Leslie Tovar

Schools are normally thought to be a safe environment for students and teachers, but most recently they has been a target for mass shootings. Places like supermarkets, churches, and clubs have also been impacted in the growing epidemic of mass shootings.

Rio Hondo College student, Hillary Rosas shares how, “Everywhere I go, I always have that thought in the back of my mind. Usually, I can shake it off and plan an escape

route in my head. But movie theaters make me feel the most uneasy. If there were to ever be a shooter at the theater I was in, I would most definitely not make it out.”

In 1988, a student at San Gabriel High School in California entered a classroom and held 70 students hostage. No students were harmed and only two shots were fired. The student was 18 years old and had bought an assault rifle at a local gun shop, as reported by the Los Angeles

Times. The incident didn’t result in any deaths or injuries and the active shooter didn’t have any intentions to kill any of the students.

On May 24, 2022, the Robb Elementary School massacre left many people in shock after an 18 year old entered the elementary school with an assault weapon and killed 19 students and two teachers. The gunman was killed by officers after barricading in a classroom.

According to ABC, since the Uvalde, Texas school massacre at Robb Elementary School, there have been 33 mass shootings.

Ten days before the Uvalde massacre, on May 14, in New York, a Tops Friendly Market was targeted and 10 people were killed. The following day, another mass shooting happened, only this time it was at a Taiwanese church, Geneva Presbyterian Church in Orange County.

Both of these mass shootings were just hours apart, demonstrating how mass shootings can happen at an unpredictable time.

Rosas, expresses “Definitely. They happen way more frequently now and the access to guns have not changed. They are still very easily accessible.”

In Los Angeles County, one school was closed due to threat and the other was heavily guarded. Rosemead High School (RHS) was closed on May 27 after threats were made on social media from a student in Texas. Although the threats

didn’t specifically mention Rosemead High School, the student did mention RHS, as reported by KTLA.

Then a few days later, on May 31, a student attending Sierra Vista High School in Baldwin Park was arrested after sending several threats through email, according to the Baldwin Park Police Department.

As a Rio Hondo College student myself, I feel it is important to be prepared in case of an active shooter. But if there was an active shooter on campus will students be aware of what to do in that situation?

When it comes to being prepared for an active shooter Rosas explains “Besides the ones [plans] in my head, no,” she isn’t aware of an emergency plan for Rio Hondo College.

Mass shootings have caused many to question their safety and concerns over experiencing a mass shooting. The random attacks have led to fear of uncertainty of where and when a shooting can happen.

Knowing what to do during an active shooting can make a difference when it comes to making decisions in a time where fear and adrenaline can kick in.

On the Rio Hondo College website, there is an emergency preparedness page that students can search up and educate themselves on what to do if there were to be an active shooter on campus.

On the page, there are three steps to survive a mass shooting: running,

On a Thursday afternoon at Rio Hondo College, no security guard could be seen patrolling

parking lot ticket booth, two security guards were standing patrolling the parking lot area.

hiding, and fighting. Although fighting should only be used when necessary, it should be seen as a last minute option in case you come across an active shooter. Once you are in a safe space, you can call the authorities. It also educates students on how to use a Lock Blok, which locks a classroom door without needing a key in case of an emergency.

When visiting the Rio Hondo College Campus I came across an emer-

gency phone booth, but it was out of order and had a sign reading “Out of order please call 911…” and also suggested calling the number of the Post Lieutenant on campus.

According to the Rio Hondo College Annual Security Report of 2019 “The College conducts annual, scheduled emergency preparedness drills, once each Semester.”

With the rise of mass shootings in the United States, it is important to be

aware of your surroundings and exits. Hearing and witnessing mass shootings is becoming more normalized, which can cause people to become desensitized to these situations.

Having conversations about the possibility of experiencing a mass shooting and putting drills in place to be prepared during these traumatic events, can help avoid the possibility of becoming a victim of a mass shooting.

the quad on campus, but down the hill in the

by Lorenzo Gaytan Jr.

Los Angeles is a diverse melting pot full of rich cultures and opportunities. Within the City, sports has always been a part of its culture; from the dominance of Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, the Kings 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cup titles, to the Dodgers finally winning the World Series in 2020; LA sports have always impacted the people of this City, but why? What is it about sports culture, especially here in LA that gets our emotions riled up? I intend to find out.

