Preface
Up until recently, I was convinced that the overwhelming majority of L.A. residents are absolutely thrilled to live in the city, which is often associated with the very essence of the so-called “American dream”. Prior to conducting the following set of interviews, it would never occur to me that living in L.A. is being perceived by many of city’s residents as something utterly ordinary, despite the fact that foreign visitors to L.A. often end up referring to it as “paradise city”. While being made to believe that life needs to be “celebrated”, during the course of my high school years, the fact that many people in L.A. pursue with their daily routine, without being able to define how do they contribute to the city of their residence, came to me as something incomprehensible. Yet, after having thought about it for a while, it dawned upon me that it is specifically the dogma of “celebration of diversity”, which is being jammed down citizens’ throats, that causes more and more L.A. residents to exist in socially alienated mode. Apparently, despite L.A. panoramic views, its warm climate and its close association with movie making industry, many people who consider themselves as L.A. well-established residents, can hardly be thought of as city’s loyalists, simply because they do not even bother learning English, while preferring to spend their whole lives within L.A. closed ethnic communities, without being able think beyond their ethnicity or their religious affiliation. I personally do not think that social alienation, which seems to affect the existential mode of more and more residents of L.A., adds to city’s overall attractiveness – after all, it is the fact that Los Angeles has been traditionally associated with American (Western) values that was adding to its appeal as the place to live, in the eyes of industrious and freedom loving people, throughout the world. Nowadays it is no longer the case – Los Angeles seems to have transformed its essence from being the center of America’s metaphysical greatness, to serve as simply a magnet to countless welfare recipients and illegal immigrants, from across the country. In my opinion, this is the main conclusion, which naturally derives out of reading the following interviews.
Interviews
Corazon Glaiza
(Filipino woman, who came to L.A. on visitor’s visa, but had never left the country. She has been living in L.A. for over 7 years now, while working as baby sitter. Corazon agreed to talk to me, after I convinced her that I was not an undercover immigration officer. The interview took place at Hermosa Beach).
How do you like L.A.?
Very big, very big – I like big. Me working very hard, no time to talk for long. Me not breaking laws.
How much do you get paid in an hour?
They pay me 3 dollars an hour – very good money, very good money. I like working hard.
How did you come to L.A.?
By boat, very long journey, but we made it. Some people died on this boat, I was lucky. I wanted to live in L.A., because I like warmth.
Are you planning to ever go back?
I cannot go back, because there is no way for me to go to America, when I go back. I want to save money, then I get married, then I stop being afraid of policemen.
How do you enjoy yourself in your free time?
No time to relax, me work all the time. Lazy White people spend too much time relaxing. I’m not.
What do you think is L.A.’s main problem?
What problem? I see no problems. But not too many Filipino people here – very big problem.
Do these kids you babysit often give you trouble?
Yes, very bad kids. Very spoiled. They are also very fat.
Tiburon Williams
(27 years old African-American, who works as a mover for “Father and Son” moving company in L.A. The interview took place at intersection of 6th street and Santa Fe Avenue, in downtown Los Angeles, where Tiburon was waiting for a pick up).
What do you think is the best thing about L.A.?
I see no good things whatsoever yo… gotta work my ass off to make a living. I move this heavy-ass furniture every day and some crackers are just too cheep – never know if they are going to tip you or not.
Do you think some White people in L.A. still remain prejudices towards Blacks?
Yeah. They like… want you to do your job and just leave – their rotten attitude never changed since their slave-owning days. This is the reason I sometimes tend to just drop their furniture on the floor – buggers smile at you and then they call you “nigger”, when they think you cannot hear.
What do you think of Hispanics suggesting that L.A. is essentially a Mexican city?
Yo man, don’t even get me started. I am sick and tired of these brown-assed “amigos” taking over the country. If they like Mexico so much, why don’t they just go back? They are very cheep bastards as well. I actually often refuse to work for Mexicans – it is not only that they do not tip, but they usually do not even have money to pay the actual bill.
You sound like someone who does not believe in existence of interracial harmony in L.A. Is it the case?
What the hell are you talking about yo? There is a full scale war going on between Hispanics and brothers in L.A. public schools. People get shot almost everyday. I myself never leave a crib without a gun, after it gets dark. You crackers think that it has nothing to do with you and that you’ll be able to hide from reality in your “white suburbia” forever – what an ignorant bunch of retards.
Erin O’Brien
(35 years old, White woman, who works as psychologist at Los Angeles Community College District. The interview took place in front of college’s main entrance, at 770 Wilshire Boulevard).
Are you a native of L.A.?
No, I moved here from Saskatoon, Canada. Always dreamt of living in Los Angeles.
Why is that?
This is because I consider L.A. as the most diverse city on Earth and I like celebrating diversity very much. L.A. locals are being absolutely speared of moralistic pretentiousness; they live their lives to its fullest and it attracts me to L.A. more then anything else does.
So, you think that the L.A. residents’ main psychological trait is their tolerance?
Absolutely! Los Angeles is only the city in North America where an individual’s racial affiliation does not correspond to his or her chances of achieving social prominence. I’m thrilled to hear people speak different languages out on the street. Sometimes, I just walk into the nearest Starbucks shop and sit there for a while, while drinking organic coffee and contemplating on how to make this world a better place. Living in L.A. inspires me to do that.
What do you think of L.A. Hispanic residents’ demands to make Spanish this city’s official language?
I have nothing against it. White people should strive to redeem their historical guilt by allowing the representatives of ethnic minorities to utilize their native languages, while participating in city’s socio-political life.
Have you begun learning Spanish yet?
I already know a few Spanish words. Also, I have a Mexican-American fiancée, so I think he would teach me his beautiful language, after we get married.
