Del Mar High School students detailed the injustices and discrimination that prevented people of color from purchasing houses in L.A. County – a process known as “redlining” – during the History Day L.A. competition, held March 9 at San Gabriel High School.
The meticulous research and dramatic student presentations won praise from the History Day judges’ panel, enabling all seven Del Mar competitors to advance to the California State Finals on May 10-12 at William Jessup University in Sacramento.
“History Day L.A. is a tradition at Del Mar and we have high expectations every year,” Del Mar social science teacher and History Day adviser Kady Kloster said. “Del Mar is the only continuation school in the county that participates, and I am so proud of my team.”
The Del Mar historians presented their stories through performance and display art. Senior Alizé Oviedo said the competition allowed her to combine her interest in history with her artistic talent, as well as talk to people who had firsthand knowledge of the redlining process.
“As part of my research, I talked to my grandmother and she told me about how hard it was for her family to find a place to live in this area,” Oviedo said. “The Fair Housing Act helped to end redlining, but people of color still face discrimination today. There is more work to be done.”
Del Mar winners and projects
- Historical Performance Division: Group – “It’s the Place, Not the Race” (Anthony Valdez, Isaiah Subia, Joshua Polanco; Individual – “It’s Up to the Kids” (Andrea Quevedo)
- Historical Display Division: Group – “The Colors that Separate” (Liliana Reyes, Jeannine Saldana); “The Tragic Paths of Progression”(Alizé Oviedo)