Stories of Displacement in Los Angeles
Flocking to Los Angeles in search of the American Dream is not a new concept. Out-of-towners arriving in the City of Angels to chase glory is a defining characteristic of the city. But before people came for their piece of movie stardom, or oil, or gold, or the rejuvenating power of the Southern California sunshine, the boosters of the city saw what the true treasure of the Los Angeles area was: the land. The fight over property in the name of “progress” is at the very center of the history of Los Angeles.
Listen to three tales of the displacement of Angelenos in a special episode of the local history podcast L.A. Meekly. The podcast, hosted by Daniel Zafran and Greg Gonzalez, dives into the history of the city month-by-month, subject by subject, to give a fresh look at the stories and characters in the history of Los Angeles. You can listen to L.A. Meekly on iTunes Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever your preferred podcast source may be. The special episode “Stolen Homes–Displaced in Los Angeles,” hosted by Gonzalez, is being released today, September 17, in conjunction with Stealing Home, the upcoming virtual author talk hosted by the Library.
On Thursday, September 24 at 6:30 pm, journalist and author Eric Nusbaum will appear in conversation with Los Angeles Times columnist and author Gustavo Arellano. They will discuss Nusbaum’s book, Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the Lives Caught in Between, a story about baseball, family, the American Dream, and the fight to turn Los Angeles into a big league city. This virtual event, part of the Library’s Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month programming, also marks the kickoff of the Be the Change Series, which focuses on inclusion, diversity, equity and antiracism. This program is brought to you by Glendale Library, Arts & Culture and the Southern California Library Cooperative, with funding provided by the City of Glendale Arts and Culture Commission and support from Niche Academy and Outlook Newspapers. Register here to attend the virtual author talk.
If you are interested in reading more about this topic, please check out the titles on our librarian-curated book lists about Displacement and Geography and the Chavez Ravine.