BY S.H.
I
grew up in a very small county, Sullivan County, and all my life I have considered
it a very close-knit community. I felt as though everyone knew each other, all
the businesses were small and family owned, and everything had a good sense of fellowship
and cooperation. Recently, Sullivan County has been subject to some serious
gentrification. Don’t get me wrong. I am all for bringing new ideas, people and
experiences into the small little county that I love. With that being said,
however, I do not believe that development should be done at the expense of
people’s careers, their families, and their friends. The gentrification
currently happening in Sullivan County is impacting the Latino minority
immensely. Many of the areas that are being bought-out, and built into casinos
and water parks are being taken specifically from the Latino minority. These
areas were Latino-owned restaurants, flower markets, and stores. With all the
gentrification happening, the unemployment rate of the Latino population has
increased greatly in Sullivan County (Data USA). However, that did not stop the
people in my county (specifically in Liberty, which is where I grew up) from
showing their support for the Latino community.
Henri
Lefebvre is responsible for coining the term “counter-spaces.” In his book, The Production of Space, Lefebvre defines counter spaces as “a
place of enjoyment designed to thwart strategies, plans, and programs imposed
from above” (Lefebvre 383). The creation of “counter-spaces” is exactly how my
community decided to voice their overwhelming concerns for the gentrification
of our home and the lack of concern for the Latino community. My community made
a park, called Lapolt Park, as a “safe-space” for the Latino Community. “Lapolt”
means “power” or “inspiration.” The park is located next to a little river, and
contains picnic benches, tables, a small playground, and a small stage for
entertainment purposes. Lapolt park is locating in the center of where the majority
of the Latino population resides and serves as symbol to remind them that they
are not alone. The park represents the unity that our community has.
Lefebvre
goes on to state “the quest for a “counter-space” overwhelms the supposedly
ironclad distinction between reform and revolution” and that “any proposal
along these lines, even the most seemingly insignificant, shakes existing space
to its foundations.” Lefebvre explains lack of action to create counter-spaces
by the idea that “consumers sense that the slightest shift on their part can
have boundless consequences” (Lefebvre 383-384). By creating Lapolt Park, my
community created a “remedy” for all the gentrification occurring. Lapolt park was
a reminder to my community of our close ties and our efforts to restore what we
all call home. My community decided that these “boundless” consequences were
worth it and have made the first step towards reform. Seeing my community come
together and show support for one another makes me proud to be where I’m from
and makes me excited to see what changes and movements are going to be next.
Works Cited
Lefebvre, Henri. The
Production of Space. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2016. Print.
"Sullivan County,
NY." Data USA. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May 2017.
<https://datausa.io/profile/geo/sullivan-county-ny/#health>.>
