#GENTEFIED

#STOPGENTEFICATION

The East Los Angeles community has endured the destruction of their homes for many years now. They have been pushed out of their safe spaces and forced to seek housing elsewhere. 

Gentrification is an important social issue to me because I have family members who have been significantly affected by this issue. They owned a local convenient store which was family owned for many years, but they were told they needed to evacuate the place. The convenient store was their only form of income, which left them to face financial instability. Later, we discovered that the reason as to why they were forced out of the space was because a big chain company was getting ready to establish themselves there. Gentrification affects members of my community. That is because the vast majority of folks in my community are people of color and working class. When they are forced out of their homes and small businesses, they are stripped from the one thing that is helping their families stay alive. When gentrification hits communities of color, they are misplaced and marginalization continues to occur. Many times, these working class folks do not have a plan B to run to in order to continue circulating income and securing a place to call home. 

Gentrification in Los Angeles 

According to the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, Los Angeles is one of the leading cities with gentrification occurring at rapid rates. It is one of the top ten gentrifying cities and have about five million people populating it. Some factors surrounding gentrification include wage, income growth, transit usage and access. 

Gentrifying cities

The People

People like Elvira Barrales and her four children have become victims of gentrification. They lived in a one-bedroom apartment for over 15 years in East Los Angeles. Barrales and her family paid $633 before receiving an eviction notice. As of now, other empty apartments in the same building are being rented for $1,200 a month. Barrales and her family fought the eviction for many months and eventually won, but this was not an easy battle. Barrales shares that in the near future, if they are forced out of their home, they will not have anywhere to go. Their family averages an annual income of about $20,000, which is too little to afford another apartment. 

Elvira and her family outside their apartment.

The Community 

Tacos Michoacán was taco shack located in East Los Angeles for 45 years. This taco shop carried years of culture. The people of East Los Angeles were stripped from their mom and pop shop. The taco shack was open 24 hours, but they were forced out of their location. Gentrification struck and the location was soon used for a new home to Panda Express. The gentrification did not stop there,  about 3 blocks down a convenient store, commonly known was 7-11 was built.

Tacos Michoacán, 2016.

I chose the hashtag #Gentefied, because it emphasizes the important of the people. Gente translates to people. The people of East Los Angeles are being almost erased and forced out. #Gentefied means that there is a change occurring in a low-income area to a higher-income one, by marginalizing folks of lower social classes and allowing those of higher class "in."

Dismantle Gentrification 

One way that we can help combat inequities like gentrification is by incorporating programs such as tax relief programs, which do not allow property taxes to be increase for long term low-income owners. In addition, policies to protect renters can be implemented. This would create stability for these folks.

Works Cited

Ahrens, Mareike. “‘Gentrify? No! Gentefy? Sí!’: Urban Redevelopment and Ethnic Gentrification in Boyle                 Heights, Los Angeles.” Aspeers, no. 8, Jan. 2015, pp. 9–26. EBSCOhost,                                                             search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ahl&AN=111492696&site=ehost-live.

Barton, Michael S., et al. “‘Gentefication’ in the Barrio: Examining the Relationship Between Gentrification and Homicide in East Los Angeles.” Crime & Delinquency, vol. 66, no. 13/14, Dec. 2020, pp. 1888–1913. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1177/0011128719860835.