Historic Pasadena
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Archival photo from the 1930s depicting the Pacific Electric Railway Car #342 traveling northwest on Lincoln Ave, Pasadena, passing the Japanese-owned Lincoln Nursery at left.
Historic Pasadena Bus Tour – May 21, 2022
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On this tour, we visited several significant, cultural landmarks in Pasadena's historically minoritized communities. The homes, businesses, religious, and cultural sites on the tour are associated with historic Japanese, Black, Armenian, Indigenous, and Mexican communities of Pasadena. CLICK on the thumbnail to enlarge the Bus Tour map >>>
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OUR TOUR GUIDES
Alma Stokes. Raised in San Bernardino, she came to Pasadena in 1953 when she began her long and still current history of being involved in everything. She began teaching up the street at Washington Elementary School in 1963 and then taught at many other PUSD schools for several decades. She was a longtime member of First AME Church, then Brown Memorial AME Church, then St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, and for the last 40+ years, she has been an active member of All Saints Episcopal Church. She has served on the board of many groups – including the Pasadena Educational Foundation who will be honoring her this Wednesday, May 25. Some examples of her lived Pasadena history include: she took a year off from teaching to work for the Pasadena Redevelopment Agency to relocate the residents who were forcibly removed from their owner occupied, well maintained single family homes to build what is now known as Kings Villages; she worked with some neighbors and First AME Church members to successfully lobby against the 210 Freeway being routed along Washington Blvd and then north along Arroyo Blvd; and when Martin Luther King Jr last spoke in Pasadena in 1965, she was present at Friendship Baptist Church.
Brian Biery. A third generation Pasadenan, Brian Biery keeps quite busy. He teaches courses on Advocacy/Social Justice and Human Development as an Adjunct Professor at Pacific Oaks College. He is a Partner of the DBK Group, which provides technical assistance to government agencies on matters of law enforcement, criminal justice, public service, and police/community relations. He serves as an Associate with The Aspire Group, a firm that specializes in innovative organizational effectiveness with an emphasis on diverse communities. He is the Principal of Brian Biery Consulting, a firm dedicated to assisting nonprofits to reach their organizational, programmatic, and leadership goals. Additionally, he writes regularly for the L.A. Progressive and Culture Honey and numerous newspapers and magazines have published his photographs.
Danny Parker. A Pasadena native and GHNA board member, Danny Parker has lived in Garfield Heights since 1989. He attended Sequoyah School for 1st through 4th grade and then Pasadena public schools from 5th grade forward. When busing for desegregation began in September 1970, he was bussed to Wilson Junior High School and then bussed to John Muir High School. He is a corporate attorney and provides strategic planning and financial analysis to startups, small businesses, and former professional athletes. He volunteers locally and quite extensively with his college.
Brian Biery. A third generation Pasadenan, Brian Biery keeps quite busy. He teaches courses on Advocacy/Social Justice and Human Development as an Adjunct Professor at Pacific Oaks College. He is a Partner of the DBK Group, which provides technical assistance to government agencies on matters of law enforcement, criminal justice, public service, and police/community relations. He serves as an Associate with The Aspire Group, a firm that specializes in innovative organizational effectiveness with an emphasis on diverse communities. He is the Principal of Brian Biery Consulting, a firm dedicated to assisting nonprofits to reach their organizational, programmatic, and leadership goals. Additionally, he writes regularly for the L.A. Progressive and Culture Honey and numerous newspapers and magazines have published his photographs.
Danny Parker. A Pasadena native and GHNA board member, Danny Parker has lived in Garfield Heights since 1989. He attended Sequoyah School for 1st through 4th grade and then Pasadena public schools from 5th grade forward. When busing for desegregation began in September 1970, he was bussed to Wilson Junior High School and then bussed to John Muir High School. He is a corporate attorney and provides strategic planning and financial analysis to startups, small businesses, and former professional athletes. He volunteers locally and quite extensively with his college.
