Estrada Courts is a low-income housing project in the Boyle Heights area of

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. It is located on E. Olympic Blvd & S. Lorena st .

History and construction

Estrada Courts was constructed in 1942–1943, during the

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

housing shortage in

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, which resulted from the war-time boom in war-industry work, followed by the return of servicemen to the region and the

Bracero The Bracero Program (from the Spanish language, Spanish term ''bracero'' , meaning "manual laborer" or "one who works using his arms") was a temporary labor initiative between the United States and Mexico that allowed Mexican workers to be empl ...

program. Of the original 30 buildings, 214 units were reserved for defense housing. In 1954, Paul Robinson Hunter designed an extension of the site with Fred Barlow, Jr. providing 414 total apartments today. When the Estrada Courts were built it was unique to other housing projects because it “was not fully segregated or bound by racial restrictions”. The Estrada Courts allowed for more integrated complexes therefore, welcoming more than just the low-income/working class. Post-war era the Estrada Courts began to evolve, in the 1970s a total of eighty murals were painted by Chicano muralists. Estrada Courts is owned by the City of Los Angeles and operated by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles.

Murals

Estrada Courts is well known for its murals, which reflect the barrio culture and traditions of the area. “Chicano murals look the way they do, because the authors concentrate not only on individual murals but on mural clusters and establish a dialogic interplay of form, content, and location among them". The iconography in the mural clusters emerges from the sociohistorical context not only of the space where they are painted but also of the aesthetic norms of specific barrio cultures over an extended period of time.” The murals include: * ''Dream World'' by Norma Montoya (1974) *''Innocence'' by Norma Montoya (1975) *''Fishes of the Future'' by Norma Montoya (1976) * ''Mural of Children'' by Charles Felix * ''Two Flags'' by Sonny Ramirez (1973), located at 1364-6 Grande Vista Ave at Olympic * ''In Memory of a Home Boy'' by Daniel Martinez (1973), located at 3328 Hunter Street * ''Dreams of Flight'' by David Botello (1973-78, repainted in 1996), located at 3441 Olympic Boulevard * ''The Sun Bathers'' by Gil Hernandez (1973), located at 3287 Olympic Boulevard * ''The Artist'' by Daniel Haro (1973) * ''Moratorium - The Black and White Mural'' by Willie Herron and Gronk (1973). * ''La Fiesta'' by Roberto Chavez with students from East Los Angeles College, located at 3370-3372 1/2 Hunter Street, Los Angeles, CA 90023. (1973) * ''We Are Not a Minority'' by El Congreso de Artistas Cosmicos de las Americas de San Diego (Mario Torero, Rocky, El Lion, Zade) (1978, repainted in 1996). The mural reads on the upper left corner: “In memoriam to the Guerrillero Heroico, el Doctor Che. Día del Rebelde Internacional XI aniversario Oct. 8th, 1978.” This mural can be seen in the

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s for " To Live & Die in L.A." by

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and "

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" by

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Education

Residents are assigned to the following schools in the

Los Angeles Unified School District Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is a State school, public school district in Los Angeles County, California, United States of America. It is the largest public school system in California in terms of number of students and the List ...

: * Dena Elementary School * Stevenson Middle School * Theodore Roosevelt High School

References

{{reflist

External links

* Easterling, Stewar
An Art Museum on the Streets of L.A.
Socialist Worker Online (September 14, 2001) * Getty Museu
Priorities in Conserving Community Murals

East Los Angeles Public Housing — Tour Guide

Pomona College Experience the Mural of East Los Angeles

Boyle Heights Project Boyle Heights, Los Angeles Chicano Mexican-American culture in Los Angeles Public housing in Los Angeles 1943 establishments in California