Gentrification is when wealthier residents move into a lower income area and in turn displace the original residents by raising the cost of living. As wealthier residents move into the community their money causes change. The cost of living of the area rises as the rich are able to afford more. Newer amenities and "improvements" plague the community discretely making it more expensive to live there and displacing the original residents. The lower income residents are forced to displace into other states, cities, or in some cases, homeless shelters. The culture of these often diverse areas are lost as well as their people are driven out with rising prices. The cultures of the area is evicted with its people and its remnants are used to entertain the rich without any thought of the people who made it. The rich stealing the little that the poor have without any regard for them. The strong take from the weak, a tale as old as time. Companies find it more profitable to have wealthier residents as they have more money to spend. However, originally companies pushed for more low income residents near them. Factories needed workers before they were overseas, and the poor were who worked them. People would move from all around the country to find work at these factories, and the companies wanted these workers right by them. Having more workers nearby was beneficial to companies so they developed suburbs near the factories where they would live, but now since they aren't as profitable for companies, they're driven out. They aren't treated as people but rather tools for profit. When they can make money for them, the poor are kept right by them, but the moment they aren't helping make money they're thrown out without any concern for their wellbeing. Their place in the world defined by how much money they can make for a company. How much time, money, and labor can be stolen are the factors that decide whether they have value or not. Once there is nothing left to be taken from them, they are cast aside. Once again, the strong take from the weak, a tale as old as time.
I really liked how you talked about how the strong would take from the weak! It's a really inspirational quote that reveals a lot about our current society. I wonder what the judgment of god would be as we know God sees everything. This is a really telling novel about gentrification and how you equated it to a classic quote! The truth is, it almost makes me furious, because of the fact that the more people pressure me to do something the less I'm going to do it.
ReplyDeleteWow Rameen. The final sentence is truly some great insight. Where did you get the inspiration to write such a thought-provoking line? The strong do truly take from the weak, and I bet God sees the displacement of the poor. Very riveting.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very good refresher on the meaning of gentrification. Truly, it is a tale as old as time where the less powerful are pushed around and thrown away by the more powerful once they have served their purpose. I agree that it is a veil of good when these rich and powerful "improve" a community so much to the point where the original inhabitants can no longer afford to live there and have to leave. I truly wonder what The Ultimate Judge has to make of this, as God sees everything.
ReplyDeleteHi Rameen! First off, the structure of your writing is absolutely impeccable. I really like you were able to connect the idea of the strong taking from the weak throughout your essay as a sort of motif in your writing. I too wrote about gentrification but I think that you did a really swell job at truly defining it, better than even myself. Your in-depth definition of gentrification opened my eyes to the cruelty of what it leaves behind. It's truly sad how the working class has to suffer at the hands of the rich when the ultimate goal is to help the community. Great post!
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