The Stanford bubble seems to have everything within bike’s reach and because of this, like most students, I rarely venture off of campus. However, in search of a decent haircut, I found myself in East Palo Alto (EPA) earlier this week. By the time I made it to EPA it seemed like I was transported into a completely different city. As I got my haircut, the barbershop talk sounded a lot like the one from back home: nostalgia for “the good ole days”, tight paychecks, and younger relatives with no aspirations to “make it out” of the ghetto. But this time around I am an outsider because I have the option to live my life in this bubble completely unaffected by the issues of EPA. Similarly, in this country the power of real estate isolates the wealthy from the social issues of the poor while the gap between the two continues to grow and the issues intensify.
The importance of location is Real-Estate 101. The neighborhood you live in is the largest determinants of what resources you have access to. It is hard to deny the fact that wealth plays a role in modern-day segregation through the housing industry when the stark differences between the neighborhoods of the elite and the poor in many cities can be seen in just a stroll. For example, the only thing separating Palo Alto -- home to tech billionaires (Among them Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs -- and East Palo Alto, a small town known for murder, gangs, and poverty, is a dried creek.
The poor in black neighborhoods is implied. The fact of the matter is that black families, regardless of income, are significantly less wealthy than white ones. And despite the fact that today the stigma around black neighborhoods continues this connection is easy to ignore if you’re sitting between the walls of your mansion. As each group lives in their own “bubble” the gap between these two classes only continues to grow. It is not just economic barriers, this cycle is ingrained in the way we function. As illustrated in the book Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There the insecurities of the upper class about the futures of their children “ only makes the educated class stronger.” because their members “ and their children must constantly be alert, working and achieving.” On the other spectrum children growing up in rougher neighborhoods are praised for acquiring street smarts because they help them survive in that environment. However, these skills are counterproductive in any environment outside of these neighborhoods or prison.
Although as members of the Stanford community, we contribute to the gentrification of this town ourselves this part of the discussion is much less talked about. For example, earlier this week when my class discussed the effects of large tech companies in the bay area the issue of gentrification was quickly brought up. My peers seemed familiar with the topic and many even mentioned how it shaped their own communities. However, when we asked for a solution the room was silent up until we someone spoke about governmental action. When it comes to searching for solutions to these complicated issues the idea that the government can implement can “fix everything” through some sort of magic policy is always popular. But by doing this we dissociate ourselves from all responsibility.
How can we expect congress to “fix everything” when it seems like lately, they have had more government shutdowns than bills passed? With a system that allows gerrymandering the segregation caused by this same income divide is reflected in our electorate representation as well. Gerrymandering allows for the representatives to manipulate the boundaries of voting districts to favor one party or class. The elite can have a strong presence in the political sphere even if their population is smaller because of the influx of campaign donations they can afford. All while, politicians who represent the “other side” or simply the opposing political side can remain true to their values because their constituency regions are equally as stringent.
Complaining or tweeting about what the government needs to do is not advocacy. If we do not take a step back and recognize our own role in causing today’s issues we simply cannot move forward. There is no magic policy that will correct a history of continuous oppression, but there is great power in making the people of our community aware of the how that structure functions. In the end, race is nothing more than a social construct but that does not make the implications of it any less real.