Fortunately, I got to visit the Dodgers Nation complex in South Pasadena to ask the staff there what sports culture means to them and this City. I sat down with lead editor Clint Pasillas (who is a Rio Hondo College Alum) and his staff to pick their brains about why sports culture is so important. Pasillas has over 20 plus years in the sports journalism scene, starting here at Rio Hondo with El Paisano pushing for the integration of audio

Sports & Culture

shows and content. “I just wanted a place to talk about the Dodgers.” After Rio, Pasillas started his own podcast with his close friend talking about the Dodgers, however, he stepped away for personal reasons. After a stint away, he returned to his podcast, then partnered with Dodgers Nation in 2018 to create a new and improved version of it, and has now climbed up the ranks in the organization. Here are the highlights from our conversation:

Q: Tell me about yourself and how you got with Dodgers Nation and the sports journalism industry.

“Well like I had alluded to, we’re sort of on similar-ish paths. I started with Rio Hondo, I started with El Paisano, way back iwn the day, before they had audio booths

Culture in LA

or anything to record into. I wanted to do things with voice, so I kinda stopped doing the newspaper, created my own podcast, created my own website. Turns out when you do that out of nowhere in 2008, people don’t care, so you stop doing it. I always loved sports… well I got into sports late but I was going to be watching my sports. I tried Hockey, and I didn’t like it, then I found the Dodgers, and was like “ok, this is my thing;” and you get into it, you get into every nook and cranny of the story of a baseball game. To complete the thought of how I get here, I start a podcast, eventually we team up with Dodgers Nation, and then I just worked my way up the wrung to being… I don’t know if I’m at the top, but I’m right damn near it. We have a nice staff here of about five or six people, we have a UK counterpart, we run a network of sites, and you know everybody is mostly happy, mostly comfortable; you get to do what you get to do at the end of the day either way, which is watching my team, and if I can get paid to do it at the same time, then that’s always the goal.”

“I mean, they were (at the time) not quite underdogs, but they were under-performers. They were a team that became filled with just a bunch of random outcasts from other teams, like I said I got into the Dodgers… I was into baseball probably by

Q: What made you fall in love with baseball and more specifically the Dodgers?

2000/2001, but then i got really into the Dodgers (like I needed to know every nook and cranny) by ‘03/’04. So looking at the start of it, I remember pulling up to my first game, we’re late because we’re Dodger fans, its LA, thats how it goes, your late, but a Dodger (I don’t know who) had just hit a home run, and you just hear the crowd. Mind you, we’re outside the stadium, behind the pavilion, still in the car, you hear the crowd, you hear everything thumpin’, it’s loud, people are excited. I’m like “that’s cool,” and you get into that season. By the way there’s this guy, Eric Gagne, who’s in the middle of this historic streak, and it’s just Eric Gagne. Dodger fans have the typecast, to arrive late and leave early, but you didn’t leave early in the “Game Over Era.” When it was “game over” you stayed to watch Eric Gagne pitch, and I think that was something that was massive because of how excited everybody was. If everyone’s excited, you’re gonna get excited. That was a big stepping stone to me getting to that point where I needed to know everything about this team.’

Q: What has sports done for you? What has it given you?

“Well, if I’m being campy about it, I can say it’s given me my life, because it’s brought me to this. I get to do sports, to feed me and my family and that’s cool, that’s fun. That’s what you strive to do; what do they say, the cliché that “do something you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life;” well that’s bullshit. We work, we work hard for this, but it’s still something that you get to do and really enjoy because that’s what you want to be doing. You want to

be struggling with these guys here in the office, seven-eight days a week.

Q: Why is sports culture here in LA so prevalent ?

“You can almost attribute most of it to peer pressure. It’s fomo, like ‘wow, they’re [fans] really into that, I want to be into that,’ and then boom, you’ve converted one, now you have somebody who was a casual [fan] and you make them a diehard, because they lived and died through the shortened 2020 pandemic season, like sure it’s a shortened season but that also brought a lot of people together, hell it brought that team [the Dodgers] together. Everybody that year turned to sports to get back to some semblance of normalcy, even if it was cardboard cutouts in the stands. It’s the people though, people pulling in other people because they are experiencing joy, I would like to experience joy, I would like to try this sport, unless it’s the Clippers.

Q: What is it about sports here in LA that gets people so emotional?

