The City of

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

includes a prominent

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

n population. As of 2010 it is the second largest Latino and Hispanic ethnic group in Los Angeles after Mexican-Americans.Segura, p
8
The largest Central American groups were Guatemalans, Hondurans and

Salvadorans Salvadorans (Spanish: ''Salvadoreños''), also known as Salvadorians (alternate spelling: Salvadoreans), are citizens of El Salvador, a country in Central America. Most Salvadorans live in El Salvador, although there is also a significant Salvado ...

.Lopez, Popkin, and Telles, p
279

History

The first Central Americans arrived in the 1940s. In the 1970s the population of Central Americans were evenly distributed between the national origins and was relatively small. David E. Lopez, Eric Popkin, and Edward Telles, authors of "Central Americans: At the Bottom: Struggling to Get Ahead", stated that the Central American groups with "runaway" growth were the Guatemalans and Salvadorans. By 1980 the Guatemalan and Salvadoran populations were the largest Central American populations in

Greater Los Angeles Greater Los Angeles is the second-largest metropolitan region in the United States with a population of 18.5 million in 2021, encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Bernardino Coun ...

. Between 1980 and 1990 these groups increased almost by fivefold.Lopez, Popkin, and Telles, p
281
Many Salvadorans were fleeing the

Salvadoran Civil War The Salvadoran Civil War ( es, guerra civil de El Salvador) was a twelve year period of civil war in El Salvador that was fought between the government of El Salvador and the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN), a coalition or ...

.Bermudez, Esmeralda.
In L.A., speaking 'Mexican' to fit in
" ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

''. November 3, 2008. Retrieved on February 1, 2014. In 2008 Esmeralda Bermudez of the ''

'' wrote that by then there were strong relations between the Salvadoran community and the Mexican community, noting that they "have mingled at work, school and church for nearly three decades; they have intermarried, baptized each other's children and cried at each other's funerals." As of 2010 the majority of Los Angeles's Central American population had arrived during the late 1970s and the late 1980s. Due to civil wars and political persecution, many Guatemalans and Salvadorans arrived in the 1980s.

Economics

As of 1996 the predominant occupation of the Guatemalan and Salvadoran groups in Los Angeles are manufacturing and service jobs that pay low wages. As of 1996, the median income of Guatemalan and Salvadoran households of Los Angeles is about 60% of the median income of non-Central American groups.Lopez, Popkin, and Telles, p
284
When many Salvadorans arrived in Los Angeles in the 1980s, they sought employment at Mexican-owned businesses because there was no pre-established significant Salvadoran community. This put pressure on Salvadorans to adopt Mexican culture and customs.

Demographics

As of 2009 up to 560,000 Central Americans lived in

. "As many as 560,000 Central Americans live in the Los Angeles area." As of 2008 over 350,000 ethnic Salvadorans lived in

Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is the ...

. Most of them lived around

MacArthur Park MacArthur Park (originally Westlake Park) is a park dating back to the late 19th century in the Westlake, Los Angeles, Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles. In the early 1940s, it was renamed after General Douglas MacArthur, and later designated ...

. As of the 1990 U.S. Census there were 580,000 Central Americans in Greater Los Angeles.Lopez, Popkin, and Telles, p
280
This includes 302,000 Salvadorans, 159,000 Guatemalans, 44,000 Nicaraguans, and 75,000 from other Central American countries. The total number of Central Americans makes up 44% of all Central Americans in the entire United States, and 12% of the Latino population. As of 1996 the family size of Central American households is, according to Lopez, Popkin, and Telles, "considerably" above average. As of 1996 the poverty rates of Guatemalan and Salvadoran households in Los Angeles is 2.5 times greater than the rate of non-Central American households. The per capita income of Guatemalans and Salvadoran Americans is fewer than 40% of the per capita income of non-Central Americans. The disparity in earning between Central Americans and non-Central Americans is more severe than the median income disparity, but Lopez, Popkin, and Telles wrote that the larger than average number of wage earners per household "somewhat" compensates for the earning disparity.

Geography

Rosamaria Segura, the author of ''Central Americans in Los Angeles'', wrote that the Pico-Union area has the "most conspicuous" presence of Central Americans in Los Angeles. In August 2012, the City of Los Angeles designated a portion of

Vermont Avenue Vermont Avenue is one of the longest running north–south streets in City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County, California. With a length of , is the third longest of the north–south thoroughfares in the region. For most of its length betwe ...

in Pico-Union as the "El Salvador Community Corridor."Shyong, Frank (September 9, 2012
"L.A. Salvadoran Community Sees Hope Along a New Corridor
''

Languages

As of 1996 the Central American groups continue to speak their native languages. As of 2008 many Salvadoran immigrants began adopting

Mexican Spanish Mexican Spanish ( es, español mexicano) is the variety of Dialect, dialects and Sociolect, sociolects of the Spanish language spoken in Mexican territory. Mexico has the largest number of Spanish speakers, with more than twice as many as in a ...

due to contact with the Mexican community and in order to better fit into the Mexican community, along with adopting aspects of Mexican culture. Some Salvadorans in Los Angeles insist on using Salvadoran Spanish.

Education

The Oscar Romero Charter Middle School opened in 2007. The school, named after Óscar Romero, teaches Salvadoran children about their heritage.

Culture and recreation

Salvadoran Day is celebrated in Los Angeles each summer. Many pupusa restaurants operate in Los Angeles.

