Inay Gupta Wk 7 Response

The article “South Central Farmers and Shadow Hills Homeowners: Land Use Policy and Relational Racialization in Los Angeles” by Laura R. Barraclough talks about how land policies and racial dynamics are shaping suburban spaces in Los Angeles. This is done through two case studies: one in the South Central Farm, a community-run agricultural space that is used primarily by Latino farmers, and Shadow Hills, a predominantly white semi-rural neighborhood. Barraclough introduced the topic of relational racialization in this article to explain how hierarchies are formed with regards to land policies and economic structures. South Central Farmers were in danger of displacement as the city was prioritizing commercial development over agriculture and the Shadow Hills homeowners were using zoning laws that privilege white to upper middle class individuals to maintain their simple urban lifestyle. Zoning regulations in The Shadow Hills community didn’t allow lower-income populations to move into the area. Barraclough’s analysis of the two communities shows how race and hierarchies are rooted in urban planning. Although the two communities were very different, they were linked through white homeowners, which marginalized low-income immigrants of color. One thing that stood out to me in these essays was the fact that Shadow Hills residents were able to use legal frameworks to help secure whatever was in the community and their own best interest, while the South Central farmers were struggling to get that same recognition even though their land had environmental and community benefits. This article also connects and contributes to previous readings of displacement across the US Communities of color are always facing land insecurity issues as a result of economic and political issues that are out of their control.This challenges the idea that the struggles about land were just relating to economics; they were deeply rooted in politics, whiteness as a property, and history. Despite the fact that the people were eventually evicted, this situation brought national attention to how land policies were racialized and started many conversations about how cities are going to give out the right to land and resources in a changing landscape that has become increasingly privatized.