LATINOS AND HOUSING POLICIES

HOUSING AND THE HISPANIC SETTLEMENT

BY KEVIN S.

America, land of the free, where many come here for new opportunities, is not as glamorous as portrayed. Many immigrants take a chance when leaving their home environment and may not necessarily know what they are getting themselves into. They will be treated differently because of their status, their accent, and even their skin complexion. These undocumented individuals come in large numbers and settle in a set location forming their community. Those living in these communities prior to what some call an immigrant “invasion” are not used to such drastic changes and are unable to adjust. Such demographic changes can lead to situations, such as that which took place in the film 9500 Liberty. In the film many of the locals were very hostile towards the incoming immigrants, meanwhile these immigrants contribute to the economy by purchasing goods from local business owners and paying taxes. It is evident that these immigrants contributed to the local economy because when they were eventually driven out many of the local businesses began to struggle. It is then when people begin to realize the importance of the Hispanic community. Should these immigrants be asked to come back because of their role in the local economy? What else can the immigrants contribute to the community besides financial stability? If you were placed in the situation the immigrants were in how would you react and what actions would you take to such hostile neighbors?

These immigrants for the most part are hard workers and are just looking for a way to better their lives as well as the lives of their family. Their mistreatment is unjust because they are human as well and should be given the same opportunity to succeed as any other.  I believe with the constant rise in the Latino population the Hispanic community should be accommodated because of breaking numbers and should no longer be confined in small areas such as a barrio. The Hispanic community is rich in culture because the people are so diverse and this should be seen as an opportunity for others to learn about the Hispanic community rather then outcast them because of the differences.

If placed in a situation as those migrating I would like to be the individual gathering my people to stand up against those who oppose us being here but it is easier said then done. In order for change to occur someone has to lead the way, I believe the people of Prince William County went about the situation in a peaceful manner rather then violently protesting. I think housing for any new group settling would always be faced with opposition because those living there are so accustomed to their ways and are not willing to give an opportunity or a helping hand to those wishing to better their lives.

Work Cited

Dir. Annabel Park, Eric Byler. Perf.  Greg Letiecq, Corey A. Stewart, Col. Charlie T. Deane, Gaudencio Fernandez, Alanna Almeda, Elena Schlossberg, Frank J. Principi, and Martin E. Nohe. “9500 Liberty”. Self-Distributed 2009. Film. April 30^th

CAUTIOUSLY CELEBRATING LATINIZATION OF CITIES

BY OSCAR BUITRAGO

Dyckman is predominately a Latino neighborhood within the Washington Heights area. During1960s and early 1970s, Dyckman was an Irish dominated neighborhood; home to many Irish Bars, café’s and diners. During this time most residents were financially stable, the neighborhood was seen as culturally inviting and an ideal place to raise a family. Furthermore, both the Catholic and Public education systems were held in high standards. In the mid 1970s Latinos began moving into the Dyckman and Inwood area and quickly became the dominant group. From an economic perspective, Latinos were not as financially secure as the previous Irish population. Claiming this new territory meant a chance for opportunity and change. The changes I am referring to are known as “gentefication”. The New York Times defines gentefication is the process in which economic capital is brought to a community through cultural awareness and traditions.

For most neighborhoods that see a growth in Latino presence, businesses such as bodegas and barbershops opened up, however this was not the case in the Dyckman and Inwood area. Instead, developing businesses opened up to cater the incoming community. Many businesses owner’s were former residents of the community and claimed they understood what changes had to be made in order to give the neighborhood a positive reputation. Gentefication is the reason why former community residents became entrepreneurs and started a nightlife trend within the community. New venues such as restaurants, lounges and clubs were all added more or less five years quickly gaining wanted and unwanted attention.

Currently, the Dyckman and Inwood area is most famous for its recent addition known as La Marina. La Marina has established its reputation throughout the New York City and Northern New Jersey area creating many unwanted attention for local residents. This new addition has received multiple complaints from local residents because of traffic jams and noise complaints. When Latinos first started moving to the Dyckman and Inwood area, it was seen as a positive thing. Unfortunately, the neighborhoods reputation is no longer the same and is now seen as business opportunity. Entrepreneurs now have an understanding how profitable they can be in an area like this, and are seeking further interest in leasing spaces. The community is now seen as an investment as opposed to a place where you can raise a family and send your children to school. Most local residents they are now starting to struggle with rent payments due to inflation.

An Article by Timothy William titled “Cities Mobilized to Help Those Threatened by Gentrification” addresses ways on how to protect working and lower middle class homeowners. Similarly to residents of the Dyckman and Inwood area, these residents who have been living in the area for years are now facing competition with wealthier individuals. Darrell L. Clarke, president of the Philadelphia City Council has argued for these local residents and has demanded new alternatives on how to protect them and their homes. Gentrification is being applied throughout the country and local residents should all be defended when it comes to their communities and homes.

