ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

MacArthur Park is a unique place in Los Angeles. This accolade is only possible because unique people have always appreciated the park’s role in nurturing community and building our city. It is well documented since the inception of Westlake Park that this public space has had many champions fighting for causes and resources that are critical to the preservation and restoration of this great park. It would be a mistake on my part to try to name these champions across the generations of time who have accepted the challenge of advocating for MacArthur Park. It is indeed a long list. But, believe me, they have all left their marks in the park. Perhaps this subject can be articulated at a different time and under a different format. For now, however, thank you all.

A thank-you goes to those individuals and organizations that allowed me the use of the archival photographs: the Los Angeles City Archives (Michael Holland and Todd Gaydowski), the Los Angeles Public Library, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (John Cahoon), the USC Digital Collection, the Los Angeles Times photograph collection, the Watson Family Photography Archives (thank you, Dan Watson), Karen Mack from LA Commons, Joe Colleti from IURD, and the good folks from CicLAvia.

I want to thank Liz Hirsch and her fellow board members from the Levitt Pavilion for their support and encouragement. Keep the music playing at the park!

Many of the modern-day photographs in this book were taken by the incredible Meeno Peluce (Meeno), a Los Angeles–based photographer who always amazes me with his skills and talent. Thank you for your poetic perspective of the park.

A thank-you goes to the editors at Arcadia Publishing for their direction and patience. I truly appreciated the journey.

One final thank-you goes to the millions of immigrants from across the world who have called the Westlake neighborhood home and MacArthur Park their public space to recreate and gather. In particular, I want to thank Eva Gardea, my mother, for the courage to come to a new country and arriving to this neighborhood. Her story is shared by so many, a story of sacrifice and hope. May the millions who will come in the future continue to see Westlake and MacArthur Park as portals for opportunity and growth.