Gentrification Reflection
The demographics of the island I grew up on are incredibly culturally uniform. It was filled with either older white couples that moved to retire, or middle-aged white couples with children I went to school with. At my high school, I’m pretty sure we had a total of 2 African American families, a handful of Hispanic families, and zero Indian or Native American. To me, it feels like the exact opposite of Seattle and I couldn’t be happier living here now. The size of my town stayed relatively the same. We never got many new students in my classes or new families moving it down the street, but one instance of gentrification has really stayed with me. It was quarter mile walk from my porch to the edge of the island where my bench was located. In high school, I visited this bench frequently, like when I was stuck on my AP Literature and Composition essay or when I just couldn’t sleep. My favorite time to go was when the stars and the moon are shining. To get to this bench, I walked through a small portion of calming forest. The whole process was very ritualistic to me. When I came back over winter break, I saw that they tore down my forest and my bench. They were building a new housing development and creating a new neighborhood. I felt so heartbroken when I realized that my safe haven was gone, which I’m sure is similar to what the regulars of Capitol Hill thought when being “invaded by the whoo girls”.
This article is my first experience with the term and concept of gentrification. From the article I’ve learned that gentrification is “any facet of urban renewal that inevitably leads to displacement of the occupying demographic”. The hate crime at the beginning of the article was one of the most disturbing incidences I’ve ever read. People in the LGBTQ+ community and others have been severity affected by the gentrification of Capitol Hill in terms of hate crimes, unwelcoming community, and raises in rents. This pushed many native people out of their own home and community.
I’m assuming since Berlin is a large city, it would also be affected by gentrification in its many forms. I’m unfamiliar with the specifics of German gentrification, but I want to know how much culture has been lost in Berlin, and Seattle, due to these “invasions”.
Interview Reflection
After class Saturday, I walked around to try and find someone who looked somewhat approachable and not too busy. I kept telling myself “oh the worst thing they could say is no” and many of them did. But I found a man at Suzzallo who was happy to help me with my assignment. He was in his early 20s and was working on something on his computer when I approached him. When I asked the question, he kind of laughed because he thought there were so many issues going on right now he didn’t know which one he would explain to a Berliner. He finally settled on the black rights movement, Ferguson, and #blacklivesmatter. He thought that this was something prevalent in Seattle currently. I thanked him for taking the time to talk to me and then I left. I didn’t have too much of an issue going up to a random stranger as I thought it would and it was actually kind of fun to get someone else’s view.
Observational Reflection
I chose a bench outside of Guggenheim to start my observations. I crossed my legs and closed my eyes. The sun was warm on my face but paired nicely with a soft breeze so I didn’t get too hot. On the bench next to me, an interview was going on between two men. The younger man had his resume and research out and they quietly discussed it. He was working on chemical kinetics (I think??) but it was hard to hear/understand everything that was being said. I also heard birds and construction and people talking in the distance. I smelled the fresh air and the soup I had just bought at the hub. When I opened my eyes, I saw several people laying the grass or walking leisurely to a destination. If I were to do this assignment again, I would try to observe more and take in as many sensory things as I possible could. I still felt like I was thinking too much instead of just being and feeling the world around me.
The demographics of the island I grew up on are incredibly culturally uniform. It was filled with either older white couples that moved to retire, or middle-aged white couples with children I went to school with. At my high school, I’m pretty sure we had a total of 2 African American families, a handful of Hispanic families, and zero Indian or Native American. To me, it feels like the exact opposite of Seattle and I couldn’t be happier living here now. The size of my town stayed relatively the same. We never got many new students in my classes or new families moving it down the street, but one instance of gentrification has really stayed with me. It was quarter mile walk from my porch to the edge of the island where my bench was located. In high school, I visited this bench frequently, like when I was stuck on my AP Literature and Composition essay or when I just couldn’t sleep. My favorite time to go was when the stars and the moon are shining. To get to this bench, I walked through a small portion of calming forest. The whole process was very ritualistic to me. When I came back over winter break, I saw that they tore down my forest and my bench. They were building a new housing development and creating a new neighborhood. I felt so heartbroken when I realized that my safe haven was gone, which I’m sure is similar to what the regulars of Capitol Hill thought when being “invaded by the whoo girls”.
This article is my first experience with the term and concept of gentrification. From the article I’ve learned that gentrification is “any facet of urban renewal that inevitably leads to displacement of the occupying demographic”. The hate crime at the beginning of the article was one of the most disturbing incidences I’ve ever read. People in the LGBTQ+ community and others have been severity affected by the gentrification of Capitol Hill in terms of hate crimes, unwelcoming community, and raises in rents. This pushed many native people out of their own home and community.
I’m assuming since Berlin is a large city, it would also be affected by gentrification in its many forms. I’m unfamiliar with the specifics of German gentrification, but I want to know how much culture has been lost in Berlin, and Seattle, due to these “invasions”.
Interview Reflection
After class Saturday, I walked around to try and find someone who looked somewhat approachable and not too busy. I kept telling myself “oh the worst thing they could say is no” and many of them did. But I found a man at Suzzallo who was happy to help me with my assignment. He was in his early 20s and was working on something on his computer when I approached him. When I asked the question, he kind of laughed because he thought there were so many issues going on right now he didn’t know which one he would explain to a Berliner. He finally settled on the black rights movement, Ferguson, and #blacklivesmatter. He thought that this was something prevalent in Seattle currently. I thanked him for taking the time to talk to me and then I left. I didn’t have too much of an issue going up to a random stranger as I thought it would and it was actually kind of fun to get someone else’s view.
Observational Reflection
I chose a bench outside of Guggenheim to start my observations. I crossed my legs and closed my eyes. The sun was warm on my face but paired nicely with a soft breeze so I didn’t get too hot. On the bench next to me, an interview was going on between two men. The younger man had his resume and research out and they quietly discussed it. He was working on chemical kinetics (I think??) but it was hard to hear/understand everything that was being said. I also heard birds and construction and people talking in the distance. I smelled the fresh air and the soup I had just bought at the hub. When I opened my eyes, I saw several people laying the grass or walking leisurely to a destination. If I were to do this assignment again, I would try to observe more and take in as many sensory things as I possible could. I still felt like I was thinking too much instead of just being and feeling the world around me.