Gentrification in Highland Park
Over the years, Highland Park has opened more yoga studios and coffee spots than ever before. It started with remodeling, maybe a few more apartment complexes, building over empty lots, but has now escalated into an expensive community pushing out generations of people who have lived here their entire lives.
Highland Park used to be a place where you could walk down the street to a liquor store for any convenient necessities and now the only stores available are the ones that offer you a free trial to a yoga class but then charge $170/hour, overpriced thrift stores, or a quiet coffee shops full of eyes that stare you down as you're passing through. I took the opportunity to talk with my community and converse with people to see what they're thoughts on this issue were. Our struggles might not be the same, but the problem remains. KCET brought attention to this argument by posting a discussion on their website where scholars went head to head on what gentrification has done to the Northeast LA communities. Jose Fernandez, an ELACC organizer, says, "Neighborhoods experiencing reinvestment are still segregated. There are misconceptions about neighborhood safety..." People want to believe that gentrification causes a decrease in crime rates, however, implementing expensive stores and apartment complexes does not mean there's a correlation with crime declination. The only thing gentrification has caused is tearing families and businesses apart for a long time and our call to action is to start supporting family-owned businesses that have remained consistent in Highland Park for decades.
"In a way, gentrification has helped me. I was able to find a job as a dishwasher at a time when I needed it the most, but after a year working with them, my boss refused to give me the raise I knew I deserved. It's expensive restaurants like these that attract a certain demographic of people that can afford these high priced menus - also known as the privileged. They're also the reason rent increases within the community and forces natives to move out of their homes."
-Osvaldo Acosta, 22
Highland Park Resident of 13 years
"It sucks culture wise because of the hipsters bringing in more cops and creating paranoia with those who have been here forever. Smoking is legal, but it's still frowned upon and I don't feel like I can do anything in peace with my friends anymore. People are taking our homes and all the prices are going up, to be honest. The new businesses that are now here are way too expensive and the smaller businesses that I was able to afford aren't even there anymore."
-Oscar Mora, 20
Highland Park Resident of 16 years
Sources
"Bringing Attention to Gentrification in Highland Park" KCET. N.p., 2018 Web. 2 Nov. 2018.
"Bringing Attention to Gentrification in Highland Park" KCET. N.p., 2018 Web. 2 Nov. 2018.
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