A People's Guide to Los Angeles

A People's Guide Series

by Laura Pulido, Laura Barraclough, Wendy Cheng

"A Peoples Guide to Los Angeles "offers an assortment of eye-opening alternatives to L.A.s usual tourist destinations. It documents 115 little-known sites in the City of Angels where struggles related to race, class, gender, and sexuality have occurred. They introduce us to people and events usually ignored by mainstream media and, in the process, create a fresh history of Los Angeles. Roughly dividing the city into six regionsNorth Los Angeles, the Eastside and San Gabriel Valley, South Los Angeles, Long Beach and the Harbor, the Westside, and the San Fernando Valleythis illuminating guide shows how power operates in the shaping of places, and how it remains embedded in the landscape.

Genres: Travel, History, Nonfiction, School, Race, Class, Reference

323 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you live in Los Angeles, want to live in Los Angeles, used to live in Los Angeles, or in any way care about Los Angeles, then for Pete's sake run, don't walk, and get this book. It will open your eyes to the history of the landscape around you. There's over 100 sites of historic, gastronomic and political importance covered here, and it could inspire some profitable wandering for five years or more.

[Rebecca Saxon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating "guide" to the Los Angeles area which focuses on the social history of the area. It's an alternative guide book, in that it tells the stories of people often oppressed or whose stories aren't often told: immigrants, people of colour, queer folks, activists. A great way to learn more about my new area of residence.

[Virginia Walter · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enlightening and unorthodox guide to locations in Los Angeles where incidents of oppression and resistance occurred. This is NOT a guide to celebrity homes!

[Josh Fogelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an actual travel guide it would be terrible... but was fun for me to read about Los Angeles "alternative" history. Written in 2006, it already seems a bit outdated reading it in 2019. Still learned a lot though.

[Francesca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like I could bore locals with my fun facts now! really cool way of thinking about the landscape

[K Hue]

Great people's history. Great alternative to reading the usual tourist book when traveling to a city.

[Nathan Mabry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very necessary book in a time of guidebooks featuring sites evolved from the exploits of wealthy businessmen and landowners (Huntington, Getty, etc.). Striking, purposeful sites that have been extracted from various forms of source by these three purveyors of history. Well written for a straight read through (like I did) but probably better-positioned for use as an actual guidebook for touring. Themed tours at end of book present a practical way to see many of the sites. Cannot stress the importance of the existence of this book enough amidst a flood of West LA guidebooks.

[Lynda Lopez Basurto]

Los Angeles is one of those places that is colored with the opinions and perceptions of so many outsiders and insiders. Growing up, it was a place of glamour. As I’ve gotten to know more people from L.A., my views have deepened beyond the glitz. I thought this book was helpful in learning more about the history of Asian, Black, & Latinx people in the LA region. Their histories are often erased and this book is one way to start to learn about it. I think topics I’ll want to explore the radical history of South and East LA.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where else could I learn about where the old Black Panther headquarters are, the history of WeHo's Gay Pride parade and the location of the largest Tongva village (strangely enough that is located directly under City Hall)?

[Karla Callejas c · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would use this in a history of Los Angeles class! Who gets to decide which version of history is told? Highlights the significance of place as well as the experiences of people whose stories are left out of textbooks.

[La'Tonya Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe I waited so long to read this book. Important and influential without beating you over the head or boring you to death. Matter of fact, this book has inspired my next project. I'll be assigning it to my summer research assistants. Thanks, mujeres!

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for the Southern California Quarterly