ETHNIC COMMUNITIES + BUS STOPS + SPEAKERS
CLICK HERE to see the "distribution of minority racial groups in Pasadena (African-American, Hispanic, and Asian populations) 1935"
The Japanese American Community
The Japanese American population historically was concentrated west of Fair Oaks in the southwest and northwest parts of Pasadena. In response to discrimination and limited opportunities, Japanese Americans turned to gardening and nurseries. According to californiajapantowns.org, in 1920, 42% of Japanese Americans in Pasadena were gardeners, and in the 1940s, 17 Japanese American owned florists and nurseries operated in Pasadena. After the shameful World War 2 interment (Japanese Americans in Pasadena had to report in compliance with the Exclusion Order by May 14, 1942), Japanese Americans returned to Pasadena and lived in significant concentrations in areas such as the blocks immediately east of John Muir High School where the Pasadena Buddhist Temple is located.
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Stop #1. Pasadena Buddhist Temple (1993 Glen Avenue.) The Pasadena Buddhist Temple was established and the building constructed in 1958. The nearby streets, Glen, Montana, Belmont, Mentone, and Newport once had significant Japanese American populations. |
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Speakers:
Rev. Gregory Gibbs. Minister, Pasadena Buddhist Temple
Bryan Takeda. Bryan Takeda owns Affinity Associates and has been actively involved in the Nikkei community for over three decades. In 1986, he joined the board of the Pasadena Japanese Cultural Institute and promoted Japanese culture, language, friendship, and goodwill between Japan and the United States. In 1996, he established the Nikkei Federation and contributed to community partnerships, development, and youth leadership. Since 2002, Bryan has served on the Pasadena Sister Cities Committee, Mishima Subcommittee and established the Friendship Youth Exchange Program. Between 2009 and 2012, he served as Program Director for the U.S.-Japan Council. Following the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake disaster, he helped raise over $1 million in contributions for hard-hit regions of the disaster zone. His most recent project is Kansha Pasadena, which strives to honor, preserve, and share the history of Japanese Americans in the Greater Pasadena area. In November 2021, Mr. Takeda was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays by the government of Japan for contributing to the introduction of Japanese culture and promoting friendly relations between Japan and the United States.
Rev. Gregory Gibbs. Minister, Pasadena Buddhist Temple
Bryan Takeda. Bryan Takeda owns Affinity Associates and has been actively involved in the Nikkei community for over three decades. In 1986, he joined the board of the Pasadena Japanese Cultural Institute and promoted Japanese culture, language, friendship, and goodwill between Japan and the United States. In 1996, he established the Nikkei Federation and contributed to community partnerships, development, and youth leadership. Since 2002, Bryan has served on the Pasadena Sister Cities Committee, Mishima Subcommittee and established the Friendship Youth Exchange Program. Between 2009 and 2012, he served as Program Director for the U.S.-Japan Council. Following the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake disaster, he helped raise over $1 million in contributions for hard-hit regions of the disaster zone. His most recent project is Kansha Pasadena, which strives to honor, preserve, and share the history of Japanese Americans in the Greater Pasadena area. In November 2021, Mr. Takeda was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays by the government of Japan for contributing to the introduction of Japanese culture and promoting friendly relations between Japan and the United States.
