Cultural Division in Los Angeles
Anais Singh
City of Angels F/G Period
October 12, 2019
Cultural Division in Los Angeles
Something we've discussed in class is the diversity of cultures within Los Angeles, but also the
obvious divide and separation of these cultures. We all know that Olvera Street is home to Mexican
culture in LA, Chinatown is Chinese, and Little Tokyo is Japanese. But there are also so many other
communities that are not nearly as well known, such as Little Bangladesh in Central Los Angeles,
Artesia, near Cerritos, and Little Armenia which is located in East Hollywood. Many who visit places
such as Olvera Street do it to learn about and appreciate other cultures, yet seem to leave many others
out. A topic we touched on in class is if it is the responsibility of these Angelenos to go out of their way
and learn about each culture possible or pick and choose what they would like to do. Do you think that
if one decides to visit one community and learn about that one culture, they must do the same for all?
obvious divide and separation of these cultures. We all know that Olvera Street is home to Mexican
culture in LA, Chinatown is Chinese, and Little Tokyo is Japanese. But there are also so many other
communities that are not nearly as well known, such as Little Bangladesh in Central Los Angeles,
Artesia, near Cerritos, and Little Armenia which is located in East Hollywood. Many who visit places
such as Olvera Street do it to learn about and appreciate other cultures, yet seem to leave many others
out. A topic we touched on in class is if it is the responsibility of these Angelenos to go out of their way
and learn about each culture possible or pick and choose what they would like to do. Do you think that
if one decides to visit one community and learn about that one culture, they must do the same for all?
Los Angeles is the 22nd most Ethnically diverse city in America, but it is not exactly a mixing pot;
Throughout the city you find pockets of communities in different areas, separating and preventing their
mixing. On one hand, one could argue that this keeps cultures distinct and alive, and if all communities
meshed together, the lines would become blurred. On the other hand, some believe that it is important
for all of us to fuse together, and that this would lessen the class differences between each community
if we were all one. What are your thoughts and opinions on this? Do you think it is more important to
preserve culture and keep them more separate, or would a "melting pot" create a better
environment for the city?
Throughout the city you find pockets of communities in different areas, separating and preventing their
mixing. On one hand, one could argue that this keeps cultures distinct and alive, and if all communities
meshed together, the lines would become blurred. On the other hand, some believe that it is important
for all of us to fuse together, and that this would lessen the class differences between each community
if we were all one. What are your thoughts and opinions on this? Do you think it is more important to
preserve culture and keep them more separate, or would a "melting pot" create a better
environment for the city?
Personally, coming from an Indian background, I had never even visited the city of Artesia, a large Desi
community in Los Angeles County, until just this past year. A city filled with Indian restaurants, shops,
music, and people, it brings the essence of South Asia to Los Angeles. My visits to Artesia are bound
to result in my purchase of a new lehenga (Indian dress), lots of delicious food, and some Hindi
conversations with the locals. I love the fact that the culture and traditions of India are being kept alive
in a Western, urban city, however, I haven’t spent an equal amount of time in other communities of
Los Angeles, and I believe it is important for all of us to expand our views and visit these other areas
of the city!
community in Los Angeles County, until just this past year. A city filled with Indian restaurants, shops,
music, and people, it brings the essence of South Asia to Los Angeles. My visits to Artesia are bound
to result in my purchase of a new lehenga (Indian dress), lots of delicious food, and some Hindi
conversations with the locals. I love the fact that the culture and traditions of India are being kept alive
in a Western, urban city, however, I haven’t spent an equal amount of time in other communities of
Los Angeles, and I believe it is important for all of us to expand our views and visit these other areas
of the city!
I think people should want to expand their perspectives and learn from multiple different cultural communities. Learning from many different cultures is enriching and beneficial to creating a more empathetic, caring society. I also think that ethnic studies should be included in all schools’ curriculum so that students get exposure to different cultures from a young age. When people learn about others' culture it creates solidarity and breaks the ‘us vs. them’ mentality that is so prevalent in American society today. I think people should live wherever they feel most comfortable and connected with. We should not force people to separate from their ethnic community, and we should not force people to separate from their multi-ethnic community. There are benefits to living amongst people from the same culture and there are benefits to living amongst people from different cultures.
