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Life & Times Transcript
3/19/07 Val Zavala>> Tonight on Life and Times -- Long Beach prides itself on diversity. Can the city recover from a shameful hate crime? Elizabeth Haynes>> I would like to think it hasn't really changed the way I feel about my neighborhood. I really do believe this to be an isolated incident. Val Zavala>> And then, small galleries and cafés are being shoved aside in the name of progress. Are they being bulldozed by market forces? It's all straight ahead on tonight's Life and Times. Announcer>> Life and Times is made possible through the generous support of the L.K. Whittier Foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life by supporting innovative endeavors in the fields of medicine, health, science and education. And by a generous grant from Jim and Anne Rothenberg. With additional support for Life and Times from The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation. Val Zavala>> The people of Long Beach are going through one of their deepest racial divides in their city's history and it all began with the Halloween Night beating of three white girls by a group of black youths. Every time a verdict or a sentence is handed down, the wounds are reopened. So is there any way this city can heal? Sam Louie went to Long Beach to find out. Sam Louie>> Over the years, Long Beach has transformed itself from a gritty, waterfront port to a bustling tourist destination. It boasts of diversity, both economic and ethnic. Tonia Reyes Uranga>> We have about equal parts of all races and I think that's what makes Long Beach pretty unique. Sam Louie>> Tonia Reyes Uranga is an example of that diversity. She's the sole Latina on the Long Beach City Council. Uranga moved to Long Beach four decades ago and has watched it evolve. Tonia Reyes Uranga>> In Long Beach, I think it was the first time I was able to see people of different cultures, the first time Cambodian Americans, Vietnamese, be able to see Filipinos in the city. I think that I saw really a composite of the whole world here in Long Beach. Sam Louie>> But diversity doesn't come without its own set of challenges and the most recent one has torn the city apart. Tonia Reyes Uranga>> Certainly we're not going to be the same city that we were before this happened. Sam Louie>> It happened in the upscale neighborhood of Bixby Knolls. On Halloween Night, three college-age white women were walking in this neighborhood. At the same time, a group of about forty black teenagers were here trick-or-treating. It's not exactly clear what was said, but what is clear is that the large group made racial taunts and began throwing pumpkins, which eventually escalated into violence. The mob beat the three teens with their fists, feet and a skateboard on Linden Avenue. The injuries included a fractured jaw and eye socket, as well as a concussion to two of the victims. In early February, a judge convicted eight black girls and one boy of a felony assault. In addition, eight were found guilty of a hate crime. The black youths were sentenced to probation, house arrest and two hundred fifty hours of community service. The crime and punishments have reverberated across the city. At the Bake and Broil Restaurant in the heart of Bixby Knolls, the pancakes get grilled in the kitchen while, in the dining area, patrons simmer over the sentencing. Irene Boyce>> I think that, if it was flipped around, it would have been a whole different situation. You might even have ended up with another Rodney King incident where everybody would have been up in arms about the decisions that they made, that it wasn't severe enough punishment on that end. Ken Boyce>> If those folks were guilty, those young kids, then I don't think the punishment fit the crime. Sam Louie>> But Long Beach resident, Zach Hoover, disagrees. He believes the punishment was fair, that jail time would have been detrimental for the convicted teens. Zach Hoover>> Jail nowadays is not a rehabilitation for society. What it is is just a long drawn out time-out thing. When they get back, they still commit the same things, if not worse. Sam Louie>> While the incidents are controversial, it's undeniable that the incident has cast a cloud over the city. Elizabeth Haynes>> I think, unfortunately, this can change the face of the community in terms of the overall feeling of being safe in your neighborhoods. Jackie Grover>> There's sexism, racism, homophobia. There's all kinds of stuff there. We just try to put a better face on it. Naomi Rainey-Pearson>> The incident occurred and we cannot act as if it didn't happen, but it is my belief as a human being and as a long citizen of this community for over thirty-seven years that we are going to be stronger. Sam Louie>> Naomi Rainey-Pearson is the President of the Long Beach NAACP. She wants to find solutions to hate and mistrust. Naomi Rainey-Pearson>> When that incident happened, as a mother, I was pained. As a human being, I was pained. And as a citizen of the Long Beach community, I was hurt that this happened in my city. Sam Louie>> So what can be done to heal the city? Can Long Beach residents learn from this? Can they move forward? Naomi Rainey-Pearson>> We must teach our children, educate family members and friends, to not just accept what people tell us. Sam Louie>> Since the beating involved mostly juveniles, Long Beach schools are fertile ground for change. Paul Gonzalez is a school