While I’m eating my camarones diablo at Choix near Central Avenue and Broadway he speaks of changes. Around him displays neon colored signs of the Spanish menu, glass Coca-Cola bottles and in the background plays a telenovela.  Alex Garcia is calm and his chummy smile portrays the simple life he leads.  Working for a company repairing, programming and servicing cash registers, Alex works 80 hours a week.  The focus is his wife and children.  He pills out “never drink, never play loud music”.  Alex continues, “I’m not stupid, I want something for my kids and family”.  Unspoken like a politician, the words pour out.  He asked if my classmates and I had seen all the zoning hearings everywhere in South Phoenix (South of the river, between 19^th avenue and 16^th street being the concentration).  Alex wants to purchase property and his money is just as good as an investor.  But I guarantee the South Mountain Village would prefer to see a KB Home versus Mr. Garcia’s brightly colored casa.

            In Hits and Misses: Fast Growth in Metropolitan Phoenix, it is discussed of the fear downtown Phoenix faced of disinvestments.  In the 1980’s Mayor Terry Goddard highly supported $300 million in public funds to downtown via museum, city hall, hotel, and a sports complex.  The effort only pushed the redlining to South Phoenix.

            “The City of Phoenix is moving people out”, Alex proclaims, “we need to get together, forget race, money and religion”.  He would like to see the community join hands and build neighborhoods with concern for the well being of the residents.  In the end, allowing citizens to live and practice their own individual life will boost the economy and perpetuate resources.  But we can’t see the “real” society, we insist on dressing it up with cookie-cutter stucco, a high gated boundary and giving it a new name.  The question though is, who is “we”?  Big money investors, City of Phoenix or perhaps you.

Alex Garcia enjoying lunch at Choix