Civismo

In a couple days, Antonio Villaraigosa will have been mayor of Los Angeles for two months. So far, everyone I speak to is hopeful about his tenure, excited about his leadership, and eager to see what unfolds as he becomes more comfortable in his new position.

Before becoming mayor of the 2nd largest city in the U.S., Antonio served as my City Councilman, and everyone in my neighborhood of Hillside Village in Northeast Los Angeles continues to be pleased with his activism and general energy.

Despite the generous publicity Antonio has received from both national and international media, for many Chicanos in LA Antonio comes off very natural.

Antonio grew up in City Terrace, a neighborhood in the hills north of East LA, west of Monterey Park and southwest of Alhambra. His house was about three blocks away from mine. City Terrace is a great neighborhood with an awesome park, a very nice public library, and several community oriented elementary schools.

So when I returned from Mexico City in early July, I knew that I couldn't miss Antonio's inauguration in Downtown LA. So there I sat, another Chicano from East LA, feeling civic about my city....and pondering what the future held for Southern California in general, and the City of Angels in particular.