Latino Small-Town Revitalization as “Blight”:
Datum
2013-12
Autor:innen
Zeitschriftentitel
ISSN der Zeitschrift
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Verlag
Department of Planning, Public Policy & Management, University of Oregon
Zusammenfassung
The recent population growth in emerging Latino destinations has revitalized many
small and dying towns across the United States. In fact, from 2000 to 2005, 221 counties
would have experienced overall population decline if not for Latino population growth. As
Latinos continue to migrate from traditional immigrant gateways to newly emerging
destinations (a trend fueled by the restructuring of the agricultural industry, mass
immigration, natural increase, and increased employment opportunities) community
development professionals will be challenged to create new models of democratic practice
that address the conflicts of these transitioning towns. Emerging theories of democracy that
challenge traditional power dynamics, such as cultural citizenship, can help further these
efforts.
Through the case study of Woodburn, a small town in Oregon’s Willamette Valley
that has experienced rapid Latino population growth over the last several decades, I detail
why even though Latinos are investing and revitalizing economically depressed spaces, the
historic downtown is still characterized as “blighted.” I draw from Community Capitals
Framework (CCF) to contextualize how Latinos’ generative economic development
practices are built upon various forms of capital. I analyze the cultural differences in the
definition of “blight” between Latinos and whites in the town and uncover the racial
conflicts around (1) small business investment and development and (2) historic
preservation efforts. Drawing on 40 in-depth qualitative interviews, an analysis of U.S.
Census data, and a spatial analysis of Latino small businesses, I examine the way in which
the lack of Latino political representation in formal planning and governance institutions
plays a role in how local institutions define Latino generative economic revitalization as
“blight.” This case illustrates how formal community planning and development
institutions create a discourse of disempowerment by contesting informal generative
revitalization efforts within a racialized context.
Beschreibung
Examining committee: Gerardo Sandoval, chair, Howard Davis