BOYLE HEIGHTS photo essay by | Andre Roman Medina I DECIDED TO PHOTOGRAPH Boyle Heights because of my family’s history and relationship with the neighborhood. My great-grandparents migrated to Boyle Heights in 1917, and to this day my family still has ties to this neighborhood. I have friends who live there, and I often attend local events. I have always found Boyle Heights to
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be a community that is proud of its heritage. However, it is a community on the brink of change. Real estate developments and demographic shifts mean the community is no longer a safe haven for the largely Mexican-American population. These families are now under the threat of being displaced. Where will they go? Farther east? Farther away from the city?
They are essentially being taken over. Boyle Heights has always been a place where generations of families could cultivate and celebrate their culture and heritage, while fostering resistance and progress. The spirit of Boyle Heights will always remain with the people who invested their time and love in the beauty that is their pueblo. Âś