“Well, we’re spoiled. We are absolutely spoiled here, particularly over the last 20-25 years as LA sports fans because honestly I would say the Lakers first three-peat, really got me into the idea of sports and understanding you’ve got all these dude working together towards a goal, and you achieve that goal… F-it let’s go out and do it again, and then you do. You find a way, and you get this group of dudes together, you get that brotherhood, and I think fans that are observant enough see that. They feel as a part of the team’s success as the actual players do. You don’t go in and say “oh I like the Dodgers” or “the Dodgers won tonight,” no its “we won tonight.” We’re apart of it, were all in it together, and sure they’re [the players] the one’s getting paid all the money and putting their bodies on the line to do it all, but you know what we’re putting our bodies on the line with the nacho helmets and the micheladas, and we’re putting our money on the line to help them give us something entertaining to watch. The other part to this is, it’s an escape; it’s an escape for people. Let’s say your doing forty hours a week, maybe more than that to survive out here in LA county, you get home at the end of the day, and (we keep coming back to the beer) you crack open a cold one and watch the boys in blue, you watch the purple and gold, you don’t watch the Clippers. It’s galvanizing, again, it’s something fun that people who enjoy a good narrative, a good story, it’s gonna pull people together.”

Q: Does Los Angeles have the best sports culture?

“I think in LA, you have a blend of mostly positive and understanding fans, along with the one fanatic who thinks Dave Roberts should be fired at every turn, who thinks that the Dodgers should have DFA’d [Designated for Assignment] Kenley Jansen nine years ago, or whatever. You got to have a balance, you have other places like New York or Boston which are big sports towns and they’re all just mad, they’re all just angry, they’re all dealing with shitty weather, and they get pissed at these people [players] for just trying to entertain them, and provide generational wealth for their families. LA has a great balance because you need those people who’ll call into DodgerTalk and have no idea what they’re talking about, they’re just really mad, they didn’t watch the game, they just called in to complain about Dave Roberts because no reason, even though, there is not a single person that’s better to be running this team right now. You got to have the positive, the people that support no matter what, and LA has that. You see it in the stands, 40 to 50 thousand people every night, and that does something special for these players. LA best, LA Goated. End Quote!”

Personally, sports has allowed me to hang out with my best friend, my Grandpa. He and I do everything together, from watching movies to playing sports. He always took me to the movies and would watch games with me, and I have always wanted to give it all back to him. Now that I have the finances to repay him for all that he’s done for me, I get to take him to his first ever Soccer game, and his first Dodger game in over thirty years, and that’s what warms my heart, being

able to spend time with the ones I love, and that’s what Sports have done for me. What LA Culture is to me is sitting in Dodger Stadium, with fifty thousand screaming fans singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” together. I was at a Dodger game the other day and it brought me to tears seeing over fifty thousand fans chanting “FREDDIE! FREDDIE!” for the newest Dodger who’s just come onto the team from playing over twelve years in Atlanta. It was beautiful to watch

an entire city welcome him with open arms. Sports culture is LA culture, because it brings us all together and allows us to sit in a sold out stadium, and talk to the person sitting next to you about your favorite team, and connect with each other, and by the end of the game, go your separate ways not even knowing each other’s name, but having made a connection over your favorite team.

Graffiti and Murals the Heart of Los Angeles

by

For many artists, Los Angeles is a city where they can go out and express their thoughts and emotions in forms of art. Whether that is graffiti, murals, or other sorts of street art. The streets of Los Angeles are cluttered with hundreds of thousands of unique expressions of art, ranging from legendary sports figures, like the mural of the late-great Kobe Bryant and his amazing daughter Gianna Bryant to the vibrant and colorful graffiti art on the streets of Downtown Los Angeles, and the Arts District.

For many artists, the reason why Los Angeles is perfect for any sort of street art is due to the fact that the weather allows for art year-round. Los Angeles is renowned for having great weather

Fernando Ramos:

all year and with vibrant street art all around the City, Los Angeles is one of the most sought-after cities in the entire State of California. The most popular location for street art in Los Angeles is the Arts District in Downtown Los Angeles. During the 1970s, many artists in the Los Angeles area began to display their work on the streets of Los Angeles, which later became known as the Arts District. As years passed by, plenty

of cafes and shops began to open up around the Arts District which ultimately added to the aesthetic of the district. Now, the Los Angeles Arts District is the most visited spot for street art in the entire city. In 2002, Los Angeles enacted the Mural Ban which made it illegal for artists to display their artwork on public and private property, and also led to the City of Los Angeles covering up hundreds of murals that had been

done by hundreds of different artists over the years. Although this ban set back plenty of artists, this did not stop street artists from displaying their work across the streets of Los Angeles. Street artists began to do their work in the middle of the night, which ultimately led to plenty of independent street artists being arrested and fined thousands of dollars.

