Prior to coming to Portland, the classic stereotypes that people told me were probably the same as all of those who who had never been to the city: Portland is green, full of hippies and liberals, and rainy. Not to my surprise, most of those things are fairly true. What I did not know, however, was how white the city was. I assumed that since Portland is more than three times bigger than my hometown, Indianapolis, Indiana, that the population would be fairly diverse and evenly distributed. I realized how white not only Lewis & Clark was within the first couple of months, but also how white Portland as a city, specifically as far west as Washington park and NW 23rd to as far east as Hawthorne and Mt. Tabor. These areas, which are most accessible, are also the whitest areas in Portland. After almost a year of living in Portland, the clearly disproportionally spread out populated has become aware to me now.
To analyze why certain areas of Portland are disproportionally white, it is necessary to focus on one of the main causes: Gentrification. Cities all around the country are gentrifying and have been for a long time now, however, Portland has been an epicenter of urban development and renewal which has led to the displacement of low income populations specifically populations of people of color. For the purpose of this post, I will be looking at the effects of gentrification on the Alberta neighborhood of Portland which has been a hotbed of gentrification. Emily Drew, a professor of sociology at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, conducted a study from 2007-2011 titled “Listening through white ears”: Cross-Racial Dialogues as a strategy to Address the Racial Effects of Gentrification” which analyzed the effects of gentrification on the Alberta neighborhood to reveal what is causing racial tensions and displacement. Drew highlights a restorative justice model, which in Portland is called “Restorative Listening Project” or short as “RLP”. The program, which is guided by long-term African American Residents in different neighborhoods in Portland, specifically Alberta, seeks to “help white people understand the harms of gentrification and racism from those who experience the effects” (Drew, 2012).
Drew attended these sessions from 2007 until 2011 and analyzed the main points brought up at these meetings. She discovered that the RLP is brining above “antiracist place-making” which is seeking to mitigate the effects of gentrification and create an inclusive environment where white residents understand how longer standing black residents feel about their new surroundings. Historically, Alberta, or known as Albina from the beginning, has housed the largest population of the cities black residents. In 1939, the largest population of black people were concentrated here and that number increased from 1,600 in 1940 to 4,500 in 1950 (Rizarri, p 29). However, the boom of the black population began to lose its thunder in the 1990s when policy makers and concerned community members began to notice that crime rates were becoming intolerable and therefore took the initial steps to gentrify the area: centering development around small neighborhood-run businesses. This initial step led to the establishment of an arts district and ultimately, the displacement of black people in the area due to increases in property value and feelings of exclusion (Drew, 2012).
In conclusion, Drew highlights an ongoing struggle for power between impoverished groups or historically grounded groups in certain areas and an influx of white and upperclass people seeking to settle elsewhere and “revitalize” certain areas. From a conflict theorist’s perspective, the domination and taking over of certain areas, such as Alberta, could be viewed as positive; dominant groups compete for a limited recourse (in this case land) and prevail. However, the injustices related to gentrification can be related to the injustices of indigenous people being forced out of their own land, something that from a viewpoint of all different theories is never acceptable.
Drew, Emily M. "Listening Through White Ears: Cross-Racial Dialogues As A Strategy To Address The Racial Effects Of Gentrification." Journal of Urban Affairs 34.1 (2011): 99-115. Academic Search Premier [EBSCO]. Web. 30 Mar. 2017.
Rizzari, Meredith R. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Oregon Websites and Watershed Projects, Inc. 2005. Web.
As a POC coming to Portland for the first time, I also heard a lot of what you heard before moving up here. I actually learned about the gentrification for going to events that celebrated Portland's POC. My first introduction to this topic was during a panel when an artist discussed her project shooting photos of black Portlanders and discussing the relief POC feel when they meet another POC. This really was proved to me when I was at a networking event that celebrated Portland's POC professionals. So while gentrification in the Alberta district was horrible and being a POC and moving here was daunting, I think it's important to also look at the fascinating effect of it. The Portland POC community is growing to be more connected and is celebrating being a POC here. And while you discussed some of the causes for gentrification, I think it would have been interesting for you to consider that Oregon was a white only state for a while and how that created a community where gentrification was socially allowed and, in my opinion more interestingly, how that has created a POC community that is growing to be more connected.
ReplyDeleteIn my History class last semester I learned that Oregon as a state was a refuge for KKK members escaping persecution from a new wave that was emerging in the Northeast, Midwest, and South and also that black people were not allowed to settle in Portland or any other city in Oregon and a majority of them went north to Seattle. It is interesting how a diverse community is emerging in Oregon, especially since there are not as many historical ties to the area. However, it is important for white people in Portland, especially in Alberta/Albina, to recognize the history of Oregon and instead of following trends in other large cities (NYC, SF, Seattle) where black neighborhoods are targeted by developers to "urbanize" or "green" or make them safe buying older properties and changing the dynamics of the neighborhood. I feel that gentrification is empowering POC to make a difference and build stronger community ties.
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