counselor at Polytechnic High School. A couple of the convicted youths went to Polytechnic. Paul Gonzalez>> "We're going to continue from last week's peer mediation." Sam Louie>> Gonzalez teaches a class that shows students how to de-escalate problems before they get out of hand. Students say that they encounter plenty of real life situations. Afsaneh Derakhshan>> I mean, there was a fight a couple of days ago when two boys bumped shoulders. You know, it escalated and people watch and then they feel like they have to step up and, you know, be the bigger person. They start fighting and it just escalates. Paul Gonzalez>> I feel like this is a really critical time in their lives to make those choices whether they're going to go on with their lives as a victim or that they have power to change whatever occurred in their background. Brittani Hart>> "I think she should have came to me like a little more respectfully." Sam Louie>> In this role-play, the two students are arguing over a boy who's cheated on one of the girls. >> "So, Brittani, you're admitting that you are with that boy, that you are seeing him while he has a girlfriend." Brittani Hart>> "Yeah, I am admitting that. But at the same time, I don't know why she gets so mad at me because it's like, okay, I went to this guy, but you should have like went to him. If you have a problem with me, you come to me. You don't go to other people or like listen to other people." Afsaneh Derakhshan>> You have a lot of assumptions about who you're arguing with and who you're fighting with, so I think that, if people would just sit down and honestly say how they feel, which I know is so hard for some people, if they would just be open-minded and see where the other party is coming from, I think that would help a lot. Sam Louie>> While this scene was not based on race, the students realize the techniques are universal and can be applied to racially charged incidents. Brittani Hart>> This is about self-control. You have to be mature about the whole situation. Even if they are coming to me and slinging racial slurs and stuff, I'm able now to just kind of, you know, turn the other cheek. Like, you know, that's your opinion. Sam Louie>> As for the Halloween Night assault, Gonzalez feels the racial overtones of the crime were exaggerated. Paul Gonzalez>> It's portrayed that as maybe people who were after another culture, but usually that's not the intention in my experience. It's just something that occurs randomly. Sam Louie>> He doesn't deny there were racial aspects to the crime, but Gonzalez feels the deciding factor in the violence may have been the mob mentality. Another goal of the class is to teach students to resolve personal issues that may trigger anger or fear. Paul Gonzalez>> We try to help them resolve some wounds maybe or past emotional issues that have occurred in their lives and get away from the victim mentality that everyone is after them or everybody hates them or is against them. Sam Louie>> Admittedly, Long Beach has a ways to go. It was not only the three girls who suffered injuries, but an entire city and what happened on one terrible night will take years to mend. Tonia Reyes Uranga>> Communication really is the number one key. If we can't talk to teach other, then how do we expect to really live with each other? Sam Louie>> I'm Sam Louie for Life and Times. Val Zavala>> So what do you think of race relations in Long Beach? You can post your opinion on our blog. Just go to kcet.org and click on the Life and Times Blog. Announcer>> Kcet.org is the place to look for the very latest on Life and Times. You'll find previews of upcoming stories, plus transcripts and audio of past episodes and links to some of our most interesting features. Just go to kcet.org, scroll down the page and click on "Life and Times". Val Zavala>> It's a call to action with a big price tag. A major report is urging the city of Los Angeles to spend nearly a billion dollars to rid itself of gangs. It's been dubbed a kind of anti-gang martial plan, but will it work? For a lively discussion on that question, we brought three people together at our Kitchen Table. Joe Hicks of CommUnity Advocates; David Zahniser, a reporter for the L.A. Weekly who's skeptical about the gang plan; and Bill Martinez with the Pat Brown Institute at Cal State L.A. who says it's time to take a big step. Our Kitchen Table segment is funded by Ralph Tornberg. Joe Hicks>> Well, this killing of fourteen year old Cheryl Green in Harbor Gateway certainly seems to have spurred a whole round of new energy, if you will, around gangs. You know, the mayor's holding press conferences. You participated in the writing of the report that Connie Rice just released, the Advancement Project, that, even though it costs six hundred thousand dollars -- yikes -- maybe offering some new ideas about what we do. What is there that's new in this report? Because Bill Roosevelt seemed to think that he didn't hear anything that's all that new here. Bill Martinez>> Maybe nothing new when it comes to the types of programs. But the need to put them all together and think systematically about them and think really structurally about them. What we have to do is make our suppression work by taking a lot of pressure off of them. You can do that by eliminating need, which means you invest in prevention and intervention. You put that money up front, you don't need as much on the back end. The savings cuts across