Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles is a renowned MLB baseball park that has hosted numerous World Series and iconic music performances, but its construction in 1962 led to the displacement of nearly 1,800 families of Mexican, Chinese, and Italian descent. The area, known as Chavez Ravine, was once home to three predominantly Mexican American neighborhoods: Palo Verde, La Loma, and Bishop. Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo introduced the Chavez Ravine Accountability Act seeking reparations for these families, offering historical accountability, reparative measures, and a permanent memorial.
In 1950, plans were made to redevelop the land in Chavez Ravine for a public housing project, leading to the eviction of residents and demolition of homes in 1959 to make way for the new stadium. However, the city abandoned the public housing plans in 1958 in favor of building Dodger Stadium. Efforts to block the construction were unsuccessful, and in a 1957 plebiscite, voters sided with the Dodgers’ plan. More residents were evicted in 1959 as bulldozers cleared the site for the stadium, leading to the eventual debut of the Dodgers at their new stadium in 1962.
Descendants of the displaced families, such as Melissa Arechiga and her aunt Aurora Vargas, founded the nonprofit group Buried Under the Blue to raise awareness about the history of Chavez Ravine. Arechiga emphasized the injustices done to the people of the three communities of Palo Verde, La Loma, and Bishop, holding city, state, and federal agencies accountable for the destruction of their communities and the loss of generational wealth. Carrillo’s bill proposes the creation of a task force to compensate the displaced families or their descendants, offering city-owned land or fair-market-value compensation. It also calls for a permanent memorial and a database detailing the land acquisition history.
The bill, supported by state Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, aims to provide some form of justice and recognition to the families who were displaced to build Dodger Stadium. The creation of a searchable database is crucial to verify which families were affected by the land acquisition. Carrillo specified that the bill solely focuses on the displaced community of Chavez Ravine and does not involve Dodger Stadium or the baseball team. The measure will be heard in the Assembly’s Judiciary Committee before moving through the state Senate and potentially reaching Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for approval.
The introduction of the Chavez Ravine Accountability Act represents a significant step towards acknowledging and rectifying the historical injustices faced by the families displaced to build Dodger Stadium. By offering reparative measures, creating a memorial, and documenting the land acquisition history, the bill seeks to provide closure and recognition to the descendants of those affected by the construction of the iconic stadium. It highlights the importance of holding institutions accountable for past actions and ensuring that the stories of displaced communities are not forgotten.
