Michelle Hernandez

 Michelle Hernandez- The Cost of Living in Los Angeles County

ART 3170 Civic Engagement project

The Social issue

Many people believe that living in California is such a fantastic place to live in. The beautiful weather, the palm trees, the beaches, the famous food like IN-N-Out and Hollywood. There are people from other states to think at California is a great place to live, but they often forget to think about how expensive it is to live here. The cost of living need to considers many factors such as housing, food, transportation, child-care, health expenses, utilities, and taxes.

Research 

The problem of rent cost in the Los Angeles county according to the article called “LA Rental Price Keep on Rising” by Elijah Chiland, an average price of a one-bedroom apartment in the Los Angeles County now stands at $1,775 per month, and for a two-bedroom is an average is $2,235. A one-bedrooms have risen 2.2 percent, while the two-bedroom price has jumped 2.3 percent.

According to the Affordable Housing, the families who pay more than 30% of their income for housing. Many of them have difficulty time to affording necessities such as food, clothing, transportation, and medical care. The family with one full-time worker earning the minimum wage can’t afford the local fair-market rent for a two-bedroom anywhere in the United States. 

The Los Angeles County and Orange County are becoming more expensive to live in.  The rent rose at a fast pace in 14 years according to the Consumer Price Index. The cite the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Orange County Register reports in the increase of 5.8% annual rate last month. It was the highest for the month of July since 2005. In the years 2009-2014 local rents rose an average 1.7% a year.

PERSONAL

This issue affects not only me but our community too. I have been living in Los Angeles County for my entire life know from personal experience how high the cost of living is here. As I get older, I notice that the minimum wage increase so does the prices of everything else, such as food, gas, transportation, housing, child-care, etc. The minimum wage is not enough for families to live comfortably with the high cost of living here. Not only does the high cost of living in Los Angeles County affect me, but also many people who are low-income earners. Like many other students, I still live with my family because it is hard to find a cheap place to live by yourself. You need to save a lot of money, but it is still hard because you need to buy stuff like food, water, etc. Growing up with one working parent sometimes is hard to pay the rent because we also paid for water, gas, food, etc. It's unfortunate to see other families leave California and move to another state and start over because they could not pay the rent here is too expensive. I believe it is time we take some action against the high cost of living in California.

Gathering Evidence In the Cal State LA community
Interview

Moses Lomibao

"I'm 21 years old, and my monthly rent total is around $1,435. I live with my parents in a one bedroom apartment in Korea Town, Los Angeles. Despite living with both my parents,only one of them is eligible to work, so our forms of income are myself and my father, who works out of state in Nevada as a live in care giver. As a student who not only needs to provide for himself, but has family as well, I feel that the prices for housing in LA are a bit unfair and in flated. Especially given the living conditions we are provided as well as comparing the housing prices in other places such as Nevada. Not to mention that our rent slowly increase annually." 

Melanie Calamonici 

"I  believe that rent control within L.A is good, as it increases each year accordingly to wages. However, the rent in LA itself is higher than on the edges of the county which contributes to the high amount of homelessness in LA. Rent control should be more lenient to the people but not to make living impossible." 

Daniel Madrigal

"The rent in Los Angeles county is too high. Los Angeles county is one of the most expensive ares to live in the United States which is unacceptable. More rent control should be put in place in an  effort to create more affordable housing and to control the horsing crisis."

Sources:

Elijah Chiland (2019,August 13) LA rental prices keep on rising https://la.curbed.com/2019/8/13/20804519/los-angeles-rental-prices-data

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development(Who Needs Affordable Housing?) https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/comm_planning/affordablehousing/

2019,August 20 Rent Prices Increased 5.8 Percent in Los Angels and Orange Counties In Julyhttps://abc7.com/realestate/rent-costs-increase-in-los-angeles-and-orange-counties/5481109/

Jared Mandap - Food Insecurity in LA

FOOD INSECURITY IN LOS ANGELES

A detail from "Feast or Famine" /Community Coalition

The evolution of grocery shopping has surely changed over a period of time as the acquisition and types of products that are available make the store experience quite unique. The new quality, availability, and price of grocery shopping has also drastically changed how customers shop and decide. These differences may lead to a change in behavior, choice, and conflict between the income classes. This study analyzes the grocery shopping habits among different families, more specifically among low-class and middle-class families. It questions how the difference in income and class between families affect their shopping choices when at the grocery store. The study will be conducted through observation research. It goal is to increase the amount of knowledge regarding food inequality and accessibility and how it relates to an increase in food insecurity and food inequality in the United States.

