In the midst of the 2025 ICE raids and people’s resistance to them, I found myself at the bookstore spinning the rack holding the Images of America book collection. That’s when I saw something rare in that line of books, a group of people that looked a lot like me and the rest of my extended family. The book: Central Americans in Los Angeles, by Rosamaria Segura. 

The very first picture in the book is that of the author’s John Adams Junior High School ID. The name on the card is “Rosmary Segura.” Segura explains how she and her siblings had English names because their mother wanted to eventually move to the United States and figured her kids would have an easier time integrating with “American” names. 

I own several of these Images of America books, including one on the Los Angeles River. Most of the time, I lean into historic landmarks with these books. But when I realized there was one focused on how the people of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and the rest of Central America helped shape the Los Angeles we know today, I had to give it a read. 

Through old photographs provided by the families of the subjects in many of the images, the book illustrates how long our people have been here and how the battles haven’t really changed. There’s a period of the nation looking the other way so long as immigrants keep their heads down and work for meager wages. 

On the flipside, when the economy is not doing too well, immigrants go from being the quiet solution white people ignore to the problem fearmongers love to shout about. The people fight back through protest, resistance, and community. Some are forced to leave, some stay, others replace the ones who were kicked out. And the cycle begins anew. 

If you have Central American roots and wish to see how long Central Americans have been leaving their mark on the city of Los Angeles, this book is a solid and quick read. It’s loaded with images of families, everyday life in Los Angeles, parades, festivals, protests, and more. 

If you’d like to read the book for yourself, use one of the links below: