Some Lessons

Hello Everyone:

Yesterday's post on the Bronx had Your Truly thinking about a previous post on surfers.  One of big issues that long time residents have with newcomers to their neighborhood is the lack of respect for the place, its customs and traditions.  When newcomers arrive in a gentrifying neighborhood, they bring with them all the expectations that come with typical suburban neighborhoods: clean, quiet, safe streets, plenty of parking, and other amenities. This is not always the case.  Perhaps the best thing for newcomers is to review the lessons surfers taught us about respecting the neighborhood.

To begin, surfers are territorial to the point of bullying anyone who tries infringe on their space.  Boyle Heights is good example of urban territoriality. Historically, the East Los Angeles community has been home to immigrants from Eastern Europe, Russia, Japan, and Mexico.  Over time, it acquired a reputation for being a gang violence plagued community with failing schools and residents who were living barely above the poverty line.  This reputation began to change as the crime rate dropped and an influx of young Latinos began to move back into their parents' old neighborhood. This created a source of friction between the newcomers who brought with them a badly needed source of revenue and the long time working class residents.

One of the biggest sources of tension has been the opening of galleries, a signifier of gentrification. In May 2016, the non-profit gallery PSSST opened to a chorus of protestors banging on drums and, at one point, lobbing feces at the window before a neighbor called the police.  The harassment continued in person and online as staff and artists were routinely trolled. Eventually, the gallery was forced to close but not before other protests popped up.

The point is the surge in newcomers has the potential to irrevocably alter the character of a neighborhood, drive up the cost of living, and cause displacement. This can result in a critical shortage of affordable housing units.  The Bronx is beginning to experience this phenomena as housing costs have jumped nearly 50 percent and long time residents fear the beloved borough is becoming an extension of Manhattan.  Development along Bronx's waterfront has been cited as a potential catalyst for rising housing costs, leading to displacement. This mirrors the situation in the San Francisco Bay Area: Less-affluent residents are being displaced by rising housing costs.  With them, small businesses and the local culture that made the area so attractive in the first place. 

Another lesson surfers can teach us is the importance of embracing local culture. The Bronx, like parts of the San Franciso Bay Area, is a vibrant borough. Of course, you would not know those if all you did was stay in your own bubble. Make connections with the established community. Get out of the ivory tower and get to know everyone.  Be open to learning and observing the rhythms of the place.  If Yours Truly were to describe to the Bronx, Blogger would use words like vibrant and funky. If you stayed in your own bubble, you would not experience the rich culture and history of the Bronx.  Instead of approaching the Bronx--or any newly gentrifying place--with a suburban mindset, try setting aside all notions of nice quiet neighborhoods with ample parking and embrace urban life. Newcomers to Boyle Heights would also do well to embrace local culture and history.  It can mean the difference between getting along with your neighbors and getting your tires slashed. 

By the same token, long time residents can learn to be more welcoming and inclusive.  Understandably, the prospect of displacement can be a source of tension but it does not have to be. Confrontational tactics, like the ones used in Boyle Heights, can adversely impact a community by driving out potential new businesses that could benefit the community.  By staging protests along "Gallery Row" on Anderson Road, community groups have slowed gentrification in the short run, but the long term results remain to be seen. Bronx natives have a right to be wary of gentrification but are also wise enough to understand that you cannot encase a community in amber.  

This brings up the question of what businesses and developments are appropriate for the Bronx or Boyle Heights?  This leads to another question: how do you encourage new investment with causing displacement and population change?  The answer is with a great deal of sensitivity and community involvement.  At the same time, community organizations must be open to compromise. An all or nothing approach is not going to get the right results.

The surfers can teach us valuable lessons about community. We would be wise to pay attention.