Latino/Hispanic Heritage

Los Angeles was once a Spanish pueblo, then a Mexican ciudad. Today it has more Spanish speakers than any other city in the United States. Now, there’s some debate over which umbrella term best encompasses half a billion people across the world, of varying ethnic and national backgrounds: Hispanic or Latino? For this category I’m using both. I feel “Hispanic” is more appropriate for those L.A. County streets named after powerful 19th century landowners and bureaucrats, many of whom came from Spain or were wholly Spanish-blooded, while “Latino” seems more fitting for later generations of Spanish-speaking immigrants and their descendants – working class people who have encountered racism and class struggle the likes of which those early Californios rarely saw.

Hispanic heritage streets:

  • Alvarado Street (Echo Park, Silver Lake, Westlake). For Alta California governor Juan Bautista Alvarado.
  • Arcadia Street (DTLA). One of many streets named for mega-landowner Arcadia Bandini de Baker.
  • Arnaz Drive (Beverly Grove, Beverly Hills). For Spanish merchant and early Angeleno José de Arnaz.
  • Bandini Street (San Pedro). For a different Arcadia Bandini (Gaffey), a Sepúlveda descendant.
  • Camarillo Street (North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, Toluca Lake). For the city named after its founders, the Camarillo family.
  • Carrillo Drive (Carthay Circle). For José Antonio Carrillo, alcalde of colonial Los Angeles.
  • Carson Street (Carson, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood, Long Beach, Torrance). Also: Victoria Street (Carson, Compton, Long Beach). For Victoria Carson, a daughter of Manuel Domínguez.
  • Coronel Street (San Fernando). For Los Angeles mayor Antonio Coronel.
  • De Celis Place (Encino, Granada Hills, Van Nuys). Also: Celis Street (San Fernando). For Eulogio de Celis, who once owned most of the San Fernando Valley.
  • Del Amo Boulevard (South Bay). For Spanish physician Gregorio del Amo, who married Manuel Domínguez’s daughter Susana.
  • De La Osa Street (Woodland Hills). For early landowner Vicente de la Osa.
  • Del Valle Drive (Carthay Circle). Also: Del Valle Avenue (Glendale). For landowner/politician Ygnacio del Valle and his descendants.
  • Dolores Road (San Pedro). For Dolores Bandini Ward, a Sepúlveda descendant.
  • Duarte Road (Arcadia, Duarte, San Gabriel). For early landowner Andres Duarte.
  • Echandia Street (Boyle Heights). Misnamed for Alta California governor José María de Echeandía.
  • Figueroa Street (Los Angeles (Citywide), Carson, Gardena, Wilmington). For Alta California governor José Figueroa.
  • Higuera Street (Culver City). For Bernardo J. Higuera, Culver City trustee and scion of a pioneer family.
  • Junipero Avenue (Long Beach, Signal Hill). For Spanish missionary leader Junípero Serra.
  • Krueger Street (Culver City). For landowner Rosario Krueger, née Higuera.
  • Lopez Canyon Road (Sylmar). For early San Fernando landowner Gerónimo López and family.
  • Los Feliz Boulevard (Atwater Village, Los Feliz). For early landowner José Vicente Feliz and family.
  • Machado Road (Culver City). For farmer/landowner Augustin Machado.
  • Micheltorena Street (Silver Lake). For Alta California governor Manuel Micheltorena.
  • Olvera Street (DTLA). For Judge Augustin Olvera, who lived on the street.
  • Palomares Street (Pomona). For landowner/politician Ygnacio Palomares and family.
  • Pico Boulevard (Los Angeles (Citywide), Santa Monica). For Alta California governor, Valley landowner, and early Angeleno Pío Pico.
  • Pico Street (San Fernando). Also: Pico Canyon Road (Santa Clarita). For Pío Pico’s brother Andrés, Valley landowner and Mexican army commander.
  • Ramirez Street (DTLA). For early landowners Francisco and Juan Ramírez.
  • Sanchez Street (DTLA). For early Los Angeles mayor Vicente Sánchez, who lived on the street.
  • Sepulveda Boulevard (San Fernando Valley, West L.A., Culver City, Manhattan Beach, Torrance, Carson). For the Californio family who once owned much of the South Bay.
  • Spring Street (Chinatown, DTLA). Believed to be for Trinidad “Primavera” Ortega, a niece of Pío Pico.
  • Susana Road (Compton, Long Beach). For Susana del Amo, a daughter of Manuel Domínguez.
  • Tononi Avenue (Glendale). For early Los Angeles resident Isabel de Tononi, née Ramírez.
  • Vallejo Street (Lincoln Heights). For Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, statesman and founder of Sonoma.
  • Verdugo Road (Glendale). Also: Verdugo Avenue (Burbank). For early landowner José María Verdugo.
  • Ximeno Avenue (Long Beach). Either for the wife of Spanish hero El Cid or for an Alta California politician.

Latino heritage streets:

  • Alma Real Drive (Pacific Palisades). For a Mexican soprano who was popular in the 1920s.
  • Avenida Manuel Salinas (Norwalk). For Joe M. Salinas, a Norwalk Marine killed in Vietnam.
  • Badillo Street (Baldwin Park, Covina). For a Costa Rican family who tried to grow coffee here in the 1870s.
  • Calle Pedro Infante (Boyle Heights). For one of Mexico’s most beloved entertainers.
  • Casanova Street (Solano Canyon). For Costa Rican immigrant Rosa Casanova, mother of Alfred(o) Solano.
  • Cesar E. Chavez Avenue (Boyle Heights, DTLA, East L.A.). Also: Avenida Cesar Chavez (Monterey Park). For the labor leader.
  • Chavez Ravine Place (Elysian Park). A memento of the lost Mexican American community here.
  • Dora Guzman Avenue (La Puente). For a La Puente community volunteer and advocate.
  • Esteban Torres Drive (South El Monte). For the labor leader turned congressman.
  • Pincay Drive (Inglewood). For Panamanian jockey Laffit Pincay Jr.
  • Sanchez Street (Montebello). For unlucky rancher Juan Matias Sánchez.
  • Solano Avenue (Solano Canyon). For Costa Rican immigrant Francisco Solano and his son Alfred(o).
  • Soto Street (Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, Vernon). For the Soto family, who slowly lost their land to the Workman-Boyle family.
  • Zachary Padilla Avenue (Azusa). For an Azusa-raised boxing champion.