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Stop #9. Bellefontaine Nursery (838 S. Fair Oaks Avenue.) The last remaining Japanese American owned nursery in Pasadena, the Uchida family founded Bellefontaine Nursery at its present location in 1939. The Uchida family was sent to the Gila River internment camp in Arizona from 1942 to 1945. During that time, the nursery was closed and friends watched the nursery. When the nursery reopened, it grew into a reliable resource for Japanese gardeners for equipment repairs as well as a place to congregate between jobs. The third generation of Uchida operates Bellefontaine Nursery today. https://www.bellefontainenursery.com/history 
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< Click on the thumbnail to open a larger map of Japanese Businesses located in Pasadena in 1940. The map was drawn two years prior to the relocation of Japanese American families in internment camps. |
Additional Japanese Sites of Interest:
Pasadena Japanese Cultural Institute
(595 Lincoln Ave, #201) The Pasadena Japanese Cultural Institute (PJCI) exists to support Japanese cultural activities and organizations in the greater Pasadena community. http://www.pjci.org/
Lincoln Nursery
(804 Lincoln Avenue.) Founded in 1903 by a German family, the wonderfully stocked Lincoln Avenue Nursery was purchased in 1923 by the Takemura family. When Mr. and Mrs. Takemura were sent to internment camps during World War 2, a kind young couple took care of the nursery. After 80 years of family ownership, the Takemuras sold the nursery in 2003 to Ramon Franco who immigrated from Poncitlan, Jalisco, Mexico at the age of 14. https://lincolnavenuenursery.com/about-us/
Johnny’s Sports Shop
(1402 Lincoln Avenue, Pasadena.) Started as a sporting good shop in 1958, the owners, the Ota family, turned it into strictly a fish and tackle shop in the 1980s. At one point, the Ota family also owned Ota’s Market, which was located next door to Johnny’s Sports Shop. Watch a short documentary about Johnny's
Pasadena Japanese Cultural Institute
(595 Lincoln Ave, #201) The Pasadena Japanese Cultural Institute (PJCI) exists to support Japanese cultural activities and organizations in the greater Pasadena community. http://www.pjci.org/
Lincoln Nursery
(804 Lincoln Avenue.) Founded in 1903 by a German family, the wonderfully stocked Lincoln Avenue Nursery was purchased in 1923 by the Takemura family. When Mr. and Mrs. Takemura were sent to internment camps during World War 2, a kind young couple took care of the nursery. After 80 years of family ownership, the Takemuras sold the nursery in 2003 to Ramon Franco who immigrated from Poncitlan, Jalisco, Mexico at the age of 14. https://lincolnavenuenursery.com/about-us/
Johnny’s Sports Shop
(1402 Lincoln Avenue, Pasadena.) Started as a sporting good shop in 1958, the owners, the Ota family, turned it into strictly a fish and tackle shop in the 1980s. At one point, the Ota family also owned Ota’s Market, which was located next door to Johnny’s Sports Shop. Watch a short documentary about Johnny's
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The Black Community
Historically, the Black population was concentrated in and limited to 2 neighborhoods – in southwest Pasadena, between Green and California west of Fair Oaks; and in northwest Pasadena, west of Fair Oaks with a northern boundary that over time crept northward from Washington Blvd.
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Stop #2. Octavia E. Butler Magnet (1505 N. Marengo Avenue.) In early 2022, Washington STEAM Multilingual Academy was renamed Octavia E. Butler Magnet School to honor and celebrate the acclaimed author and 1962 graduate of Washington Junior High (as it was known then.) A shy child, Octavia Butler found an outlet in reading and later channeled her talents and energies into writing. PUSD cited Butler as a "role model for our students...coming from a meager background, she persisted through struggling with a learning disability to a model of excellence, using skills such as creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, self-discipline, research, goal-setting, and resilience.” 
