By Susie Ling
Who are Mexican Americans? Who are Latinos? There have been myriad labels used in history including Spanish, Chicanos, Brown, aliens, braceros, Hispanics… “The truth is that Mexican Americans are multiracial, multicultural, multilingual – and we have a wide breadth of historical experiences,” said Professor Eduardo Cairo of Monrovia. “Before Mexico gained their independence in 1821, people in California were considered ‘Spanish’. It was only after parts of Mexico were annexed by the United States that you have the concept of ‘Mexican American.’” Cairo teaches Chicano studies at Pasadena City College and he continued, “Traditionally, the majority of Latinos were Mexicans but since the 1970s, there are more descendants from Central and South America nations such as Guatemala, El Salvador, and Argentina.” According to the Southern California Association of Government, Monrovia is 40.1% Hispanic. This includes recent immigrants as well as families who have been in Monrovia since the early 20th century, and even families who have native Indian heritage that predate the Spaniards.
But all Monrovians are very much influenced by Latino history and culture. “My Japanese-American mother served us tacos and burritos in the 1950s,” said Roy Nakano of Monrovia, “That is comfort food for me. And of course we all grew up with the music and language around us.” Mexican-American culture is infused into California history, architecture, and life.
In the history of Monrovia, Blacks and Mexicans primarily lived south of the Pacific Electric tracks that ran on Olive. “Blacks and Mexicans grew up like brothers and sisters in Monrovia,” said many of the alumni of Huntington Elementary, the racially segregated elementary school which closed in 1970. There were other racial restrictions at the Monrovia Plunge (public pool), the Lyric Theater, and at Live Oaks Cemetery. It wasn’t until after the 1963 Rumford Act that racial restrictions in housing were outlawed. Ed Roybal, the first Mexican-American elected to LA City Council, helped Byron Rumford of Berkeley with this civil rights legislation.
Like Blacks and Asian-Americans, Mexican-Americans were historically tracked into certain employment fields. Picking fruit was the most ubiquitous in the early 20th century. Now in her 80s, Mary Lou Sandoval remembers her grandfather was a foreman for C. O. Banks, a prominent Monrovian fruit broker. Carlos Valenzuela remembers how beautiful the foothills were, especially when the fragrance of citrus blossoms permeated the air. Valenzuela’s friend, Reginald Quinteros, remembered, “When I was six or seven, my parents would take us to this ranch in West Covina to pick walnuts. When I was about thirteen, I would walk down to Huntington Drive and California to get picked up by the truck to pick oranges with the neighborhood men. They would take us to the orchards in Covina, San Dimas, all over the place.” Women worked as well. Celia Romero laughed and said, “Didn’t all the Mexican women work at some point at the Monrovia Laundry on Myrtle?” Actually her aunt – and other Mexican-Americans – also worked at the Monrovia foundry on Railroad Avenue. Celia worked at Josef’s Originals on Maple Avenue, making ceramic figurines; she collects these dolls now. Another popular work site was Monrovia Nursery, founded by Harry Rosedale in 1926.
Mary Lou, Carlos, Reginald, and Celia are members of the Monrovia Latino Heritage Society. Although they all grew up near the Almond Avenue neighborhood, and have known each other their wholes lives, the organization was formally established in 2010. Founding president Jimmy O’Balles said, “We needed to organize ourselves and showcase the extensive history of Latinos within the Monrovia community.”
On Sunday, Oct. 4th, 2015, from 2 to 4 p.m., there will be a powerpoint lecture entitled “Recuerdos de Monrovia: History of Mexican Americans” at the Monrovia Historical Museum on Lemon Avenue. It will delineate much of the ethnic history of Monrovia. Free to all, this program is co-sponsored by the Museum, the Monrovia Historic Preservation Group, the Monrovia-Duarte Black Alumni Association, and the Monrovia Latino Heritage Society.