Image courtesy of LA Food Bank

 In 2015, food insecurity affected 29.2% of Los Angeles County households with incomes less than 300% FPL, or 561,000 households† ; very low food security impacted 11.3% of households, or 217,000 households 

Research: 

• People of color have faced inequality in wealth and economic opportunity for generations which leads to the harsh reality that they face when it comes to health choices. They are limited and or prohibited to access good resources such as a nice supermarket necessary for them to build self-efficacy. (Burton, Espinoza, Fox, & Flores, 2018)
• This concept of food security emphasizes the concerns of food shortage, the obtainability of food to a population in a specific location. If a supermarket is too far for an individual it can cause them many troubles. It also concerns food poverty, the consumption of no fruits or vegetables with the overlapping factor of poor income.  (Scanlan, 2003)
• Food deserts also affect consumer behavior and the choices they make when purchasing groceries. Placing consumers into two specific categories, disadvantaged and regular customers. (Thomas, 2010)

The New Supermarket:

The problem with these supermarkets is that it is satisfies to a particular type of neighborhood ethic, and also social class diversity. In addition, it also grabs the attention of specific residents to use the store more than other outsiders. Through qualitative gentrification research, race/ethnicity is seen as an important factor in dealing with social exclusion

Personal Interviews: 

Jesus, 22

"As a minority in Los Angeles, my family struggles  on a weekly basis especially with access to food. The grocery stores that my family and I used to go to would provide us with produce and veggies for an affordable price. It wasn't until they got replaced with a Trader Joe's is when we had to travel a little farther for our groceries to find an affordable alternative ."

Ernesto, 23

"As a child, my mother always made sure that we always had delicious food on the table every night, eventually it was getting harder for her to decide what to purchase because of the amount of options and prices to choose from" 

                                      Amanda, 21

"I feel like the food culture in LA has become very much about popularity and Instagram likes. It adds to gentrification because these new cafes with new Instagram worthy foods pop up in smaller, lower income neighborhoods. These businesses run out tenants because the landlords know they can get away with charging new renters more.  it’s also really sad to see parts of your childhood disappear with gentrification because the spots you once loved going to are replaced with dominant wealthy individuals."

Alondra Ortiz

   GENDER DISCRIMINATION 

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SOCIAL ISSUE:

Gender discrimination indicates the unfair rights between 

males and females based on different gender roles,which 

leads to unequal treatment in life. Gender discrimination 

frequently appears in our daily lives and our community. 

This social issue should be discussed in order to induce 

awareness.

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RESEARCH:

Gender and Sex Discrimination in the workplace:  











Workplace gender discrimination occurs in various forms. Gender discrimination is when an employee or a job applicant is treated differently or less favorably because of their sex or gender. Furthermore, because the person is affiliated with any organization or group that is associated with particular sex or gender, even though the words "sex" and "gender" have different meanings, laws against discrimination at work often use them interchangeably.

                                                       



Gender discrimination is also being paid less than a person of different sex who is similar or less qualified than an individual, or who has similar (or fewer) job duties. Typically women get paid less than men. In 2018, female full-time, year-round workers made only 82 cents for every dollar earned by men, a gender wage gap of 18 percent. An IWPR analysis of women's and men's earnings over 15 years found that women made just half (49%)of what men earned. Women, on average, earn less than men in nearly every single 
occupation.

                                                   

Male discrimination in the workplace does occur. One of many examples of gender discrimination in the workplace for males,  In particular, patients in hospitals, medical offices, and nursing homes, may have a bias towards female nurses who are often seen as more caring and nurturing. As a result of this bias towards female nurses, male nurses may not be considered for new positions or work opportunities leading to fewer training opportunities and career development.



