Hot Topic: Eric Garcetti Backs 'Peru Village'

Silver Lake resident, Council District 13 rep and mayoral candidate, Eric Garcetti has been taking some heat on Patch for the motion he offered on Tuesday.

It would designate an area of Hollywood along Vine Street between Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue as "Peru Village."

The designation is similar to others created by the City Councl including Echo Park's Historic Filipinotown south of the 101 Freeway, East Hollywood's Thai Town and West Adams' El Salvador Community Corridor near USC.

Tania Tapia, a second generation Peruvian-American spoke on behalf of the motion Tuesday at City Hall, calling it a way to have a greater impact socially, culturally and economically."

She also noted that it would be a way to give back to the country that had welcomed her parents.

But looking over the comments on the Patch story Tuesday on the topic, we see that not everyone is pleased, suggesting some "pandering" may be going on.

Mary Ledding had this to say:  "I've lived in Hollywood 35 years and am not aware of a large Peruvian community in it. To name Vine street 'Peru Village' is like making it a fantasy ride at Disneyland."

Juliet Montague added: "Traveling east on Santa Monica, all the businesses are Latino instantly! How about we just give Santa Monica EAST of Vine a city sign: Little South America?"

And ,finally, from Al Sanchez: "So a bunch of Peruvians want a whole stretch of a famous street to represent them? Is there anything in L.A. that represents white people anymore? So sick of Latinos and their pushing agendas. And I'm Latino."

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: Bearing in mind that Olvera Street and Chinatown both started as similarly designated "districts" almost a century ago--with architecture to match--what do you think of Eric Garcetti's motion?