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The Enacted Environment of East Los Angeles

In which way is Mexican identity inscribed in the landscape of East Los Angeles?

Street vendors are one of the most evident elements in the landscape of East L.A. They

are busy flowing in and out of both the residential and commercial areas attracting crowds

everywhere they go. Day laborers also known as Los Moscos use the streets to sell their

unskilled labor. They position themselves in strategic locations on the streets looking for

potential customers. Mexican musicians (Mariachis) walk from bar to bar in their black uniforms

and uniforms looking for work. They position themselves at strategic corners, where prospective

employers can notice them and hire them for events. Since many Mexican homes lack American

style of front yards, East L.A residents have transformed and reinterpreted them. East L.A houses

are similar just like any other American suburban houses, but the personalization and enclosure

has changed their appearance significantly (Rojas 44).

Who is involved in producing these inscriptions and where (sites)?

Architects are involved in producing these inscriptions and buildings. In Los Angeles, the

city of suburban dream homes where architectural designs are widespread, the small housescapes

of East L.A seem irrelevant compared to the houses designed by architects like Richard Neutra,

Frank Gehry, Rudolph Schindler, and Greene and Greene. The modern, small houses in East L.A

are unique because they were designed and built by non-architects. The houses have been
improved through a combination of various designs unique to East L.A. The inscriptions and

houses are personal and customized to have purpose and meaning (Rojas 50).

What is the nature of these inscriptions and what do they tell us about Mexican identities?

In East L.A, walls are a means of displaying cultural expression for shop owners,

political groups, and for gang members (cholos). Nearly all walls have graffiti and paintings. In

East L.A, freeway signs, fences, sidewalks, and garage doors have become displays for personal

expression which create a new reality for visual stimulation. Graffiti is the most common form of

visual communication and is found everywhere in East L.A. For example, Cholos use graffiti as

territorial signs. Buildings and stores in East L.A use graphics and words. Some pictures are a

symbol of the type of store. Murals are the most valued form of public decoration that express

several values and traditions. They add an element of local culture and public art. Props are also

common is East L.A. They act as territorial markers (Rojas 45-47).

What kind of work do these inscriptions the enacted environment according Rojas do

for peoples identities and their politics?

These inscriptions organize people in comprehensive arrangements of space and

identities. According to Rojas, urban designers have realized that people can add rich texture to

the suburban and banal landscape, and they have introduced vendors, plants, and furniture. The

resulting settings appear like they could sustain the streets of East L.A. According to Rojas, the

enacted environment of East L.A is unplanned, the vendors and props reflect the nature of the

people. The Mexicans of East L.A have been criticized for being nonpolitical since they do not

vote. Taking a closer look at the enacted environment of East L.A, one can notice the politics.

The environment speaks something about how the residents have created their identity. Rojas
notes the residents may not have political control theoretically, but argues the residents have

empowered themselves through how they use their streets and front yards (Rojas 53).
 Works Cited

Rojas, James T. The Enacted Environment of East Los Angeles. Places 8,

3:42- 53, 1993.