Privilege
January 25, 2024
Walking into Los Angeles, I knew that there would be economically polarized sectors throughout the city. I saw the glamor of Hollywood, Berkeley Hills, and universities in LA, along with the destitution in less fortunate communities. But I had only seen both in videos, not in real life. I read about Little Tokyo, and how you should stay clear from 3rd Avenue and beyond, though that was on Reddit. And who believes Reddit anyways?
I walked carefree through San Pedro Street with the intention of getting to the Fashion District, passing 1st Avenue, 2nd Avenue, then 3rd Avenue. The streets were getting dirtier, and there were more wanderers as I continued walking. 4th, 5th, 6th: the buildings were run down, and there were people shouting slurs to no one. Flies, the stench of urine, and catcalls filled the air. I never expected to run into this section of LA.
Walking in that neighborhood in LA was pretty necessary for me. I experienced sympathy for these people, but never understood what it was like to fear every second of your life. I had the privilege of being an outsider and perhaps worse, of ignorance.
I cried a good amount in the shower that day, not sure whether it was of happiness or sadness. It wasn’t really either, but maybe it doesn’t matter. I realized that a lot of those people are waiting for a change that may never be delivered. A lot of people don’t even know what they're waiting for, or that they’re waiting. They can’t walk out easily like I did, because I had the security of returning to a home. I must remember these people as I nestle in the comfortable nooks of the very coat that I wore that same day.
I wonder if this polarization is inevitable in big cities. Is it human nature to keep striving forward, forgetting the ones who lie on the sidelines? I wonder if this will get worse through the advancement of AI, because a lot of people are going to get laid off. Even for someone with defined dreams, they don’t always work out because of social, political, or economical factors that they have no control over.
California officials are clearing out the homeless now. But where do they go?
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