Mexico a dominant immigrant force in LA

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- Immigrants from Central and South America countries who have moved to Los Angeles say the Mexican culture is a dominant force in the U.S. city.

Juan Carlos Rivera of El Salvador says he is one of countless immigrants living in the California city that are forced to adapt to the Mexican culture in order to obtain work and build a life, the Los Angeles Times said Monday.

Rivera said he obtained a dishwashing job in Los Angeles by pretending to be Mexican, since the immigration ruse allowed him to fit in better in the city.

Mexicans make up Los Angeles' largest Latino group.

Salvadoran immigrant Jorge Mendoza said population discrepancy is apparent in nearly every aspect of a foreigner's life in Los Angeles.

"It's always Mexico, Mexico, Mexico," the 42-year-old immigrant told the Times. "I turn on the radio and all I hear is Mexican music. If I want to watch a soccer game, I have to watch a Mexican team play."