To many, the mere mention of “South Los Angeles” or “South Central LA” connotes an African-American neighborhood, but if you know anything about the changing demographics of the greater metropolitan Los Angeles area, it should come as no surprise that Latinos outnumber blacks 2 to 1 there. While the ethnic demographics change, poverty still lingers.
I think that the changing demographics in South LA provide many opportunities for Latinos and African-Americans to build working political coalitions. While the above referenced article mentions that many Latinos use services in African-American community based organizations, Arturo Ybarra, executive director of the Watts/Century Latino Organization, says that there is a need for more services for the growing Latino population. Since issues like poverty, teen pregnancy, substandard schooling and a lack of jobs and job training afflict both communities, I am hopeful that some relationships can be forged to advance all of the people in South LA. The African-American community has created an infrastructure there and has moved on up to other areas to escape the social ills of that community.
If more services are created that would include both Latinos and African-Americans, I think that there would be a greater understanding of both communities. I don’t see the benefit in bringing “Latino services” run by Latinos for only Latinos because we have to integrate and learn to access other resources. The immigration issue likely divides both communities in service providing as well language barriers. However, I don’t see why some of the existing African-American community based organizations cannot branch out and provide immigration related services, while hiring some Spanish speaking staff to assist. The situation in South Los Angeles presents a unique opportunity to build bridges and for Latinos to learn what has and hasn’t been successful for their African-American neighbors. This is also an opportunity for Mayor Villaraigosa to show some real leadership in this community to demonstrate what can happen when Latinos and blacks come together to work for the greater good.
Photo Credit: HECTOR MATA/AFP/Getty Images, Mural in South Central Los Angeles November 2006
4 responses so far ↓
1 MacDaddy // Sep 15, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Good post. And, yes, there are opportunities for African Americans and Latinos to work together, not just in L.A. but across the country. I love the increasing alliance between the Obama campaign and the Latino community.
2 yave begnet // Sep 15, 2008 at 5:22 pm
And the common perception of immigrants as primarily Latino just isn’t true on a local level in many parts of the country, from Caribbean communities in Brooklyn to West African neighborhoods here in Philly. There is a lot of room for collaboration among different immigrant communities of color, as Families for Freedom has demonstrated so well in NYC.
3 HispanicPundit // Sep 15, 2008 at 5:45 pm
There is perhaps no area in all of the United States where the tensions between black and brown is higher than in South LA. Gang, politics, and changing demographics all seem to exacerbate differences rather than unite. South LA, for example, is home to the prison gang, the Mexican Mafia, that encourages its members on the streets to ignite race wars and do everything they can to prevent blacks and browns from coming together.
The politics side is not much different either, as areas that have become increasing hispanic continue to be dominated by black politicians. This old article about politics in Lynwood is a good example of the political power struggles going on in the area. This is one of the many reasons why those of us on the right prefer to teach economic and private sector solutions to social ills as opposed to government solutions. Government is, essentially, zero sum, so one persons gain can come only at someone else’s loss, and this, fundamentally, is what is at the core of the power struggles between the two. Private sector solutions, on the other hand, are positive sum – everybody can gain.
Lastly, the demographics itself is a sore point: the area is home to many low income blacks – the very people new immigrants are likely to lower the wages of – resulting in a fundamental difference in political goals.
In short, its great to hope that the two will come together in political harmony but I wouldn’t put much weight in it actually happening – atleast not in South LA and the immediate area.
4 DfD // Dec 13, 2008 at 11:10 am
Brown-Black coalitions? Oh puulllleeeeeezze. mexicans are sooooooo racist against black folks it’s not even funny…
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