The Tamale opened in 1928 along a stretch of Whittier Boulevard that catered to motorists driving into and out of East Los Angeles. Programmatic architecture is a type of architecture designed to grab your attention and come in familiar as well as unusual forms. These buildings were a popular style and an important aspect of Southern California’s vernacular and identity between 1918 to 1941.

When The Tamale in East Los Angeles was constructed in the 1920s, buildings were sparse along its stretch of Whittier Boulevard.  With a burgeoning Mexican American population in the area, the original owners of The Tamale must have envisioned a natural fit for their restaurant, which served Mexican and American foods inside of a giant tamale that beckoned the attention of all passersby.  Today, nearby merchants use the building as a reference point to let their customers know where their own businesses are located.

Examples of programmatic architecture in the city and county of Los Angeles are exceedingly rare as new developments replace this style of architecture that was once synonymous with Southern California’s car culture. Listed in the California Register of Historical Resources in 1994, The Tamale building qualifies as a historical resource should a development project be proposed in the future.