The Los Angeles Plaza: Sacred and Contested Space

8. Politics and Preservation

231 C h a p t e r e i g h t Politics and Preservation When the Great Depression waned and prosperity returned, Christine Sterling was still exerting administrative control over daily affairs on Olvera Street. She exercised the power to evict any merchant who did not yield to her authority, and when necessary, she fashioned potent images of Mexican romance and impending doom to gain the attention of elected officials and the press. This strategy proved effective in April 1940, when Olvera Street celebrated its tenth anniversary. Sterling seized the occasion by lobbying city hall on behalf of the Mexican marketplace. The Times extended its support by reporting that Sterling and a large female contingent of “helpless” merchants paid a visit to Mayor Fletcher Bowron and the entire City Council , who congratulated the party on the ten-year milestone.1 But the seasoned lobbyists had other items on their agenda. They presented the mayor with a petition containing more than 1,500 signatures requesting city officials to “protect and beautify the Plaza, ease traffic congestion, remove street vendors, and remove the vociferous fanatics [in the Plaza area] who [held] forth there.”2 And to make sure that their pleas for help were heard, Sterling walked to the podium to address the council. She expressed her appreciation for its previous support. However, before leaving she offered a subtle reminder of Olvera Street’s ability to affect public opinion if their request 232 ˚ the los angeles plaza was not granted: “You are very fine men, no matter what some people say.”3 There was a silent response. Two months later, she hosted a follow-up luncheon for council members on the patio of the Avila Adobe. Her goal was to gain their support in ousting “cheap concessions” from Olvera Street. But what was not explained to the council was that “cheap” actually meant those vendors who were not submitting to her authority. As always, the Times reported on the event by reinforcing Sterling’s carefully crafted image of “women in distress” as an effective strategy to sway the thinking of elected officials. It was appropriately titled “Mother of Picturesque Mexican Section Pleads for Protection of Quaint and Historic Buildings.”4 The article featured a photograph of the council members sitting at a table wearing borrowed sombreros. As she had planned, a Mexican feast of “Chiles stuffed with melted cheese, hot tamales, frijoles and fragrant enchiladas mellowed them to the point where a siesta seemed the natural order of business for the afternoon.”5 But this was no free meal. Mellowing councilmen with spicy food and cold beer was a proven lead-in for a Sterling request. What she wanted was council support in removing undesirable businesses on Olvera Street. This included fortune tellers, “cheap” jewelry concessions, and real estate booths that she described as being detrimental to the Plaza’s historical integrity: “The Plaza is a historic spot and I’ve promised to keep it in character. Can you help me?”6 Coincidentally, since the “problem” concessions that she mapped out for the slouching council members were on the west side of Olvera Street—the same side where Constance Simpson, the Arcontis, the Gibbs, and other upstart families ran their businesses—the luncheon proved to be a feast in local politics. Sterling’s plan for Mexican romance in this section of Olvera Street was being impeded by private businesses that refused to take part in festive tourism. After perceiving the real reason they were invited to lunch, Council President Robert Burns reminded his colleagues that “the Mother of Olvera Street has never been refused a favor by the City Council, since her first appearance 10 years ago—a woman babbling about sentiment and turning a dirty alley into a gay and colorful tourist attraction.”7 Councilman Harold Harbyof Venice, another veteran of Sterling’s power luncheons, was even more to the point as he rose from the table and proposed : “I move that we grant whatever Mrs. Sterling wants.”8 The luncheon ended with the City Council promising to confer with the city attorney’s office regarding Sterling’s problems on the west side of the street. In effect, Politics and Preservation ˚ 233 the deal was sealed.The next day, the Times reminded its readers of Sterling’s proven ability to deal with the Mexicans by recalling how “she built the street out of a dream that removed...