Our Hispanic Heritage Map celebrates some of the countless remarkable contributions of Hispanic and Latin Americans to Los Angeles' history, culture, and achievements. Explore the rich history across LA!

Continue reading to learn more about the featured places on our map.

1 Tía Chucha's Centro Cultural & Bookstore | 12677 Glenoaks Blvd, Sylmar, CA 91342

Luis J. Rodriguez served as the Los Angeles Poet Laureate from 2014 to 2016, promoting poetry as an everyday art. With his wife, Trini Rodriguez, he co-founded Tía Chucha's Centro Cultural & Bookstore in Sylmar, offering arts programs and cultural events to uplift the local community. He has authored 16 books across genres—poetry, children's books, fiction, and nonfiction—including the best-selling memoir, Always Running, La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A.

2 Cindy Montañez Natural Park | 801 8th Street, San Fernando, CA 91340

Cindy Montañez Natural Park in the San Fernando Valley honors the former California Assemblymember and CEO of TreePeople known for her environmental advocacy. The park honors her commitment to conservation and community green spaces.

3 Great Wall of Los Angeles | 12920 Oxnard St, Valley Glen, CA 91401

The Great Wall of Los Angeles, a 2,754-foot mural organized by Dr. Judith F. Baca, “Judy”, in 1978, is located in the Tujunga Wash of the LA River in the San Fernando Valley. Created with over 400 community youth and artists, it is one of the world’s longest murals and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2017. Baca, an artist, activist, and Chicano studies professor, is also known for co-founding SPARC (Social and Public Art Resource Center).

4 The Ricardo Montalbán Theatre | 1615 Vine St, Hollywood, CA 90028

The Ricardo Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood, named after the iconic Mexican actor, is a historic venue reflecting the era of Montalbán's prolific film career, particularly in the mid-20th century. It supports Latino performing arts and serves as a cultural landmark, hosting theater, film screenings, and community events that celebrate Latino heritage and artistic contributions in Los Angeles.

5 Chavez Ravine and Dodger Stadium | 1000 Vin Scully Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012

In the late 1950s, the neighborhoods of Palo Verde, La Loma, and Bishop in Los Angeles were displaced to make way for the construction of Dodger Stadium. Today, Dodger Stadium draws over 4 million fans annually. Many of these fans were inspired by "Fernandomania" in the early 1980s, when a 20-year-old Fernando Valenzuela, hailing from Etchohuaquila in Sonora, Mexico, took Major League Baseball and Los Angeles by storm.

6 Chicano Time Trip | 2601 N Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90031

Chicano Time Trip in Lincoln Heights, created by the East Los Streetscapers in 1977 and renovated in 2006, is a mural celebrating Chicano history from pre-Columbian times to the present, reflecting the cultural heritage and activism of the Chicano Movement.

7 Olvera Street | 845 N Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Olvera Street, a historic pedestrian street in the heart of Los Angeles, is home to some of the city's oldest buildings and attracts nearly two million visitors annually. Olvera Street is named after Californio judge Agustín Olvera (1820-1876), who held Los Angeles' first county court sessions in his home on the street. The surrounding area also includes notable landmarks: Pico House, La Placita, Plaza de la Raza, El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument, and more.

Pico House, built in 1869-1870 by Pío Pico, the last Mexican Governor of Alta California, is now part of the El Pueblo de Los Ángeles Historical Monument.

La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles, founded in 1814 near Downtown LA, is one of the city's oldest buildings, serving the Mexican and Mexican-American community as part of the El Pueblo de Los Ángeles Historical Monument.

El Pueblo de Los Ángeles Historical Monument, the birthplace of Los Angeles, is a historic district encompassing the city's oldest section, reflecting its Spanish, Mexican, and early U.S. history, and was designated a state historic monument in 1953.

8 Los Angeles City Hall | 200 N Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Hispanic public officials have significantly shaped Los Angeles' civic landscape, with leadership spanning the City Council, County Supervisors, and other key roles. Gloria Molina was the first Latina elected to the California State Assembly, City Council, and County Board of Supervisors. During her time in office, Gloria led efforts to revitalize Grand Park, now named Gloria Molina Grand Park - located across from Los Angeles City Hall. Hilda Solis, a former U.S. Secretary of Labor, currently serves as a County Supervisor. Los Angeles has also seen Latino leadership through its mayors, including Cristobal Aguilar in the 19th century and Antonio Villaraigosa from 2005 to 2013, with these leaders championing topics including immigrant rights, housing, and community development.

