Students at El Camino College got to know a piece of Los Angeles history through a film screening Saturday, Sept. 16, at the Art Gallery.

“Chavez Ravine: In 9 Innings” is the story of the Chavez Ravine neighborhood. Its original Mexican American residents were driven off their land by the City of Los Angeles.

The city took their lands and converted them for public use. They were promised public housing that never came. 

Los Angeles later sold the land to make way for Dodger Stadium.

“I feel this was really needed right now because not a lot of people know the history of Los Angeles buildings and the people that were displaced to create those buildings,” Patrick Hahn, a student who watched the screening, said. “It’s really important for anybody to get educated on this.” 

The film is an adaptation of the Culture Club theater troupe’s play. In nine enthralling clips, the troupe added comedic relief to the painful history of Los Angeles.

“It’s one of those stories you don’t really know,” Chris Hernandez, another student who watched the screening, said. “I gravitate more towards the documentary parts of the films because they were very informative.”

Michael Miller, Director of Gallery and Museum Programming, said the Art Gallery recognizes that the El Camino community is “very diverse” and he hopes that everyone identifies with the things the Art Gallery is doing. 

“We are doing this film now because it is Hispanic Heritage Month and this is part of the history of Latino families in Los Angeles,” Miller said.

Dulce Stein, El Camino College Senator of Fine Arts, is the one responsible for bringing the film to the El Camino campus. 

“I think anytime we have the opportunity to learn our history, it’s valuable,” Stein said. “The more that we know our history from an ethnic studies and social justice perspective, the more we can help prevent things like this from happening again.”

Editor’s Note: Article was edited and condensed for clarity on Sept. 22, at 3:38 p.m.