Central-Alameda

Central Alameda means home to us. Most of us grew up in this neighborhood. Everyone knows each other. People from other neighborhoods consider our community a bad influence. However, Central Alameda is a unique and social neighborhood.

Central Alameda has some problems. There are gang members who threaten people. In certain parts of the neighborhood what you wear is sometimes confused as gang affiliation. There is a lot of vandalism and tagging. There are innocent people being hurt. Sometimes the police can be racist.

Even though Central Alameda has some problems, there are also positive things in this neighborhood. There is support for families who are having trouble. We have amazing food. We all share the same culture. Some people have everything handed to them on a silver plate but most people here work for what they have and that is worth recognizing.

Central Alameda means a lot to us because we have been raised in this neighborhood. We are poor but we have a lot of pride. We enjoy life. We do not worry ourselves about people’s judgments. In Central Alameda, we are who we are, not what other people want us to be.

There are some downsides to living in Central Alameda. One of them is that there are too many criminal activities. The neighborhood is crowded too. Every hour there are sirens and helicopters. There are innocent people getting shot. Graffiti makes our environment look dirty.

There are good things in this neighborhood too. Every year, student test scores are higher. Many people help the environment by cleaning streets and painting over graffiti. The variety of food is delicious. The culture of Central Alameda is lively.

Central Alameda is home to all of us. Most people in this neighborhood get along pretty
well. A lot of parents are struggling to make sure their kids have a better future. It’s not the most beautiful place but we have our families and we maintain ourselves. For the past eight years Central Alameda has been trying to improve.

There’s a lot of violence in this neighborhood due to criminal activity. There is a lot of fear. Most people are afraid to walk through some streets and alleys, day and night. There are not many good jobs in this neighborhood. Another downside is that not so many students graduate from high school and/or go to college.

Besides all the downsides, we still have plenty of wonderful treasures in our community. There are many artistic people in this neighborhood. We have the Jazz Festival and a skate park in the same area. The people in this neighborhood fight for what is right. The South Central Farmers are an example of people in this neighborhood not giving up.

la alameda central

This area is home to many great community members who are becoming more and more active in city politics. This is a city that is continuing to change for the better.

A great landmark that still has the ability to be restored into an organic farm is The South Central Farm. Nestled into 41st on the south side, Alameda on the east side, Martin Luther King on the north side, and Long Beach Ave on the west side, the South Central Farm was the Nations Largest Urban Garden/Farm. It provided over 500 different types of trees, various varieties of fruits and vegetables, and community space for the people of South Los Angeles.

I would like to know why the 9th Council District person decided to sell this property back to the developer who was previously going to make a trash incinerator there, without giving due notice to the community, that the property was going up for sale?

Michelle Obama can sustain a garden at the White House, why couldn't South Los Angeles keep the nations largest urban garden/farm?

Rose Xochitl Luján
Thank you.