Los Angeles began its rise to world fame as people around the world in the 19th century began to hear about an idyllic place with a perfect climate, boundless sunshine, a magnificent setting with fertile plains, majestic mountains, sea shores with wide beaches and even scenic deserts. Los Angeles’ early boosters and developers heralded Los Angeles as a place where dreams could come true of a happy, prosperous and healthful life. Soon hundreds of thousands of people from the far side of the continent began their journey west to discover this paradise; immigrants from around the globe came by ship, train and on foot and converged in Los Angeles. The city began an extraordinary and rapid expansion until by the mid point of the 20th century, it had become a vast city famous the world over for its agriculture, aviation, manufacturing, petroleum and real estate booms, and for its glamorous motion picture industry. Opportunities to prosper seemed unlimited.
But the underside of all the sunshine and opportunity was the reality that not all who came to Los Angeles found the doors open to them. Racial lines were enforced in education, employment and housing. Those who were not of Anglo-European descent had many obstacles to overcome in finding good paying jobs or embarking on professional careers. Segregation in schools and neighborhoods was common; higher education was blocked to non-whites. The city advertised itself as the whitest and healthiest place to live in America, even while a large minority of Angelenos were non-white and forced to live in ethnic enclaves that were neglected by the city – conditions where a deadly disease could rapidly spread.
This story of another Los Angeles – the Los Angeles that was not the paradise it was advertised to be – is told in this feature-length documentary through the voices and stories of racially diverse elders who experienced what it was like to grow up with the many challenges and obstacles facing them. But they also tell their compelling stories of resilience, hope and triumph, even as thousands among them were taken away by decree and incarcerated unjustly.
Stories from Another Los Angeles reveals a truer, fuller, ultimately richer story behind the rise of this great world city.
