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GENTRIFICATION IS IN
SOUTH PHOENIX
BY CHARITY HICKS
New beginnings are happening in South Phoenix with
much approval by some and with much dismay by others.
Gentrification changes everything, tearing away the city as
we know it, and bringing a new frontier to an old cultural
center. South Phoenix is home to many of Hispanic descent
with a sprinkle of Caucasians here and African Americans
there. Wealthy Phoenicians want to clear out the rift raft
and re-introduce a subculture of their own creation
consisting of newness, money, and prestige. The folks
inhabiting this region of Phoenix have a view of these
changes that differ from those invading the territory.
Without an excess of money or resources, the citizens of
South Phoenix have built a city with culture and rely on
“making do with what they already have” instead of greedily
seeking more.
As my team (Janelle and Shiva) and I drove through
one particular
neighborhood, we saw the contrast between old and new. The
location was approximately 12th Street and Broadway in an
old neighborhood with bars on most of the doors and windows;
yet right across the street was a section of land fenced off
in preparation for a new sub-division. As we drove slowly
past the old homes many folks were sitting outside enjoying
their day, and they looked at us with eyes that possibly
said “What are you doing in our neighborhood? Are you one of
the many who are coming to change our world, or are you
driving by so that later you can rob us.”
The eyes of our audience looked very concerned and
appeared afraid of the motive behind our drive-by. The folks
lived a casual and slow-paced existence, and they appeared
content with their simple lives. The inhabitants looked at
my team as though we were foreigners, and they also seemed
threatened that someone not of ‘their kind’ was passing
through. A drastic difference in viewpoints was obviously
taking place as my team members and I looked into the world
of this neighborhood with curiosity, and they gazed in
return with fear. |
