Agustín Durán | HispanicLA
PARAMOUNT, CALIFORNIA — When Sergio Moreno thinks of Paramount Park, he doesn’t just think of it as a public space with sports fields, but of the nearly two decades he spent with his children and wife playing, coaching, selling and passing on to new generations everything he knows about life and baseball.
Some of the images he treasures most from those years — when he made Paramount Park his second home, from 2005 to 2019 — are those of his now-grown children helping out with the minor leagues. He remembers, for example, when his son Chuy, the oldest of four, returned from high school to teach baseball clinics; or when Coco and Aldo assisted him by giving lessons to six-year-olds, while Sergio Jr. helped referee the little league games.
Sergio participated in the park as a coach and manager of the Paramount Junior Athletic Association (PJAA) baseball league. He also celebrated birthdays and holidays in the company of hundreds of people, friends, and family.
His wife, Araceli, ran the park store to keep an eye on their children: While one trained, the others did their homework under her supervision.
“I always liked sports and played them, but it wasn’t until I got married that I began to see the park as an opportunity to instill a healthy activity in my children,” explained Sergio, 53, who lives about two miles from the park.
“The park is an essential part of our history. My wife would pick up the kids from school and go to the park to take care of the store, while after work, I would head off to prepare the fields, organize the teams, and make sure everything was ready for games and practices,” he continued
This was the Moreno family’s life during the week and on Saturdays. On Sundays, their day off, they would often visit another park or return to Paramount to celebrate a birthday, holiday or event they were invited to.
Now that his sons Chuy (26), Sergio Jr. (24), Coco (21), and Aldo (17) have grown up, and since he stepped down from coaching during the pandemic, Sergio visits the park less frequently. But he is sure he will return, just as he will when a new generation arrives: that of his grandchildren.
The park is part of the heart of Paramount, a city of about 53,000 people where 83% of the population is of Latino origin. It’s located at the corner of Paramount and Rosecrans Avenues, right where the Senior Services Center is located. Every week, about 200 people — many of them migrants — gather there to relax, socialize and dance.
The memories of Yolanda, 60, and her husband, José, 72, are filled with cumbia rhythms. Both are originally from Mexico City, but have lived in Paramount for almost 23 years. Every Thursday, they come to the Senior Services Center, where they dance to different rhythms, although cumbia holds a special place in their hearts.
That rhythm transports them to the land where they met and awakens a sweet nostalgia. Cumbia is their favorite because it brings back personal and family memories, and for that, they are grateful to the city for organizing events that allow them to relive that part of their history.
Yolanda and José were among the dozens of families who gathered on Saturday, April 12 to celebrate Children’s Day at Paramount Park. They arrived at the park accompanied by their granddaughter, just as they had done with their own children during their childhood.
“That’s the beauty of the park: It always hosts family events where parents, children, and even grandchildren can spend time together, creating a series of experiences that remain in the family memory,” says José. “After all, what is life but memories? And that’s what the park gives us.”
Currently, according to the city’s website, the park has two playgrounds for children, exercise stations, baseball and basketball fields, and two small soccer fields. It also has picnic areas, restrooms and a swimming pool.
The park is full of life: Classes, workshops, and sports activities are held daily. The green areas are also used for dog walking, exercising, or simply relaxing, becoming a gathering place for residents of Paramount and the surrounding area.
During the Children’s Day celebration, Mayor Peggy Lemons emphasized the importance of the event and the significance children have for the city: “This event is so special because children are celebrated for their joy, their kindness, and the hope they bring to the world. You are the future of Paramount, and I hope you enjoy all the park’s activities.”
If there’s one thing Laura Gaeta — an immigrant, mother and Paramount resident — is grateful for from her parents, it’s for instilling in her a love of sports and the value of family time. Celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, graduations or any other occasion that brought loved ones together to eat, play and enjoy themselves always took place at Paramount Park.
That tradition is something Laura wants to pass on to her seven-year-old daughter Amy. Today, while Amy practices swimming, her grandmother exercises, and Laura takes advantage of the opportunity to take yoga classes, the three generations continue to strengthen those family ties in the same park.
“Spending time with family in the park is priceless,” said Laura. “Being with loved ones, celebrating a birthday or playing board games like dominoes and lotería are moments that last forever.”
Laura was born in Mexico, but has lived in Paramount since she was seven, just a few blocks from the park. Since then, the park has been an extension of her home. Every week, her family gathered there to watch her father play or cook a barbecue with uncles, cousins, and friends.
“Since I was eight, my parents celebrated all my birthdays at the park,” she recalled. “And since my daughter was born, we celebrate hers there every year.”
She added that since the 1980s, when she moved to the city, she has witnessed the many changes the park has undergone: new swings, renovated games, updated structures. All she asks now is for more benches near the children’s play areas.
She also mentioned that there are so many activities at the park that even her dog participates: The city organizes pet vaccination fairs, which she considers a great gesture.
And with June 16th approaching — her daughter’s birthday and her own — plus her older brother’s birthday the following day, she already has a good idea of how they’ll celebrate.
“I think it will be a great party to enjoy with loved ones,” she said with a smile.
Paramount Park is located at 14400 Paramount Blvd. For more information, call 562-220-2121.
This story was produced by American Community Media in collaboration with the Laboratory for Environmental Narrative Strategies (LENS) at UCLA as part of the Greening American Cities initiative supported by the Bezos Earth Fund. Read more stories like this by visiting the Greening Communities homepage.
