Photo by Miguel A. Amutio on Unsplash
Gentrification is defined by Oxford Languages dictionary as “the process whereby the character of a poor urban area is changed by wealthier people moving in, improving housing, and attracting new businesses, typically displacing current inhabitants in the process.” The issue itself is a convoluted, niche topic with people arguing both for and against it, along with a widespread misconception of what it actually is. Even so, the bottom line is clear: gentrification is a real problem in today’s society. Not as loud and alarming as other societal challenges, but nevertheless, a silent killer that slowly saps away the culture of an area, dilutes its identity, and forces out its people.
Los Angeles is a diverse melting pot of numerous heritages. From the Mexican American presence seen in the city’s Olvera Street, to the California African American Museum on 600 State Drive, numerous backgrounds have combined to create the unique culture found in LA. Little Tokyo is a premier example of a cultural hotspot, an area with a rich Japanese American history and one of the last three remaining Japantowns in the United States. However, even with its cultural significance and importance, the area is now in danger of closing down forever. On a 2024 list of the top 11 most endangered historical locations in the United States, the National Public Radio (NPR) ranked Little Tokyo amongst sites such as the Wildnerness Battlefield Area in Orange County and the Minute Man National Historic Park. Although the area may seem
bustling today, it has faced significant shrinking since its early days. The area began as a community of Japanese immigrants, and over time, it grew into the home of thousands of Japanese Americans. After Executive Order 9066, however, the area turned vacant due to the sudden uprooting of its residents, until a labor-seeking African American community soon took its place. This led to the area becoming “Bronzeville”, a hotspot for Black culture and the home of thousands of African Americans seeking wartime jobs. After the war’s end, however, the area gradually returned to being Little Tokyo, as wartime jobs closed and returning Japanese Americans bought out Bronzeville business leases. Even so, the area never quite returned to its former glory, as the number of blocks in Little Tokyo plummeted from 150 to two, while its population has dropped from around 35,000 to a little over 1,500.
Today, although not as drastically as before, the area is continuing to shrink due to another reason: gentrification. Although gentrification may not seem that negative to people unfamiliar with the topic, the reality is it really does do permanent damage to an area. Rather than add to the culture of an area beneficially, it replaces the culture, traditions, and identity of an area, encouraging changes such as rising rent prices and the replacement of small businesses. Take Suehiro Cafe, for instance, a beloved community business that served its customers on 1st Street for over 30 years. According to ABC 7, although the legacy restaurant was a part of Little Tokyo’s history, the owners were evicted after being unable to pay the new lease, which sharply rose from a monthly rate of $6,500 to $10,000. Aside from just the closure of a business, the eviction also marks a valuable piece of history ripped from the streets of Little Tokyo.
“I used to bring my grandmother here twice a week, every week for many years,” said customer Nicole Bushnell in an interview with ABC 7 News. “My mother loves the house special.”
Still a rustic restaurant with many memories from residents of the area, the closure of the cafe marked both a cultural and personal loss for many in the community. However, while the closure of Suehiro caught the attention of multiple news outlets and attracted public outcry, many more legacy businesses have silently faded into obscurity, their voices quiet and unheard under the pressure of a gentrifying LA.
Aside from just culture and character, there is another factor of an area that truly makes it what it is: the people. Due to its ever-consuming nature, however, gentrification also targets the population of an area, particularly in low-income neighborhoods and places where rising leases and rents can shift a location’s entire demographic. For example, in the neighborhood of Harlem, New York, is en route to completely revamp the area, turning it into a collection of condominiums, nightclubs, and soul food buffets. While a few have welcomed these changes as signs of progress and an improving area, many others fear the future prospects of what the changing age may bring. According to nonprofit organization Humanity in Action, just based on the initial claims and promises, proponents say how over 9,000 new jobs will be created, while studies have revealed that as many as 71 African American-owned businesses and their 975 workers could be displaced. Although Harlemites have agreed that the area has needed to progress and move forward, they also fear what will happen to them as the streets continue to shift and contort. Another symptom of this wave of gentrification has been the sharp increase in rent prices for poorer residents living paycheck to paycheck in apartments. If the area continues to grow and attract a new, wealthier population, landlords may evict their previous tenants in favor of larger profits from a new wave of renters. This could lead to the displacement of the area’s current African American population, and so far, this issue has already shown up in the past decades of the neighborhood. From 2000 to 2005, 32,500 blacks moved out of the neighborhood, while 22,800 whites moved in, with many arguing that the drastic change was caused by rising rent. With tens of thousands of people displaced and the area’s soul slowly being sucked away, the cost of progress is beginning to wear on the residents of Harlem.
While gentrification may seem like a looming threat that runs alongside progress, people have found ways to counteract the issue and protect the more vulnerable areas of a community. These methods can range widely, but all center around the same goal: to stop or slow the spread of gentrification. Some deal with issues and use ways more rooted in the system of government, by advocating for specific policies, suing developers in the court of law, and helping communities to forge their own future, such as Takeroot Justice. Others utilize more community-based methods, gathering members of a community to advocate through protests, petition drives, and campaigns, all designed to gather the voices of the people to push back against development, such as the Community Movement Builders. Finally, some organizations solely focus on the voices of smaller businesses, rallying them together, offering protection, and preventing their displacement, such as the Small Business Anti-Displacement Network and the Small Biz Hype Squad. Both are examples of organizations that support legacy and immigrant-owned businesses in gentrifying neighborhoods and work to maintain, support, and preserve the culture that lives on through their presence. Of course, there are countless other ways that people have found to advocate and push back against gentrification, such as educating people, adopting alternative ownership models, and more, as the fight against its spread continues.
While gentrification continues to silently claim more areas across the nation, its slow onslaught still can be intercepted in many places. However, this doesn’t mean that the process of stopping it will be simple. Gentrification is a multi-layered issue with roots tracing back directly into how parts of our society function, and while it may shatter the identity of an area, the other changes it brings, such as renewed infrastructure and economic growth, cannot be entirely ignored. Even so, between all of these layers, there is a solution. One that lies between progress and people losing their homes. One that lies between evolution and eviction. One that ties together what has been and will be to create a better now. And when that balance is struck, then that is the sign of true progress within our society.
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