Melissa Arechiga

Melissa Arechiga is a proud Los Angeles native, born into the resilient Arechiga family—whose legacy is deeply rooted in the lands wrongfully known today as Chavez Ravine. In Chicana/o Studies, her family's name lives on in chapters dedicated to the true blue communities of Palo Verde, La Loma, and Bishop—vibrant Mexican American neighborhoods that existed long before the arrival of the Dodgers.

The “Battle of Chavez Ravine” is the political term now used to describe the erasure and displacement of these neighborhoods, but for Melissa, it is not just history—it is lived memory, inherited resistance, and a call to action.

Melissa is the embodiment of that resistance. Her journey from the streets of Los Angeles to the halls of academia reflects a radical reclamation of identity and purpose. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with double majors and a fierce commitment to justice. She is a community organizer, a truth-teller, and a cultural memory keeper.

Driven by a deep desire to empower, advocate, and uplift, Melissa has dedicated her life to giving back to the very communities that raised her. Strong-willed and visionary, her mission is to grow collective power by connecting and cultivating leadership—especially among women of color.

With her eyes set on Law School, Melissa continues to sharpen her tools to fight systemic injustice. Her path is expansive, her future limitless. She hopes to both preserve and contribute to the powerful brown history of Los Angeles—and to ensure the story of Los Arechiga's is never forgotten.

Board of Directors

Jeannie Arechiga

Jeannie Arechiga was born to Juan and Nellie Arechiga in 1955. Juan is the son of Manuel and Abrana Arechiga. She was born in Glendale, California and raised in Los Angeles, California; specifically in Palo Verde.

She would reside in her family home at 1771 Maliva until May 9th,1959. On this day, her home was violently destroyed, and the entire Arechiga family was illegally and forcibly removed to make way for the boys in blue.

Jeannie Arechiga was one of the few children photographed on that day. One can witness her trauma when viewing these photos, as she and her family are seen being carried out by law enforcement, immediately displaced from her beloved home.

Following the removal, Jeannie Arechiga was placed in a police car with her aunt Lola. Jeannie’s aunt Lola can be seen in the iconic picture of the police dragging her out of her home by all fours. This experience left a lasting impression on Jeannie’s young mind and continues to affect her mental health and well being.

She attended Elysian Heights Elementary school located in Echo Park. A young Jeannie recalls fond childhood memories of her kindergarten teacher Mrs. Ito (mother to Judge Lance Ito; the presiding judge over the OJ trial). She later attained Belmont High and finished high school at San Gabriel Adult School. She then went on to community college, enrolling at Pasadena City College with a major in telecommunications. Jeannie had aspirations to attend UC Berkeley.

Instead she became a mother again, growing her family and obtaining employment as an RTD bus driver in the infamous 1990's. She also drove for Metro and LAUSD. In 2009 she retired to take care of her father, Juan Arechiga, until he finally transitioned.

Currently, she works closely with her eldest daughter, Melissa Arechiga, to preserve their family history. Jeannie serves as a direct source of information verses all the secondary sources that exist; most of which spout incorrect information about their family and the three communities PaloVerde, La Loma and Bishop #NotChavezRavine.

Jeannie and her daughter, along with the village they’ve built, are seeking justice and accountability for the generational wealth stolen from the Arechiga family and the three wrongfully destroyed communities of Palo Verde, La Loma and Bishop #NotChavezRavine by the Dodgers corporation and the city of Los Angeles. Their work is currently fueled by more than their history, as the current state of the city is facing a "housing crisis” under a global pandemic.

The US Census recently declared Brown Indigenous People as the majority, yet far too often we still hear US history from a strictly Black and White perspective.

By discussing the harsh realities of displacement and the effects it has on the people who experience removals, Jeannie Arechiga hopes the sharing of her story and life experiences will help communities learn how to preserve themselves from institutional, systematic racism. By understanding, and teaching, personal and communal rights, and teaching what resources exist, Jeannie hopes to create a brighter future for the next 7 generations, and leave a strong legacy of resistance through education for all to learn from.