This talk examined place-making in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Echo Park through a Mexican restaurant that became an “urban anchor” for its owner, employees, and customers. Unlike residents of other L.A. ethnic enclaves, Echo Park residents occupied a geographic and cultural crossroads. The community’s complex economic, racial, and ethnic history transcends the conventional narrative of white flight, disinvestment, and segregation.

This was a lecture by Natalia Molina, Professor of American Studies and Ethnicity, History, Latinx Studies, Immigration, Gender, Urban Studies, & Public Health at the University of Southern California. Professor Molina’s work lies at the intersections of race, gender, culture, and citizenship.