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Link to Pasadena Unified School District webpage
Link to Pasadena Now article Link to article "Tracing Octavia's Footsteps." Link to Octavia Butler Walking Tour (produced by Huntington Library.) |
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Stop #4. Alkebu-Lan* Cultural Center (1435 N. Raymond Avenue.) The Center was established in 1989 as a community-based, non-profit cultural center. Its mission is to" awaken, inspire, motivate, and develop the multi-dimensional young minds of the under served students through culturally informed educational activities, which cultivate individual abilities and build confidence in social and artistic expression." https://alkebu-lanculturalcenter.com/ *"Alkebulan" is the ancient name for the continent of Africa, meaning "the mother of mankind." Click HERE to learn more about the meaning of Alkebulan. Speaker: Dianne Lewis is the CEO/Executive Director of Alke-bulan Cultural Center. Dianne is very passionate about her community and strives to ensure success among African American Youth. She provides educational programs centered around Black history and heritage, arts and culture, theater, music and African dance, |
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#6. Jackie and Mack Robinson’s Childhood Home
(Robinson site/plaque is located at 123 Pepper St. and the Kings Villages Apartments are visible on the opposite side of Pepper St..) Jackie Robinson attended Cleveland Elementary School, Washington Middle School, John Muir High School, Pasadena City College and UCLA before breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Jackie remained bitter about the racism he and his family endured growing up in Pasadena. A cross was burned on their Pepper St. lawn and neighbors tried to push them to leave. California Sun article Older brother Matthew Mackensie "Mack" Robinson won the Silver medal in the 200 meters at the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics finishing 0.4 seconds behind Jesse Owens under the glare of Adolf Hitler. He attended University of Oregon and won numerous track titles. Upon his return to Pasadena, however, the only work he could find was as a street sweeper. He performed the job while wearing his Olympic jacket. He became a community activist advocating for the creation of playgrounds, swimming pools, and libraries in Pasadena. The Lincoln/Orange Grove Post office is named after Mack Robinson. University of Oregon webpage on Mack Robinson 
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The Robinson family in 1925. In the rear, from left are Mack, Jackie, Edgar, Willa Mae, and Frank, Sitting is their mother Mallie Robinson. Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Kings Villages Apartments
Originally called the Pepper Street Redevelopment Project and stretching from Washington Blvd to Mountain Street and from Fair Oaks to Sunset Avenue, the project now known as Kings Villages was conceived with anything but noble intentions. The project area included owner occupied, well-maintained single family homes and small, many locally owned businesses along Fair Oaks. The Pasadena city fathers hatched the plan in 1958 to “remove Negroes from Northwest Pasadena,” but were thwarted for close to 10 years by Emmett Mickel of First AME Church Pasadena. When Mr. Mickel’s efforts were finally exhausted and the City constructed and completed the project in 1968, no buyers were interested in the $18,500 townhomes. Unable to attract buyers, the project was converted into low income housing that attracted newcomers to Pasadena. Unfortunately if not predictably, the project triggered a negative ripple effect on surrounding neighborhoods that became crime riddled and several years later a hotbed for gangs. In 2021, the Kings Villages was sold to the The Rose Affordable Housing Preservation Fund V. Pasadena Now article |
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Stop #12. Octavia Estelle Butler Childhood Home (918 N. Marengo Avenue.) Located in Garfield Heights at the northeast corner of Marengo and Mountain is the childhood home of renowned science fiction author Octavia Butler. Her futuristic writing earned her the highest awards in science fiction, including prestigious Hugo and Nebula awards, as well as a MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship in 1995. Link to article "Tracing Octavia's Footsteps." Link to Octavia Butler Walking Tour (produced by Huntington Library.) |
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Additional Black Sites of Interest:
Friendship Baptist Church (80 W. Dayton St.) This is the last remnant of the Black neighborhood in Southwest Pasadena. The oldest black Baptist church in Pasadena, the church was founded in 1893 and the current location was built in 1925. Martin Luther King, Jr. visited Friendship twice. The church became the first African American-related Cultural Landmark designated in Pasadena. It is also a State of California landmark and in 1978 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. |
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Woods Valentine Mortuary (1455 N. Fair Oaks Ave.) Opened in 1928, this historic mortuary was originally located at 87 S. Vernon Avenue (where the 710 Freeway stub crosses Green Street). James Woods founded the mortuary; his nephew Fred Valentine and his wife purchased the mortuary in 1954. The Valentine family moved the mortuary to its present location in 1963 and continue to operate the mortuary today. |
The Armenian Community
The heart of the Armenian community is Washington Blvd between Hill Avenue and Allen Avenue. Many Armenian businesses are located on Washington and the surrounding residential streets have significant Armenian populations. Beginning in the 1970s. the Armenian community grew significantly as the Lebanese Civil War triggered a wave of migration.
