Identity, Civic Engagement, and Common Fate

By: Andrew Ollero and Katharina Pick

Upon exploring the Echo Park community I discussed the political climate with our instructor Sara Jimenez-McSwain and our community liaison Sofia. According to Sofia, there is both a mix of progressive and liberal individuals and conservative families. Most of the liberal individuals are the younger generations who have recently moved into the Echo Park community. However, the younger first-generation young adults also identify as more liberal than there parents. Sophia also indicated that many poorer families also have more traditional views that make them more apt to be politically conservative.

Our community informants also discussed local issues that affect their community. The issue that was discussed numerous times by our informants and other community members were gang activity and involvement. Numerous community organizations that service community offer some time of gang aversion program that help youth get off the streets and into various programs spanning from community service, arts, and sports.

Other issues of importance that members of the community discussed were the housing issues including foreclosures and the cost of housing. The concept of gentrification became a running theme as our immersion group observed new developments next to more “run-down” lots. It seems that much of the issues raised are more geared towards affecting change in the immediate locality as opposed to creating systemic change at a higher level.


Some of the newspapers available in Echo Park are: The Daily News, LA Times, La Opinion, and the LA Downtown News. Some establishments also offered gay friendly magazines and newspapers including: Adelante & Frontiers.

The community holds several meetings that allow citizen input. These committees include: Bylaws & Rules, Budget & Finance, Grievance Committee, and the Executive Committee. These committees hold various meetings throughout the community and provide a forum to voice community concerns. However upon discussing these forums with Sofia, there appears to be significant stakeholders in the community that wield much of the powers of the committees. The board does not seem diverse and many of the members serve on multiple committee boards.



Many of the local organizations offered opportunities to become involved. One local restaurant, Masa, incorporated service opportunities on their take-out menus. Groups within churches are also available to promote service. In addition the services provided by El Centro del Pueblo, Echo Park hosts multiple festivals and farmers markets that request for volunteers.



Art was unmistakeably a source of community pride and identity. Even while many buildings, street signs, and artworks were covered in graffiti, some works of art and expression seemed to transcend the gang and cultural identity divisions that plague the community. For example, Sophia pointed out a mural of a girl celebrating her Quinciniera. It covered the entire side of a building. It had been completely untouched by taggers or any other kind of vandalism. She noted that people seem to leave it alone. It seems that perhaps the community identifies with it, whether it is the direct relation to the mural, the respect for the history of the community, or the respect for the art itself.

Art under highway 101 showed a similar contrast. Huge portraits covered the pillars under the highway. They were impressive and equally untouched. These little signs of pride seem to be important and say something about the community's sense of having an identity that is worth protecting and a sense of common fate.