LATINO AND HOUSING POLICIES

LATINOS AND HOUSING POLICIES OF EXCLUSION

BY STUDENT

Introduction

The history of land lost and housing exclusion began following the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The Guadalupe Hidalgo Treaty ended the Mexcan-American War in 1848 and transferred more than half of Mexico’s territory into U.S. control (Bender, 17). Today, land lost and housing exclusion continues through the subprime lending implosion in the early 2000s, resulting in many Latino/as becoming a statistic of the foreclosure crisis (Bender, 45). As you can see, housing segregation for Latino/as in the U.S. developed slowly and deliberately and continues to characterize the present lives of many minorities in America (Seitles, 1). Some of those public policies are red-lining, a discriminatory rating system used by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to evaluate the risks associated with loans made to borrowers in specific urban neighborhoods, zoning and building codes used to target the living arrangements of improvised Latino/as regardless of their immigrant or citizenship status, and ordinances directed at preventing undocumented immigrants from renting housing, as well as ordinances that are seemingly neutral but aim to discourage racial minorities and more generally the impoverished from living in the community by denying affordable housing or regulating the density of residential units (Bender, 57; Seitles, 3). Another practice of exclusion is steering implemented through private law. Steering is a practice whereby minority home purchasers are systematically offered housing in different neighborhoods than those in which they are interested. I believe the right to choose where one wants to live is a fundamental constitutional right. The question I propose in this blog post is: Are people of color today, allowed the right to choose where ever they want to live in the United States of America?

Model of a Latino geographic area of housing exclusion: East Harlem “El Barrio”

Puerto Rico is a common wealth of the United States and residents of the island became citizens in 1917 under the Jones Act (Bender, 113). Many Puerto Ricans migrated to the main land mainly due to the decline in the Puerto Rican sugar industry, affordable air travel in the 1940s and the lure of jobs in New York City (Bender, 114). The move to New York transformed the mostly farm workers into urban and industrial service workers, who mostly lived in East Harlem the epicenter for Puerto Rican migration (Bender, 114). In East Harlem, Spanish Harlem or El Barrio, living conditions were deplorable where the housing units were over-crowded, dilapidated and unsanitary (Bender, 115). It was not until the 1960s and 1970s that Puerto Ricans gain adequate access to public housing projects that displaced more of them than could be housed (Bender, 115). Bender writes, “The Puerto Rican legacy of loss in El Barrio also resonates with the gentrification experience of African Americans in neighboring Harlem, in which new condominium developments replaced aging brownstones and retain catering to upscale residents replaced dollar stores” (Bender, 114,115). In 1945, only 13,000 Puerto Ricans lived in New York City and by 1955, almost 700,000 Puerto Ricans migrated to the main land (Bender, 114).

Conclusion  

Examples of discrimination in federal housing policy persists today and they are as numerous as they are disturbing. An example of housing policy discrimination is currently being experienced by many Latino/as in Prince William County, Virginia. The suburban town of Manassas’ booming housing economy lured a wave of Latino immigrants, legal and illegal. Manassas benefited economically from the Latino immigrant population who were the main labor force in the housing construction industry. However, the presence of Latino/as in the Prince William County caused the existing conservative Anglo middle-class to initiate  the passing of the 287G (9500 Liberty). This is an Immigration Statute that would allow the police department to randomly check the immigration status of Latino/as in this community they think might be illegal (9500 Liberty). The 287G statute caused a division in the Manassas community, where the white residents wanted the Latino/as residents to leave due to over crowdedness in their schools, hospital, homes, gang issues, raising of chicken and corn in plain view (9500 Liberty). The difference of culture displayed by the Latino immigrants threatened Manassas’s normative middle-class lifestyle. This is personal to me because I am an immigrant who migrated to the United States to pursue the American Dream. The American dream in my opinion is to earn my college degree in order to get a great paying job, which will reward me with the middle-class life style. My parents brought me to America so that I can have the opportunity to have a better life than they had. This brings me back to the question I proposed in the beginning of my blog, “Are people of color today, allowed the right to live wherever they want to in the United States?” I have come to the conclusion that this is not possible because of the many housing barriers that prevents people of color from choosing their ideal place of residence.  

Cited Works

Bender, Steven W.: Tierra Y Libertad: Land, Liberty, and  Latino Housing. New York: New York University, 2000.

Park, Annabel and Eric Byler. 9500 Liberty. New York, 2010: www.9500Liberty.com.

Seitles, Marc. “ The Perpetuation of Residential Racial Segregation in America: Historical Discrimination, Modern Forms of Exclusion, and Incusionary Remedies. Journal of Land Use and Environment Law (1998): 89-123.

LATINOS AND HOUSING POLICIES

HOUSING POLICIES OF EXCLUSION

BY EDDIE M.

The American Dream is commonly associated with having a spouse, children, and a comfortable living situation, but for Latinos in America, this is not such an easy task. Housing policies have become very restrictive towards different racial groups, due to a lack of compassion and empathy by the people making these policies. There is still a lot of bias and bigotry in the world that is keeping Latinos from providing the lifestyle that they and their families deserve. How deeply does this discrimination affect racially diverse groups and what are they doing to take action against this discrimination? In this blog post, I will discuss the ramifications of these housing policies on Latino individuals, as well as the Latino community as a whole. I will also try to offer some alternative options that may be favorable to a Latino who has been scorned by these restrictive housing policies.

