Mariachi Plaza

Located in the Boyle Heights district of Los Angeles just off the 101 Freeway southbound is the Mariachi Plaza. The plaza itself is bounded by E 1st St, Pleasant Avenue, and N Boyle Avenue and is adjacent to the Metro Station for the connecting Gold Line extension. The name itself comes from the many Mariachi musicians roaming the area for potential job opportunities at parties, restaurants, and other private/community events (Lopez Kurland). Many of these professional musicians dress in typical charro attire and are eager to attract potential customers. What makes this site important is the location and the cultural significance of mariachi music to people of Mexican heritage.

The Boyle Heights area was a traditionally Jewish and Eastern European community during the early 20th century. Nationally, the area was heralded as a multicultural center as Latino and Asian families lived alongside the previously mentioned people. It was during mid-century that the expansion of the Westside residential community and the inclusion of formerly marginalized Jewish and Eastern European immigrants into the ‘White’ category that led to the drastic demographic changes of Boyle Heights. Practices such as redlining and restrictive covenants barred non-White people from purchasing homes in residential communities in certain districts, which led to the Boyle Heights district becoming a predominately Latino community. This change in demographics goes hand-in-hand with the emerging presence of Mariachi musicians in the plaza during the 1930’s, along with the wave of migration from Mexico. As a musical genre, mariachi music has “the opportunity to unite people whose cultural roots are in Mexico” (Sylvia Clark). George Sanchez elaborates on the emergence of a recording industry and radio network based around the collection of immigrant musicians. For the potential consumers of mariachi music, what attracts them to Mariachi Plaza is the cultural significance of the style of music to their ethnic heritage. The commercialization of the Mexican music industry created a “new mode of ethnic expression” that “…connects the ethnic self-identification and collective culture” (Sanchez). The Mariachi Plaza can be seen as the threshold of collective Mexican identification for Angelinos who seek the familiar sounds of trumpets, guitars, and belting vocals.

Issues of urban gentrification have now become reasons for collective action in recent years as public projects such as the erection of Gold Line Eastside Extension, the expanded Rudy de Leon/Hollenbeck Police Station, and the expansion of the General Hospital have displaced more than 1,000 families. Low-income projects have been demolished and have left more than 940 families displaced, creating a net loss of 661 affordable housing units (Joy Hepp).For many residents who have long established their home in Boyle Heights, 'progress' has been slowly making it the home of those residents who can financially afford it.

Sources:
Clark, Sylvia. “Mariachi music as a symbol of Mexican culture in the United States”. International Journal of Music Education: Sage Publications. 16 Nov. 2005. Web. 23 Apr. 2012.
Sanchez, George. “Becoming Mexican American”. Oxford University Press: New York. 1993.
Lopez Kurland, Catherine. “Mariachi Plaza Los Angeles”. March 2009. Web. 23 Apr. 2012.
Hepp, Joy. "Price of 'Progress': Displacing low-income residents". March, 31, 2010. Healthycal.org.

Submitted By: Stephanie L, Albertina B, and Raquel P.
All Pictures By: Stephanie L.