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ReplyDeleteAs a white person who has a poor connection with my French, Scottish, Irish and array of other European cultures, I find it difficult for me to be the one who says whether or not we should preserve cultures by building communities which function under the "status quo" of those cultures or whether we should create a melting pot out of Los Angeles. There are both positive aspects and negative aspects to either side of the argument. For example, the conservation of cultures by building communities centered around individual cultures is incredibly important to some people. Many immigrants find comfort in the fact that there are certain places in Los Angeles where they can find and live with people who come from their country of origin. It makes home feel less far away. The negative aspect of divided cultures is that it does not allow certain people to easily assimilate to Los Angeles's dominant culture. Also, places like Olvera Street, Little Tokyo, and Chinatown create a spectacle out of cultures. These places romanticize the cultures and don't accurately submerge outsiders into the communities which stem from the showcased cultures. I also think that these culture divisions further alienate communities by emphasizing how different they are from the dominant culture of Los Angeles. On the other hand, there is the idea of the melting pot. A positive aspect of the melting pot is that it unites the people of Los Angeles. No one is an outsider because no one is making barriers which separate them from the rest of the Angelenos. Even that positive side of the melting pot is idealistic thinking though because it comes from the assumption that Los Angeles is free from racism. Also, people will eventually start to lose touch with their cultures which is not a positive for many. I've completely lost touch with my Irish and Scottish roots due to my assimilation to the dominant culture of Los Angeles. Lastly, shouldn't people be proud of what makes them unique? By making Los Angeles a melting pot, many people would lose pride in their cultures. Also, the melting pot would make Los Angeles extremely bland.
ReplyDeleteI think that in theory, people living in Los Angeles should be open to respectfully exploring many cultures in different ways, but I don't think it should be an expectation that if you learn about one culture you MUST learn about all others. I think that forced multiculturalism can be problematic at times because I think it creates a very surface level, possibly based-in-stereotypes understanding of different cultures instead of taking the time to really understand one group of people and what they've gone through. I'm not exactly sure what I think about the whole melting pot idea. Like Aidan said, I can see both sides to it. I'm not sure if completely "melting" together and essentially abandoning all cultural divides is the way to do things, because divides are not inherently negative. I know a lot of people enjoy having a space and a community where it is solely comprised of people they can relate to on some level or another, so completely melting all cultures in LA together would eradicate those spaces for those who value them. On the other hand, having complete cultural divides creates a lack of cultural understanding and in a way segregates the city, so I think there has to be a middle ground that is neither one of those extremes.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion I feel like aside from the importance of visiting different cultural hot spots in LA more should be done to learn about the culture that lives there. Going to little Bangladesh, or Olvera street can be the first step to learning more about the cultures that make up LA but interaction with those people, investing oneself in the culture through learning about their history, perspectives, and experiences in and outside of LA can help one appreciate that culture over understanding and experiencing it. Im not sure how the fusion of cultures in LA would work, as you said the city is less than a melting pot when it comes to diversity, many of the ethnic and religious cultures in LA are separated into their own neighborhoods and the blending of these cultures would be difficult. Even if there was a more homogenous cultural landscape in LA the class divide in my opinion would remain the same or increase more. The wealthy tend to stick around with the wealthy unless prompted otherwise by some enticing incentive.
ReplyDeleteI think that Anais brings up a really interesting point here about Angeleno citizenship and the unspoken responsibilities that come with it. As a white person, I personally can’t (and shouldn’t ever) speak on behalf of ethnic minorities in LA, saying that one particular group needs X and another needs Y. However, from a place of privilege, I would say that when engaging with other cultures/groups as someone who is not a part of that specific culture/group, you need to have a certain level of positive intent and authenticity. In her post, Anais posed this difficult question: "Do you think that
ReplyDeleteif one decides to visit one community and learn about that one culture, they must do the same for all?” My gut response to this question would be yes — yes, because all cultural groups/communities deserve equal respect and recognition. Although I definitely still believe in this sentiment, I think that what is most important, especially in a city like LA where there are so many different cultural groups/communities, is the motive and execution of one’s own cultural engagement. For example, I have studied Mandarin for seven years now and have engaged with LA’s Chinese-American community a number of different times, mainly in Chinatown and in San Gabriel. In answering Anais’s aforementioned question, is it my moral responsibility as an Angeleno to engage as much as I have with the Chinese-American community with other ethnic groups? When thinking about the question through the lens of my own experience, I would say no, not necessarily, because my cultural engagement with the Chinese-American community is much more genuine than engagement with other cultures might be. In general, I think problems arise when cultural engagement feels like more of a requirement than anything else. Lastly, to answer the question of cultural mixing vs. cultural separation, I would argue that a city is best when it has a little bit of both. Cultural mixing is essential for any place because it allows for the exchange of ideas and just general growth and maturation for everyone in the community, while cultural separation is essential for people of minority groups to have small, affinity-like spaces where they can feel at home and less isolated.
