Questioning Unity
Questioning Unity
As the novel coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic continues to dramatically alter the way people around the world lead their daily lives, the true characters of communities, whether it be large metropolitan areas like Los Angeles or small rural areas, are beginning to surface in ways in which they may never have. In a matter of what felt like only a week or two, Los Angeles went from its ground state of noise, action, outings, traffic, and smog to a truly never-before-seen state of clear skies, crisp air, empty freeways, and overall eerie tranquility. This radical transformation was of course achieved by the city taking action against the spread of COVID-19, arguably the most important measures being California Governor Gavin Newsom’s statewide state of emergency announcement on March 4th and the implementation of the “Safer at Home” initiative for LA County as a whole on March 19th.
What I’m wondering is what, if anything, has come to light as a result of COVID-19 quarantining and shutdowns for LA in terms of its character as a city -- and an important and well-known city for that matter. More specifically, I’m wondering whether or not the unimaginable circumstances that we are living in right now have caused LA as a city and community of people to appear tight-knit and close or, on the contrary, divided and lonely. Backing up a little bit: even though I am not a New Yorker myself (although I was born there), there seems to be an ageless debate about whether or not New Yorkers fall under the “all in it together” mindset or the “every person for themselves” mindset. New Yorkers might cram themselves into a jam-packed subway car alongside hundreds of other people every day to get to work, but are they in any way connected to the people around them for doing this? That’s the question at hand. Now, if we were to apply this same question to our city -- this idea of unity versus disunity, I am wondering how LA would be described. Are Angelenos there for one another? Do they look out for one another? Are they eager to help one another? Or do Angelenos tend to only worry about themselves and their own lives? And what are the benefits and drawbacks to both “mindsets” as a city dweller?
I am very aware that this is a very binary way to look at an entire community of people living, in the case of LA, in an enormous city, but I do think it’s particularly relevant given our current situation. Are we coming together during this time of great adversity? Or is this dark time driving us apart? Have we always been like this but just didn’t know it until now? What I am really wondering is, in your eyes, what specific things about the people of Los Angeles have surfaced for you under the current COVID-19 circumstances.
I posed many questions throughout the post, so I’m not going to list any below, but feel free to reach out with any clarifying questions!
I would like to think that we are ALL coming together, but I don’t think that is the case. There will always be people who think that their trip to the beach is more important than the health of their neighbors or that their spring break trip to Florida is more important than the lives of their grandparents. However, I am confident that there will always be people who see that the health of their neighbors IS more important than doing their work in a coffee shop and that the lives of their grandparents are more important than that concert they wanted to attend. Most people realize that nearly everyone is having to make tough sacrifices to help flatten the curve. And I think that is pretty darn cool to see the majority of people rallying to put a stop to something this big. I’ve seen boxes of oranges and lemons out in front of neighbors yards with “Take some! Have a great day!” signs, stuffed animals in people’s windows that have been set out for kids to find on their walks, and videos of people cheering for healthcare professionals and grocery store workers. I think people realize that almost everyone in their community is suffering to some extent during this time and are trying to make an effort to be kind. I do think there are drawbacks to both the “fend for yourself” mindset and the together mindset. I understand why people have the “fend for yourself” mindset because it can be much easier to only have to lookout for one person, but during this time it is important that people look out for others in their community, especially those in the high risk categories. I think some (not all) “fend for yourself-ers” are some of the same people who went to the store and bought out the entire section of toilet paper and hand-sanitizer. There are a lot of people who aren’t able to go to the store and buy these essential items. And when they get the chance to go to the store, all the items they need are gone. There are also some negative aspects to the together mindset. It’s hard to tell someone that you are there for them when you can’t see them in person or give them a hug, causing some people to feel lonely, even with all the “we’re all in this together” vibes floating around. It’s hard to say hello to someone you normally see everyday during school but don’t see nearly as often or even at all during online classes. However, I think it is really amazing how people have been able to keep this mindset up for as long as we have been and see a great deal of the community come together. I’m just wondering if/when people will get restless and slowly start to leave their homes more often.
