Voting Station

Chavez Ravine, California

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Location

The Resume

    (1844-1961)
    Canyon village outside of Los Angeles
    Area: 315 acres
    Site of Dodgers Stadium
    Home to three Mexican-American neighborhoods
    Population was forcibly removed to clear way for the stadium to be built

Why Chavez Ravine, California might be annoying:

    Because its residents were predominantly Mexican-American, it was designated a slum by city officials and thus ripe for redevelopment.
    Lawmakers invoked eminent domain on the area to acquire plots of land and force residents out to make way for a proposed public housing complex.
    Evicted townspeople would have had first dibs at applying for residency, but conservative opposition to public housing killed the plan.
    The city bought back the land, at a much lower price, from the Federal Housing Authority with the agreement to use it for a public purpose (except by this time mass evictions had rendered it a ghost town).
    By 1957, only 20 families (holdouts who had fought the city's offers to buy their land) were still living on the property.
    Voters approved a referendum to trade the Chavez Ravine acres to Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley for a new stadium (June 1958).
    On what residents called 'Black Friday' sheriff's deputies showed up to forcibly drag the last few evicted families from their homes in front of live television cameras (May 9, 1959).
    To clear way for the stadium, demolition crews knocked in the ridge separating the Sulfur and Cemetery ravines and filled them in, burying the town's elementary school in the process.
    The incident was so traumatic for the community that - to this day - many Mexican-Americans in the Los Angeles-area refuse to attend Dodgers games and openly root against the team.

Why Chavez Ravine, California might not be annoying:

    It is named for Julian Chavez, the Los Angeles councilman who originally purchased the land in the Elysian Park area.
    It was the site of the first Jewish cemetery in Los Angeles.
    Several of the area's condemned houses slated for demolition were used in 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' including for Atticus Finch's house.
    It is referenced in a closing Twilight Zone monologue.
    Many Dodgers fans are or were oblivious to the history behind the stadium.
    Ry Cooder recorded an album about it.
    It is referenced in the Wayne and Shuster sketch 'A Shakespearean Baseball Game' ('I thought I saw the ghost of Dizzy Dean/Calling a game in the Chavez Ravine').
    Dodgers ownership has tried to make amends with the former residents over the last two decades (mostly in a poor and tone deaf manner).

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


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Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 6 Votes: 66.67% Annoying