I think swap meets are some of the most "LA" places that exist. They are the product of Latino, Asian and Black people sharing space (and fighting for it) over decades. https://twitter.com/frankshyong/status/1285270131082293250

Outdoor swap meets emerged from the flea market tradition as Latino immigrants settled in the U.S. in the 1970's, coinciding with the decline of drive in movie theatres. Swap meets took on the feel of tiangui in Mexico as cultural goods became available.

Indoor swap meets in Los Angeles emerged after investors fled impoverished neighborhoods in South LA and left vacant real estate, which Asian, mostly Korean immigrants turned into swap meets. A expansion in Asian exports in the 1980's helped supply swap meets with goods.

Black culture has a huge influence on what's offered in swap meets because so many are located in Black communities, and a lot of early west coast hip hop relied on connections made at the swap meet. But some see the businesses as taking money out of the community.

There's much so much I couldn't fit in this piece, and I'm planning to write more on swap meets. Thanks to @JamesRojas @ednaledesma and Edward Chang for their reearch.