Around the time of the Mural Ban in Los Angeles, graffiti

and murals were more commonly symbolized as gang affiliated, and a destructive way of showing dominance in a certain part of the City, which was one of the main reasons why the City began to ban any form of street art. However, artists began to change the ideas of street art, wanting to redefine the way communities see graffiti and murals.

Artists began to display

positive messages in their work, for example, the art found in the streets of the Arts District in Los Angeles reads “You Are Not Alone” while inside a heart; Or the hundreds of infamous murals of Kobe Bryant all around the City where people can go and pay their respects to a symbol and an icon of all of Los Angeles.

Graffiti and Murals have become much more than just a form

of street art. Graffiti and murals have become an enormous part of the culture in Los Angeles. Art has become a way for artists to go out and express themselves and how they feel without the fear of being judged for who they are or who they represent. Graffiti and murals are, and will continue, to be the soul of Los Angeles. La

Los Angeles County is known for its variety of different cultures that come from around the world. From American BBQ to Asian cuisine, LA County produces some of the most authentic cultural dishes in the United States. There is so much to learn about each and every culture. California in general is home to so many ethnic groups of people that move to live a new life. Some of the best things these cultures have to offer are businesses, ideas, and their delicious food. I went to some of the best restaurants and fast food places around Los Angeles county to see the many different cultures LA has to offer.

Domestic BBQ - Covina,California.

Domestic BBQ, established in 2015, opened their first restaurant in La Puente and quickly became popular by serving some of the best barbeque in the San Gabriel Valley (SGV). The restaurant has since opened a new location in Covina.

The menu includes their signature BBQ ribs, tri-tip sandwich, pulled pork sandwiches, and bacon macn-cheese. I tried the pulled pork sandwich with bacon mac and cheese and it was delicious. The meat was juicy and tender with all the flavors still intact. The bacon mac and cheese was amazing and had little spice to it. Visit 325 N Citrus Ave, Covina, CA 91723, for an authentic barbeque experience

Cultural Eats

Caramelo Café - La Puente, California

The Caramelo Café has many different cultural foods to offer that serves amazing crepes and panini sandwiches. They are also known for their breakfast menu that includes classics like pancakes and waffles, but also signature dishes such as their Chipotle Chilaquiles. This restaurant is unique to this area because it is vastly different to other restaurants in La Puente.

La Puente is home to some of the best Mexican restaurants in the SGV, however, Caramelo Café changes it up a bit with their fresh ingredients and exquisite cuisines from France and other countries. I ended up trying their famous Paris crepe and I loved it. The Nutella is a nice compliment to the bananas and strawberries that go inside it. I highly recommend Caramelo Café for your first crepe experience, located at 13857 Amar Rd, La Puente, CA 91746

Two of the three photos shown are the exterior of Domestic BBQ in La Puente. On the far left is a picture of dumplings from Tian You Feng in Covina.

by Matthew Medina

Caramelo Café serves tasty Banona Crepes.

Consome is used to dip your birria tacos to add flavor.

Birrieria Estrada - Whittier, California

Birrieria Estrada is a local food truck establishment in LA County that has many different locations. Birria is one of the most popular Mexican dishes on social media right now, and rightfully so, due to its colorful and tasty flavors.

Birrieria Estrada offers classic birria tacos with consommé, which are delicious.They also serve other items such as quesadillas, mulitas, and burritos. I tried the classic birria tacos with consommé, and let me just say, I’m still craving more of it. For my first time trying birria, this place was the right choice for me and it gave me the full experience.

Paninis from Caramelo Cafe are a staple to the menu that includes a varitey of cultural dishes.

The meat was so flavorful and the consommé really topped it off with so much flavor. My friends and I loved everything about Birrieria Estrada. Come visit them at 11469 Washington Blvd, Whittier, CA 90606, or outher So.Cal locations.