Soong Chu-yu
(53 years old owner of “Din Tai Fung” Chinese restaurant at 1108 S Baldwin Avenue. The interview was conducted in one of restaurant’s utility rooms)
So, what is special today?
Chow Mein. Very tasty, it comes with a fortune cookie. Everybody loves fortune cookies.
What prompted you to immigrate to America and to settle in L.A.?
I always wanted to live in America. There is a large Chinese community in L.A. and it grows ever larger, I never felt like being a foreigner here.
What do you think of Barack Obama being elected as American President?
Not good for America, he is a Commie. I know what Commies did to some of my family members in China. I am worried that his administration will impose more taxes on restaurant business. I am a self-made man and I do not like the idea of America being turned into another Socialist welfare state.
What do you think needs to be done to improve living standards in L.A.?
I think homeless bums, who came to hang out here from other parts of America, need to be put on the bus and taken to where they came from. There is a lot of gang-related activity going on in L.A., after it becomes dark – it is very bad for my business.
What do you think of allegations that cats and dogs are being often served in L.A. Chinese restaurants as “beef” and “chicken”?
This is a lie, of course. In China, cats and dogs are often being eaten, but Chinese-Americans do not that, because we know that such practice would be considered as inappropriate in America.
Why do waitresses in Chinese restaurants in L.A. often press customers for tips, even before their food is being served?
This is because these waitresses are greedy and ungrateful. Apparently, their parents did a poor job bringing their daughters up.
Alexei Kotov
(39 years old Russian-American cab driver. He agreed to be interviewed, while driving me around downtown Los Angeles).
How do you find working as a cab driver in L.A.?
Very frustrating man. You never know when damned Mexicans are going to pull a gun on you. I am tired of trying to understand what they are actually saying, when they speak to me in English. I would never settle in L.A. if I knew that it was going to be eventually turned into another Mexico city.
Seems like you are not very fond of Hispanics?
Tell me who is. How am I supposed to make a living when many of my passengers refuse to pay, simply because they think that American laws do not apply to them? It only took me a few months to learn English, after I arrived in America, so how come these Mexicans can’t do the same? I know they have never been considered as particularly bright – still, there is only so much (inappropriate word) people can take. I don’t give a damn about political correctness – this is why I always speak my mind. If you don’t like it – get out of the car.
No, I am OK with that, it is just I am trying to understand what makes to think the way you do.
It is too bad that neither of these Mexicans can be taken to Russia for even as little as a day or two – then they would learn damn well their actual worth and I am sure that this would cause them to stop demanding special rights and privileges, as they do now.
Why are you being such an intolerant man?
This is because I do not perceive the world through distorted lenses of political correctness. L.A. used to be a great city, when my family got settled here in 1983. But look at what it is being turned into now – people dump garbage on the streets in front of the “projects”, drugs are being pushed onto kids in public schools, cops are afraid of showing up in Black and Hispanic “hoods”. If this (inappropriate word) won’t stop, I am going to pack up my stuff and leave back to Russia.
What do you think needs to be done, in order for L.A. to become a better city?
Stalin used to say – once there is a person, there is a problem. But when there is no such a person, there is no problem. A big give-away even must be announced to take place at KFC restaurants, throughout L.A., with only Blacks and Mexicans being qualified to attend it. Once they are there, they should be rounded up and put on the boat leaving to Africa and Mexico, respectively. I don’t think there is going to be much of public outcry in America, if these boats sink on half-way to their destinations.
What you just said is terrible. Do you really believe in it?
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Conclusion
The five interviews, presented to readers’ consideration in the earlier part of this paper, substantiate my initial assumption as to the fact that most of today’s L.A. residents are being deeply divided along racial and cultural lines. Only one interviewee, Erin O’Brien, had expressed her allegiance to the idea of multiculturalism. However, given the fact that she works at the college, it would be naïve to expect any other response than the one she provided me with. Therefore, I have certain doubts as to whether Erin remained completely sincere, while answering my questions. Unfortunately, it appears that namely the interviews with Tiburon Williams and Alexei Kotov that can be considered as such that provide us with the actual insight on particularities of socio-political situation in L.A., because these two interviewees were the least likely to misrepresent their opinions on the subject of discussion, given their non-affiliation with governmental institutions. The most obvious conclusion, which logically derives from the analysis of all five interviews, is that people’s racial affiliation defines their worldview more than any purely environmental factor. Therefore, we can conclude that racial riots, which had taken place in L.A. in 1992, were not simply the result of social mismanagement, on the part of governmental authorities, but represented the logical outcome of the policy of multiculturalism being practiced for a considerable period of time. In its turn, this means that the notion of “American national unity”, which is being promoted to students in L.A. public schools, does not relate to the objective reality. With exception of Erin O’Brien, all four interviewees appeared to emanate tension, while being asked various questions, thus proving themselves quite incapable of expanding their intellectual horizons. Therefore, I consider the above interviews as another indication of the counter-productive essence of multiculturalism, as ideological dogma, meant to be applied within Western societies.
Bibliography
Alonso, Alex “Racial Tensions Between Blacks & Mexicans in Los Angeles are Growing”. 2006. Streetgangs Magazine. 2009. Web.
Campbell, Duncan “Could it Happen Again?”. 2002. Guardian. 2009. Web.
Gold, Scott “Reparations Sought Decades after Race Riot”. 2004. Los Angeles Times. 2009. Web.
Lipson, Karin “Lincoln Center Fest Trades in Diversity”. 2000. Los Angeles Times. 2009. Web.
Murr, Andrew “Racial ‘Cleansing’ in L.A.” 2007. Newsweek. 2009. Web.
Weinstein, Henry “Lack of Diversity Marks L.A. Law”. 2007. Los Angeles Times. 2009. Web.