New Books in History Becky M. Nicolaides, "The New Suburbia: How Diversity Remade Suburban Life in Los Angeles After 1945" (Oxford UP, 2024)
Oct 22, 2025
Becky M. Nicolaides, a historian and author specializing in Los Angeles suburban history, discusses how the Hart-Celler Act of 1965 transformed suburbia. She explores the contrasting responses of four LA suburbs to increasing diversity, from the affluent San Marino to working-class South Gate. Becky reveals how Latino newcomers revitalized neighborhoods and the complexities of suburban integration. With insights into local racial politics and community resilience, she challenges the idea that diversity automatically leads to equity.
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Policy Opened Suburban Doors
- Federal policies reshaped suburbia by removing legal barriers and opening new migration streams after 1965.
- Shelley v. Kramer, the Fair Housing Act, and the Hart-Celler Act together enabled greater suburban diversity.
South Gate's Industrial Rise And Turnover
- South Gate surged as an industrial hub with big plants like GM and Firestone fueling white working-class prosperity.
- When plants closed in the 1970s–80s whites left and Latino populations moved into cheaper housing, reversing decline into growth.
Immigration Can Reverse Decline
- Deindustrialization did not always cause abandonment; population can rise as newcomers seize affordable housing opportunities.
- Latino in-migration often stabilized and revitalized neighborhoods during economic downturns.
