Jewish Histories in Multiethnic Boyle Heights

Introduction: Urban Space and the Making of a Neighborhood

Under the original stewardship of the Tongva peoples, through different imperial and national occupations between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the area presently known as Boyle Heights has been shaped and (re)shaped by different geographic priorities and the colliding aspirations among a diversity of residents and stakeholders. The essays and visualizations that follow trace the intersections of race-making and place-making in the neighborhood between the nineteenth century and late twentieth centuries, using Jewish history as a lens to capture a range of historical processes and transformations across different racial and ethnic groups. Historicizing neighborhood-making in Boyle Heights encourages us to grapple with a complex set of questions, including:The following path explores the transformation of the urban landscape in Boyle Heights and the institutional, environmental, and social entities that fueled such changes over time.

Contents of this path:

  1. "A Delightful Suburb": Boyle Heights in the 19th Century
  2. From Elite Suburb to Immigrant Enclave
  3. 1930 Census Visualization
  4. The Home Owners Loan Corporation and the Redlining of Boyle Heights
  5. Mapping/Listening to Boyle Heights
  6. The Community Service Organization (CSO)
  7. Local Politics at the Grassroots: Community Organizing in Postwar Boyle Heights
  8. Citations and Additional Resources