Boyle Heights unveils the first markers in a Los Angeles program honoring 140 Latino history sites

Three businesses that have anchored Cesar Chavez Avenue in Boyle Heights for generations now have something new out front: city markers telling their stories. The signs are the first to go up in a Los Angeles program that will honor 140 places tied to the city's Latino history and culture.

The program, called HistoricPlacesLA Revealed: Latino Los Angeles, puts markers on public lampposts near each site. Every marker carries a QR code that links to photos, background and personal stories. The first three were unveiled on the 2700 block of the avenue.

Three stops with deep roots

The Paramount opened in 1924 and has lived many lives since. It began as a gathering place for the neighborhood's Jewish community, later hosted a dance studio, then Chicano rock shows in the 1960s and a punk scene in the 1980s. Stevie Wonder and Celia Cruz both performed there. Owner Frank Acevedo said the recognition shows how much historic places matter for tourism and for pride in what sits in a community's own backyard.

Candelas Guitars has been building and selling instruments for close to 100 years. Brothers who came from Mexico moved the business to Boyle Heights in 1947 and the family later started a nonprofit that gives free music lessons. Owner Tomás Delgado said the marker honors a family and a community that worked hard to provide for and serve others.

El 7 Mares, a Mexican seafood restaurant, has brought neighbors together over food for decades and now has seven locations. Judy Carolina Diaz, whose parents opened it, said the marker is an honor that recognizes her father's sacrifice for his family and for Boyle Heights.

Rewriting what counts as history

Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, who represents the area, said the goal is to spotlight what Latinos have given Los Angeles. She said she hopes the markers change what people think of as L.A. history, making it more inclusive and helping residents discover the stories in their own neighborhoods. The first 56 sites are in her council district, according to her office.

The markers do not create official landmark status. Supporters see them as a way to bring more foot traffic and support to longtime small businesses at a time when many feel squeezed by development. The project builds on a citywide study of Latino historic places that city planners completed in 2015. Religious landmarks such as Dolores Mission Church are also on the list.

More markers will roll out across the city in the months ahead, turning everyday walks into lessons on the people who built Los Angeles.