UCLA

Topanga, Cahuenga, and Tujunga—Sounds from a Rediscovered Local Language

The Words of L.A.’s Tongva Indians Live On

Zócalo’s editors are diving into our archives and throwing it back to some of our favorite pieces. This week: UCLA linguist Pamela Munro shares her efforts to revive Tongva, the original language of Los Angeles.

As Los Angeles fourth graders know (because their curriculum includes the study of California Indians), the original language of Los Angeles is Tongva. This American Indian language (also called Gabrielino) used to be spoken in villages all over the L.A. Basin and, in a related dialect, throughout most of the …

by Pamela Munro |

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This is Your Child’s Brain on Alcohol

Each Year, 40,000 American Children Are Born With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. The Costs of Caring for Them Are Staggering.

by Mary Jane Rotheram-Borus and Mark Tomlinson |

Social scientists have calculated that detrimental effects of alcohol cost the U.S. some $223.5 billion a year. We’re talking health issues such as liver disease, impaired driving, lost work due …

Randy Newman Really Loves L.A.

The Songwriter Talks About His Hometown’s Proud Ignorance, His Fascination with America, and the Darkness and Humanity of His Characters

by Sarah Rothbard |

Randy Newman once told Playboy that although he’s not a confessional artist, he thinks people can still tell what he’s like from his work—despite the multitude of subjects he tackles …

What’s the Difference Between Political Grassroots and Big-Interest Astroturf?

How Corporations—From Verizon to Wal-Mart—Manufacture Citizen Lobbyists

by Edward T. Walker |

In just a few weeks, the Federal Communications Commission will conclude its public comment period over whether Internet service providers can give some packets of data priority—dismantling what’s become known …

UCLA Urban Planner Brian Taylor

What Kind of Moron Is Responsible for L.A.’s Traffic System?

Brian Taylor is director of the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies and Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies as well as a professor of urban planning. Before participating in a …

Eric Garcetti: Rock Star or Bureaucrat?

After a Year in Office, the Jury Is Still Out on L.A.’s Mayor and His Vision for the Future

by Sarah Rothbard |

Is Eric Garcetti a rock-star-in-waiting who has laid the groundwork to make major change in Los Angeles? Or is he a bureaucrat who lacks direction and big vision for the …


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