Tian You Feng Dumpling House - West Covina, California

If you’re in the mood for authentic Asian cuisine, Tian You Feng Dumpling House is perfect for you. This Asian fusion restaurant offers delicious dumplings and Chinese food made fresh and homemade. I went off to try their signature pork dumplings to really see what the hype was all about. The dumplings are very different from any other dumplings I’ve tried in my life; even though they’ve all been from Waba Grill.

The powerful flavors and tasty sauce made my taste buds happy and I really enjoyed them. Overall I really enjoyed my experience at Tian You Feng Dumpling House in West Covina and I look forward to coming back in the future. Visit them at 1428 S Azusa Ave Ste A, West Covina, CA 91791

Pictured are three birria tacos topped with guacamole.

Final Thoughts

My favorite restaurant I tried during this project had to be the Birrieria Estrada food truck because I loved the first time experience. There is a reason why birrieria is becoming more popular in social media today, and now I definitely know why. That stuff is amazing.

There are plenty of more restaurants and stand up places to try from in the San Gabriel Valley and all around Los Angeles. Cultures in LA offer so much delicious foods and treats to try and expand your taste in food. I had a lot of fun going around the different restaurants to try their signature dishes and I highly recommend every restaurant featured in this story.

Kobe Bryant

The Life of an Iconic Legend

By John Edeson Sayoc

When people think of Los Angeles, a majority of people might think of sports. With sports, there are certain players who fans are drawn to. A particular basketball legend can be seen as a cultural icon of Los Angeles. That of course is Kobe Bean Bryant.

Straight Out of High School

Kobe Bryant has been a star ever since he was born, but probably even more as a high school standout. He attended Lower Merion High School in Philadelphia which is the city where he was born. This, of course, is part of Los Angeles culture as the common saying in the city is “no one” is actually from L.A.

So as the story goes, Kobe’s high school career came to a close, he had an important decision to make. Was he going to play basketball in college or make a bigger jump and go straight to the NBA? At 17 years old, in a press conference, Kobe decided to forgo his college eligibility and declare for the 1996 NBA Draft.

A Young Star

Kobe Bryant always wanted to be a star in every sense of the word. When the Lakers and General Manager Jerry West brought him for a pre-draft workout, they were certain of his potential. While Kobe was drafted by Charlotte Hornets on draft night, he was officially a Laker on July 11, 1996. Seven days later, the Lakers added superstar Shaquille O’Neal. With this being Kobe’s rookie year there was no expectation of immediate success, but the foundation was laid out.

In his rookie year, Kobe was the slam dunk champion and played meaningful minutes during the playoffs. He was even taking shots in the clutch. The only problem is, that he wasn’t making them. In fact, he was air balling them in Game 5 against the Utah Jazz in the second round of the 1997 NBA Playoffs. Even with this, his teammates still believed in him, and would eventually help the Lakers bring that championship-winning culture back to Los Angeles. In fact, he became an All-Star the very next

season while playing off the bench for the majority of the season.

Eventually, Kobe and the Lakers would win an NBA Championship in 2000. In fact, they followed up the next year and then the year after that. The Los Angeles Lakers had successfully achieved a three-peat as they won three championships from 2000 to 2002. Kobe played a huge role in these championships and had a lot of iconic moments during this run. Kobe even got another ring when he got married to Vanessa Bryant on April 18, 2001.

Controversy Arises

Not all good things last, in fact, most things don’t. There was always friction between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, but there wasn’t a huge problem. The major issues began when Shaquille decided to not get

the season for the case.

The relationship that really broke was the one with Shaquille O’Neal. Kobe would say that Shaq wasn’t there for him and throw him under the bus with his remarks. The Lakers would eventually lose in the 2004 NBA Finals to the Detroit Pistons despite being heavy favorites.

Shaquille O’Neal was traded to Miami in the summer of 2004. Kobe would eventually have the case dismissed in September of that year. Kobe and the Lakers would miss the playoffs and then the next year in 2006, the Lakers would make the playoffs with Kobe averaging over 35 points per game. They would eventually blow a 3-1 lead to the Phoenix Suns in the 2005 playoffs.

A Growing Legend

Kobe would reinvent himself by changing his number from 8 to 24 before the 2006-2007 season. During that season, he had a four-game streak of 50-point games, but the Lakers would still lose to the Suns. The very next season, Kobe would win his first and only MVP for the 2007-2008 season. The Lakers would also trade for another star in Pau Gasol halfway through the year. Los Angeles would make another appearance in the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. They would lose but win against the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Finals.

surgery before the 2002 NBA season. Without Shaquille O’Neal, the Lakers got off to a terrible start to the season. This bad start and friction between the stars eventually led to their loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2003 Western Conference Finals.

