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There was a massive gang war between the Cambodian and the Mexicans in long beach. Mexicans or Cambodians dying doesn't grab media/law enforcement attention. Kill one white family and you got task force knocking down every door in that hood. Bangers aren't stupid.
It was touched on in one of those teacher biographical movies starring Hillary Swank. That first generation of Cambodians were placed in the Pueblo Del Rio projects in Los Angeles down towards Long Beach
lol...there's an article about that too.. Cambodians going at it with the blacks in south central.. don't mess with southeast Asian guerilla warriors!
I worked for the city and that was part of my area a few months later. It was before policy was charged aa the local gang sets were identified.
one of the shadiest resettlement programs of any ethnic minorities in the country by the US govt.! these people were granted refugee status after the US govt. broke cambodia's neutrality and bombed the hell out of their country during the war AND supported pol pot's khmer rouge after his regime was deposed by the vietnamese.. but these cambodians are a resilient bunch with a ruthless streak.. so seeing these latino and black gangs pick on them only served to test their warrior character..
I will speak to the Highland Park gentrification. The thing is this, despite being majority Latino...it doesn't feel or seem that way anymore. Why? Because the Hispters essentially took over all commercial space on several blocks of York Blvd sans a few liqour stores. It isn't like the Hispter community moved in, mingled with Hispanic owned businesses, shopped at established stores, etc. They in turn opened their own businesses to their liking, ignored the previous community and has basically displaced them. Now is that fair? Is that wrong? That's up to everyone to decide on their own, but those are the reasons why there is tension, not just for the simple fact of Hipsters showing up or seeing fewer Hispanic people out and about.
I will also say that there are many Hispanic residents in HLP who are happy the neighborhood is being gentrified, crime is down, property up, it's safer....so it certainly isn't all Hispanic residents who feel this way.
Ask yourself this: what if rich Norwegians suddenly moved into a gentrfied area, like Echo Park, and rebuilt it in their image, a total contrast to what is there now-let's say ultra modern McMansions, chain fast food places, suburban type stores/enclosed malls and de-densified the neighborhood...and let's assume the Hipsters were then priced out of moving elsewhere in LA and their only options were places like Palmdale and Victorville or maybe the very most dangerous áreas of South LA. Of course this wouldn't happen, but it's interesting to put yourself in the other person's shoes. It at least creates awareness of the issues and helps to understand why there is tension.
I ultimately think the problem is supply and demand. LA depends on low earning workers but doesn't have housing for them and this problem will only worsen. LA will probably end up like NYC-a formally diverse city becomming more and more for the ultra rich and losing what many people feel made it great because of that. Time will tell.
I will speak to the Highland Park gentrification. The thing is this, despite being majority Latino...it doesn't feel or seem that way anymore. Why? Because the Hispters essentially took over all commercial space on several blocks of York Blvd sans a few liqour stores. It isn't like the Hispter community moved in, mingled with Hispanic owned businesses, shopped at established stores, etc. They in turn opened their own businesses to their liking, ignored the previous community and has basically displaced them. Now is that fair? Is that wrong? That's up to everyone to decide on their own, but those are the reasons why there is tension, not just for the simple fact of Hipsters showing up or seeing fewer Hispanic people out and about.
I will also say that there are many Hispanic residents in HLP who are happy the neighborhood is being gentrified, crime is down, property up, it's safer....so it certainly isn't all Hispanic residents who feel this way.
Ask yourself this: what if rich Norwegians suddenly moved into a gentrfied area, like Echo Park, and rebuilt it in their image, a total contrast to what is there now-let's say ultra modern McMansions, chain fast food places, suburban type stores/enclosed malls and de-densified the neighborhood...and let's assume the Hipsters were then priced out of moving elsewhere in LA and their only options were places like Palmdale and Victorville or maybe the very most dangerous áreas of South LA. Of course this wouldn't happen, but it's interesting to put yourself in the other person's shoes. It at least creates awareness of the issues and helps to understand why there is tension.
I ultimately think the problem is supply and demand. LA depends on low earning workers but doesn't have housing for them and this problem will only worsen. LA will probably end up like NYC-a formally diverse city becomming more and more for the ultra rich and losing what many people feel made it great because of that. Time will tell.
Great post. You could have also mentioned how Hispanics have "taken over" many black and white neighborhoods themselves. More neighborhoods than have been gentrified. It's not a one way street.
Prices for commercial/retail property and residential housing are all market driven. There are things like rent control for some housing in L.A that manipulates the 'free market' to some degree..and there are long retail leases that can delay businesses moving out of the area, but if demand in the area continues and they can't increase business to meet the increase , eventually they will get priced out.
I'm guessing with most of these long time businesses catering to the hispanic community , it's not that their sales went down because the hipsters don't shop there..it's because they are hit with massive rent increases.
