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Derek Ortega

Professor Batty

English 101

25 March 2017

United as One

Often times when people leave their hometown in spite of opportunities they find

themselves in such locations that give them the feeling of being at home. Hearing the mariachi

playing on a Saturday night from a distance, with the bright lights focused on them makes me

feel alive. Hearing the tunes that are being played by the mariachi, one can see people dancing to

the music, which can attract others to join them. A beautiful and magical place like this can only

be in La Placita on a famous street named Olvera after a historical figure. At night, with such a

flare of people having a good time, they share stories with others who want to know about

history from this place. La Placita on Olvera Street is a historical place that is located in

Downtown, Los Angeles, California. It is such an interesting area to visit or live around because

its an old landmark. In Los Angeles we have some Latino people who do not embrace the

history behind this magnificent place, but there are those, young and old, who have fully

embraced this location and make you feel comfortable and welcomed with open arms. This

historical and beautiful location is home to a diverse population for the Latino culture. The

environment of La Placita gives a sense of home for its people. Unity is the main purpose for La

Placita because it brings everyone together. Often times we find ourselves missing the homeland

where we were born because of the fact that we left everything behind. However, the historical

location of La Placita offers a diverse population that represents the wide variety of Latin

cultures, which strengthens the unity of the Latino community.

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The history of La Placita on Olvera Street goes way back to the Mexican/US war which

happened during 1846-1848. In the early days, this area was a small pueblo that housed many

Mexican families during the time they were living here before it became Downtown Los Angeles

as we know it now. During that mid 1840s La Placita had a different name which was Wine

Street, an odd name if you ask me. The name Olvera comes from a famous judge who fought for

Atla, California during the war. According to the article "Olvera Street: The Fabrication of L.A.'s

Mexican Heritage", his name happened to be Agustin Olvera, and they named the street in his

honor because he played a crucial role in negotiating with the Americans which eventually led to

the Treaty of Cahuenga. In the mid-1830s, Agustin continued as a judge, and he eventually

became L.A. Countys judge and an advisor for Mexicans who lived in the area. Going through

the history of the area, we see the place filling with Hispanics.

The culture in La Placita is very diverse with different Latinos, and one can learn about

the history and culture of these different Latino heritages through the older generations. Although

its more Mexican themed, it is a place all people of Latino heritage can come. Many different

ethnicities visit this place from Chicanos, Mexicans, Central Americans, and South Americans.

The people that are here in La Placita make everyone feel welcomed with open arms, especially

the older people because they have rich stories and are willing to tell them to people who are

willing to get to know them and their wonderful past. The older people here are always friendly

and make the visitors happy because they arent all moody, yet theyre all enthusiastic and full of

life. While the younger generations, who are there visiting or live within the area, are nice

people, they at times can be very moody and not too generous like the older people. Learning

from the older generation they can educate you with so much guidance and knowledge so you
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can learn from them. Unfortunately, from the younger generation you cant because they are too

ignorant to know better and thats why its better to learn from the wiser people.

Furthermore, this place is full of energy and great vibes from many diverse Latin

cultures, especially the shop owners. They have so many things to sell you from clothing,

backpacks, flags, and key chains to almost everything you can think of. According to The Color

and Culture of Olvera Street by Penny Sadler, On the surface, you see a vibrant and colorful

street with an authentic marketplace atmosphere. Its packed with restaurants, shops, and vendors

selling imports from Mexico: brightly colored piatas, candles, maracas, blankets and clothing.

Sadler says that there are many items sold from Mexico, yet the merchandise that they sell here

in La Placita is similar compared to Central America and South America. For example in

Mexico, there are these sandals called Huaraches which are made out of brown leather and are

colored brown. The shops here sell them so frequently because many Hispanics love to wear

these, for they are very comfortable; although in Mexico these items are called huaraches, in

other Latin American countries they go by sandalias and other names. Another item that comes

from Central America is called a chichicastenango, its this super thick throw blanket that they

sell at La Placita, and the quality is very good. These two items are commonly sold in different

Latin countries, yet they bare different names. Unity is a huge for all Hispanic people because

although we may have different merchandise yet, we still wear anything that others would bring

us from their homeland and feel part of their home.

Food and language within the Hispanic community is very diverse because we have

different types of dishes and ways of speaking. There are traditional tamales, enchiladas,

burritos, and tacos. Of course every Hispanic loves these dishes because its really good food, but

each Latin country has different dishes unique to their heritage. For example, Salvadorian food is
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different because they have pupusas which are a tortilla with cheese inside of it, which they are

handmade like tamales right there for you on the spot. Furthermore, the pronunciation of the

Spanish language can sound very different. Yes, we all speak Spanish; thats the native tongue

we all have. Yet when we speak Spanish we all have different dialects because every Latino has

an accent when they speak the language. At the end we all eat different foods and speak

differently, yet we are all one when it comes to being Latino/Hispanic in everyday life. As we

learn from each other, we embrace different Latin countries culture and its people because we

acknowledge them and we become more as one.

La Placita is such a beautiful place to come and visit with friends and family. But what

makes this landmark even more appreciated its people who are here of every Hispanic descent.

There are many people who come from Mexico, Central America, and even South America who

come here because it makes them feel at home when they arrive here. All of us Hispanics should

be more united because at the end we are all brothers and sisters in arms. We shouldnt shun

others because they are different Hispanics and we should love each other and embrace our

cultures no matter what. Unity is what makes us whole as a population because with our current

political ways its now important to be as one and stand up for each other.
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Works Citied

"The Color and Culture of Olvera Street - Adventures of a Carry-On." Adventures of a Carry-on

| Wine L Travel L Food and Culture. N.p., 16 Sept. 2015. Web. 26 Mar. 2017.

"Olvera Street: The Fabrication of L.A.'s Mexican Heritage." KCET. N.p., 01 Jan. 2017. Web. 26

Mar. 2017.