I think one of the interesting parts about Los Angeles’s diversity is that there is so much culture to experience if a person wants to, but if a person never wants to travel outside of their bubble, it’s incredibly easy to live life without ever truly experiencing the differences in food, music, languages, and backgrounds many Angelenos have to offer to the city. Obviously, diversity, understanding, and experience are all very important in order to have a dynamic view of the world around oneself, but I also think it’s important to recognize the power of the diaspora to many communities. Although homogenous communities raise red flags when considering if Los Angeles is truly achieving diversity or if its levels of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic variation exist only for those communities to be further ousted by other Angelenos, I’d argue that communities with metaphorical walls can actually feel extremely safe for those inside them. In my personal experience, this relates to the Jewish diaspora; my great great grandparents moved to the United States from Eastern Europe with a huge Jewish diaspora, a migration that is now documented in U.S. history textbooks. Many of these large changes and shifts in world history wouldn’t have happened if people hadn’t had the support and relief that being a part of a community, and only that community, offers.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that it is valuable for people to learn about other cultures, but I do not think it should be required for people to learn about every culture because they learned about one. I think if everyone was required to learn about every culture nothing would change. People who actually wanted to learn about other cultures would, and those who didn’t wouldn’t. I believe one thing that makes learning about new cultures so special, is that someone willingly took time out of their day to experience a different culture. By making it a requirement for people to learn about new cultures, I believe learning about a new culture would become no different than studying for a test. I think there are benefits to living in a “melting-pot” community, but I also understand that there are benefits to cultural divisions. The “melting-pot” community would promote integration of all races, but the divisions of cultures provide comfort. I think a middle ground between the two would be best. The best community would have a place where everyone can feel comfortable by being with there own culture, but also a place where people can interact with other cultures. Ultimately, I believe that the integration of cultures should happen naturally.
ReplyDeleteLos Angeles is unique when considering its composition of cultures. Moreover, Los Angeles has been home to a multitude of cultures that have been seemingly untouched by the flair that comes with being a large metropolitan city in the United States. During my eighth grade project, I had the opportunity to explore the cultures of Los Angeles such as China Town, Little Armenia, Little Ethiopia, and so many more. Before my project, I did not know many of these places had existed which made my experience quite eye-opening. We are afforded a unique opportunity to explore new cultures without having to travel far, which we all need to take advantage of. In this technologically advanced world, it is crucial to understand other people's points of view and to refrain from being close-minded. Answering your question, I think it’s important that Los Angeles avoids becoming a “melting pot” of cultures. Los Angeles is a city full of immigrants, and I think having that “taste of home” is crucial in making people feel welcome and prevents a culture shock. Moreover, it gives people a chance to participate in and cultivate the culture that makes them who they are.
ReplyDeleteI believe Angelenos should want to go out and explore other communities, languages, and cultures. However, as a general rule, I believe people should be allowed to live their own lives and make their own decisions. To expect every Angeleno to have the time, resources, and emotional wherewithal to experience each and every culture present in the County of Los Angeles seems a bit unreasonable given that 10 million of us live here. That being said, certain cultures or communities can have greater significance to individuals. For example, my cousins husband spent a lot of time in East Los Angeles before he married her to gain a better understanding of his finances culture, cuisine, religion, and family. People may want to reach out to learn more about specific cultures without intending on learning about them all, and I think that's ok. I've asked around, and as far back as anybody in my family can remember, Los Angeles has always been at least as culturally divided as it is now. I think that since we are all human beings, we should be able to get along living in the same neighborhoods. Disappointingly, this has not really worked out too well throughout the history of Los Angeles. However, I, for one, am excited to see how the city and county will change over our lifetimes, hopefully in the direction of social progress and equality.
