Coming to Pasadena

Having grown up in East L.A. during the 50s and 60s I was used to seeing images of Mexico.  I came to learn more about these images as the 60s ended and the 70s began.  The histories of mariachis, murals and demonstrations were a part of what I was learning as I began my life as a wife and mother.  

A long decade later I moved to Pasadena and, because of where I was living and what I was doing, I was not aware that Latinos had ever been a part of Pasadena.  There were mariachis, but they played at restaurants, so that made them different from mariachis at a celebration or a home party.  The only mural I saw was "'My people are the people of the dessert,' said T.E. Lawrence, picking up his fork".   This was found on the side of the Carver Hotel.  It is attributed to Paul Waszink.  Very different from the Moctezuma, Popocatepetl, and Adelita images I saw in school or while riding the bus.  

And at the time there were parades in town, but no demonstrations that I knew about.  There was the Rose Parade, the Black History Parade, the Doo Dah Parade, and the Irish Parade.  It was at about this same time that I had come learn that were Latinos in town.

Hmmm...