Before the next season, the Lakers added two future Hall of Famers in PG Gary Payton and PF Karl Malone. But that wouldn’t guarantee a championship team as Kobe had his own problem to take care of.

Kobe was being accused of a very serious crime. Once this news came out on July 18, 2003, his image was tarnished. He lost all his endorsements, ruined relationships, and constantly flew to Colorado throughout

Then the very next year, Kobe would get his revenge against the Celtics in the 2010 NBA Finals. Kobe had won 5 NBA championships which he pointed out was one more than Shaq. Kobe would continue to make All-NBA teams throughout 2011-2013, but wouldn’t make the finals again.

During these times, he would be nicknamed Vino as he seemed to get better as he aged. The 2012-2013 season would arguably be one of his best seasons as he would carry an injury-riddled team to the playoffs. But it would come with a price as he would suffer a career-altering injury late in the season. He tore his achilles on April 12, 2013, in a game against the

Golden State Warriors. Before heading into the locker room though, he made two free throws, showing Mamba Mentality.

Injuries and Retirement

After his achilles injury, his body was never really the same. For the next two seasons, he would deal with other injuries. He would play only 41 games, but still, make the All-Star team with the support of L.A. During the 2015-2016 NBA season, he announced his retirement, and his farewell tour was set. It was obvious that his body was taking a beating every game but he pushed himself so he can have one more season to show out to the fans.

His final game on April 13, 2016, was a perfect storybook ending. He dropped 60 points and had amazing clutch time moments. The whole crowd was into the whole game and Kobe led Los Angeles to the win.

After Retirement Greatness

Kobe won an Oscar for his short film titled, “Dear Basketball.” He would also win an Emmy Governors Award as well. He also would make a book called, “The Mamba Mentality: How I Play,” which highlights what makes up Kobe and the Mamba Mentality. Kobe was also the creator of the Wizenard Series books.

But his biggest achievement was being a mentor for future NBA stars like Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum and even more importantly to his daughter Gigi Bryant. His daughter was confident that she would be able to carry his legacy.

A Death of a Cultural Icon

On January 26, 2020, Los Angeles and the world were brought terrible news. Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi along with seven other people would, unfortunately, lose their lives in a helicopter crash. His death had everyone throughout the world reflecting upon his career and

who he was. It made them realize more than ever that even with his retirement four years earlier that he was the face of Los Angeles and the culture.

People in Los Angeles still talk about him today and have murals of him throughout the city to keep his legendary status intact. The year that Kobe died the Los Angeles Lakers were already set as championship contenders. But it looked like the Los Angeles Lakers were more motivated than ever to win it for Kobe. They even brought back the Black Mamba Lakers City Jersey for the playoffs and the Lakers won the championship later that year.

Personal Note to Kobe

I will never forget you Kobe Bryant for your success and failures, thank you for being my hero.

Gentrification in Los Angeles

The new norm?

by Jeffrey Barragan

Over the past several years, a single 20th Century community has become one of the bestknown locales to be historically destroyed by gentrification: the communities under Elysian Park.

However, the story of Chavez Ravine and Elysian Park- and the arrival of the Los Angeles Dodgers- is just one of the dozens, if not hundreds, of examples of gentrification across Los Angeles County.

In one case in the 1960s, similar to Chavez Ravine, a nearby neighborhood was destroyed and claimed by the local government through eminent domain. Then, over half a century forward, gentrification reached a different community, but through economic dis-

placement.

If you go up into the Rio Hondo College campus and drive or walk around for a bit, with the right angle and with out any trees or bushes in your way, the City of Los Angeles is visible.

You can see the top of the skyline from many places throughout the campus, and depending on where you are, you may even catch the white Hollywood sign.

But as you’re looking out into Los Angeles and seeing the skyline from some 15 miles away, one of the neighbor hoods you’re seeing is Bunker Hill.

At some point in the 20th Century, Bunker Hill contained houses, apartments, and an actual neighborhood where

Hill Street is on the southeast boundry of Bunker Hill in Los Angeles. In Bunker Hill, the street is lined up with restauarnts and other businesses.

Echo Park is a neighborhood in the City of Los Angeles, but it is also the name of a park. The street Glendale Boulevard runs on the western edge of the park.

people resided and existed. The area wasn’t composed of expensive apartments, parking structures, and tall corporate buildings.

