Gentrification: The Displacement and Vanishment of the Echo Park community in Los Angeles, Ca

Gentrification is a topic that has been shut down and disregarded for ages; mostly because it affects those who are silenced through systematic oppression. The negative effects of gentrification are felt widely and deeply by the disproportionate lack of aid for marginalized communities. Unhoused people are criminalized in Los Angeles daily; from their walk to their simple living situations their actions are continuously scrutinized by the law.

On March 24th, hundreds of homeless individuals were kicked out of Echo Park, a booming community known for its trendy shops and beautiful park at its center. The reality is that Echo Park was a community that was created for la Raza and built by la Raza; yet when it came down to it, many individuals who could no longer sustain to pay the high costs of gentrification were kicked out of their second option: the park.

With more than 300 hundred individuals facing displacement at the hands of LAPD, many members of the communities stood in solidarity with the people who had minutes to pack up all of their belongings and exit the park. Across two nights of protesting LAPD, with a whopping 400 officers, deemed the crowd of 200 protesters to be protesting and gathering unlawfully leading to anger and clash with what was humanly right to the so-called laws.

The interaction was a standoff between the police and the community furthering the friction; no solutions or aid was accommodated to the individuals transitioning from the park. For many communities across Los Angeles have been their homes for years, the exponential increase in popularity surrounding Angelino culture has transformed our homes into hubs for influencers to displace the community's very own. For the city to be restored, we must first attack the root of the problem by breaking down the system of inequity to rebuild it. Las Raices Queridas stands in solidarity with the displaced individuals in our community; may their mind, body, and soul be restored, and may we find solutions to the inequity in the world that limits the growth of people of color. The aesthetic of a park or community is nowhere near as worth it as providing shelter to hundreds of people; this is something the community and political leaders must learn to acknowledge.

How can you stand in solidarity with the displaced and unhoused Angelenos:

1. Send a letter or call District 13 Representative Mitch O’ Farrell

2. Donate products to local shelters that are taking in large quantities of displaced individuals

3. Join protests: Housing Not Cops is a trending movement creating Covid-19 Friendly gatherings against LAPD’s actions

4. Keep the social media movement trending #EchoParkRiseUp

@lasraicesquieridas