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Stop #3. John Pashgian Home (225 Grandview Street at Marengo Ave.) A member of the first Armenian family in Pasadena and founder of Pashgian Brothers Rug store, John Pashgian built a mansion across the street from Octavia Butler Magnet school. The building is now utilized by Grandview Foundation, a drug and alcohol treatment center. Grandview has two additional buildings located within Garfield Heights on Marengo and Claremont. 
Pashgian Brothers Rugs (993 E. Colorado Blvd.) Located just east of Lake Avenue and noted for its iconic rooftop sign, Pashgian Brothers Rugs is a Pasadena icon. Established in 1889, Pashgian Brothers Rugs is one of the largest and oldest oriental rug stores in the West Coast. |
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Stop #8. Pasadena Armenian Genocide Memorial
(Memorial Park, Southeast corner of Walnut Street and Raymond Avenue.) Dedicated in 2015, the monument stands in tribute to the 1.5 million Armenians killed by the Ottoman Turks between 1915 and 1923. "The monument consists of a metal tripod standing 16 feet tall, in remembrance of similar tripods which Armenian leaders were hung from during the genocide. From the top of the tripod, a drop of water falls every 21 seconds. Each year, 1.5 million drops of water — one for each of the genocide victims — will drop into a basin adorned with the ancient Armenian symbol for eternity." The monumental sculpture was designed by Catherine Menard while she was a student at Pasadena’s Art Center College of Design from a field of 17 entries. Pasadena Now article Speaker: Danny Donabedian. A proud Pasadena resident since 1991, Danny Donabedian actively contributes to the city he loves. An avid supporter of the Armenian American community, he is a member of the Armenian General Athletic Union and Scouts where he served on various executive bodies as well as a youth soccer coach; board member and chairperson of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) – Pasadena Chapter; and member of Hamazkayin (Armenian Cultural Society). Danny served on the GHNA Board as Vice Chair and Chairperson. Pasadena District Councilmember John J. Kennedy appointed him to serve on the Recreation and Parks Commission from 2013 to 2018. During that time period, he also served on the Hahamongna Watershed Advisory Committee, the Urban Forestry Advisory Committee, and the Robinson Park Community Center Renovation Steering Committee. |
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Additional Armenian Site of Interest:
St. Gregory Church (2215 E. Colorado Blvd.) Established in 1947, it is the older of the two Armenian Apostolic churches in Pasadena. |
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The Tongva and Gabrieliño Indigenous Community
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Stop #5. Hahamongna Watershed Park
Located at the southeast corner of Oak Grove Drive and Foothill Blvd, the 1,300 acre park in the Arroyo Seco extends from Devil’s Gate Dam north into the San Gabriel Mountains. The park provides a glimpse into a time when the Hahamong’na tribe of the Tongva people lived off the land and were the original stewards of the upper Arroyo Seco, Pasadena, and Altadena. Hahamongna wikipedia
Speaker: Virginia Carmelo. A native of Orange County, Virginia Carmelo is paternally descended from Gabrieleno/Tongva and Digueno/Kumeyaay tribes; former Tribal Chairperson of the Gabrielino/Tongva Nation; studied indigenous dance and the Tongva language. She studied indigenous dance with two prominent masters in the Los Angeles area. She preserves and shares the Tongva culture with her children and they endeavor to revitalize Tongva tribal song, dance, story, and regalia. She also has researched the Tongva language.
(On the right, Bus Tour group photo with speaker Virginia Carmelo at center. Speakers Roberta H Martinez and Alma Stokes are on the far left.) |
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The Mexican American Community
Prior to 1848, Pasadena as well as the rest of California was part of Mexico. Correspondingly, the land now part of the city of Pasadena was owned by Mexican citizens. Early in the 20th century, there were three primary areas where Mexican Americans lived in Pasadena – on the south side, along the railroad tracks on South Raymond Avenue and South Broadway (now Arroyo Parkway) between Del Mar and Glenarm; an area known as Chihuahuita, which was located on the far east side of Pasadena and over time reduced to an area just outside the Pasadena city limits between Madre Street and Rosemead Blvd. and between Del Mar Blvd. and Colorado Blvd.; and the CypressWinona area (near the intersection of Lincoln and Orange Grove) that was historically multi-racial. In the early 20th century, Pasadena created two segregated schools for Mexican Americans – Junipero Serra on South Raymond Avenue and Chihuahuita in the Chihuahuita area.
