Happy Birthday Los Angeles!

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Hand-tinted photograph of the Plaza and the Plaza Church, as seen in 1869 photo courtesy of Los Angeles Public Library. The Eastside can be seen in the distance.

The City of Los Angeles was founded September 4, 1781 which makes our little pueblo 227 years old today.
The indigenous residents of this area, of Hokan and Uto-Aztecan ancestry have a history stretching back between 6,000-10,000 years ago.

18 thoughts on “Happy Birthday Los Angeles!

  1. Happy Birthday LA! My native country no matter where I wander in this world, I like the image of the City of The Angel’s, both as a dusty pueblito and as the strange megalopolis as captured by Ridley Scott in the movie “Blade Runner”.

  2. Ay pobre Milo! You’re beginning to sound like a one note samba. If you have something to add to the discussion, please feel free but the constant chastising is not doing anyone any good.

  3. I agree with DQ, I like the city either way, as a matter of fact I was there for the 200th year celebration, Tom Bradley was mayor, I was working at Rudy’s Pasta House and we catered the event, good food, good beer, good times!! Great “picture”!!!

  4. Tsk tsk…can’t we all be Los Angelenos, or at least Californios together? Otherwise let us know when your bombing campaign will begin…love, one of your colonizers (LA, 1921, AZ, 1884, NM, 1848 via Monterrey MX, TX, 1836)

  5. My bad, perhaps I should just allow you to spew more lies and remain silent. How about you do your homework and find about the outright genocide that took place on the “eastside”? Maybe we can start with the stealing of lands and renaming it for the crown and move on to subjegation of pre-pubescent girls by church authorities and lest we not forget the implementation of slave labor. Just because your teacher made you build concentration camps in the form of California Missions in elementary school, doesn’t mean your historical consciousness has to stop there-“homes.” C/S

    2 seconds ago ร‚ยท Delete

  6. You know, Milo, I’d take you more seriously if your name was not in the colonizer’s tongue. I thought that was the first thing they taught in Remedial Revolutionary Speech 001?

  7. Hmm, The LA Sidestepper, I didn’t know pointing out historical realities for those who suffered genocide was “revolutionary” although I have heard Rush and Sean put it in that context. Is there room more any substance on this blog? I don’t think anyone has remotely addressed what I have raised, either time.

  8. I appreciate Milo’s sincerity. It can be hard to look at this city for what is was to those who were here before the Spanish set up shop. Maybe it’s not that great a time to celebrate, but hell, what is done has been done. It is up to us to make the best of it, right?

  9. Yes, Milo does have a point, all too often the history of indigenous people and Natives in this country is swept under the rug, hence my reference to the folks that were here 10,000 years ago.

    I’ve done a lot of research on the history of this area pre-European contact and the people that lived here. I am well aware of the issues Native people had, including my Native ancestors who lived not too far away in the Southwest region.
    However, I still will celebrate the history of this city and the contributions my family made to it. I was born in Los Angeles and I am part of the culture here as it is part of me. I think that’s an important thing to recognize.

    What I mostly take issue with is Milo’s attitude. He’s been quick to point fingers, chastise and be nasty. I don’t respond favorably to that kind of criticism. He could’ve brought up his points, thoughts and ideas in a way that made the conversation more constructive and thoughtful.

    By the way, ideologues and moralists give me a sore stomach.

  10. Anybody know where in LA can one find historical remains of the Hokan and Uto-Aztecan?

    The Cahuilla (natives of an area I have heard people here refer to as “The Far Eastside”) have left their mark all over the place via rock paintings. Their most famous one is a diagram of the miky way galaxy dating back some thousands of years ago.

    This diagram can be found in some forrest off of Van Buren in Riverside, at a very strange natural arrangement of rocks, along with several other rock paintings.

    -Urban Memo
    part Los Angeleno, part Riversider

  11. I don’t know but I once got a mention in the LA Times for suggesting that the city install an ulama court at the Grand Avenue park that was supposed to be built in Downtown LA. I’m pretty sure a lot of the remains of LA’s natives is long gone. Malibu Point (yes, the surf spot, I believe) used to be the home to a thriving village with an ulama court of its own and a bunch o’ permanent houses for people. Maybe someone with a fresh knowledge of L.A.’s pre-European conquest history can fill us in.

  12. Supposedly most people of LA are familiar with Cabrillo the man on a boat, not the beach named after him.

    The Catholics should be familiar with Fra Juniper Serra.

    Since I used to live near Pico, I suppose I am more familiar with the last Mexican/Spanish governor of Los Angeles before the State switched owner/oppressor.

    Yes later there was the Chinatown massacre or maybe it was called a rout (being that the Chinese did not fight back much)

    Anyway should I as a Chinese American celebrate LA’s birthday? I am as glad for LA as Armenians are glad Turkey is a part of NATO….

  13. While I would never forget or minimilize the Indian’s suffering at the hands of the missionaries, would we really rather have the “old ways” where there is ritual human sacrifice?
    Just imagine all the problems we would have deciding who gets sacrificed this coming week-end? I prefer the bloodless sacrifice of the CATHOLIC Holy Mass anyday!!!!

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