terra non firma

not everyone loves the cornfields

I wonder if this point of view will be presented? or if the lecture will just be a giant clusterfuck of self-congratulations for a job (almost) done. and like so many public infrastructure/park projects in LA, this one too seems to be rife with backdoor deals, bullying, and contentious debate on the use of land. only the "bad guy" this time isn't a major multinational corporation or a greedy businessman looking to displace the poor for a ballpark. this time its a non-profit who has done (and continues to do) a great deal of public good.

some interesting facts on the history of the cornfields in the gonzalez's article:

Little known to most Angelenos , the Cornfield park site was once the railroad terminal where several hundred thousand Mexicans (including U.S. citizens) were illegally deported during the infamous anti-immigrant hysteria of the 1930's. The Cornfield -which was never in fact a cornfield-- train terminal used for livestock and grain deliveries was thought more appropriate for Latinos than the more fashionable Union Station, which was used to transport "more respectable" Americans.

it also was also adjacent to the original Indian settlements of the Tongva people and served as home to the first Chinese community in this city.

thanks to jess for the article.

posted by marissa @ 6:45 PM