The Entrance: Pacoima’s Story by Crystal Jackson | Pacoima & San Fernando Valley History

Author and historian Crystal Jackson uncovers the remarkable history of a Southern California community whose story mirrors many of the struggles, transformations, and triumphs that have shaped America.

Long before Pacoima became part of Los Angeles, the land—once known as Pacoinga—was home to Native people whose lives were forever altered by Spanish colonization and the Mission era. Over generations, Pacoima would evolve into one of the nation’s distinctive suburban minority communities, shaped by Native, Latino, Black, Japanese, and White residents who repeatedly challenged the social and racial barriers of their time.