Twenty years ago today, violence and destruction engulfed parts of Los Angeles”” marking one of the most significant events in the city’s recent history.
Although the areas of Boyle Heights and East L.A. were not as affected by the 1992 Riots, the despair that ran through other parts of the city made a lasting impact on community members.
We asked Boyle Heights residents to look back in time and share what they remembered from the L.A. Riots. Read the memories of four people who in some way were marked by the events and say there’s still room for progress.
Although student Jose Montero was too young to remember images from 1992, he’s been scarred by the memories his father shared with him and the impact the riots had on his family.
Business owner Alma Diaz, 37, was a recent immigrant from El Salvador when the riots broke. Although she was scared to be in a new country, violent scenes were nothing new to her, having witnessed her own country’s civil war.
Abe Flores, advocacy manager at Arts for LA and Boyle Heights Beat contributor, remembers being interviewed by the L.A. Times during the riots. Although his community of Boyle Heights saw little destruction, he worried for the family he had in South Los Angeles.
Photographer Rafael Cardenas witnessed the riots first hand, and still remembers the sound of gunshots and destruction. He admits the events were horrifying but was one of many who took part in minor looting during the aftermath.