                    



Nevertheless, can also occur because of race or ethnicity. For example, a person of color may experience discrimination in the workplace differently than a person from a "superior race or ethnicity".  Also, they can be harassed, paid less, evaluated more harshly, or passed over for promotion because of the combination of 
their sex or race.



                   




The survey - conducted in 2017, Prior to the recent outcry about sexual harassment by men in prominent positions found that women employed in majority-male workplaces are more likely to say their gender has made it harder for them to get ahead at work, 

they are less likely to say women are treated fairly in personnel matters, and they report experiencing gender discrimination at significantly higher rates. 

Gender Discrimination in sports:

Gender discrimination in the athletics industry has been a

long going issue. Women are 

being discriminated due to 

unequal wage, unequal viewership,

 and unequal opportunities between

 men and women. Unfortunately, 

gender discrimination is still 

an issue in the 21st century.

 However, we firmly believe that

 we, collectively, men and women, 

can do more about gender equality 

supporting the promotion of women 

in sports. 

Although approximately 40% of sport and physical 

activity participants are women,

women’s sports receive only 4% of all sports media coverage, according to the statistics introduced by the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport. Also, In a study of four major newspapers (USA Today, the Boston Globe, the Orange County Register, and the Dallas Morning News) women-only sports stories totaled just 3.5% of all sports stories

   PERSONAL EXPERIENCES:
Working as a female security guard, I encountered a significant amount of discrimination due to my gender. For example, most people, especially women, asked to see a male security guard and never really wanted to be assisted by me or the other female securities. It was apparent it was because they felt safer with a man because they are seen as stronger and more robust than women even though we had the same job. I hope that no individual has to go through what I went through.

  COMMUNITY MEMBERS STATEMENTS: 

"I think gender discrimination not only negatively affects women but also men. Gender discrimination always makes women seem as weaker, submissive, and dependent. Which can keep women trying to pursue professional careers in a small box compared to their male counterparts? Whereas gender discrimination puts men in this category where they always have to be strong, independent, and providers, which can be harmful to them because it puts a lot of stress and pressures on them from a young age to their adult lives." 
- Monica Ortiz 





            




"Gender discrimination is the unequal treatment of someone based on that person's sex. I believe everyone should get equal rights regardless of their gender, sex, and background. When it comes to the workplace, a woman should get paid equal to men. women work as hard as men, so why should they get any less."  
- Alberto Ramirez






                                                                    

"Gender discrimination means to me when someone is being discriminated against because of their sex. As a woman, I know it occurs mainly to us. I had experienced gender discrimination when I was working at a restaurant. I was a host, and my male coworkers were busboys. I would do most of their job because they were a bit lazy, and as a hostess, I needed the tables to be cleaned very fast in order to sit customers down. My female manager would always discriminate me, making me take my lunch at the end or sometimes not giving me my lunch, and she would never give me credit and instead give it to the guys and would make me feel less than the guys. I think it's a horrible feeling being discriminated against because of my gender. Just because I am a woman, it doesn't mean I can't do the same things a male can."

-Neyda Rios

                                                                                                        

"Gender discrimination has been an issue since an early age. It is affecting both genders, men and women. I believe it affects self-esteem, making the individual feel like they are not enough. Alternatively, making individuals feel like they can not speak about this civic issue due to feeling less or possible being afraid." 
-Sarai Murillo

REFERENCES

Institute for Women's Policy Research. (2019). Pay Equity & Discrimination | Institute for Women's Policy Research. [online] Available at: https://iwpr.org/issue/employment-education-economic-change/pay-equity-discrimination/ [Accessed 7 Nov. 2019].

Parker, K. (2019). Gender discrimination more common for women in mostly male workplaces. [online] Pew 

Research Center. Available at: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/03/07/women-in-majority-male-workplaces-report-higher-rates-of-gender-discrimination/ [Accessed 7 Nov. 2019].

(Women-s.net, 2019) https://women-s.net/gender-discrimination-in-sports/