LASA kicked off 2019 at City Hall at the top of the Tom Bradley Tower. Thanks to those in City Hall who made this possible, Norma Challita and Christopher Hawthorne, as well as the LAPD officers who joined us.
After taking in the 360 degree view on a stunning Saturday morning, LASA teacher John Lee shared an analysis of the teachers’ strike and the role of City Hall and politics within the larger work of education reform. Then, we welcomed Prof. Raphael Sonenshein, who serves as executive director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at California State University Los Angeles. Raphe led us through his personal journey to working in City Hall and his larger analyses of the politics of the city, county – and we even asked him to comment on federal politics as well. Jay noted, “I was given great insight into past political figures of Los Angeles, such as. . .Tom Bradley which is really ironic since I attended a middle school named after him.”
Catherine also appreciated the focus on the local; “I really enjoyed learning more about city politics on Saturday. I feel like sometimes in the larger context of the political atmosphere of our country, more local issues within our city can often get overshadowed. I really enjoyed hearing about how much city politics impacts elements of our daily lives, and in what forms those impacts can be. In particular, I thought it was really interesting to about hear certain circumstances of our city depend on our unique geographical layout and how geography has such a large impact on city level government as I had never really thought about it before.”
After lunch, we regrouped at Union Station to dive back into historical politics in LA, particularly that of the Chinatown and its residents who lived and worked here before the station. Bill shared the history of the Chinese Massacre, the plague, and the demolition of Chinatown to make space for Union Station. Halle saw the space through new eyes. She shared that “Union Station will always be a place near and dear to my heart. Freshman year I would always take the train down from Pasadena to Chinatown, Olvera Street, and Little Tokyo.
Amazed by the beauty, excited from the adventure, and filled with joy from my new found freedom, I never really thought about the history behind a popular train stop in the heart of Los Angeles. Instead, my friends and I were always looking for the next journey and new location the Metro could take us on. Listening to the story of the original Chinatown was very surprising and shocking, as it is not something a lot of people know about. Seeing the black and white images on what town used to be where the train station stands, in a way, transported me back in time as if I were the photographer standing on the sidewalk. January’s meeting has taught me to keep open a curious and thoughtful mind, yearning for information that will allow me to have a greater understanding of our own backyard.”
Anna helped us draw the day together: “I felt so special being able to learn about Los Angeles’ political science history from the top of city hall on Saturday. The building itself, along with what we learned about its past, is so representative of LA. You can see the city’s central area from a building that was once the tallest and now stands as a relic to the ambitions of its early time. It was also very insightful to learn about the anomaly of diversity at city hall when contrasted with the destruction of Chinatown.”