ReplyDeleteWhile I understand the point about integrating communities, I believe that integration and diversity are different things. Los Angeles does contain many different ethnicities and cultures so therefore I believe that Los Angeles is in fact diverse. However, as we can see with the formations of communities such as Chinatown and koreatown, Los Angeles is not very integrated. Due to Los Angeles being heavily populated with different areas containing heavy influence from outside cities, cultures, and ethnicities, as a person growing up in Los Angeles, I really enjoy having the ability to travel to different parts of the city where I can immerse myself in these different places. Adding on to this, I do not believe that you have to visit and learn about all the differing cultures in Los Angeles. The great part about living in Los Angeles is is that if you want to, you can travel to different places and study cultures. If an individual is interested in learning about a certain culture, they can often travel to a different part of Los Angeles which is rich in that culture.
ReplyDeleteI think one of the most unique things about Los Angeles is the fact that it is so culturally diverse. However, as we have discussed in class, this doesn’t necessarily mean that it is an intercultural city. As a white person, I don’t feel particularly comfortable weighing in on what minority communities should and shouldn’t do, so, I will speak only from my perspective. Whenever I interact with communities that are culturally different from mine, I always attempt to do so with respect and authenticity. Anais asks if it is possible for a true “melting pot” to exist. I think there is a difference between treating all communities with acknowledgement, respect and equality, and just deciding to mix them all together. I do not think it is fair to ask people to abandon their cultural heritage in the name of making sure I feel included. Speaking as a person in the privileged majority, I think there are steps we can take to eliminate class differences without stripping people of their heritage.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Anais’ other question, if one engages with one community, one must engage with all communities. Personally, I struggle with this question. I think it is important that all communities are acknowledged, however, I think it would breed an environment of inauthenticity to ask every angeleno to engage equally with every community. As Rory said, that might result in surface-level interaction that would defeat the purpose of trying to learn about different cultures in the first place. I think that people should engage with other communities, however it should be armed with education and positive-intent.
I think it is natural for people to first try to learn more about their own respective cultures at first, so it is not surprising to me that the ethnic communities that represent the most represented minorities in Los Angeles are the most visited. I think it is a good goal to try and stretch yourself to visit and learn about as many cultures as possible and not just limit yourself to the ones most easily accessible or familiar. That being said, it can be difficult to get to some of the lesser-known communities simply because they aren’t talked about as much. I don’t think this is an excuse, however, to not try to expand one’s cultural knowledge. As for the melting pot versus separation, I think having distinct cultural communities is essential to persevering the diversity of cultures in LA. It is possible to keep the cultures separate without also invoking feelings of segregation and exclusion, but it will take more work than just having the cities. Part of what makes LA such an interesting place to be is the fact that there is such variety and distinction between cultures. If everything were truly turn into a melting pot, like a slurry of all the cultures, LA would lose one of its most defining qualities.
ReplyDeleteThere’s a Langston Hughes poem “Impasse” that reads “I could tell you / If I wanted to, / What makes me / What I am. / But I don’t / Really want to– / And you don’t / Give a damn. The Melting Pot sensation and push for cultural pluralism in Los Angeles concerns me because of widespread access to spaces that have been actively shielded from the dominant Anglo culture. It’s difficult to vet every onlooker’s intention. What I don’t understand is how Los Angeles has any cohesive culture at all aside from one of divide, differences, and cultural illiteracy. Yet, it does seem like there’s a dominant perception of Los Angeles narrated by Hollywood and by successful young professionals. If this is the case, those in agreement with this experience are actively seeking out LA’s multiculturalism on their own terms rather than recognizing it as a daily reality. A lot of writers, philosophers, and historians study majority versus minority relations, but there’s significantly less discussion about minority versus minority interaction. I wonder if Angelinos with well-established cultural communities are less inclined to travel to places outside of their cultural comfort zones when celebrating heritage feels more like work and less like play in an Anglo-dominant city.
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ReplyDeleteConsidering how vast Los Angeles is and how many pockets of culture it is home to, it seems a little unreasonable to assume there is an obligation to learn about every background if you decide to explore just one. Additionally, it is important to recognize how many distinct places there are to visit and realize that it is not your duty to collect knowledge about each community as soon as possible. This could result in a loss of perspective and the belief that one experience defines a culture or ethnicity, which is far from the truth. While there isn’t an obligation to learn about every culture, I do feel it is important to try to explore. Compared to other ethnically varied cities like New York, Los Angeles is incredibly spacious, making it easy to reside in one bubble for all of your time here. Obviously, this would severely narrow your view and opinion on Los Angeles. However, this doesn’t mean any kind of residential movement is necessary to learn more; I feel that it is important to preserve each specific culture in Los Angeles so that there isn’t a transition in which one loses access to the unique things about their background.