Eastside residents say there are more pressing issues than renaming Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, especially as Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles continue to grapple with the effects of back-to-back environmental disasters.
That was the sentiment Saturday at the first of three community listening sessions LA County is holding as it considers renaming streets and public places bearing the name of former labor leader César Chávez.
The sessions come after the Board of Supervisors in March moved to rename county honors following a New York Times investigation that alleged Chávez sexually assaulted women and girls within the United Farm Workers movement, including fellow labor leader Dolores Huerta.
Since then, the day-to-day lives of Eastside residents have been upended by the Lineage cold-storage warehouse fire that blanketed the region in thick smoke for days and that triggered an infestation of flies and pests, nausea, headaches and higher utility bills during the cleanup of the millions of pounds of rotting food that was left behind.
Just before that, in East LA, about 25,000 gallons of crude oil spilled onto nearby streets, into storm drains and the Los Angeles River after workers ruptured an underground pipe at East Cesar E. Chavez and North Eastern avenues.
Here’s what community members had to say:
“Right now, our community with two environmental crises … is feeling it. I don’t believe that this conversation is really reflective of the needs of the community.”
Kristie Hernandez, who noted that residents also reeling from the immigration raids and COVID-19 impacts
“I think there are much larger issues that folks are dealing with when we talk about quality of life that are not being addressed. So while this is important, we’re here today because we want to make sure we’re part of the process. I think that for the general public, this is a small fraction of what really impacts day-to-day quality of life.”
“I’m sick because of environmental racism. My lifespan has been shortened because of the environmental racism, and a f*****g sign isn’t going to help my community. You get that?”
Meeting attendee
“We had an oil spill and they haven’t given us the results of the drinking water. We have infrastructure problems where the storm drain comes out. We don’t have those covers that protect us from so many things that can harm our bodies.”
Sofía Quiñones, East LA resident
“We’re already underserviced … We don’t have working lights. We don’t have stop signs… Public works has failed us tremendously, even with the latest oil spill. There are so many areas of concern under public works. We have huge potholes that have messed up our tires that we call and we register and they haven’t fixed it.”
We have a lot more serious things to deal with within our infrastructure than changing the signs.”
“It goes back to funding, and I don’t believe it’s appropriate that we spend this amount of money at this time.”
Meeting attendee concerned about the cost to residents and local businesses having to change drivers licenses and signage.
How to weigh in
There are two upcoming in-person community listening sessions in East LA in October. Online registration is encouraged but not required. To register, click here.
Saturday, Oct. 17 – Ruben F. Salazar Park
Time: 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Location: 3864 Whittier Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90023
Note: This session will be held in Spanish only
Saturday, Oct. 24 – East LA Service Center
Time: 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Location: 133 N. Sunol Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90063
*Spanish-language interpretation will be available
LA Documenter Jaimé Rodriguez contributed to this story. LA Documenters trains and pays LA residents to take notes at local government meetings around Los Angeles. You can find meeting notes and audio at losangeles.documenters.org