city, county and state levels. It's one of the things we pointed out. So it's similar to any business. You want to put your investment in there, you stay in the marketplace so you're more efficient, you cut down on your expenses. If you want to take that analogy, that's a lot of what we're trying to do, and create a systematic approach to doing just that. Joe Hicks>> It's clear that, you know, gangs cost us a lot of money. A lot of expense is there, a lot in terms of the human toll of gangs, but you've written about the Advancement Project report. What do you think is really there that you actually think might advance the ball down the field a bit? David Zahniser>> Well, I think what's happened is that the authors of the report have given it a much more global take, which is that they're asking the city to look at everything. They're asking the city to work with the school districts. They're asking the city to look at the county. They're asking the city at one point to engage in a media campaign to convince the entertainment industry not to glorify gangs. I think what's happened is that, among some of the elected officials in the city, there's been sort of a "Holy crap, this is really big!". In a small way, I think they're a little bit paralyzed because where do you begin when you're told that it could cost as much as fifty-five million dollars to keep every child moving through just one high school in South Los Angeles from joining gangs? I mean, that cost is enormous. The idea that you multiply that out times every high school in Los Angeles Unified, that suddenly becomes a really daunting thing. Add on to that, they still haven't quite tackled the issue of how do you show that the programs you have are working? Since they haven't, they have to both embark on a new big program and figure out a way to hold the existing programs accountable. Bill Martinez>> And there's no sense throwing good money after bad. I think that's one of the points we're trying to make in that particular case. To say, well, if we're going to do this, let's make sure we are getting fund money back on our side. And if not, then we have to take another approach. So, yeah, I think that's one thing that we've always been lacking and a lot of that is because we haven't been given the resources needed to really kind of develop that aspect of programming. It's always been, okay, let's get this out there. Let's worry about whether or not it's working later because we'll figure out how to do that, but it's never been designed in. So, yeah, it's one of the things I think -- and that goes across the board. That's prevention, intervention and suppression. Let's see where the real payoff is in all of these various investments. Joe Hicks>> But, you know, we spend a lot of money annually right now on so-called gang intervention projects, L.A. Bridges and those kinds of projects that supposedly are community workers intervening in these gang activities and hopefully preventing, you know, gang killings and gang involvement. Do those even work? Is that just money down a rat hole? Is it doing us any good at all? David Zahniser>> Well, I think there hasn't been enough of an assessment to figure out which ones are working. They've had short-term assessments where they actually did find -- I know of an example from three years ago where there was a program. They filled out all the forms and, when they finished the assessment, they concluded that that program had diverted exactly two people from gangs. The reaction that the Council had to that assessment was, "Oh, my gosh, this program has not been getting the resources they need to do the paperwork right." What happened was that that program got more money, not less. They didn't say zero out the money for the program with the bad numbers. They actually said, you know, they're having trouble with the administrative side, and they actually went the other direction. What's happened in this latest round because, like I said, it goes in and out of vogue every three years, is no one quite wants to say that now we're going to hold them accountable. Everyone is kind of dipping their toe in the water and, oh, let's have an audit. There are two or three elected officials now going for an audit, but that means we telescope out another six to eight months. By that time, we're talking about how to refurbish the Los Angeles River or whatever the new vogue is in this civic discourse. Bill Martinez>> See, and that's just the point. That's why we had to be as global as we were and as inclusive of all the elements of providing services that had to include funding, it had to include evaluation, it had to include this interaction of various jurisdictions. Because otherwise, you're absolutely right. You know, we have plenty of evidence of, you know, when the next thing comes along, they have to divert their time and energy and resources to those topics. So we don't have the opportunity to see these things really work out the way they should. Joe Hicks>> For years, we sang this mantra of more programs, more government funding. That's all we need. Programs that will deter kids from gangs. That's been the thirty-year mantra. Is that where we need to start? If it hasn't really proved in the past, what would new expenditures in that arena do? David Zahniser>> I think, for example, the city has measured L.A.'s Best, which is an after-school program, and they like the results they've seen out of that. I think the