As I sit in my rented out room in Monterey, CA, I marvel that just yesterday I was 321 miles south in downtown Los Angeles. We truly live in a globalized world where we can travel great distances within a matter of hours. The world is more interconnected than ever before. But now that I am back in Monterey and distanced from everything that I have witnessed this past week, am I done with LA and can I move on with the next chapter in my life? I reflect back on my research last week where I visited Central, South, and East LA. I walked around LA Live where the Staples Center is located, Skid Row where homeless and mentally ill men and women reside, and East LA where communities are being gentrified. All these vastly different places are not exempt from interconnection. Policies in one district affect another. Development in another district can be initiated in a separate district and positively/negatively influence a neighboring district. This cause and effect relationship applies to my life as well. I have been connected to certain parts of LA and my actions here in LA will have an effect on the people we met. Being back in Monterey, I can’t stop thinking about Boyle Heights and the structural violence occurring there.
As you can see from this map, essentially all of LA proper is connected. Work and development on one line or even the creation of a new line will affect the entire network, causing variations in traffic throughout the system. These variations have large implications, impacting vehicle traffic, local businesses who lose or gain customers, or crime rates and health of communities. As I shared in my Day Six Blog, our team experienced the economic impact that the LA Metro can have on a community. Empty Metro owned lots in Boyle Heights has caused social unrest in this neighborhood because residents have been ignored during the development process. The development of this neighborhood by the LA Metro has uprooted local businesses and caused private companies and businesses to take their place, inviting outsiders to come in and take advantage of the low income housing. This is the beginning of gentrification.
I do not wish to repeat what I already blogged about, but I want to ensure that the story of Boyle Heights’ residents is told. I have finished my fieldwork in LA, but my work is not done. I have a responsibility to those who took time out of their busy lives to speak with us and share their stories and regardless of the depth and strength, I feel connected with these people. My focus on Boyle Heights is out of personal interest and respect for the individuals we met. They spoke to raise awareness and I hope that I can amplify their voice through my work here in Monterey.