One of the best examples that captures a residential 20th Century Bunker Hill is in John Fante’s novel “Ask the Dust.” In the book, the main character and aspiring writer Arturo Bandini lives on a, still, residential Bunker Hill in Los Angeles.

Today, Bunker Hill is still in Downtown Los Angeles, and it’s still called Bunker Hill. A Google Maps search will show you the neighborhood’s boundaries.

Bunker Hill is boxed in between the 110 Freeway to the west and Hill Street to the east. To the north is West First Street, and on the south end is West Fifth Street. The area, like

the majority of Downtown, is composed of an assortment of one-way streets and slopes.

But the main remnants of Bunker Hill are its name and the Angels Flight Railway, two small railcars on a hill between the California Plaza and South Hill Street. The railway was reopened in 2017, although it dates back to the 1900s.

The day I visited the railway, it was temporarily closed and had been for around four weeks already. One orange railcar sat on the track at the top of the hill. The other was near the bottom half of the track. They both sat in a state of stillness, overlooking traffic and passers-by.

So, the scattered hills and paved roads mostly remain today, but they’re lined up by enterprises rather

than homes. The Disney Concert Hall, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and banks like Wells Fargo and Union Bank all take up, now valuable, real estate on Bunker Hill.

Despite this, the majority of Bunker Hill and Downtown Los Angeles is surprisingly at risk of gentrification or have experienced recertification, according to an interactive map by the UCLA Urban Displacement Project.

A couple of miles northwest of Downtown Los Angeles, the communities around Elysian Park are also facing a strikingly similar fate. Some communities are slowly in the process of being gentrified, while others have already experienced gentrification.

In communities like Echo Park, gentrification has already taken root and has been nurtured by the grow

Angels Flight Railway is in the Los Angles neighborhood of Bunker Hill. The short railway is between South Hill Street and California Plaza. At the time, Angels Flight Railway was temporarily closed.

ing, high living prices. But unlike Bunker Hill, Echo Park stayed a primarily residential community where people lived.

The community of Echo Park is the setting of multiple movies, including two self-titled “Echo Park” movies. But there is one movie in particular that captured the Mexican American culture of the area.

Echo Park serves as the setting for 1993s “Mi Vida Loca.” The movie focuses on Latin American gang culture in Echo Park but from an almost

strictly women’s perspective.

The background of their community, with Echo Park Lake in the background, is a different scene than it is today. Though, like many places in Los Angeles, the gang culture that ruled the area seems like a distant memory, captured in a film of the period.

The Echo Park Lake and park is still a central part of the historic neighborhood.

But in the last couple of years since the COVID-19 pandemic be-

gan, the lake was the site of a large homeless encampment. Since the City of Los Angeles removed the encampment, a chain-link fence has surrounded the park and lake.

I drove around the park on a Sunday afternoon, searching for a place to park. Ironically, despite the nearby 101 freeway entrance and exit, traffic was sparse around the park.

And despite the obstacle of a chain-link fence surrounding the entirety of the park, people still filed into Echo Park. Some people squeezed

in-between spaces they found between the fence. In that way, they avoided having to walk around in search of the designated park entrance.

Inside the park, people sat around on blankets on the grass, or they rode around the lake in those famous swan-shaped pedal boats.

Outside the park, vendors were selling Mexican and Latin American handicrafts on the sidewalk. The many stands were sandwiched between a tight row of parked cars

and the fence around Echo Park.

Like everywhere else in Los Angeles, housing is getting more expensive in Echo Park. In 2022, the majority of homes and properties around the lake are valued at upwards of $1 million, based on Zillow estimates. Rent is upwards of $2,500. In some areas, the price of rent is up to the $5,000 mark.

And yet, despite the high living costs, across from the park, wedged in between living quarters, is a large lot used as a community

garden.

But while Chavez Ravine was destroyed for the purpose of creating the Dodgers Stadium, Bunker Hill became part of a greater Downtown Los Angeles.

On the other hand, Echo Park is a more recent story of economic displacement, not necessarily of the power of eminent domain.

Gentrification is an ingrained part of Los Angeles culture. One that takes, gives, destroys, and creates communities in a revolv-

Vendors selling handicrafts outside of Echo Park. The stands were on the sidewalk off Echo Park Ave.

Editor-in-Chief

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