city has invested more police and found that there is a nexus between more police and lower crime. I don't think -- Joe Hicks>> -- not exactly rocket science here, you know. David Zahniser>> But I think it's something that isn't always assumed. I mean, there's been a lot of talk in this latest discussion about, well, we can't arrest our way out of this crisis and -- Bill Martinez>> -- from both the Sheriff and the Chief of police. David Zahniser>> I think that's true. I also think the city never really tried. I mean, frankly, we have fewer police than we had a decade ago. The numbers have actually gone down compared to 1997 and 1998 to the year we're in now, 2007. There are fewer officers because it's like every other initiative. It loses focus and it loses steam and then you retread, and that's what happened with police staffing and, in terms of the attention span, that's what's happened with these programs. Joe Hicks>> I got to ask this. Is part of what's scaring the crap out of some of these city leadership types the sort of almost Bladerunner kind of racial violence that we've seen taking place? Is that what's really scaring people that all of a sudden it's the levels of rampant black on brown and vice versa killings in various parts of the city? Bill Martinez>> I don't think so because really the whole idea for the ad hoc committee and for the report started a while ago. It was Martin Ludlow when he was on Council who brought up the need to do this. So it was well in advance of this recent spate of interracial violence. I think it's just a matter of what scares them is that it's doing business in a whole different way than what they're used to. It's not fifteen separate Council districts. It's one city working together and it's a whole bunch of departments having to work together towards an end and they don't do that typically. Joe Hicks>> Well, I'm sure we'll have to come back and talk about this more because this ain't going away any time soon. It hasn't gone away in several generations, so we'll have to come back and talk more about it. Thanks, guys, for coming in and spending time today. Announcer>> To send a comment or a question to our program, you can reach us by mail at this address: Life and Times 4401 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, California 90027 You can also call our viewer comment line (323) 953-5555) or contact us the fast way by e-mail at kcet.org. Val Zavala>> Many of us take places like this for granted, our neighborhood café that often feature books, music and art. But there's an unfortunate trend. Many of them are closing or on the verge of closing and our communities will be poorer for it. Take, for this example, this café, bookstore and cultural center in the working class town of Sylmar in the San Fernando Valley. Tia Chucha's is the only bookstore in Sylmar. It's also a safe place for young people in a rough neighborhood to express themselves artistically. >> "Do you seek promise in the eyes of the youth or do you vote to criminalize them in the voting booths?" Val Zavala>> But now, after five vibrant years, this twenty-four hundred square foot cultural center is losing its lease. The landlord has nearly tripled the rent. Tia Chucha's founder and operator is Luis Rodriguez. Luis Rodriguez>> We went through a five-year lease. When the lease ended, we thought we could do another five-year lease, you know, with a little higher rent, but not tripled. The end result was the landlord is going to bring in a high-tech multi-million dollar laundry operation here. Val Zavala>> Luis is the author of the acclaimed autobiography, "Always Running", about his boyhood in gang territory. By the time he was ten, he was stealing, doing drugs and running with gangs. In the end, it was books that saved him. He opened Tia Chucha's to give kids an alternative. Luis Rodriguez>> So for us, it's really lamentable that we have to move. Val Zavala>> I met Luis five years ago when Tia Chucha's first opened. This is from the story we did back then. So these were shot by young people? Luis Rodriguez>> Yeah, young people in East Los Angeles. Very beautiful work that they did. There is this talent in these communities. There's this great gift that people have, but again, without a place for it to be shown or to be expressed, it's almost like it's just sitting there. Val Zavala>> That was back in 2002. These days, Luis has been searching frantically for a new place to rent. They're paying about a dollar a square foot here, but now he's finding that rents have soared to about three dollars a square foot. Even here in Sylmar? Luis Rodriguez>> Yes, Sylmar which is a very poor working class. You know, it's a struggling, up and coming community, but still it's not high-end. Even here, these rents are going very high. Val Zavala>> Tia Chucha's isn't the only place feeling bulldozed by market forces. Avenue 50 Gallery in Highland Park may have to close. Its landlord wants to convert the building to lofts. This storefront in Echo Park was once a small independent bookstore, 33 1/3. It closed recently. And this restaurant near McArthur Park used to be Luna Sol, a community bookstore and gallery. Now a restaurant has gone in. And Self Help Graphics, a gallery and workshop for artists in East Los Angeles, is trying to overcome financial difficulties. It's not just the small ethnic places that are being squeezed out. Dutton's in upscale Brentwood is closing. The landlord wants