For more than 60 years, tourists and locals alike have flocked to Olvera Street for one particular photo: posing with Jorge, the sarape-wearing stuffed donkey. The Mexican donkey cart, known as “La Carreta,” has become part of the city’s cultural fabric, a stop so well-loved that some Angelenos call Jorge “the unofficial mascot of Los Angeles.”
The business dates back to the late 1960s, when it was founded by Richard Hernandez’s parents, Jesus “Don Chuy” Hernandez and Maria Trancito Hernandez. Originally featuring a live donkey named Cirila, the stand later introduced Jorge, the stuffed burro that has appeared in movies, magazines and countless vacation albums.
But the family behind the stand is now locked in a legal battle with the city of Los Angeles over its future. Richard Hernandez, who helps run the booth, says he should have been added to the vendor lease at his mother’s request in 2019. However, after she died last year, he discovered his name was not on the paperwork. Soon after, he received an eviction notice…