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SOUTHLAND RESEARCH ESSAY

By: Natalia Torres- Bargallo

Dr. Ogden English 100 3December, 2013

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Natalia Torres Dr. Ogden STACC-100 3, December 2013

Abstract
The novel, Southland, by Nina Revoyr, takes place in a very historical community, Los Angeles. The main character in the book was from Crenshaw in La and Crenshaw was not only a town in the book but also a town in real life as it contained a lot of real life history as it was demonstrated throughout the book. The book takes us back in time through important events in LAs history and finds justice for victims of racial violence. In this book, there was a lot of negativity events describe in Los Angeles. Los Angeles had a lot of negativity and tragic historical events but it also had positive life changing events. At the beginning, East Los Angeles became a popular immigrant destination. East Los Angeles continues to be studied and documented by scholars from around the world. Los Angeles is a very diversity community and amazing people who have grown up from there have made a change to our community or lives. I dont think of Los Angeles as a tragic place but as a historical life-changing city.

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Natalia Torres Dr. Ogden STACC-100 3, December 2013

Research Paper Outline

Thesis: Los Angeles is a city divided into over 80 districts and neighborhoods, many of which were communities that were annexed by the city. Some well-known communities within Los Angeles include Watts, Venice, Hollywood, Korea town. Los Angeles has had tragic historical events but also life-changing events by bringing cultural together. I. New popular music A. Rappers B. Different culture II. Famous communities A. Hollywood (1) Famous unforgettable actors (2) Famous singers B. Little Tokyo (1) Bringing different cultures together (2) Immigrants to feel more welcome

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Natalia Torres Dr. Ogden STACC-100 3, December 2013

The novel, Southland, by Nina Revoyr, takes place in a very historical community, Los Angeles. The main character in the book was from Crenshaw in La and Crenshaw was not only a town in the book but also a town in real life as it contained a lot of real life history as it was demonstrated throughout the book. The book takes us back in time through important events in LAs history and finds justice for victims of racial violence. In this book, there was a lot of negativity events describe in Los Angeles for an example Watts Riots in 1965. Watts Riots was a race riot, the six-day unrest resulted in 34 deaths, 1,032 injuries, 3,438 arrests, and over $40 million in property damage. The book showed a lot of Police discrimination with personal characters that I got attached to while reading. Los Angeles ones was not only were black and Latino residents excluded from the high-paying jobs, affordable housing, and politics available to white residents, they also faced discrimination by the LAPD. There was a huge amount of racism, police brutality, and poverty in this town after World War 2. During World War II time Japanese- Americans struggled with the racism as well as the African Americans in this town. What really stood out in Las Angeles was Racism, Americans were treated unfairly

Torres 5 because of judgment of Whites, and feeling about other races didnt belong in their society.

After reading this book I learned a little bit of the city I live near by and how it has changed from how it was back then. I started to research for a project about police brutality in LA, and I was surprise how bad it was back before than now, but its still going on in other countries. Los Angeles is home to people from more than 140 countries speaking many different languages. Ethnic enclaves like Chinatown, Korea Town, etc. provide examples of the Polyglot character of Los Angeles. At the beginning, East Los Angeles became a popular immigrant destination. In the early 1900s, Russians, Jews, Japanese, and Mexicans all had a significant presence in the area. East Los Angeles continues to be studied and documented by scholars from around the world. Los Angeles has opened doors to different races to be themselves and make something of their selves. I do believe Los Angles has had a lot of negativity and tragic historical events but it also had positive life changing events. Thomas J. "Tom" Bradley was the 38th Mayor of Los Angeles, serving from 1973 to 1993. He was the only African-American mayor of that city, his 1973 election made him only the second African-American mayor of a major U.S. city. A huge important leader was Martin Luther King, Jr. a leader in AfricanAmericans Civil Rights Movement. King has become a national icon in the history of American progressivism. Los Angeles is where a lot of rappers have started and now is a popular dream career. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a very inspirational man one of his unforgotten quotes of discrimination, Discrimination is a hellhound that gnaws at

