It has been more than two days since the LA research team shared stories to and informed the MIIS community of our research on poverty, homelessness, and violence in Los Angeles. Our presentation focused on storytelling and drama (skits), recounting stories told to us and situations we encountered. Sticking with what impacted me most, I spoke about the Metro gentrification of Boyle Heights. Sharing what I have learned and how it affected me with 40+ people consisting of faculty, students, and community members was a way for me to honor the citizens of Boyle Heights. Through me, their voices: their information, their feelings, and their perspectives were being shared hundreds of miles away in Monterey, CA. It was as if those who we spoke with were here in Monterey sharing with MIIS what they originally shared with us.
Then, an audience member suggested that we were gentrifying knowledge from Boyle Heights.
I did not fully comprehend this phrase until the next day. As an educated white male, I understand that I am part of the system that oppresses and gentrifies minority populations. Through my shopping habits, where I live, and my career choices, I am either reinforcing the discriminatory system or changing it to be more inclusionary, fair, and equal to all social, ethnic, cultural, and religious groups. The purpose of our presentation was to share our research, to honor those we met and pass on what they shared with us. However, were we truly passing on their information or stealing it to benefit ourselves? Was this public presentation that was meant to give the attention to LA activists upended by our involvement in speaking upon LA’s behalf? Have I gentrified knowledge from LA?
I have reflected upon these questions throughout the weekend and believe I am at a place to begin answering them. Reflecting on my own motives and intentions, I can honestly say that I intended to represent and pass along Boyle Heights’ plight and their perspectives to raise awareness for their cause. However, even good intentioned out-of-town people who move into a lower income area out of necessity can still be contributing to the gentrification of a neighborhood regardless of their intent. Does my telling the stories of Boyle Heights displace this knowledge from this neighborhood and transfer its ownership to myself? Every time I speak about Boyle Heights, my name will always be attached to this information, these stories, these people. Like an essay’s author becomes associated with and overshadows the sources he/she cites, critics argue that my involvement is doing the same to residents in Boyle Heights.
This of course does not sit well with me. I wish to represent and be an advocate for those we heard. I aim to elevate their voices above my own. I give them credit at every opportunity provided to me. It is about them and not me. These distinctions, I believe, does not absolve me completely of gentrifying knowledge, but clarifies my position. Our goals in telling these stories are the same: Save Boyle Heights. Unless, Boyle Heights’ residents change their positions or stop fighting to preserve their way of life, I am not displacing knowledge from this community. I have not stolen their voice, but am rather a reverberating echo of what they initially proclaimed. Power is strongest always at the source and in this I am confident that their voices will continue to be heard directly from Boyle Heights to speak and work against the structures that remain in place to discriminate and exclude them.
