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| Entrance sign to Olvera Street |
Struggling to find the perfect location to be culturally inspired, I was, at first, in doubt of going to visit this "Olvera Street" that took part in several people's daily conversations about Los Angeles. Skeptically, I traveled down to the cross streets of Hill and Ord on a public bus and treaded a few steps ahead with already the overwhelming feeling of the silent streets, independent citizens reminiscing while looking out the window on the bus, and the awe-inspiring sense of bewilderment about my surroundings.
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| Crossing the street at Chinatown, Los Angeles |
vibrant, traditional Latino costumes. Every inch on the street was occupied by stores and decorated carts that sold historical items that represented California in various ways. Not only were the stores equipped with antique trinkets and hand-made dolls, but also masks, sombreros and rows of Mexican flags. Olvera Street is the ultimate place to experience cultural and historical fortification.
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| Standing with the mannequins displaying traditional costumes |
Halfway down the historically recognized street in
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| Stores underground Olvera Street |
Los Angeles, past the various Mexican restaurants with lively musical entertainment that echoed across the city, I encountered a place called The Avila Adobe, which is the oldest standing house in the city of Los Angeles. Provided by the El Pueblo De Los Angeles, entry to this museum was free, which embodies the public generosity of Olvera Street. Inside the historical dwelling were displays of the different rooms that were included in the house back at the start of Los Angeles's flourishing development. For example, in the Family Room, there was a large table and numerous chairs for gatherings of relatives and friends. Moreover, this room symbolizes the joy of eating meals together, listening to California music, and dancing along in pure merriment. Overall, the museum demonstrated a genuine, small village that was satiated with contentment and expectations that the California Dream and history offers. For me, I had the opportunity to explore an area I am not familiar with, and discover, directly in person, the history and narratives told in lectures be brought to life.
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| Family Room in the Avila Adobe |
After viewing the History of Water museum and the rest of the row of stores lined in Olvera Street, I reached the end of the road only to find an immense communal festival outside the street. Contrastingly, there were countless tents and vendors covered in modern company logos, including Lowes, Monster, Verizon, and Chase, right outside the traditional and culturally enhanced location of Olvera Street. This denotes the ability of Los Angeles to execute events and celebrations with food and entertainment on a normal Saturday weekend all for the sake of community relationships.
In essence, Olvera Street commemorates the extensive, remarkable history of Los Angeles and encourages the cultural enrichment and diversity that the city has to offer. The citizens are able to enjoy the freedom of exploring the street for entertainment, shopping, or even to experience the pleasurable atmosphere of a new, major tourist attraction. Hence, the cultural diversity of Los Angeles is epitomized and the history of California comes to life with just a trip down Olvera Street.
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| Olvera Street |
Speaking from the viewpoint of a student, Olvera street in our readings has appeared to reflect the social construction of the boosters, what with Otis and Chandler attempting to portray undertones of a peaceful Spanish culture inhabiting the Los Angeles region in order to attract wealthy settlers. Since I have never visited the locale, I cannot comment upon the authenticity of the culture residing there, but from your time spent, it appears that a culture all its own has resettled back into Olvera Street. Whether or not it truly reflects the preexisting Spanish tradition before the "peaceful acquisition" of farmland, I cannot say. I would remain skeptical, though, as the overtones of Los Angeles still pervade the region; you even mention visiting a museum of how Los Angeles dominated the surrounding region and fashioned Los Angeles into the city we all know today. Based upon what we know, do you see Olvera Street as representative of the true history of Los Angeles and of its true culture, or do you see it as an artificial culture intended for tourists and visitors to see?
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to see your viewpoint of Olvera Street, as I visited the same location and viewed it in a different light. I arrived there late on a Sunday night, and was unable to enter the Avila Adobe or the Water Museum, therefore spent much of my time walking through shops, eating the yummy Mexican food, and ultimately people watching. While it appears that you focused much on the history of the buildings located along the street, I was forced to try to understand the culture of the people not only visiting, but working in the shops and restaurants. It is interesting to me how we both have a quite different version of Olvera Street--you talked about such things of Mexican culture as eating dinner together and the importance of water, while I viewed it as almost a fake (yet what appeared to a tourist as accurate) representation of the original Mexican culture of Los Angeles. It would be interesting to speak to you and combine our ideas about the importance and reason behind Olvera Street.
ReplyDeleteFrom the Grove: Looking back at my experience at Olvera Street, I actually believe the street represents an artificial culture intended for tourist attraction rather than an exact symbolic location of Los Angeles's history. The authenticity of the street and the stores and museums that have built Olvera Street into what it represents today remains skeptical. At first, my opinion of the attraction, as an actual tourist, was a culturally enriching experience. However, my views of the street has shifted from a purposeful landmark of Los Angeles's history and culture to a fictitious representation for tourists that emphasizes the marketing and commercializing tactics of Otis and Chandler.
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