Article: POLYGLOT LOS ANGELES BATTLING OVER GROWTH NEWER IMMIGRANTS OPPOSE SLOW-DOWN MOVEMENT EAST LOS ANGELES -- IN A CORNER, A NORTENO BAND FROM THE NORTH OF MEXICO PLAYS A FAST COUNTRY TUNE LED BY AN ACCORDION, WHILE, IN THE CENTER OF THE DARK BAR, A SHORT MAN DANCES WHAT LOOKS LIKE A SPEEDED-UP RHUMBA WITH A WOMAN TALLER BY A FOOT. NEARLY EVERYONE HOLDS A LONG-NECKED BUD. IN THE SHAKEY'S PIZZA CLOSE BY, A YOUNG COUPLE ORDER PIZZA WITH ''CHORIZO'' AND ''JALAPENO,'' THE TONGUE-SEARING SAUSAGE OF MEXICO AND HOT PEPPER. ANOTHER GROUP OF MUSICIANS PLAYS AT THE TABLE OF FOUR HISPANIC WORKINGMEN WHO DRINK BEER, EAT DEEP-FRIED POTATO SLICES AND TALK. OUTSIDE, ON A FRIDAY NIGHT, MARIACHI TRIOS AND QUARTETS TRY TO SELL SONGS FOR $5 APIECE AS THEY WALK ALONG BROOKLYN STREET -- LINED WITH RESTAURANTS, BARS, SHOPS AND LITTLE GROCERY STORES -- IN THE HEART OF THE BARRIO. EARLY TOMORROW MORNING, PEOPLE WILL BRING EMPTY POTS TO A BAKERY ON THE SAME AVENUE AND ORDER FRESH ''MENUDO,'' A TRADITIONAL SOUP OF PIGS FEET AND HOMINY THAT GETS THE HURT OUT OF A HANGOVER. IT IS ALL AS MEXICAN AS MEXICO. ''WE STILL HAVE A VERY DIVIDED CITY, BUT IT'S MANAGED TO HANG TOGETHER,'' SAID DANIEL GARCIA, THE PRESIDENT OF THE CITY'S PLANNING COMMISSION. ''BUT THERE ARE EVENTS ON THE HORIZON THAT COULD RIP IT APART.'' LARGE SECTIONS OF LOS ANGELES HAVE BECOME LATIN AS A RESULT OF TIDES OF IMMIGRATION IN THE LAST TWO DECADES. THE KINDERGARTENS, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE NOW 82 PERCENT HISPANIC. THE IMMIGRATION SERVICE ESTIMATES THAT MORE THAN 1 MILLION ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS QUALIFY FOR AMNESTY IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA. POLITICIANS PREDICT THAT NUMBER WILL TRANSLATE INTO 600,000 NEW VOTERS OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS. THE US CENSUS BUREAU ALSO REPORTED THIS MONTH THAT LOS ANGELES COUNTY HAS HAD THE GREATEST POPULATION GROWTH IN THE COUNTRY SINCE 1980. OF THE 10 COUNTIES WITH THE HIGHEST POPULATION GROWTH DURING THAT TIME, FIVE WERE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, WITH A TOTAL INCREASE OF 1.8 MILLION PEOPLE. IN ADDITION TO THE HISPANICS, IMMIGRANTS FROM ASIA AND OTHER REGIONS OF THE WORLD HAVE ALSO COME TO LOS ANGELES IN LARGE NUMBERS: AN ESTIMATED ONE-THIRD OF ALL IMMIGRANTS TO THE UNITED STATES NOW SETTLE IN CALIFORNIA. MICHAEL WOO IS THE FIRST ASIAN EVER ELECTED TO THE LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL. HE HAS BENEFITED FROM AND HAD TO SURVIVE AN ALMOST RIOTOUS MIX OF ETHNIC GROUPS WHO HAVE SETTLED IN AMERICA'S VIDEO HEARTLAND, HOLLYWOOD. HOLLYWOOD HIGH SCHOOL HAS STUDENTS WITH 54 LANGUAGES AND DIALECTS. WOO, WHO IS FROM A CHINESE FAMILY, USED TELEVISION ADVERTISEMENTS IN ARMENIAN TO GET HIS POLITICAL MESSAGE ACROSS DURING AN ELECTION CAMPAIGN LAST YEAR. AS PART OF HIS JOB, HE SAID, HE WILL SPEAK WITH RUSSIAN IMMIGRANTS COMPLAINING ABOUT HOUSING, HISPANICS OBJECTING TO LACK OF REPRESENTATION AND THAI RESIDENTS WITH A HOST OF SEPARATE PROBLEMS. ''THE MIXTURE OF COMPETING GROUPS MAY BECOME INCREASINGLY COMBUSTIBLE,'' WOO SAID. ''I DON'T KNOW IF OUR FUTURE IS A NIGHTMARISH BLADE-RUNNER REALITY THAT ACCENTUATES THE ECONOMIC

Article from:

The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

Article date:

October 25, 1987

Author:

CopyrightCopyright (null) The Boston Globe. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)