ReplyDeleteI think there are Angelenos who are looking out for one another, but on the other hand there are also Angelenos with the “every man for himself” mentality. In any case, I don’t think one can sum the whole city together in acting the same way. In my experience, I have seen the communities I am a part of join together in this time of great adversity. For one, the poly community has tried its best in trying to figure our situation out and what is the best way to continue “normal” living. My volleyball club has joined its efforts with other southern california clubs, who would normally be competitors, in trying to keep all players, parents, coaches, and families safe while ensuring that volleyball and our way of life continue on. They host social media contests, daily workouts, and zoom call talks with coaches from all over the nation. The coaches of my volleyball club actually delivered over a 100 volleyballs to members of our club all over Los Angeles yesterday, and various teams at our club have been delivering “care packages” to our neighbors. I think that shows the dedication of how people are looking out for each other. On the other hand, some Angelenos are particularly selfish and only worrying about themselves. I’ve been to the grocery store about four times during our time in quarantine, three times to just get a prescription. Because I am only picking up a prescription, the person at the front of the line controlling who goes in always lets me go in and not wait in line, and every time there’s always this one person who makes a snotty comment about how there’s a line and that I should wait my turn. Another aspect of this which I have considered is would they make those snotty comments if I was white? I’ve read countless stories on the news of Asians getting harassed due to the blame surrounding their race during the coronavirus outbreak. My mother won’t let me go into the grocery store alone, and the last two times I went, she made me stay in the car. I’m curious to see when the coronavirus outbreak will end but also when we will resume normal life.
ReplyDeleteI can only speak for the neighborhoods that I've heard about or directly interacted with since this entire shutdown started, but I do agree with Keara and Zoey's points that there have been people coming together more than usual, but there are also people who are behaving selfishly despite how many times they've been told not to. I've found the actions of different small businesses and their patrons to be really inspiring - I think I mentioned this in our previous zoom call, but I know one of my favorite small coffee chains has started selling essential items as well as providing contact-free pickup and delivery. I've also heard of restaurants being able to sell ingredients such as flour, olive oil, eggs, and milk to people because they can't currently use all of their supplies due to the fact that nobody can go to restaurants anymore. On an even smaller scale, I know of people who have been picking up groceries for their elderly neighbors who can't risk going to the store. In these ways, I think people across Los Angeles have really come together as a community. On the other hand, I know so many people, most of them younger (high school / college age) who haven't been following social distancing rules which is just astounding to me. The fact that younger generations tend to be most aware/accepting of social and societal changes makes these students who are just blatantly disregarding the wellbeing of others SO shocking to me. In all honesty, these people are being selfish. So many people could be affected by one person's interaction with their friends, who then interact with others, etc, etc. The fact that people are already "tired of quarantine" and going outside makes me fearful for the next few weeks or months.. I wonder how many people will accept that mindset, leave their houses, and potentially make the spread of the disease significantly worse.
ReplyDeleteI think we all want to believe that we're united and "all in this together", but as much as I've seen people embrace that mindset, I've also seen fear and whatnot cause people to take the complete opposite mindset. Living in as large a city as Los Angeles is, we have a wide range of reactions to the Safe at Home order and the crisis in general. If we were in a small town that was less of a metropolis, I think we would see more of the widespread unity that you're talking about. Being in a city with around 4 million people makes feeling connected with every single person really difficult. Consequently, I think some people may then react to the situation as if it doesn't or can't affect them — even to me it still feels distant even though thousands have died around me (ok that sounds bad but I mean "around me" like in the greater area…). It's easy to feel distant from the greater community when there are millions of people in that larger community. Fear and ignorance also play a role in how people react. I am happy to see that there are a lot of people who are acting with kindness and compassion during this time. It helps to balance out the negativity that the statistics and alarmists bring about. But I think the question about whether we as Angelenos would be "there for each other" is an interesting one that definitely varies by community and person. I hope that the community is coming together; the lessened amount of people who are out and about (though perhaps a majority of the decrease is not by choice) could be an example of how we're trying to take care of each other.
ReplyDeleteI think this could get into a very psychological discussion about whether or not humans are truly altruistic or not. Because in the end, are we going to grocery stores less or going to get supplies for our elderly neighbors because we don't want to spread the virus? Or because we don't want to get sick? Or because if we prevent our elderly neighbor from getting sick, we are then preventing the risk of our own exposure? Every action may ultimately lead to our own benefit, and maybe that alone is the motivation, consciously or not.
