Community Arts Box

For well over one hundred years, the Boyle Heights and Lincoln Heights neighborhoods of East Los Angeles have welcomed immigrants from all over the world and have built a rich and storied past, remnants of which can still be seen today. Each immigrant group brought with them a piece of their own unique culture and heritage from the homeland, and contributed to the multicultural atmosphere present throughout most of the 20^th century. Many of the arts and customs that immigrants brought along helped them assimilate to their new surroundings, easing the anxiety brought about from living in a new country. The arts have also helped give these groups a voice, a manner in which they can address issues concerning them that have been seemingly ignored by the rest of society. Art has also helped instill a sense of community, giving people something to look forward to, whether it’s learning painting techniques at the local center or catching a play dealing with the issues faced by immigrants on a daily basis.

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