Mercado La Paloma unifies a community through cultural diversity
The market was build with the support of the Esperanza Community Housing Corporation
Mercado la Paloma is located on the corner of Hope and 37th Street in Los Angeles and can be spotted from the Harbor Freeway (Photo by Yasmine Carrera).
Mercado La Paloma is a hybrid marketplace and cultural mecca dedicated to uplifting the surrounding community and providing a space for locals to share their creative and culinary talents. According to chef Gilberto Cetina Jr., who is the owner of two popular restaurants in the mercado, the Figueroa corridor has mixed reviews. However, since its construction, Mercado La Paloma has brought a significant amount of value and popularity to the neighborhood where it is located.
Mercado La Paloma has created several opportunities for the surrounding community including the creation of much needed jobs and the endorsement of art and culture.
The mercado dispenses a series of services including the health center Esperan Salud, which is open to the public and it also provides the public with office spaces to hold community meetings and events.
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Upon entering Mercado La Paloma guests are greeted with a board listing the different markets and restaurants within the mercado (Yasmine Carrera/Yasmine Carrera)
A rare moment of calm before a swarm of customers lined up eager to indulge in some delicious seafood Monday morning (Yasmine Carrera/Yasmine Carrera)
Bags with traditional Mexican Loteria (Yasmine Carrera/Yasmine Carrera)
Customers indulging in good food and even better company in the heart of Mercado La Paloma (Yasmine Carrera/Yasmine Carrera)
The massive mural by Elizabeth Eve titled Meeting of Minds covers an entire side of the building and can be seen from a mile away. All at once the mural can be a lot to digest but up close it's clear that each stroke of paint was done with the intention to capture what a diverse community we live in. The mural includes prominent figures like Gandhi, Cesar Chavez and the Virgin of Guadalupe, all icons in history that we continue to study and learn from today. (Yasmine Carrera/Yasmine Carrera)
The owner of the colorful shop sells items such as jewelry, pottery, clothing garments, and other traditional hispanic trinkets (Yasmine Carrera/Yasmine Carrera)
Traditional huaraches in varying patterns displayed alongside customary Oaxaca dresses (Yasmine Carrera/Yasmine Carrera)
Regulars sit and enjoy refreshing drinks from Oaxacalifornia, a restaurant that specializes in several different food categories including agua frescas, tortas and fruit sorbets. (Yasmine Carrera)
Artesenías Oaxaceñas is a small but lively shop filled with hundreds of knick knacks from both Central and South America (Yasmine Carrera/Yasmine Carrera)
The massive mural by Elizabeth Eve titled Meeting of Minds covers an entire side of the building and can be seen from a mile away. All at once the mural can be a lot to digest but up close it's clear that each stroke of paint was done with the intention to capture what a diverse community we live in. The mural includes prominent figures like Gandhi, Cesar Chavez and the Virgin of Guadalupe, all icons in history that we continue to study and learn from today. (Yasmine Carrera/Yasmine Carrera)
People from all walks of life gather to indulge in good food and company
People having a good time in one of the restaurants inside the mercado (Yasmine Carrera/Yasmine Carrera)
Traditional agua de horchata (rice water) is served in the mercado (Yasmine Carrera/Yasmine Carrera)
Mercado La Paloma was build with the support of the Esperanza Community Housing Corporation. The company built the space with the intention to achieve comprehensive and long-term community development.
The Esperanza corporation has launched multiple different community based projects but Mercado La Paloma has significantly helped to strengthen the social infrastructure of the neighborhood and build hope within the community.
The mercado located just some miles away from the USC campus provides the surrounding community with different recreational and leisure activities under one roof. They have contributed enormously to the economic and social growth in the area by supporting small business owners and fostering community involvement.