Notable Central Americans from Los Angeles

File:Dustin Corea 20120308.jpg,

Dustin Corea Dustin Clifman Corea Garay (born March 21, 1992) is an professional footballer who plays as a winger for Primera División club Águila. Born in the United States, he represents the El Salvador national team at international level. High s ...

(soccer player) File:Sub 23 2013-09-22 10-21.jpg,

Richard Menjívar Richard "Richie" Guillermo Menjivar Peraza (born October 31, 1990) is a Salvadoran international footballer, who plays as a midfielder for Chalatenango. Career After spending his college career at University of Evansville and Cal State Bakersfie ...

(soccer player) File:SomayaReece24.jpg, Somaya Reece (singer) File:Sabi fft.jpg, Sabi (singer) File:Elizabeth Espinosa.jpg, Elizabeth Espinosa (journalist) File:Kevin de León (portrait).jpg,

Kevin de León Kevin Alexander Leon (born December 10, 1966), known professionally as Kevin de León and colloquially as KDL, is an American politician serving as the Los Angeles City Council member for district 14 since 2020. A member of the Democratic Party, ...

(politician) File:Hector tobar.jpg,

Héctor Tobar Héctor Tobar (born 1963, Los Angeles) is a Los Angeles author and journalist, whose work examines the evolving and interdependent relationship between Latin America and the United States. Life Tobar is the son of Guatemalan immigrants. His long ...

(journalist) File:America Ferrara Cannes 2014.jpg, America Ferrera (actor) File:Michelle-fields.jpg,

Michelle Fields Michelle Fields (born January 10, 1988) is an American political journalist who formerly wrote for ''The Huffington Post'', and was a reporter for ''Breitbart News'', as well as a Fox News contributor. After graduating from college, Fields was hi ...

(journalist) File:Francia Raisa 2, 2012.jpg, Francia Raisa (actor) File:Gabriel Traversari Casa Club.jpg,

Gabriel Traversari Gabriel Traversari (born Gabriel Augusto Traversari y Debayle on September 7, 1963) is a Nicaraguan American actor, director, writer, singer, songwriter, painter and photographer. Early life Traversari was born in Los Angeles, California, bu ...

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J Smooth Jorh-el Aburto, better known by his stage name J Smooth, is an American rapper, music video director and hip hop producer from Los Angeles, California. His musical career began in 2006 when he released a mixtape (CD) which primarily included r ...

(singer) File:Jpcalderon.jpg, J. P. Calderon (model) File:Deroy Murdock.JPG,

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(politocal commentor) File:The Queer Kiss Reading 2080284.jpg,

Ruben Quesada Ruben Quesada, Ph.D., is an American poet and critic. He was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. In 2022, Dr. Quesada published an edited collection of essays, ''Latinx Poetics: Essays on the Art of Poetry'' was be published by University ...

(poet) File:Madeleine Stowe in Haiti crop.jpg,

Madeleine Stowe Madeleine Marie Stowe Mora (born August 18, 1958) is an American actress. She appeared mostly on television before her role in the 1987 crime-comedy film ''Stakeout''. She went on to star in the films ''Revenge'' (1990), ''Unlawful Entry'' (199 ...

(actor) File:Tessa Thompson by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg,

Tessa Thompson Tessa Lynne Thompson (born October 3, 1983) is an American actress. She began her professional acting career with the Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company while studying at Santa Monica College. She appeared in productions of '' The Tempest ...

(actor) File:Nickverreos.jpg,

Nick Verreos Nick Verreos (born February 13, 1967 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American fashion designer, fashion commentator, former ''Project Runway'' contestant, educator and author. Early life and education Verreos was born in Missouri on February 13, ...

(designer) File:Michael Wayne.jpg,

Michael Wayne Michael Anthony Morrison (November 23, 1934 – April 2, 2003), better known by his stage name Michael Wayne, was an American film producer and actor. He was the eldest son of actor John Wayne and his first wife, Josephine Saenz. Biography Bo ...

(actor) File:Patrick Wayne Mclintock 02.jpg,

Patrick Wayne Patrick John Morrison (born July 15, 1939), better known by his stage name Patrick Wayne, is an American actor. He is the second son of movie star John Wayne and his first wife, Josephine Alicia Saenz. He made over 40 films, including eleven w ...

(actor) File:ILoveMakonnen 2015 (crop).jpg, ILoveMakonnen (singer) File:Marion Jones Sydney 2000.JPEG, Marion Jones (athlete)

References

* Lopez, David E., Eric Popkin, and Edward Telles. "Central Americans: At the Bottom: Struggling to Get Ahead" (Chapter 10). In: Waldinger, Roger and Mehdi Bozorgmehr (editors). ''Ethnic Los Angeles''.

Russell Sage Foundation The Russell Sage Foundation is an American non-profit organisation established by Margaret Olivia Sage in 1907 for “the improvement of social and living conditions in the United States.” It was named after her recently deceased husband, rail ...

, December 5, 1996. Start page 279. , 9780871549013. * Segura, Rosamaria. ''Central Americans in Los Angeles''. Arcadia Publishing, 2010. , 9780738571638.

Notes

External links

CARECEN Los Angeles

El Salvador Community Center

The Salvadoran American Leadership & Educational Fund
(SALEF) {{Salvadoran diaspora Belizean-American culture Costa Rican-American culture

Central Americans Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Cen ...

Guatemalan-American culture History of Los Angeles Hispanic and Latino American history Hispanic and Latino American culture in Los Angeles Hispanic and Latino American history of California Honduran-American culture Nicaraguan-American culture Panamanian-American culture Salvadoran-American culture in California