Blogging Social Difference in L.A.: Week 8 (LA Times Article "Thanksgiving")

A Feast on Skid Row

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-mission-thanks-20121123,0,6870970.story

From many previous experiences in visiting places throughout Los Angeles, one can notice that all over, Los Angeles is segregated whether you admit it or not. People are segregated not only by race, but economically as well. While the two might feed off of each other, we are still able to find great differences in areas throughout Los Angeles and it is expressed in different areas such as in the Los Angeles Times.
While most articles regarding segregation is usually seen as a negative aspect, this article shines a bright light on the people who are segregated and offer others support. This article in the LA Times speaks of a Thanksgiving feast held for those in skid row. Skid Row contains one of the largest homeless populations in the United States. Killing two birds with one stone, according to the 2000 census, Skid Row's population was 17,740 and 2,410 households residing in the neighborhood. The estimate for homeless people within Skid Row for 2011, was 4,316 people. What I did find a bit interesting in the census was the race breakdown. According to the 2000 census, the racial makeup of the neighborhood was: 25.5% White, 16.7% African American, 0.4% Native American, 5.7% Asian, 40.7% from other races, and 2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 51.4% of the population. The part that stuck out to me most was the percentage of whites represented in the neighborhood. I did expect to see a high percentage of African American and even Hispanics, but the White population was  definitely a bit of a surprise to me.
With 41.8% of the population under the poverty line, the average view upon Skid Row involves camping tents and cardboard boxes along the sidewalks. Men and women align the streets in their "homes" or simply in their sleeping bags. With this view of the neighborhood one can only imagine the segregation that is involved in the surrounding cities. But although there may be a strong segregation level represented in this area, the holidays is definitely a time for that segregation line to be uplifted.
This Los Angeles Times article showed that even though a strong segregation line may divide the cities, the people on Skid Row had something to be thankful for this week. Helpful volunteers put in their time to create a Thanksgiving dinner for about 4,000 people on Skid Row, most of them homeless. One comment from someone who was receiving the meal was, "The atmosphere, the people, the way they treat you, the music — you don't always get this,". This represents the segregation and difference in treatment to those who are of different race and/or class. It showed me that people can see past the differences and are willing to help others regardless of their race and relations. Even people with a strong economic and cultural background such as Dick Van Dyke were there to volunteer their duties.