Final Reflection Post

Like Kate, When I decided to come to Claremont, I lamented that I would be living outside of Los Angeles. Other than the nice year-round weather, Los Angeles turned me off completely. It seemed like a sprawling poorly planned metropolis with an aging, inefficient transit system. Since I arrived, I had the opportunity to see a couple jazz shows in Hollywood and went into downtown Los Angeles once or twice. Then, last semester, I took a course called "Building Los Angeles" where we learned about the development of Southern California and its architecture. Every Saturday, we either rode Metrolink or took a bus to see various sites in Los Angeles, including buildings and infrastructure. We visited the LA River to understand how the river had shaped the development of the Los Angeles Basin, and how the residents had tried to control the river by encasing it in concrete. We also saw numerous examples of early modern architecture in the Los Angeles basin.

While I had a newfound respect for the architecture and history of Los Angeles development after last semester, I was left wanting to know more about the people who actually live in Los Angeles and especially the people whose neighborhoods we didn't visit because the architecture wasn't notable. This course was very illuminating in exposing how race has shaped LA and how specific events have had a lasting impact on the culture of Los Angeles, as well as individuals' lives. While I had always been critical of the freeway system for its environmental consequences, I had not realized the way its had torn largely minority communities apart in order to benefit the largely white upper class who dominated the roadways at the time. Although the public is much more aware of community issues than it once was, I think we need to be careful that we don't disrupt the way of life of communities who can't represent themselves in this time of enthusiasm for green infrastructure building.

I was also particularly fascinated by the two major LA riots: the Watts Riots of 1965 and the Rodney King Riots of 1992. Race issues are often studied academically and ignored by the general public as well as pushed aside by those involved. While the widespread violence and hostility of the riots is unforgivable, it is hard not to have sympathy for the rioters' anger. It seems that one of the most important tasks for communities is to provide a constructive avenue for their members to build something new. From what we heard in class and what I saw in The Garden, the South Central Farmers are doing just that. By providing a place for the community to engage in a constructive activity, they are not only directly benefitting the community by providing a place to grow food, they bring the community together, so that when tragedies happen, they can effectively address an issue. I hope that some of the insights I have gained in this course will not only give me a greater appreciate for Los Angeles, but will help me to understand the dynamics of whatever city I end up living in after school.