The Monrovia Heritage Latino Society educates young people about their heritage through photography

MONROVIA (KABC) — A new photo exhibit in the San Gabriel Valley documents the long history of Latinos in the area, including families dating back to the 19th century!

“People see us all as immigrants, but we’re not. Other people are immigrants and we’ve welcomed them. But we have to tell our story so people aren’t confused about who we are,” said Jimmy O’Balles , Monrovia Latino Heritage Society.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, part of Monrovia’s history includes the days of segregation. Since then, Monrovia has changed quite a bit. Some Latino families can trace their ancestry back to the 1880s. The photos show the past; Now and in the future, they work with the school district to educate young people about their heritage.

“Expose our youth to this history and we have partnered with the Monrovia Unified School District and worked with elementary school children through arts and textiles to learn more about historical characters and our Hispanic culture,” said Maritza Flores-Travanti, Monrovia Latino Heritage Company.

“We show the past and future legacy. And the future legacy is very important; hence the artwork of the students who so hope will see these historical photos and also see a little bit of themselves in these photos,” said Henry Caro Olivas, Jr., Monrovia Latino Heritage Society.

Seeing your past to create a better future for yourself and the city of Monrovia.