Estrada Courts

Photo of one of the main entrances to Estrada Courts. original film photograph.

Mural at one of the main entrances to Estrada Courts.

Estrada Courts is a low-income housing apartments in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles, California.

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 by Charles Felix
• Two Flags by Sonny Ramirez (1973), located at 1364-6 Grande Vista Ave at Olympic
• In Memory of a Home Boy by Daniel Martinez (1973), located at 3328 Hunter Street [1]
• Dreams of Flight by David Botello (1973-78, repainted in 1996), located at 3441 Olympic Boulevard
• The Sun Bathers by Gil Hernandez (1973), located at 3287 Olympic Boulevard
• The Artist by Daniel Haro (1973)
• Moratorium - The Black and White Mural by Willie Herron and Gronk (1973).
• We Are Not a Minority by El Congreso de Artistas Cosmicos de las Americas de San Diego (Mario Torero, Rocky, El Lion, Zade) (1978, repainted in 1996). This mural can be seen in the music video for "Where Is the Love?" by The Black Eyed Peas. It's also in the music video for "To Live & Die in LA" by 2pac Shakur.

The murals Dreams of Flight, Untitled by Daniel Haro (1983), and Untitled by Steve Delgado (1973) are featured prominently in an episode of the television show Robbery Homicide Division-City of Strivers from November 8, 2002.

Education

Residents are assigned to the following schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District:

• Dena Elementary School
• Stevenson Middle School
• Roosevelt High School

External links

• The Murals of Estrada Courts Los Angeles Murals Website
• Easterling, Stewart An Art Museum on the Streets of L.A. Socialist Worker Online (September 14, 2001)
• Getty Museum Priorities in Conserving Community Murals .pdf
• East L.A. Public Housing Tour .pdf
• Pomona College Experience the Mural of East Los Angeles
• Japanese National Museum Boyle Heights Project