Torres 6 Negroes in every waking moment of their lives to remind them that the lie of their inferiority is accepted as truth in the society dominating them. -- "Where do we go from here?" (speech, August 16, 1967 Martin Luther King, Jr.). Another famous person who also made a mark of discrimination who Branch Rickey approached was Jackie Robertson about joining the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Major Leagues had not had an African-American player since 1889, when baseball became segregated. When Jackie first donned a Brooklyn Dodger uniform, he pioneered the integration of professional athletics in America. By breaking the color barrier in baseball, the nation's preeminent sport, he courageously challenged the deeply rooted custom of racial segregation in both the North and the South. Los Angeles has become one of the most popular city because of all the different cultures and treads that had came from the city. I enjoy going to LA because theres so many people from different countries and I always enjoyed going to Little Tokyo because it feels good to have piece of a different culture. You walk few blocks theres China Town, and Korea Town I think its vey interesting to see all that. One thing that is very popular especially with teen these days is rap and rap started back then everyone but especially in Los Angeles. Rapping is a huge rap culture now and it has become a wealth living career. Rapping is way people to express themselves and it started around early 80s. Los Angeles is one of the biggest diversity cities that have had many historical events that change the community to except one another. Los Angeles has so many communities very different from on another but in the end of the day we make a big city together as one community.

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Natalia Torres Dr. Ogden STACC-100 3, December 2013

Work Cited Page

Revoyr, Nina. Southland. New York: Akashic, 2003.

"Los Angeles." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Mar. 2013. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.

"Martin Luther King, Jr." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Mar. 2013. Web.

Torres 8 Martin Luther King, Jr. "Martin Luther King, Jr. Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.

"Riots Erupt in Los Angeles." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web.

"Jackie Robinson Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.

Natalia Torres Dr. Ogden STACC-100 3, December 2013

Annotating Bibliography

1. One of my question was how did police brutality impacted peoples life?

Findley, Stephanie. "Different Shades of Racism." Maclean's. 5/13/2013, Vol. 126 Issue 18, P1-1. 1p. Findley, Stephanie. Maclean's. 5/13/2013, Vol. 126 Issue 18, P1-1. 1p., "Different Shades of Racism."

Torres 9 Summary: This article is about man named Mido Macia who went to South Africa to find a better life. He was a taxi driver, married with a five-year -old daughter both living in Mozambique. He wanted to cross the to South Africa to get a better life but instead he got arrested by a cop because he refuse to move his taxi. After he was dragged to the police station and died three hours later. Nine South African police officers are charged with murder; they have been denied bail while they await trial next month. This article talked about how police brutality is all over the world and how it impacts peoples life. I choose this article because I thought it would be really good to see not only in La but in other countries how police brutality was harming peoples life. I use this on my paper because police brutality was a big thing in LA during the 1990s than now. For my essay, I feel like I have to well inform of whats going on with police brutality during the watts riots but also in todays life.

2. Who where the first rappers in LA? "Rap Music." Rap Music. N.p., 27 Dec. 2011. Web. Summary: Informs how rap started and who were the first few who started to bring the rap culture. A timeline by dates from the early 80s to 2000 and I thought was really well done. Talks about how rap and it describe that it was way African- Americans express their experiences. I choose this article because I think La had great beginner rappers and thats what LA brought to the present culture. Now today Rapping is one of the most popular cultures and many artist become very wealthy. Its interesting high percentage teens are into and

Torres 10 can related to rapping culture. I wanted to put that in my essay how rapping started in LA because I believe its a interesting subject.

3. The Immigrant population in California? Don Lee and Alana Semuels. "Immigrant Population in California Declines." Los Angeles Times 22 Sept. 2009: n. page. Summary: This article inform me of the LA population and how many people have immigrated and the percentage. How things are getting harder for the immigrants how it affects the economy. It describe how in the two decades that preceded 2008, the country's foreign-born population grew an average of almost 1 million a year, including by nearly 512,000 in 2007. I choose this article because I wanted to be more familiar with Los Angeles and how it has grown during the years before writing my paper.

4. Watts Riots an important historical event in LA. Valerie Reitman and Mitchell Landsberg, Times Staff Writers. "Watts Riots." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2005. Web. Summary: This article talked about what the Watts Riots was and stories of people experience which was interesting to read. There was opinions of the Watts and personal letters during the time. I really got to learn peoples experiences and it was sad.

Torres 11 I choose this article because I really got a better understanding of the Riots by reading peoples experiences and I thought it was important to me to know my research well before writing.

5. An important person from La that made a difference in Los Angeles?

"Jackie Robinson Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013. Summary: This article was about Jackie Robinson and his background and how he made a huge change in sports. He was the first African American to play in the Dodgers team with whites. That was huge big deal at the time and it changed the aspect of thing giving hope to people who werent white. Describes how amazing of a player Jackie Robinson was in baseball and he became a legend in sports. I choose this article because he was an important person, he was a legend in sports, he was the first African- American to be a part of the team, Dodgers. I thought that this is an important fact to include in my essay to prove my argument or point.