Latino Walk of Fame Planned on Eastside

Hollywood has its Walk of Fame. Watts has the Promenade of Prominence. And notable names are now being emblazoned on East Los Angeles sidewalks with the creation of the Latino Walk of Fame.

The first plaque was placed on Whittier Boulevard recently, honoring the Whittier Boulevard Merchants Assn., organizers of the Latino Walk of Fame.

Cesar Chavez, founder of the United Farm Workers union, will be the first person to be honored. Organizers said they hope to have Chavez’s plaque in place by summer.

Unlike the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which focuses on the entertainment industry, the Latino Walk of Fame is designed to honor people who have contributed significantly to the Latino community. Inclusion on the walk will be open to people of all nationalities, said the walk’s chairman, Riad Abboud, who is of Lebanese descent.

Plans are for 230 plaques to be installed along Whittier Boulevard from Atlantic Boulevard to Eastern Avenue. Among the first group to be honored will be Jaime Escalante, the former Garfield High School teacher who was the subject of the film “Stand and Deliver,” former U.S. Rep. Edward Roybal and actor and community activist Edward James Olmos.