When one enters El Pueblo Historic District from the Union Station side, the first thing one sees climbing up the park steps to Placita de Dolores is the statue of Antonio Aguilar. It is an impressive 10-foot bronze of the 6’1” tall Antonio Aguilar Barazza attired in horseman regalia, atop a prancing steed. Aguilar was a Mexican singer and actor who died in 2007 after making some 120 movies and 160 music albums that sold 25 million copies. Folklore has it that when he arrived in LA from Mexico with dreams of making it big, Aguilar slept on the benches at La Placita Olvera. One can be sure that to this day, Aguilar’s story must be inspiration for legions of immigrants hoping to make the bigtime spotlight. Popularly known as “El charro de Mexico” (or Mexican horseman), Aguilar popularized Mexican ranchera music in the US and even has a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame! This statue at Placita de Dolores was unveiled in 2012. Placita de Dolores dedicated by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, is a small plaza that commemorates Mexico achieving independence from Spain. The plaza is very tastefully done and has masses of brightly coloured blooms adding to its charm. The plaza has a replica of the Bell of Dolores gifted to LA by Mexico. The bell gets its name from the fact that the first ripples of Mexican freedom were felt in the village of Dolores – the bell was rung in 1810 calling patriots to the Mexican fight for independence. This call to arms eventually began the Mexican War of Independence. The plaza also has a mural by Eduardo Carillo called Father Hidalgo in Front of the Church of Dolores.