Los Angeles has always been known to be one of the largest melting pots of different ethnicity, religions, and backgrounds. The many different cultures have always had their differences but we now live in a society that has implemented a new culture of pro-diversity. However, in the early years of Los Angeles, many people were very conservative to their own culture. People had perceived other cultures as something less of what they are. The pride drove these people with a mindset that told them “these people do things differently” or “my way of doing things is better.” Unfortunately, people in our culture still have this mindset which I believe is driven by the ego. During the Rodney King Trial of 1992, the verdict caused huge riots in the city of Los Angeles as the people were outraged and felt like they had to respond in violence and anarchy in order to have their voices heard. The African-American culture felt that they were suppressed by the government and LAPD because it was ran by the upper-class white people. The great thing about this incident was the fact that their voices were finally heard around the community of Los Angeles and it influenced a new push towards equality. Fast forward twenty years - we now have been improving our social structure with the ability to have our voices heard through the media within our society. Los Angeles, known as the entertainment engine, has been able to diversify the many communities in the city, allowing their lifestyles to be more understood by the public. This has allowed the citizens of Los Angeles to advance in their understanding of the different cultures that exist which completely changed the LA culture as a whole. While there are still gaps in our society where many cultures feel discriminated against, the media and internet has continued to push towards awareness of the issues our society still faces. For example, gay rights and police discrimination is always in the loop on our televisions and smartphones. The awareness of cultural differences has now turned into cultural similarities. We now understand the benefits that each race, religion, and culture bring to our society more and more. The fusion of all the different cultures has now created one culture and this culture will continue to grow and change the minds of many people.
By Stephen Pina
By Stephen Pina