New life for an old gem in Boyle Heights

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On Cinco de Mayo in 1945, thousands of people gathered to dedicate the Casa del Mexicano, a community center that served as a sentinel of Mexican culture in Los Angeles, writes Esmeralda Bermudez.

In the 1950s, after the center moved west to Boyle Heights, stars from as far away as Spain flew to Los Angeles to perform. Wealthy Mexican bureaucrats, adorned with pearls and bow ties, mingled with celebrities who included Ricardo Montalban and Maria Felix. The events filled the center’s coffers with donations.

In the 1960s, a former President of Mexico, Miguel Aleman, put Casa del Mexicano at the top of his list of places to visit in Los Angeles. The building seemed a majestic anachronism tucked away in an unexpected cul-de-sac of a Mexican American barrio, its massive proportions and stately dome prompting double takes.

Then, about seven or eight years ago, Casa del Mexicano fell into disrepair. The roof leaked, windows were jammed shut and the structure reeked of vermin. Advisory committee members waged a nasty court fight to determine who would seize control of the Boyle Heights building and the organization that runs it.

Today, the historic center is slowly coming back to life.

Read on about Casa del Mexicano here.

Photo: Contestants in the Miss Jalisco Pageant rehearse at the historic, 77-year-old Casa del Mexicano, a longtime civic and cultural center for the Los Angeles Latino community. Credit: Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times