A couple days ago, Gavin Newsom announced that our experience with COVID-19 is definitely far from over and that there would be dark days ahead, but that Angelenos’ efforts to self quarantine and social distance are proving to have made a difference in our city’s experience with COVID-19. Although I know that this situation is not over, it gives me a lot of comfort to know that our huge city’s quick response to this global issue is helping and that our collective efforts will have made some change in the long run. I think there has definitely been division due to this pandemic; in the beginning global stages of COVID-19’s course, I read (and I think we talked about it in this class) an article that highlighted how the virus is dividing us by race, age, and socioeconomic status. However, although there are definitely still parts of this assessment that ring true, I feel like we’ve witnessed a global change in outlook on this virus. Videos have gone viral of people clapping from their apartments for healthcare workers, singing from their windows in unison, and leading zumba classes from their front yards. As people have begun to understand the severity of this virus and of its effect on our world, they’ve started to embrace aspects of this new lifestyle, and I honestly think it has brought a lot of unity to communities around the world.
ReplyDeleteI think in terms of unity, there have been cases where LA has come together, and other cases where we have pulled farther apart. I think about the resource hoarding that has occured (toilet paper related and otherwise) and I am concerned that maybe we have reverted to self-serving survival tactics. On the other hand, I think about communities and institutions that have come together to help their individual members as well as reach out to others in need and I think that maybe LA is more connected than I thought. Social media has magnified stories of both unity and division. I think that at the end of the day, because this is a challenge we are all facing together, we have become more united. I have seen incredible displays of hope and strength during this time and it gives me faith that as we move forward and out of this pandemic, the kindness and compassion that was shown during this time will continue. That might be optimistic and naive but COVID-19 has changed our city forever, and hopefully for the better.
ReplyDeleteMy mom regularly represents clients in LA Children's Court and has been worried about on-the-rise instances of domestic violence, child abuse and sexual abuse in tandem with the court's limited functionality because of the risk of infection. People are stressed and in close proximity and most cities are responding to more domestic violence calls and more restraining order requests. The UN Secretary General says calls have doubled and women are using safe words at pharmacies to escape abusers. In other environments, I see people really grateful for the extra time to spend with family and friends and to reflect, even to learn new skills and take on new hobbies. This range of quarantine experiences is often delineated across class lines as households that will be hit the hardest, those without savings and other assets, those without access to sufficient medical care, those who can't work from home, are prone to the most urgent stress. Obviously, these links are not at all linear and people are more complicated than that. I'm using extremes for the sake of the point. Maybe individual neighborhoods are being united as they are geographically isolated to themselves and defined by their demographics, but it doesn't feel like we'll be able to do much reaching across community lines because of a gaping range from quarantine as wellness retreat to quarantine as entrapment.
ReplyDeleteOf course, there are plenty of concessions to be made here: everyone is missing someone, everyone is learning to cope, everyone is confused. I guess these are uniting factors. But it seems lazy to level this as a unifying experience when class disparity and varying access to basic resources are being so plainly unveiled. And yesterday's news about Bernie means PUBLIC health emergencies will disproportionately spare those with medical care in the PRIVATE sector. We're not in this together when our lives are valued differently.
I think that in community I have seen alot of positives. Seeing neighbors greeting each-other on walks from across the street, giving eggs to neighbors who ran out or getting groceries for friends, but alot of the social distancing makes me think about the people who cant work from home. The Postal workers, fast food delivery, restaurant, retail, and grocery store people; they don't get the option to work from home and they have to deal with people like me, someone who doesn't have to think about the financial repercussions of the virus on the economy as much as they do. Large companies don't let people wear masks, they don't offer hazard pay, and they lay people off all the time. The divide right now is clearer than it's ever been before.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that LA has showcased a unity that many have doubted for a long time. Compared to other cities, I feel that LA has maintained an "we're all in this together" kind of attitude, specifically with quarantining. Based off of social media, I have noticed that most of the people that I follow who are not quarantining as they should are from outside of LA. Most are even outside of California. Also, I notice that many people in LA are setting up events, seminars, and classes over zoom so that LA can continue to stay connected. Not only are these online zooms connecting people from LA, but also introducing others to the culture of LA.
ReplyDeleteI do have to keep in mind though that all my previous points are coming from a place of privilege. For one, I live in a financially well off family that is safe. I know that domestic violence rates have gone up ever since quarantine, and I cannot imagine that staying inside is an option for everyone (especially if domestic violence victims do not know where else they can go). Los Angeles is not free from troubles that everywhere else has to deal with like poverty and domestic violence, so I realize that not all of LA is able to team up and quarantine.
