East LA Interchange

Synopsis

EAST LA INTERCHANGE follows the evolution of working-class, immigrant Boyle Heights from multi-ethnic to predominantly Latino. Boyle Heights was once far more diverse than most U.S. cities; Latinos, Asians, African-Americans, and the largest settlement of Jews west of Chicago lived and worked together side by side. Targeted by government policies, real estate laws and California planners, the neighborhood survived the building of the largest and busiest freeway interchange system in North America. Will Boyle Heights survive the next round of challenges from development and gentrification? By humanizing a story of activists fighting suburban homogeneity, documentarian Betsy Kalin uses Boyle Heights as a microcosm for Americans everywhere, who are affected by discriminatory public practices and city planning run amok. EAST LA INTERCHANGE is a cautionary tale of the promise and peril of American progress, a call for reform, and a celebration of a rich multi-ethnic legacy.