- Post date
- 15 Jan 2018
- Caption
- Finally more photos from the near mythic American Legion in uncorporated Walnut Park kishared by @isabellalugosi who had the foresight to take photos and document some of the scenes at the American Legion gigs. The first photo is from inside the dilapidated hall. In the second image the squad are facing Santa Fe Avenue, and the third one is from a visit site in 2009.
This hall located the unincorporated area of Walnut Park -next to Huntington Park- was a relic of the time that all of the South East L.A. cities (formerly known as the "gateway cities") used to be strictly white as a result of legal and social residential segregation.
In fact, Alameda street (located a couple block west from the site of the American Legion) represented the dividing boundary between black and brown L.A. and the "lily-white" Gateway cities. It wasn't until the 1960s with the advent of Civil Rights legislation that people of color began to be able to rent and own homes in Huntington Park, South Gate, Lynwood, etc.
In addition, factories soon left the area, compelling many white residents to move out while Latinas/os moved into S.E.L.A. Thus, becoming the demographic majority by the 1980s. Nonetheless, the halls of these (mostly white) civic institutions endured well after most of the original organization members were gone.
Attending a show at the "American Legion" was quite an experience. It was a small, stuffy, and dilapidated hall that featured countless age-old portraits of World War II and Vietnam (while) veterans on the walls. Meanwhile a bunch of brown teenagers would mosh to syncopated out of tune ska beats by their fellow high school friends.
The action wa wearily observed by some old-timers from the attached bar operated by the overseers of the American Legion. They also probably turned a blind eye to the obvious underage drinking going on the small parking lot of the legion. There were shows at the Legion between 2001 and 2002. The site of American Legion Post 459 was demolished in the early 2010 and is now the site of Walnut Park Middle School.
- Location
- Walnut Park, California
- Type
- photograph
- Producers
- Walnut Park
- View on Instagram
- https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd_062rHnRH/