Louis Sahagún first arrived at the Los Angeles Times in his early twenties as a utility worker, sweeping lead dust around the printing machines.

But it was the buzzing newsroom that inspired Sahagún to soon spend his lifetime writing stories about the undiscovered characters and corners of California.

Now after 43 years, he's retiring from the paper, and reflecting on what motivated him to cover a side of the Golden state that remained unknown to many.

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In his 43 years at the L.A. Times, Louis Sahagún reported on everything from the Latino communities of east LA, to the plight of the desert tortoise. And he got his start sweeping floors.

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