Another thing I've noticed about LA is that there has been a sudden cry against celebrity culture. While celebrity culture is not specific to LA, it is definitely a big part of LA. Ever since Gal Gadot and a handful of other celebrities posted their infamous rendition of Imagine, there has been a huge pushback from fans and others. The assumption has been created that instead of donating money to fight COVID-19, celebrities are only making meaningless content and complaining about their quarantine experience. While I do believe it is true that celebrities are posting an awful amount of "feel good videos" and whiny tweets from their mansions, I don't think it is fair for non-celebrities to assume that they are not also donating money to aid in the fight against Coronavirus. Just because a celebrity doesn't post about their donations doesn't mean they don't donate. Overall, I feel that this clear hate towards celebrities is not very productive or helpful in the long run and is only further highlighting divisions in the culture of LA.
I think it’s difficult to say whether Los Angeles as a community is everyman for himself or supportive and harmonious, but I will say that every person who lives in Los Angeles brings their unique way of life and deduction of the importance of interacting with other Angelenos. As we have heard a million times before, Los Angeles is a place like no other and to put all of its people under one category isn’t sufficient. Honestly, at the start of the outbreak in America, I expected there to be an abundance of rebellious Angelenos, but to my surprise, the majority of Angelenos who have ventured outside are going out for walks. Although going out may be innocent enough, something that concerned me was the lack of people wearing masks. Although this quartine has caused us to socially distance ourselves from one another, I do feel a sense of unification in our community. I know the concerning occurrence of panic buying has exposed the greed and self preservation that is apparent in our society, but it would be unjust to acknowledge our ability to come together as a community by agreeing to stay home.
ReplyDeleteWhile I think that many people are trying to help, overall I feel like Angelenos have not been very connected. As we can see in the grocery stores, individuals are stockpiling unnecessary resources which then make it harder for others. Along with this, I think it is hard to be connected to people when we are stuck in quarantine. People are secluded in their houses with their families and ultimately they are focussed on themselves and focussed on the people around them. Most of us are located in the suburbs of Los Angeles meaning that we are also more spread out from people in general which also helps us self-isolating.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to tell how each Angelino is connected when we're all doing our best to stay separate from everyone, but I would guess that there's no extraordinary sense of unity between us. Los Angeles has long been known as a place where you can come here to make it-- the city of stars. This environment is where selfish people are bred, and we can see that come to life when we look at all these videos and pictures of grocery store hoarders. Of course, this isn't always the case. There is some unity within small pockets of Los Angeles, but, as a whole, I don't think there's unity.
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ReplyDeleteI think it is hard to view the city as tight knit when everyone is literally separated. That being said, I don't think LA (or really any city) is unified across the board. There is always a sense of city pride, but I don't really see that as united. I think angelenos, and everyone else, are worried about staying alive and healthy. There are those that take care of others and executives that take pay-cuts, but I am fairly confident that they do that once they make sure it won't negatively affect them.
ReplyDeleteAs we have discussed before, Los Angeles is a city made up of a lot of different cultures that each have their own neighborhoods. The cultures of LA are compartmentalized which leads to sense of unity within the city -- with or without COVID-19. I think corona virus may have brought small communities (a couple of families) closer together, but I think it has separated the entire world.
I think that some Angels are coming together for another while some others aren't. I don’t think you could say all Angelenos are there for one another or all Angelenos are selfish. I think that there are definitely a lot of Angelenos taking covid-19 seriously, staying home, and limiting going to public places to protect the most vulnerable. Also, I think that our local city government has been doing a great job of emphasizing the severity of covid-19 and implementing appropriate measures in response. I think our local city government’s response to the virus is commendable and positively reflects LA’s character as a city. On social media I’ve been seeing videos of people applauding and cheering for the medical workers from their window or front porch, which is a positive symbol of Angelenos coming together for one another. However, I also hear about selfish Angelenos that are going out to the beach or forming big crowds in the streets to watch cars do tricks. I was even talking to a friend from Vienna, Austria a couple weeks ago and they were asking me “what’s up with all the news of people going to the beach in Los Angeles during this pandemic?” In these cases, our character as a city was negative and selfish.
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