to redevelop the property, although he's offered to set aside a small space at below-market rent. Book Alley in Pasadena is moving. The rent has gone up as the trendy Old Town Pasadena moves eastward. The owner is optimistic about finding a new location. A less cheerful fate fell upon the well-known Midnight Special Bookstore in Santa Monica. It fell victim to rising rents in 2004 despite a valiant attempt to save it. But real estate market forces are not the only reason neighborhood cultural centers are threatened. In some cases, it's the age-old challenge of fundraising. This is the Mexican Cultural Institute in a prime location, the Plaza at Olvera Street, Los Angeles's birthplace. In the basement, there's an art gallery, but this may be their last exhibit. Abelardo de la Pena>> What we're trying to do here at the Mexican Cultural Center is to keep it alive. Val Zavala>> Abelardo de la Pena is Chairman of the Board of the institute. It was started in 1990 funded by the Mexican government, but since then, it's become its own nonprofit organization. Abelardo de la Pena>> Since I've been on the Board for about three years now, slowly the attrition of the people on the Board have either retired or there's been a couple of deaths. So that's been one of the challenges. In order for places like this to survive, they need a strong backbone on the Board who are not just there to have their names look good on a resume or on a plaque, but to actually roll up their sleeves and jump in and get things done. Val Zavala>> The institute wants to redefine what is Mexican, showing not just work from south of the border, but from Mexican American artists like Joe Bravo. He uses over-sized tortillas as his canvas. Joe Bravo>> I sit here and it's amazing. People come in and they shake my hand -- it's probably how I got sick from talking a lot to people, shaking everybody's hand and with a thumbs up. They really love it. I mean, it makes you feel sad that probably after this there won't be another exhibit. Abelardo de la Pena>> For centers like us which is a cultural center, and Self Help Graphics, another cultural center, Tia Chucha's, I think that funders don't quite understand the value of being able to reach out to a different type of audience. Joe Bravo>> Here we are, the dominant people of Latinos here, and everything is closing around us. Abelardo de la Pena>> If we can't make it, it will be a tough decision which will be made. Val Zavala>> Back at Tia Chucha's, Luis and his wife think they've found a temporary place to rent. It's smaller, so unfortunately the café will have to go and much of the money to install it came from Luis's own pocket. Your own money that you used to put in the café and now it's just gone once the laundry goes in? Luis Rodriguez>> It will have to go and eventually they'll destroy the whole thing that we created here. But the reason why we don't get really sad about it is because we have to focus our energies on positive things. We're getting ourselves a bigger, better Tia Chucha's. Val Zavala>> That bigger and better place may come along with the help of a national store that's coming to Sylmar. We can't disclose its name, but as part of a development deal, Tia Chucha's may get a permanent home, although it's several years away. Luis Rodriguez>> In the long run, that's going to be our goal. Two or three years from now, we want to have our own building, a long lease or owned. We want to have a bigger spot. We're talking about four times the size of here. So we have our big dream still. Val Zavala>> But until those dreams materialize, Tia Chucha's, like so many neighborhood cafés and independent bookstores, is just trying to hang on. Luis Rodriguez>> I think I would like to see policymakers tackle this issue. I know it's not as sexy as some other issues, but I think it's very important. Again, with all these closures happening, with all these new developments, I even heard of people talking about moratoriums on development just to stop the high-end developments to say, okay, what are we losing? What do we need to safeguard? I think that's a really good way of looking at it. Otherwise, this great city is going to lose the neighborhood flavor. It's a big city. It's a great city. It's the entertainment capital of the world, but it wouldn't work if all you do is concentrate on entertainment and culture in certain communities and abandon it everywhere else. >> "Is your mind used for amusement or do you use it as a tool? Are you willing to stand up and fight for righteousness or is your life devoted to trying to impress everyone around you?" Val Zavala>> If you'd like to help out, this is the perfect time. This Saturday, Tia Chucha's is holding a benefit party and five-year anniversary celebration from noon to eleven p.m. You can get details on their website at tiachucha.com. And that's our program. I'm Val Zavala. For everyone at Life and Times, thanks for watching. We'll see you next time. Announcer>> Life and Times was made possible through the generous support of the L.K. Whittier Foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life by supporting innovative endeavors in the fields of medicine, health, science and education. And by a generous grant from Jim and Anne Rothenberg. With additional support for Life and Times from The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation. Sponsored in part by:  | |
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