Braggin on Belmont High, my alma mater. Since we got onto a multi-culi riff, well, a Japonesa-Chola/rowli -- lowrider, make that lowrider! -- thread this week, and it proved fun and entertaining for many, thought Id show you where I come from. I grew up and went to school with many peeps at good old (1923) Belmont High, up on old Crown Hill. This is a reunion shot from last big reunion at the LA Athletic Club, a good turnout, this is random grouping but true to the school (of that post-war era, till the mid to late 70s when the central city changed demographics). Photo shows Michael Patrick Henighan, White, Tony, African American, David, Latino, and me, Japanese American. We had kids from every country on earth, and we got along very well. We were all mixed up, and happy for it. Today we gather, look back and know how damn lucky we were to have pals of all colors, religions and classes. Belmont drew kids from Dogtown, from the Normandy-Wilshire area; Pico-Union, Chinatown, MacArthur Park, Echo Park, Temple-Rampart, J-Flats (Virgil District, once predominantly Japanese American and Hawaiian). Our rival was Marshall High, once extremely Caucasian, and I played against councilman LaBonge, NFL great Mike Haynes (he burned me, then I burned him), but now the kids look at Contreras and not Marshall as the rival school. Sad the old traditions in LAUSD seem to have faded. No one sings the Alma Mater these days. Thats sad to me: tradition can be a good thing. We truly had a multi-culti cheer, Orale, orale, orale pues, banzai! I am glad this page brings us together. Peace out.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 23:18:22 +0000
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