From La Mirada to a Whites-Only Cult Compound: How One Whittier Area Native's Path Veered Into Extremism

La Mirada, one of the Whittier Area’s suburban communities, is known for its family-oriented neighborhoods, its schools in the Norwalk–La Mirada Unified School District, and its reputation for cultural diversity. But one of its former residents, Eric Orwoll, has drawn national attention for a very different reason: he is now the co-founder of Return to the Land, a private White Supremacist residential compound in Arkansas that accepts only pure white, heterosexual members.

A La Mirada Childhood

Orwoll, now 35, grew up in La Mirada during a time of significant demographic change. In 1980, the city was about 77% White, 19% Latino, and 3% Asian. By 1990, when Orwoll was entering his formative years, that balance had shifted to 64% White, 26% Latino, and 8% Asian. Over the following decades, La Mirada would continue diversifying, and today the city has no racial majority, with Hispanics, Asians, and Whites all making up large shares of the population.

For most residents, these shifts became part of everyday life. But some White students in Southern California suburbs at that time reported feeling sidelined as schools placed greater focus on minority and immigrant populations. Bilingual education programs, multicultural curricula, and diversity initiatives reflected new realities, but they sometimes left White students feeling left out or even blamed for larger social tensions.

It is possible that Orwoll, growing up in this changing environment, experienced that sense of alienation. Years later, when he encountered online commentary about immigration, identity, and racial politics, those memories may have made him more receptive to extremist messaging.

From Musician to Community Builder

After high school, Orwoll studied French horn at the Eastman School of Music in New York and briefly performed with Shen Yun. His personal life took unconventional turns, including work as a livestreaming adult performer. Later, he reinvented himself as a self-taught philosopher, producing YouTube videos on Plato, collective consciousness, and eventually on race and identity.

By the early 2020s, Orwoll had connected with Peter Csere, a former jazz pianist with a controversial history in Ecuador where he was charged with violence against minors. Together, they bought 160 acres in Ravenden, Arkansas, where they founded Return to the Land. Return to the Land

The compound currently houses about 40 residents, with members paying thousands of dollars for shares that entitle them to housing plots. Applicants are screened through interviews, ancestry questionnaires, and even photos of relatives. The founders argue they are protected under provisions of the Fair Housing Act that allow religious or private associations to give housing preference to their members.

Legal experts disagree, noting that both the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and the Civil Rights Act of 1866 explicitly forbid racial discrimination in housing. Civil rights attorneys have called the project a “smoking gun case” of intentional segregation. Although Arkansas is nearly three-quarters White — with about 70 percent of its residents identifying as non-Hispanic White — and leans heavily MAGA Republican, the state has already raised legal concerns about Return to the Land’s whites-only membership rules. The Arkansas Attorney General’s office confirmed it is reviewing the compound after civil rights groups pointed out that racial exclusions in housing are a direct violation of federal and state law. For the Whittier Area, Orwoll’s trajectory is striking precisely because it runs counter to the values commonly associated with La Mirada. The city has long highlighted its cultural diversity, and its public schools continue to reflect a mix of Latino, Asian, White, and multiracial students.

Whittier 360 reached out to the office of La Mirada Mayor Eng to ask for comment on Orwoll’s connection to the city and whether projects like Return to the Land misrepresent La Mirada’s identity. As of press time Friday evening, no response had been received. Nor did we receive any response from the La Mirada Unified School District. Why It Matters

Whether or not the compound withstands legal challenges, Orwoll’s story is unusual: a native of a Whittier Area suburb that has grown steadily more diverse has now positioned himself as the public face of an experiment in racial extremism.

For La Mirada residents, the contrast is stark. The city’s history reflects California’s broader transformation into a multiethnic society. That one of its own would later attempt to move in the opposite direction, toward White supremacy, speaks both to the unpredictable paths individuals take and to the continuing national debates over identity, community, and belonging.