Economic status is one of the most common ways we differentiate ourselves from others. The haves are able to purchase luxury goods on a whim. The have-nots struggle to find enough income to get through each month without starving. A simple comparison of two neighborhoods of San Francisco, a "diverse" city with an eclectic mix of cultures and people, can demonstrate how our economic status separates us. I grew up in Chinatown, one of the most popular destinations for tourists in San Francisco. Despite all the restaurants and businesses in the area, many of the residents who reside here are fairly poor. The largest apartment structure in Chinatown, known as Ping Yuen, is a government-owned structure that leases apartments out to low-income families. Living in a government-owned apartment like that leaves people stigmatized, as they are seen as being too poor to be able to live without government aid. On the other side of town is the Sunset District. I attended middle and high school in this area and I got a chance to witness how different these two neighborhoods were on a daily basis. Each street in the Sunset is lined with houses. These weren't small houses either. Many of them are two-story houses with a two-car garage, front lawn, and backyard. Both of these neighborhoods are inhabited by mainly Asian families, yet the differences in the way people live their lives in each neighborhood are as different as night and day. Sunset residents are more apt to purchase things like luxury cars or plasma televisions. Chinatown residents are more likely to not purchase anything asides from dinner.
Friday, July 11, 2008
It's not all just about race
Earlier in the week, we discussed difference and it ended up leading to a rather heated discussion about race. Race is just one of a multitude of ways by which we can be seen as being different from others. However, people can be judged differently even within race.
Economic status is one of the most common ways we differentiate ourselves from others. The haves are able to purchase luxury goods on a whim. The have-nots struggle to find enough income to get through each month without starving. A simple comparison of two neighborhoods of San Francisco, a "diverse" city with an eclectic mix of cultures and people, can demonstrate how our economic status separates us. I grew up in Chinatown, one of the most popular destinations for tourists in San Francisco. Despite all the restaurants and businesses in the area, many of the residents who reside here are fairly poor. The largest apartment structure in Chinatown, known as Ping Yuen, is a government-owned structure that leases apartments out to low-income families. Living in a government-owned apartment like that leaves people stigmatized, as they are seen as being too poor to be able to live without government aid. On the other side of town is the Sunset District. I attended middle and high school in this area and I got a chance to witness how different these two neighborhoods were on a daily basis. Each street in the Sunset is lined with houses. These weren't small houses either. Many of them are two-story houses with a two-car garage, front lawn, and backyard. Both of these neighborhoods are inhabited by mainly Asian families, yet the differences in the way people live their lives in each neighborhood are as different as night and day. Sunset residents are more apt to purchase things like luxury cars or plasma televisions. Chinatown residents are more likely to not purchase anything asides from dinner.
Economic status is one of the most common ways we differentiate ourselves from others. The haves are able to purchase luxury goods on a whim. The have-nots struggle to find enough income to get through each month without starving. A simple comparison of two neighborhoods of San Francisco, a "diverse" city with an eclectic mix of cultures and people, can demonstrate how our economic status separates us. I grew up in Chinatown, one of the most popular destinations for tourists in San Francisco. Despite all the restaurants and businesses in the area, many of the residents who reside here are fairly poor. The largest apartment structure in Chinatown, known as Ping Yuen, is a government-owned structure that leases apartments out to low-income families. Living in a government-owned apartment like that leaves people stigmatized, as they are seen as being too poor to be able to live without government aid. On the other side of town is the Sunset District. I attended middle and high school in this area and I got a chance to witness how different these two neighborhoods were on a daily basis. Each street in the Sunset is lined with houses. These weren't small houses either. Many of them are two-story houses with a two-car garage, front lawn, and backyard. Both of these neighborhoods are inhabited by mainly Asian families, yet the differences in the way people live their lives in each neighborhood are as different as night and day. Sunset residents are more apt to purchase things like luxury cars or plasma televisions. Chinatown residents are more likely to not purchase anything asides from dinner.
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4 comments:
I like how you show your observation and description about these two cities. It was interesting to learn about my neighborhoods as well because I have gone to Chinatown few times, but I did not know anything about the apartments that owned by government. I also agree with you that economic status can also differentiate ourselves from others because I have seen these problems especially immigrants.
I appreciate how you use this local, personal example as a way to describe how economics are another key point of difference that we have to consider when we think about identity. Certainly, our economic backgrounds (and the ways in which we mobilized 'up' or 'down' in terms of economic status) define and shape our views of the world. It is very difficult to see around economics; indeed, many people insist that we cannot see past this horizon, because its containing fabric is necessary for our current form of existence. But I wonder about the ways in which we might see economics bracketed or evaded in day-to-day life. These would be interesting instances to look out for.
Denny,
I can’t agree with you more that race isn’t the only difference we can draw from our identities. Since I too come from San Francisco, I appreciate the example you present because it is very relatable to my own experience. I also think your description about the Sunset area and Chinatown are detailed yet down-to-earth, which provides your reader a vivid, believable picture of the prominent difference between the two locations.
From reading your post, I feel that you are not only illustrating our difference based on socioeconomic status but also hinting the power relation between people in different classes. One of the messages I extract from your writing is that the rich possess more power and dignity because of their control over social resources (please correct me if I am wrong.). And I totally agree with you on this. However, I thought from our socioeconomic status difference, we could explore so much more about the interpersonal power relation. Have we ever considered the difference between males and females? The able and the disable? Native English speakers and ESL’s? What about the heterosexual and the LGBT folks? The list continues. I see your potential in further discussing the issue of identity through all these different angles. Nevertheless, you seem to have limited your scope of observation from a single personal experience in this post.
In a word, I really enjoy your writing because of your efforts in exploring different aspects of our discussion topic and bringing the depth of the conversation to the next level. Job well done!
Best,
Rick
I totally agree with you and can relate to what you are saying. Yes, race is still and issues in this country but the differences between income statuses is much more dividing. I grew up in the south bay area of San Diego, which known for being heavy populated with Mexicans. My neighborhood was only about 15 minutes from the Mexico/ United States Border and the difference between lifestyle is like night and day. I loved you post and your personal story that you shared.
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