Last month marked one year since the Hernandez family jumped into the battle to save their famed photo backdrop, officially known as La Carreta, at Downtown's Placita Olvera. This week, progress was made in the family's ongoing fight to save Jorge, the stuffed donkey that famously graces the stand.
Earlier this week, a court ruled in their favor, the family says, as they were able to beat the city on the initial eviction notice they were served last year, as they were mourning the loss of their matriarch.
The eviction allegedly stemmed from a contract issue. No one else in the family was listed on the paperwork before Maria Trancito “Tancho” Hernandez passed away. When she died, an expiration date was set on the contract.
In July of that year, the Board of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument Authority Commissioners voted to evict La Carreta despite the family and city council's attempts to save it.
Locals consider the photo op with the stuffed donkey one of Los Angeles' many historic landmarks. Supporters are not ready to let the donkey and its memories go easily.
Since the news broke about the eviction, the community has shown up to support the family as they attempt to find a solution to what they feel is an unfair attempt at removing them from the area.
In a joint press release, the family said that the City has refused to provide witnesses for deposition, claiming that they did not represent the Commissioners who run the El Pueblo Monument. This caused the court to rule in favor of the Hernandez family.
However, their fight is far from over.
According to the family's eviction attorney, Daniel J. Bramzon of BASTA Inc., City Attorney Margaret Shikibu clarified that the City would “never stop its efforts” to evict the donkey.
In a press release, he expressed his disbelief over the reasoning behind the city's intent to remove the iconic family-owned business from the area.
“I have to spend time defending a stuffed donkey rather than continuing to fight back the homelessness crisis,” he said. “But the City is just being ridiculous here. Also, I have pictures of my children on that donkey, and I plan to one day have those same pictures of my grandchildren.”
For half a century, the stand has documented the L.A. community and visitors to the city. Artists, politicians, and actors are among those who have taken photos with Jorge, the sarape-wearing donkey.
Many of its customers, like Bramzon, have had their photos taken here when they were children, and many of them continue the tradition, returning years later to take a picture with their kids.
After this week’s win, the fight to save the famed donkey continues; the Hernandez family is preparing for a week-long jury trial that begins on April 28.
“I find the entire situation inexplicable, and I find the waste of resources by the City here unacceptable,” said Bramzon. “Does Hydee Feldstein Soto plan on a reelection campaign based on some sort of anti-donkey platform? It’s not even a real donkey.”
The fate of this historic, family-owned business, that celebrates and represents Mexican-American culture in Los Angeles, remains unclear. Still, the family feels good about the progress they are seeing and refuses to back down.
In an email to L.A. TACO, Nicole Macias, one of the family members, said the ongoing battle goes beyond their business.
“We believe this case highlights broader issues of cultural preservation, equity, and misplaced priorities within our city leadership,” she said.