9 Self Help Graphics & Art | 1300 E 1st St, Los Angeles, CA 90033

Self Help Graphics & Art (SHG), founded in 1970 by Franciscan nun Sister Karen Boccalero, is a cornerstone of the Chicano art movement in East Los Angeles. Originally located in an iconic mosaic-adorned building, SHG moved in 2011 to a space along the Metro A and E Lines near the 1st Street Bridge over the LA River. Known for launching one of the first Day of the Dead celebrations in the U.S., SHG has been instrumental in popularizing the holiday and supporting artists like Carlos Almaraz, Gronk, and Patssi Valdez, who have shaped its rich legacy.

10 Mariachi Plaza | 1831 E 1st St, Los Angeles, CA 90033

Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights has been a gathering spot for mariachi musicians since the 1930s, featuring a traditional Mexican kiosk and square inspired by Mexico's Plaza Garibaldi. Located at the Mariachi Plaza Metro Station (L Line), it sits beside the historic "Mariachi Hotel," preserved as affordable housing by East LA Community Corporation (ELACC), a 2018 LA2050 Grants Challenge winner.

11 Cesar Chavez Avenue | Cesar E Chavez Ave & N Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Cesar Chavez Avenue, a 6.19-mile major thoroughfare in Los Angeles, honors the legacy of civil rights leader Cesar Chavez, commemorating his fight for farmworkers' rights and social justice across Los Angeles.

The Bracero Monument, a 19-foot-tall bronze sculpture by Dan Medina, is located on Cesar Chavez Avenue in Los Angeles. It depicts a Mexican migrant and his family, honoring the Bracero Program, which brought Mexican laborers to the U.S. for agricultural work from 1942 to 1964.

12 East Los Angeles Walkout Sites | 456 S. Mathews St, Los Angeles, CA 90033 (Roosevelt High School)

In March 1968, thousands of Mexican American students walked out of seven schools in East Los Angeles to protest educational inequality. The students were concerned about the quality of their education, including a lack of bilingual teachers, outdated curriculum, and understaffed schools.

13 Evergreen Cemetery | 204 N Evergreen Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90033

Evergreen Cemetery, established in 1877 in Boyle Heights, is one of Los Angeles' oldest cemeteries and serves as the final resting place for many significant Mexican-American figures, including early community leaders, labor activists, and veterans.

14 Ellen Ochoa | 4360 Dozier St, Los Angeles, CA 90022 (Ánimo Ellen Ochoa Charter Middle School)

Ellen Ochoa made history in 1993 as the first Latina astronaut to travel to space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. She is also an accomplished engineer and served as the director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Ánimo Ellen Ochoa Charter Middle School in East Los Angeles is named in her honor, celebrating her pioneering achievements and inspiring the next generation of students.

15 National Chicano Moratorium March Route | 4914 E. Cesar E Chavez Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90022 (Belvedere Park)

On August 29, 1970, more than 20,000 Chicanos gathered in East Los Angeles for the Chicano Moratorium, a peaceful march protesting the Vietnam War and the disproportionate number of Chicanos who were being killed in the conflict. The demonstration turned violent when Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies clashed with participants. During the unrest, journalist Ruben Salazar was killed when a sheriff’s deputy fired a tear gas projectile into the Silver Dollar Cafe, where Salazar was seated.

16 Jaime Escalante | 5101 E. Sixth Street, East Los Angeles, California 90022 (Garfield High School)

Jaime Escalante, a renowned math teacher at Garfield High School in East LA, inspired students to excel in AP Calculus during the 1980s, overcoming challenges and achieving national recognition, as depicted in the film Stand and Deliver.

17 Mercado La Paloma | 3655 S Grand Ave # 280, Los Angeles, CA 90007

Mercado La Paloma in South LA’s Figueroa Corridor was created by Esperanza Community Housing Corp. to support local entrepreneurship and cultural expression. Originally a garment factory, the building was transformed through community collaboration into a marketplace featuring businesses, restaurants, and cultural spaces. Highlights include acclaimed restaurants Holbox and Chichen Itza.

18 Zoot Suit Riots | 5400 Lindbergh Ln, Bell, CA 90201 (Sleepy Lagoon)

The Zoot Suit Riots in 1943 were violent clashes in Los Angeles between U.S. servicemen and Mexican American youths, driven by racial tensions and resentment over zoot suits. The riots followed the Sleepy Lagoon case, where 17 Latino youths were unjustly convicted, escalating hostility that contributed to the violence.

19 Museum of Latin American Art | 628 Alamitos Ave, Long Beach, CA 90802

The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA), founded in 1996 in Long Beach, is the only museum in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to modern and contemporary Latin American and Latino art. MOLAA highlights the cultural heritage of Latin America through rotating exhibitions, education programs, and public events.

If there are other significant locations you believe should be recognized, please email them to connect@la2050.org.