Racial History of Los Angeles

Spanish missionaries

Like in many ancient settlements in North America, the arrival of Spanish missionaries in the 18th century signaled the start of turmoil in the racial history of Los Angeles’ original settlers – the Tongvan tribes. Some Tongvans opted to work with the Spanish missionaries while others opted to fight against the new European settlers. Spanish missionaries converted the cooperative Tongvans to Roman Catholicism and introduced them to their style of agriculture.

The Chinese Massacre of 1871

The Chinese Massacre of 1871 was ironically caused by two Chinese gangs who accidentally killed a white rancher named Robert Thompson in one of their gang encounters. In retaliation, a mob of around 500 Latinos and Anglos invaded the Los Angeles Chinatown populated by 178 Chinese and engaged in a violent looting and murder spree. This black mark on the racial history of Los Angeles resulted in the  deaths of up to 18 Chinese, by official counts.