December 18, 2024

Continuity and Change: The Fairfax District and What it Tells us about LA. A Conversation with Stephanie Zager, Michaela Esposito, and Ella Kitt

41 minutes

In this week’s episode of then & now, UCLA undergraduates Stephanie Zager, Michaela Esposito, and Ella Kitt join us to discuss the results of their LCHP report on the evolution of the Fairfax District in Los Angeles. The three researchers chronicle the district's rise and decline against the backdrop of the inevitable ebbs and flows of urban change. Influenced by migration patterns, economic development, and demographic shifts, Fairfax’s identity and outside perception have evolved significantly throughout its history. To understand this evolution better, Stephanie, Michaela, and Ella explored the policies and political initiatives within and outside the neighborhood, conducted research in the largely unknown archive of the late ethnographer Barbara Myerhoff, and undertook their own fieldwork within the neighborhood. They conclude by arguing that culturally informed policy is necessary both to honor and acknowledge the cultural history of neighborhoods while also embracing their evolution.

Stephanie Zager is an undergraduate student at UCLA, majoring in History and minoring in Information and Media Literacy. Stephanie currently serves as the Principal Investigator for the LCHP project focused on the Fairfax district of Los Angeles. Her research delves into the transformation of the Fairfax neighborhood, exploring how it has evolved and shifted from its Jewish identity.

Michaela Esposito is an undergraduate student at UCLA majoring in History, with a particular interest in Holocaust studies and Jewish history. Michaela was awarded an undergraduate research fellowship by the UCLA Leve Center for Jewish Studies, in which she had the opportunity to edit and prepare for the publication of a Belgian Holocaust survivor’s memoir.

Ella Kitt is an undergraduate student majoring in history and Russian studies at UCLA and is a member of UCLA’s Russian Flagship Program. She is researching the history of the Jewish community in the Fairfax neighborhood of Los Angeles, delving into the policy roots of demographic change within the district.