Estrada Courts, Los Angeles, California

Estrada Courts is a low-income housing project in the Boyle Heights area of East Los Angeles, California, located at 3232 Estrada Street [http://www.hacla.org/housing_programs/pubhsg_addresses.htm] in the vicinity of 3200 and 3300 East Olympic Boulevard, near Lorena Street. It is home to the Varrio Nuevo Estrada street gang.

History and Construction

Estrada Courts was constructed in 1942-1943, during the World War II housing shortage in Southern California, which resulted from the war-time boom in war-industry work, followed by the return of servicemen to the region and the Bracero program.

Estrada Courts is owned by the City of Los Angeles and operated by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles.

Estrada Courts Murals

Estrada Courts is well-known for its murals, which reflect the Chicano barrio culture and traditions of the area.

The murals include:
*"Mural of children", Charles Felix
* "Two Flags" by Sonny Ramirez, 1973. location 1364-6 Grande Vista Ave at Olympic.
* "In Memory of a Home Boy" by Daniel Martinez 1973. location 3328 Hunter St. [http://www.grconnect.com/murals/html/r10img2121.html]
*"Dreams of Flight" by [http://www.lamurals.org/MuralistPages/BotelloD.html David Botello] 1973-78, repainted in 1996, location 3441 Olympic Boulevard
*"The Sun Bathers" by Gil Hernandez, 1973. located at 3287 Olympic Boulevard
*"The Artist" by [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0363715/ Daniel Haro] 1973. location 3237 Olympic Boulevard. [http://www.grconnect.com/murals/html/r09img2525.html]
*"Moratorium - The Black and White Mural" by Willie Herron and Gronk 1973 location 3221 Olympic Boulevard. [http://www.grconnect.com/murals/html/r09img2424.html]
* "We Are Not a Minority", El Congreso de Artistas Cosmicos de las Americas de San Diego (Mario Torero, Rocky, El Lion, Zade), 1978 (repainted in 1996) location 3217 Olympic Boulevard. This mural can be seen in the video for "Where Is the Love?" by The Black Eyed Peas. [http://www.grconnect.com/murals/html/r09img2323.html]

The murals 'DREAMS OF FLIGHT' by David Botella 1973-1978, Untitled Daniel Haro 1983 and Untitled Steve Delgado 1973 are featured prominently in an episode of the Television Show "Robbery Homocide Division- City of Strivers" from 11/08/2002.

Education

Residents are assigned to the following schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District:
* Dena Elementary School
* [http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/Stevenson_MS Stevenson Middle School]
* Roosevelt High School

External links

* [http://www.lamurals.org/MuralFiles/ELA/EstradaCourts.html The Murals of Estrada Courts] Los Angeles Murals Website
*Easterling, Stewart [http://www.socialistworker.org/2001/377/377_11_LAMurals.shtml An Art Museum on the Streets of L.A.] Socialist Worker Online (September 14, 2001)
* Getty Museum [http://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications/pdf_publications/drescher.pdf Priorities in Conserving Community Murals .pdf]
* [http://www.deliriousla.net/ar334/ar334tour-housing.pdf East L.A. Public Housing Tour .pdf]
* [http://www.pomona.edu/Magazine/PCMFL04/47thingspg36.shtml Pomona College Experience the Mural of East Los Angeles]
* [http://www.janm.org/exhibits/bh/exhibition/timeline.htm Japanese National Museum] Boyle Heights Project