In a news article which I found on Fox16’s website, an apartment management company in Arkansas became the center of attention when a complaint was filed against them for denying housing to numerous Latino tenants. An investigation by the National Fair Housing Alliance showed that the managers of these apartments refused to supply rental applications to Latinos who were hoping to move in. It was also discovered that both a white and a Latino individual called in to inquire about the apartments and while the white person was answer within minutes, the Latino person had to wait 12 days before they got a reply. Even after waiting all of this time, the information they were supplied with was not suitable for them to make an informed decision, basically deterring them from wanting to live in that apartment. This must have been deeply hurtful to that person of Latino descent once they realized what was going on and I would not be surprised if they chose not to trust white people in authority positions after this incident. It not only affects individuals, but the entire community of proud Latino citizens because they become aware of the racism that is present in their society. This can skew their sense of trust in the American lifestyle, meaning that anyone can make a better life for themselves in America, which leads to a separation between different groups of people. In this scenario, I would suggest that these Latinos who were denied housing should move to a place that is more tolerant of racial equality. New York and Los Angeles have been proven to be massive attractors of Latinos; moving out to these places would most likely offer a fairer chance of receiving housing. I am sure some areas are more accepting than others; the inner cities would most likely be more accepting than the suburbs.

We like to think that racism is not prevalent in our community, but that is not always true; sometimes there is blatant racism occurring right in our own backyard. A quote from our class reading sheds light on the blatant discrimination that was present in Levittown, Long Island. Referring to a clause in the lease for housing, “It stated that the home could not 'be used or occupied by any person other than members of the Caucasian race'” (Lambert 1997). You can see that there is no sense of humanity or integrity within the values of this person who said this quote. This type of bigotry is not solely restricted to Levittown or Arkansas or any one place in the United States. This occurs all over the country and it rarely receives the attention and media coverage that it deserves. My advice to Latinos in these discriminatory situations would be to alert the media and spread news of this? injustice as far as it can go. As long as people are unaware of this racism, it will never go away. For true change to take place, there needs to be a call to action in which people from all different areas unite to work towards a common cause. By doing this, we can change the injustices that take place and ensure that every person of every race receives the respect that they deserve.

Lambert, Bruce. “At 50, Levittown Contends With Its Legacy of Bias.” Course Content- April 16: Levittown, The First Suburb, 1997.

“Latinos Denied Apartments Says Fair Housing Complaint”. FOX16, 10/10/2013. http://www.fox16.com/content/news/state/story/Latinos-Denied-Apartments-Says-Fair-Housing/d/story/4yJnxsS7o0aTC2ZVnabRvA

LATINOS AND HOUSING POLICIES

BY STUDENT

While reading through “Tierra y Libertad” I was not surprised to see that there were many restrictions and policies created to exclude undocumented immigrants. Many immigrants come to the United States in search of the “American Dream”. Upon their arrival, however, they are faced with obstacles that permit them from doing so. Regulations like redlining, zoning laws, trespassing laws and multi-family restrictions have kept many Latinos from progressing in this country. Like many other Latinos, my parents came to the United States in hopes of a better life for their children. As they began to adjust to their new life, they came to realize that their dreams would not be easily achieved. With a struggling low income and 3 small children, the only thing they could afford was a small one-bedroom apartment in the Bronx. As my parents worked hard to achieve the American dream, everything they did never seemed good enough to move up in the economic ladder. Have these exclusionary tactics served their purposes in keeping the undesired population from these areas?

One of the obstacles Bender mentions in the book that caught my attention was the exclusionary law in Hazelton, Pennsylvania. Like most Latinos and minorities, owning a home is a form of stability or achievement. Places like Hazelton have created laws to prevent the large wave of undocumented immigrants from moving into the suburbs. “In 2006, Hazelton enacted ordinances that embraced English as its official language, prohibited employing or harboring undocumented immigrants, and required occupants of rental units to provide proof of legal citizenship or residency” (Bender, 2010, p.67). After living in the Bronx for several years, my mother thought of the possibility of owning a home in Hazelton. I constantly heard her speak of the challenges she faced to buy the house and even after when she wanted to rent the house to local residents. She kept running into policies that did not make sense to her and that restricted her from making a profit. She later had to sell the property for less then what she bought it for. Although my mother was documented, she was still a target because of her culture, language and economic background.

Despite the many laws and limitations created by policy makers, I believe that the minority population will continue to challenge the difficult conditions they face. In recent years more Latinos are moving out of the inner cities to suburbs like Hazelton. For example, the 1990 Census counted 249 Hispanics but by 2005 the Latino/a were nearly one-third of the population (p.66). Although more policies against Latino/as have been created the Latino population has increased drastically in these areas. It amazes me that a country that prides it self as the land of opportunities, excludes such a large population from succeeding. It would be interesting to see how the Latino population will continue to test housing and exclusionary laws not only in the suburbs but in the inner cities as well. 

Bender, Steven. Tierra y Libertad: Land, Liberty, and Latino Housing. New York: New

York University Press, 2010. Print.