Our beloved community is changing. It is a dramatic change that is steadily altering the demographics and character of our neighborhood. It is a change that bares witness to streams of new faces walking along 24th and Valencia streets and the takeover of once owned Latino businesses by young, white entrepreneurs.
This change is brought on by that venomous plague called gentrification that, in the last 15 years, has gripped our community and has in recent weeks spawned growing tensions.
Take the case of long-time residents Sandra Cuadra and her family who were denied food service at Local’s Corner, a neighborhood restaurant at 23rd and Bryant streets. The incident ignited a throng of public outcry and bitterness toward the owner and its employees.
And for the first time, it brought to the surface the frustration and contempt felt for the changes taking place that pit Latinos against non-Latinos. So, it was brave thing for the Cuadra family to come forward and unmask the racism they encountered.
But if we—Latino and non-Latino—are to coexist, we need to find a way to live together and thrive as a healthy multicultural community. A good start would be for new arrivals to learn as much about our neighborhood as possible. Likewise, new merchants and their employees should seek out cultural sensitivity training—it’s good for business and good for the community.
Additionally, we encourage our readers to come forward with any incidents they consider discriminatory in nature. We welcome your letters and story ideas that shed light on the unfair treatment of Latinos.
Send your concerns to comments@eltecolote.org or contact our newsroom at (415) 648-1045.
To paraphrase the Irish philosopher Edmund Burke: Evil triumphs when good men and good women do nothing.