All LA County Library locations will be closed on Monday, March 31 in honor of César Chávez Day. Our Digital Library is open 24/7.
Sama Sama: Solidarity in the Fields is a short trilingual play that tells the story of three high school students as they discover their cultural identity by learning about the "Manongs" and "Bracero Program." Recommended for ages 12 - 18.
Written by Giovanni Ortega and directed by Daphnie Sicre, Sama Sama incorporates narration, poetry, music, movement, and Eskrima to emphasize the shared narratives of Mexican and Filipino culture. It's a trilingual theatrical production, with English, Spanish, and Tagalog used to amplify this vital piece of history.
This production is presented with support from East West Players, FilAm Arts Teatro, the California Arts Council, the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, the L.L. Foundation, and the Dwight Stuart Youth Fund.
AGE GROUP: | Teens |
EVENT TYPE: | Theatre, Film, & Media | Music & Dance | History, Society, & Culture | Entertainment | Books, Poetry, & Writing | Bilingual |
Willowbrook Library occupies a very special place in the history of the County of Los Angeles Public Library. The Los Angeles County Free Library, as it was then called, was founded September 5, 1912.
On Christmas Eve Day, 1912, the County Librarian received a petition from the residents of the Willowbrook Community, requesting that Willowbrook have the first County branch library. This petition was followed up with a long distance call from Mrs. Belle Jenks offering her services and her home for the purpose.
Both offers were accepted and on April 23, 1913, Willowbrook opened as the first branch library of the Los Angeles County Public Library with an initial shipment of 50 books. The library was open for 2 days in April 1913 and circulated 18 books.
In July 1919, the library was moved to a room in the Post Office at rental of $20.00 a month (later reduced during the Depression to $15.00 a month).
In 1950, a library was built on El Segundo Boulevard but was damaged by fire during the 1965 Watts riots. Rebuilt with community donations and dedicated in June 1966, Willowbrook Library served the community at the El Segundo location until the library was relocated to the Kenneth Hahn Plaza in 1987.
On July 28, 2018, Willowbrook Library opened to the public at its new location: 11737 Wilmington Ave, Los Angeles, 90059.
