Field workers in the late 19th century. Courtesy San Fernando Valley Historical Society.

Boyle Heights (date unknown) Photo: Courtesy of L.A. Public Library

		1850		1,610
		1880		11,200
		1890		50,400
		1900		102,500
		1910		319,200
		1920		576,700
		1930		1,238,048
		1940		1,504,277
		1950		1,970,358
		1960		2,479,015
		1970		2,816,061
		1980		2,966,850
		1990		3,485,398
		2000		3,694,820
		2004		3,912,200 (appx.)

The population of Los Angeles soared during the first half of the twentieth century as booming postwar business and real estate, migration from the South and the rise of Hollywood all brought new arrivals to the city. More recently, L.A. has expanded even further: about half a million new Angelenos arrive in the city each decade. In1965, reforms in U.S. immigration policy ended bias favoring Europeans, and L.A. soon became the nation’s leading port of entry for immigrants, especially for those from Latin America, Asia and Mexico.

In 1990, L.A. became the first major U.S. city with no ethnic or racial majority. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 46 percent of the city’s population identifies as white, 46 percent as Latino, 11 percent as African American and 10 percent as Asian. (total percentages add up to more than 100 because many people identify as being multiracial). Today, L.A. is home to the second-largest Jewish community in the United States and the largest Korean community outside of Korea. More Mexicans live in L.A. than in any other city in the world, except for Mexico City. In neighborhoods such as Koreatown, South Los Angeles and Echo Park, different ethnic groups have shaped and reshaped the landscape time and time again. It is in looking at the history of these neighborhoods and communities that we can envision L.A.’s future.