The tree, a mature bunya pine, grows on the former property of Dr. Okuno,[2] a Japanese dentist and intern in a World War II concentration camp.

After retiring, he took long strolls around East Los Angeles, greeting everyone and amusing the children with storytelling.

[4] Although the rumour was false, it sparked outrage among the locals enough for them to petition the city to "save El Pino from being cut down".

[1] The people of East Los Angeles consider the tree a living monument of the area's multifaceted ethnic background.

[1] The area is known for having the highest proportion of Hispanic Americans out of any city or census-designated place in the United States outside of Puerto Rico.