This article, written byLeslie Berestein Rojas, appears on KPCC.
Italian-Americans unearthing lost history of LA’s Little Italy
Hear the words “Little Italy” and you might think of New York, Boston or San Francisco’s North Beach. But a Little Italy once thrived in Los Angeles and a group of local Italian Americans hope to soon put it back on the map.
The city’s Little Italy developed in the 19th century when Italians began migrating to California in significant numbers. Their community centered around the northern side of downtown, right about where Olvera Street meets Chinatown today.