The Struggle Against Gentrification
Driven by economic growth, the capitalist system of today prioritizes the scaling of corporate or industrial regional influence at the expense of the environment. The Greater Los Angeles Region is a primary example of a community that has lost significant green space. The Hashimoto Nursery was a great small business to examine due to its preservation of green spaces and multi-generational presence within the community. Having first-hand experienced the urbanization of their surrounding land, the Hashimoto described this sort of surreal image in which Nurseries similar to their own filled the city. Although massive developments have continued to spread across Southern California, few prioritize environmental regulation and green space protection to the level they should. Policy regulation, community engagement, and individual action are all necessary steps in pushing for systemic change to the impacts of capitalism and gentrification on the environment.
The Hashimoto Nursery
The Hashimoto Family
Uncovering Lost Voices
“Some 70% of family-owned businesses fail or are sold before the second generation gets a chance to take over. Just 10% remain active, privately held companies for the third generation to lead.”
Unlike major publicly owned firms and corporations whose fluid leadership, organization, and business model protect the company, small businesses face various challenges when protecting their longevity and legacy. These challenges often are exasperated within Southern California's competitive and fast-paced environment. Using media for small businesses in the Greater Los Angeles Area helps them to maintain a competitive presence in markets overwhelmingly dominated by mainstream corporations willing to comfortably allocate tens of thousands of dollars towards marketing, advertising, and social media presence. As this is an expense small businesses cannot afford to make, showcasing promotional content through media can help encourage and develop a wider audience attracting new customers. Promotional content in the form of a short film, social media posts, or simple advertising significantly benefits small businesses. The Hashimoto Nursery is located in West Los Angeles, just off Interstate 405, an area not necessarily included in the ongoing conversation regarding gentrification in LA’s growing metropolitan sprawl. However, it did not surprise us to find that even in the tucked away “Sawtelle” community the effects of gentrification continue to be disproportionately felt by the BIPOC community. When interviewing Hashimoto Nursery, workers explained that they were the remains of a vintage West LA. A lively and bustling neighborhood that is slowly being replaced by apartments, parking structures, and other major corporations. Hashimoto Nursery neighbors “TheSW” a high-end contemporary apartment complex encroaching on Hashimoto’s land and providing a constant stream of complaints, rather than customers. Once an agricultural district with a rich immigration history, Sawtelle’s Japantown in West LA faces commercialization and capitalistic pressures from aggrandized neighboring regions of Los Angeles.
Gentrification leads to displacement, the loss of cultural identity, and the marginalization of existing minority groups. As new residents populate urbanized areas, elements of existing culture are lost, accelerating the erasure of a unique identity and culture within the community. To prevent the loss of cultural heritage and community identity, policymakers and urban planners must prioritize the preservation of cultural heritage through initiatives such as historic preservation, public art, and cultural programming. The project's final site visit, the Unidad Park, provides an excellent example of how public art, such as the Filipinotown Mural by Eliseo Art Silva, can be impactful in representing the existing community. One of the most significant impacts of gentrification is the displacement of low-income residents. Policy promoting affordable housing, rent control, and tenant protection are ways to prevent displacement. Additionally, mixed-use development can promote economic growth in gentrifying neighborhoods while preserving the existing community. This can include promoting a mix of residential, commercial, and green spaces that prioritize community needs and provide economic opportunities for existing residents.
the Beauty of Bonsai
The Bonsai
The Bonsai symbolizes harmony between humans and nature, promoting inner peace and tranquility. A powerful metaphor for achieving social justice, the Bonsai plant embodies the principles of balance, harmony, and intentional action. A Bonsai plant requires years of nurturing and pruning to maintain its balance and beauty, drawing parallels to the commitment to addressing systemic inequalities and intentional action necessary to address community concerns. The Hashimoto Nursery in West LA is an excellent example of how the principles of Bonsai can be applied to a small family-owned plant nursery. Founded in 1928, the nursery has been in the Hashimoto family for three generations. The Hashimoto Nursery embodies the principles of harmony and balance in its approach to growing and tending the plants it offers. By fostering a sense of balance and harmony in our communities and working to address the root causes of inequality, we can create a more just and equitable world for all.