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Stop #10. Concordia Court (cul-de-sac north of California Blvd, between Pasadena Avenue and Fair Oaks Avenue.) This tiny street of modest homes is one of the last remnants of what was once a vibrant Pasadena Mexican American neighborhood, |
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Stop #11. Mijares Mexican Restaurant
(145 Palmetto Drive.) Founded in 1920 by Jesusita Mijares as a small tortilla and tamale factory, Mijares is now Pasadena’s oldest Mexican restaurant. The community institution uses authentic recipes to create memorable dining experiences for generations of Pasadenans. After the restaurant was destroyed in a 1978 arson fire, the family decided to rebuild it in 1984. The iconic restaurant remains family operated and includes 4th generation family members. Click to Watch the short documentary Speaker: Roberta H. Martinez. Born and raised in East Los Angeles, Roberta H. Martinez earned her BA in Music and MA in Music History from the University of California, Riverside as a re-entry student. She is an actor, historian, and writer. Her book, “Latinos in Pasadena,” was published in 2009. In 2019, CSPAN interviewed her on the history of the Latinos in the San Gabriel Valley. She has lectured at the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Roberta curated, “The Past Lives Vividly in the Present” for the Pasadena Museum of History and recently curated the online exhibit “Latinx in Pasadena” for Pasadena City College. She is a founder of the Latino Heritage parade and jamaica. A Reader at the Huntington library, Roberta has presented her research in Los Angeles and Orange Counties as well as at the Huntington itself. Her recent talks include: “Beyond Jackie, Rosa, and Martin: Black Pioneers with Pasadena Connections,” “Community Migration,” Altadena: Homesteaders, Squatters, and Other Pioneers,” “Latina Legacies,” “Sites, Scenes, and Stories: Intersections of Architecture and the Pasadena Latino Community in the 20th Century.” |
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Additional Mexican Sites of Interest:
Chihuahuita An historic Mexican American community that at one time covered a large portion of what is now East Pasadena, the remnant of that community is located in an area just outside the Pasadena city limits between Madre Street and Rosemead Blvd. and between Del Mar Blvd. and Colorado Blvd. LA Times article: "Growth Wiped Out Old Neighborhoods" Daily News article "Guest View: Pasadena's Historic Latino Neighborhoods" Our Lady of Guadalupe Church Located at the northwest corner of Raymond Avenue and California Blvd., this church was a hub of the Mexican American community. Built in 1912, it burned down in the 1970s. An original tile mosaic from the church was salvaged and later given to Mijares Mexican Restaurant, where it is permanently on display on a patio wall. (Tile mosaic is pictured below with Bus Tour guide Brian Biery and featured speaker Roberta H. Martinez) 
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Multiple Communities
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Stop #7. Parsons Corporation | 10 West In 1974, Parsons Corporation built its headquarters on the northern edge of Old Town Pasadena, an area that had been historically occupied by Japanese Americans, Mexican Americans, and Blacks. The first portion of the new 10 West "mixed use urban village" development has recently opened on the 23 acre site of Parsons headquarters at 100 W. Walnut and Fair Oaks. It is the largest development in Pasadena’s history. District Three Council member John Kennedy insisted that the developer install a series of eight onsite monuments documenting the displacement of these people and their homes as a way of remembering them and their treatment. CLICK HERE to see location of the monuments at 10 West. CLICK HERE Unveiled Monument Reveals Pasadena's Hidden Racial History, Pasadena Now 6/3/22. 
