Becky M. Nicolaides
Historian and author specializing in suburban and urban history; author of The New Suburbia: How Diversity Remade Suburban Life in Los Angeles After 1945 and My Blue Heaven, interviewed here about suburban change in Los Angeles.
Best podcasts with Becky M. Nicolaides
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Oct 22, 2025 • 39min
Becky M. Nicolaides, "The New Suburbia: How Diversity Remade Suburban Life in Los Angeles After 1945" (Oxford UP, 2024)
Becky M. Nicolaides, a historian and author specializing in suburban history, discusses her work on the transformation of Los Angeles suburbs after 1945. She explores how the 1965 Immigration Act reshaped suburban demographics, highlighting the diverse experiences of South Gate, Pasadena, and San Marino. Nicolaides dives into issues of racial integration, economic changes, and community building while sharing personal stories from local families. She challenges stereotypes of suburbs, emphasizing their evolving social fabric and neighborly connections.
Oct 22, 2025 • 39min
Becky M. Nicolaides, "The New Suburbia: How Diversity Remade Suburban Life in Los Angeles After 1945" (Oxford UP, 2024)
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.