Many times I've heard of businesses being priced out because their rent will be going up huge numbers like 2X or 3X
This is because retail leases are usually so many years with small increases each year being typical.
If a landlord can get much more rent,they will most likely rent to the business owner that is willing to pay that higher rent. They are in the business of making money , not running a charity or nonprofit.
Every business owner that is leasing retail space or residential renter that is renting a home needs to realize there is a risk in renting up front.
The way to protect against increases is by buying and getting a fixed mortgage.
Even in areas that don't have this 'gentrification tension' like the Westside , business owners and people have these issues.
Neighborhoods change over time. But, as I mentioned before I wouldn't blame the hipsters coming in, many of whom are likely renters themselves for the demise of longtime businesses, but more the market in general.
Are you going to blame the landlord for being 'greedy' because they want to rent for market rent?
People need to ask themselves, if they owned the building would they accept 50% of the market rent?
If you were selling your car would you be fine with an offer of 50% of the Bluebook value?
"I know you are asking $10,000 for your used car...but I only have $5,000 to pay"
These are the questions people need to ask themselves. It's easy to point the finger and blame the hipsters or greedy landlords. But we are all working within this capitalist system with private property rights..and I don't think that's a bad thing overall.
Think of the alternatives; communism , socialism.
Still a lot of ungentrified areas of L.A that also have a hispanic majority.
It seems unrealistic to think one can rent a business space or housing in an area and expect to be able to just stay there and not be subject to future market increases.
Prices for commercial/retail property and residential housing are all market driven. There are things like rent control for some housing in L.A that manipulates the 'free market' to some degree..and there are long retail leases that can delay businesses moving out of the area, but if demand in the area continues and they can't increase business to meet the increase , eventually they will get priced out.
I'm guessing with most of these long time businesses catering to the hispanic community , it's not that their sales went down because the hipsters don't shop there..it's because they are hit with massive rent increases.
Many times I've heard of businesses being priced out because their rent will be going up huge numbers like 2X or 3X
This is because retail leases are usually so many years with small increases each year being typical.
If a landlord can get much more rent,they will most likely rent to the business owner that is willing to pay that higher rent. They are in the business of making money , not running a charity or nonprofit.
Every business owner that is leasing retail space or residential renter that is renting a home needs to realize there is a risk in renting up front.
The way to protect against increases is by buying and getting a fixed mortgage.
Even in areas that don't have this 'gentrification tension' like the Westside , business owners and people have these issues.
Neighborhoods change over time. But, as I mentioned before I wouldn't blame the hipsters coming in, many of whom are likely renters themselves for the demise of longtime businesses, but more the market in general.
Are you going to blame the landlord for being 'greedy' because they want to rent for market rent?
People need to ask themselves, if they owned the building would they accept 50% of the market rent?
If you were selling your car would you be fine with an offer of 50% of the Bluebook value?
"I know you are asking $10,000 for your used car...but I only have $5,000 to pay"
These are the questions people need to ask themselves. It's easy to point the finger and blame the hipsters or greedy landlords. But we are all working within this capitalist system with private property rights..and I don't think that's a bad thing overall.
Think of the alternatives; communism , socialism.
Still a lot of ungentrified areas of L.A that also have a hispanic majority.
It seems unrealistic to think one can rent a business space or housing in an area and expect to be able to just stay there and not be subject to future market increases.
Yes, but now you are actually asking people to use their brains. This is difficult concept.
Great post. You could have also mentioned how Hispanics have "taken over" many black and white neighborhoods themselves. More neighborhoods than have been gentrified. It's not a one way street.
yes, I would like someone to comment on how hispanics have displaced MANY black citizens in their neighborhoods. This phenomenon does not get ANY attention.
Imagine living in your neighborhood for decades and then having a massive influx of residents come in and open businesses that do not identify to the previous' residents' cultures at all. And the black residents are just having to "deal", while no one really sympathizes with their plight. But yet, everyone feels sorry for hispanics being displaced in one or two neighborhoods in LA. There is no equity in the compassion. If we are going to feel sorry for one group of people, feel sorry for the other.
this is one of the MAIN reasons, we see our Black community in LA dwindling.
Imagine living in your neighborhood for decades and then having a massive influx of residents come in and open businesses that do not identify to the previous' residents' cultures at all. And the black residents are just having to "deal", while no one really sympathizes with their plight. But yet, everyone feels sorry for hispanics being displaced in one or two neighborhoods in LA. There is no equity in the compassion. If we are going to feel sorry for one group of people, feel sorry for the other.
Yup.
It's happening in the better parts of the SGV too...Chinese overwhelming certain areas not traditionally Chinese. There isn't much being said about the people (who weren't poor by any means) being displaced/priced out of those areas.
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