Catherine Carrasco, 53, lives with her two daughters and one son in a two-bedroom apartment in an area of Santa Ana that has a high concentration of single-parent families. Though she works, she has barely been able to afford the rent since the passing of her husband in 2010. Here she holds a next-door neighbor’s child, 17-month-old Fatima Leon. See full story(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
Saralinda Carrasco, 16, leans against her mother, Catherine, as they sit under a tarp with neighbor Oscar Lopez, 17, seeking to escape the heat of the first day in July. Catherine knows she is far from being the only single parent here but believes the issue is deeper than culture. “Its probably because of the poverty,” she said. See full story(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
In the late 1970s and 80s, Catherine Carrasco’s neighborhood was known for large parcels of land and lush landscaped yards, but those blocks attracted developers, who tore down homes and built large apartment complexes. Today, the remnants are seen in the single-family homes that dot certain streets. See full story(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
A tarp pulled between two apartment buildings offers some shade on the first day of July. Catherine Carrasco’s daughter Saralinda pulls the curtain closed on their sliding-glass entryway. See full story(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
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Though crime in Santa Ana is down 32% since 2002, the city is usually skipped by the tourists who visit Orange County for Disneyland and South Coast Plaza. To be sure, Santa Ana is not the image that comes to mind when thinking about the sprawling county of about 3 million and its postcard-perfect coastline. See full story(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)