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PASADENA TRANSFORMATIVE EVENTS
Two major events in the early 1970s transformed Pasadena and continue to have an impact on Pasadena today
School Desegregation
A district court ordered the Pasadena Unified School District to desegregate its schools. PUSD reluctantly complied by implementing district wide busing in September 1970. It should be noted that despite vocal opposition at the time to busing, busing existed in PUSD prior to busing for desegregation. For example, at one time, students in the Linda Vista area were bused past Washington Junior High School in Northwest Pasadena all the way to Eliot Junior High School in Altadena.
CLICK HERE to see the “Racial and Ethnic Elementary Enrollment” chart
The busing for desegregation plan as implemented in September 1970 worked as followed. 1 of the 5 junior high schools, Marshall, became Pasadena High School West Campus and 9th graders were shifted from junior high school to high school. The elementary schools were split in 2 with some schools being K-3 and the others being 4-6. Part of the court decree was that no school could have a majority of a minority; at that time, PUSD was 30% Black, 8.2% Spanish surname; and 2.7% Asian, which meant that the court decree dictated that no school could have a majority of Black students. Elementary schools in Northwest Pasadena and West Altadena were paired with schools/areas in other parts of the district to achieve racial balance. For example, students from the Longfellow (in north central Pasadena) attendance area attended K-3 at Franklin in West Altadena and Franklin attendance area students attended 4-6 at Longfellow. The attendance zones for the 4 junior high schools were generally along east-west swaths. McKinley Junior High School’s zone was along the southern tier of the city (except for the southeast) and then west of Lincoln Avenue; Wilson Junior High School’s zone included the next tier that extended to Washington Blvd on the north (and included Garfield Heights); Washington Junior High School’s zone was the next east west swath and was north of Washington Blvd.; and Eliot Junior High School’s zone was the most northerly tier and also included Sierra Madre. The high school attendance districts were more convoluted. Additionally, school schedules were staggered to accommodate wide-scale busing.
The busing for desegregation triggered a “White Flight” as many white families with children moved out of Pasadena (and PUSD). In the last school year before court ordered busing, 17,859 White students (58.3% of the total student population) attended PUSD schools. By the third year of court ordered busing (October 1972), 12,271 White students (46.8% of the total student population) attended PUSD schools. While some of those former PUSD students attended private schools in Pasadena, there was not a major shift to private schools. According to the 1970 census, Pasadena’s non-Hispanic white population constituted 70.4% of the total population. The 1980 census showed a non-Hispanic White population of 54.7% of the total population.
The students who did remain in the PUSD attended schools with diverse student bodies that exposed them to the diverse world they would inhabit as adults. Corporate America has embraced that type of exposure through increasingly widespread DEI (diversity equity and inclusion) efforts and initiatives to increase global competitiveness and enhance decision-making processes.
The changing demographics of PUSD students also triggered a perception that still persists today that PUSD provides a poor quality education.
CLICK HERE to see the racial and ethnic breakdown of Pasadena elementary schools in 1969-70
CLICK HERE to see the map of the Pasadena elementary school district boundaries.
CLICK HERE to see racial distribution 1946-59
CLICK HERE to see racial distribution 1961-73
A district court ordered the Pasadena Unified School District to desegregate its schools. PUSD reluctantly complied by implementing district wide busing in September 1970. It should be noted that despite vocal opposition at the time to busing, busing existed in PUSD prior to busing for desegregation. For example, at one time, students in the Linda Vista area were bused past Washington Junior High School in Northwest Pasadena all the way to Eliot Junior High School in Altadena.
