El Pino () is a large

bunya pine ''Araucaria bidwillii'', commonly known as the bunya pine (), banya or bunya-bunya, is a large evergreen coniferous tree in the family Araucariaceae which is Endemism, endemic to Australia. Its natural range is southeast Queensland with two ver ...

located on the southeastern corner of Folsom Street and N. Indiana Street in

East Los Angeles East Los Angeles (), or East L.A., is an unincorporated community and census designated place (CDP) situated within Los Angeles County, California, United States. According to the United States Census Bureau, East Los Angeles is designated as ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. The tree overlooks the Wellington Heights neighborhood of East Los Angeles and the

Boyle Heights Boyle may refer to: Places United States * Boyle, Kansas, an unincorporated community * Boyle, Mississippi, a town *Boyle County, Kentucky *Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, a neighborhood Elsewhere * Boyle (crater), a lunar crater * 11967 Boyle, ...

neighborhood of the

city of Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Southern California. With an estimated 3,878,704 residents within the city ...

from atop a small hill.

History

The tree, a mature

, grows on the former property of Dr. Okuno, a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

dentist A dentist, also known as a dental doctor, dental physician, dental surgeon, is a health care professional who specializes in dentistry, the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. The dentist's supporting team aids in provi ...

and intern in a World War II concentration camp. Following release, Dr. Okuno received the land as a gift from an Anglo lady with whom his wife worked. There he rebuilt his business and amassed a huge library. After retiring, he took long strolls around East Los Angeles, greeting everyone and amusing the children with storytelling. Dr. Okuno is listed in the California Who's Who. On Día de los Inocentes in December 2020, an online rumor spread that a

real estate developer Real estate development, or property development, is a business process, encompassing activities that range from the renovation and re-lease of existing buildings to the purchase of raw land and the sale of developed land or parcels to other ...

was planning to fell the tree as part of a new housing development. Although the rumour was false, it sparked outrage among the locals enough for them to petition the city to "save El Pino from being cut down". Art Gastelum, a local resident who owns the property on which the tree stands, reassured locals that he has no intentions to develop the property.

East Los Angeles landmark

The people of East Los Angeles consider the tree a living monument of the area's multifaceted ethnic background. The area is known for having the highest proportion of Hispanic Americans out of any city or

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

outside of

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

. In recent years, the tree has also become a symbol of community resistance to the

gentrification Gentrification is the process whereby the character of a neighborhood changes through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents (the "gentry") and investment. There is no agreed-upon definition of gentrification. In public discourse, it has ...

of their neighborhood.

In popular culture

El Pino is extensively featured in the 1993

Taylor Hackford Taylor Edwin Hackford (born December 31, 1944) is an American film director and former president of the Directors Guild of America. He won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for '' Teenage Father'' (1979). Hackford went on to dire ...

movie '' Blood In Blood Out''.

References

{{reflist Individual pine trees Individual trees in California Landmarks in Los Angeles Natural history of Los Angeles County, California Boyle Heights, Los Angeles Eastside Los Angeles

History

East Los Angeles landmark

In popular culture

See also

References