On November 11, LASA visited the Port of Los Angeles to consider the role of the port in the past, present, and future of LA. From tours of an active terminal – YTI – and a 19th century home – the Banning Museum – LASA is grateful to Geraldine Knatz, Fran Ohlheiser, and the team at the Banning from Michael Sanborn to Dora and Lordes, for changing how LASA sees these spaces and histories.
Director of Communications for YTI, Fran Ohlheiser, led LASA on a guided tour of the terminal. Josie appreciated Fran’s guidance through a space that was new to so many of the students; “she was able to give in-depth responses about the job intensity and wages of longshoremen, as well as an explanation of the widespread shipping delays we experienced in early 2021.”
Alondra shared, “This was one of my favorite trips so far. It was so interesting to see the containers at the ports being either taken off the ship and put on, as well as put on the trucks that move them to their station. I have never been so close to the containers but seeing them up close and learning how hard it is for the workers to load them on. Hearing that they look through a clear panel beneath their legs, with no technological help guiding them, in order to pick up the containers was surprising and a little scary.
Hearing the hours they work too and how difficult, and dangerous the conditions can be. “It was fascinating to see how much global business and commerce comes through the ports of LA, and I didn’t even know about it,” Sophia noted. “Seeing how big the machinery and cargo boxes were really put into perspective how important and difficult those jobs were, so I gained a newfound appreciation for the workers.” Ashlyn may even return to some of the questions and lessons of the day; “The terminal actually sparked a lot of interest in me, which I never would have realized otherwise, so I might even consider looking into how I can get involved with it more in the future.”
After leaving YTI, LASA attempted to time-travel back to the Wilmington and port area of the 19th century through a visit to the home of Phineas Banning. “Attending the Banning Museum was also amazing, as the exhibits were very thorough and I was able to learn more local history.
Banning’s involvement in the Civil War piqued my interest too— the fact that the Drum Barracks were located nearly a block away from the museum was mind boggling.”
Thank you again to all who made the day a success – including LASA’s newest Operations Director Eryn Hoffman. Welcome, Eryn! November is LASA’s last meeting for 2023. We look forward to gathering again in the new year and wish everyone a happy holiday season.