CLICK HERE to see the “Racial and Ethnic Elementary Enrollment” chart
The busing for desegregation plan as implemented in September 1970 worked as followed. 1 of the 5 junior high schools, Marshall, became Pasadena High School West Campus and 9th graders were shifted from junior high school to high school. The elementary schools were split in 2 with some schools being K-3 and the others being 4-6. Part of the court decree was that no school could have a majority of a minority; at that time, PUSD was 30% Black, 8.2% Spanish surname; and 2.7% Asian, which meant that the court decree dictated that no school could have a majority of Black students. Elementary schools in Northwest Pasadena and West Altadena were paired with schools/areas in other parts of the district to achieve racial balance. For example, students from the Longfellow (in north central Pasadena) attendance area attended K-3 at Franklin in West Altadena and Franklin attendance area students attended 4-6 at Longfellow. The attendance zones for the 4 junior high schools were generally along east-west swaths. McKinley Junior High School’s zone was along the southern tier of the city (except for the southeast) and then west of Lincoln Avenue; Wilson Junior High School’s zone included the next tier that extended to Washington Blvd on the north (and included Garfield Heights); Washington Junior High School’s zone was the next east west swath and was north of Washington Blvd.; and Eliot Junior High School’s zone was the most northerly tier and also included Sierra Madre. The high school attendance districts were more convoluted. Additionally, school schedules were staggered to accommodate wide-scale busing.
The busing for desegregation triggered a “White Flight” as many white families with children moved out of Pasadena (and PUSD). In the last school year before court ordered busing, 17,859 White students (58.3% of the total student population) attended PUSD schools. By the third year of court ordered busing (October 1972), 12,271 White students (46.8% of the total student population) attended PUSD schools. While some of those former PUSD students attended private schools in Pasadena, there was not a major shift to private schools. According to the 1970 census, Pasadena’s non-Hispanic white population constituted 70.4% of the total population. The 1980 census showed a non-Hispanic White population of 54.7% of the total population.
The students who did remain in the PUSD attended schools with diverse student bodies that exposed them to the diverse world they would inhabit as adults. Corporate America has embraced that type of exposure through increasingly widespread DEI (diversity equity and inclusion) efforts and initiatives to increase global competitiveness and enhance decision-making processes.
The changing demographics of PUSD students also triggered a perception that still persists today that PUSD provides a poor quality education.
CLICK HERE to see the racial and ethnic breakdown of Pasadena elementary schools in 1969-70
CLICK HERE to see the map of the Pasadena elementary school district boundaries.
CLICK HERE to see racial distribution 1946-59
CLICK HERE to see racial distribution 1961-73
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Can We All Get Along? The Segregation of John Muir High School, is a documentary about desegregation of Pasadena's John Muir High School. CLICK HERE to watch a short trailer. website: https://www.getalongfilm.com/ |
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Freeways (and Redevelopment)
The completion of the 210 and 710 (stub) freeways in Pasadena in 1975 caused considerable changes and permanently changed the landscape of the city in direct and indirect ways. The freeway displaced thousands of residents, brought increased traffic, and ushered higher density housing that was primarily located south of Orange Grove and north of California Blvd. The freeway cut off neighborhoods. The freeways also created a symbolic and substantive dividing line between largely minority neighborhoods north of the 210 freeway (and west of Hill Avenue) and mostly white neighborhoods south of the 210 freeway.
Additionally, the routing of the 210 and 710 freeways were part of an overall scheme to change/reverse the demographic shifts in Pasadena. Kings Villages, Parsons, the expansion of Ambassador College (on both sides of the 710 freeway stub), and the Orange Village Townhomes (immediately north of the Pasadena Museum of History) were also part of that scheme hatched in the late 1950s.
The completion of the 210 and 710 (stub) freeways in Pasadena in 1975 caused considerable changes and permanently changed the landscape of the city in direct and indirect ways. The freeway displaced thousands of residents, brought increased traffic, and ushered higher density housing that was primarily located south of Orange Grove and north of California Blvd. The freeway cut off neighborhoods. The freeways also created a symbolic and substantive dividing line between largely minority neighborhoods north of the 210 freeway (and west of Hill Avenue) and mostly white neighborhoods south of the 210 freeway.
Additionally, the routing of the 210 and 710 freeways were part of an overall scheme to change/reverse the demographic shifts in Pasadena. Kings Villages, Parsons, the expansion of Ambassador College (on both sides of the 710 freeway stub), and the Orange Village Townhomes (immediately north of the Pasadena Museum of History) were also part of that scheme hatched in the late 1950s.
