Date of Award

8-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in History

Department

History

First Reader/Committee Chair

Diana Johnson

Abstract

The city of Maywood serves as a microscope for major systemic issues that happen on a global scale and are often magnified in the Los Angeles area. The location and timeframe serve to analyze how Latino immigrant communities in southeast Los Angeles faced discrimination in the late 90s and early 2000’s. This study shows how these communities come together and organize to combat major problems, exploring topics like immigration, housing, environmental justice, policing, and overall community organizing. This story focuses on how an underrepresented community without a voice became politicized. Maywood is a town that struggles in progress, but its small nature sets it apart from other major towns. This case study completely demonstrates how oppressive systems are intersectional. All these events are tied to one another. Maywood, an unincorporated town of southeast Los Angeles, less than 2 square miles with a 90 percent Latino immigrant population, was a trailblazer on a number of major political events. It is a town that was the first to label itself a sanctuary city, organized a successful renters’ strike, and dismantled its police department. Maywood also battles environmental issues and notably known as a “pollution island” coming from abandoned chemical sites, incoming pollution from cities like Vernon, and major freeway smog. It is a town that was able to overcome massive barriers, but to this day still battles through economic crises and environmental racism.

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