Before L.A.: Race, Space, and Municipal Power in Los Angeles, 1781-1894 (The Lamar Series in Western History)

Before L.A.: The Transformation of Urban Space and Community in Nineteenth-Century Los Angeles by David Torres-Rouff is a groundbreaking study that delves into the complex racial and ethnic relations that defined nineteenth-century Los Angeles.

This book provides an innovative examination of the city's past, exploring how an intercultural community developed along racial lines and how immigrants from the United States engineered a profound shift in civic ideals and the physical environment.

Through meticulous research and analysis, Torres-Rouff sheds light on the social and spatial divides that continue to shape Los Angeles today.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of Los Angeles, urban studies, and the complexities of race and ethnicity in America.