Who’s More Pretentious? A Hipster Or A Pocho? Discuss.
10 July 2007, 9:00 AM. By Cindy Casares
A group in Los Angeles called, The Pocho Research Society of Erased and Invisible History, in an effort to intervene against gentrification, went around East L.A. Echo Park last month and placed, “Clandestine historic plaques on sidewalks outside of various hipster bars.” All of which, Blabbeando tells us, are former gay bars. In our experience, the only people who throw the word, “gentrification” around are gentrifiers. Which brings up some interesting questions: First, is anyone ever a self-confessed gentrifier? Like, does anyone ever admit to being a yuppie or a hipster? In the interest of full disclosure: (At 9am when L.A. is totally asleep. Heh.) We’d like to be among the first to say, that we are currently gentrifying our East Village neighborhood in New York. This is not to say we aren’t Latino, of a humble background and totally not rich. We just went to college. Sue us. We thought that was the point. Secondly, how many of the “real” East L.A.’ers Echo Parkers are going around creating plaques to protect gay bars? Not that they shouldn’t and not that cholos can’t be gay, but it’s clear from the “plaques” that these are some artists who are pissed that they can’t afford the rent. Which begs the final question, who’s really the hip one here? We say, whoever complains about this post first wins!
(Correction: As was pointed out below, we totally fucked up our geography on this story. Echo Park is not in East L.A, but the point remains the same.)
Echoes in the Echo A Series of Public Interventions About Gentrification In and Around Echo Park Press Release
Former Latino gay bar sites in Los Angeles tagged with guerilla landmark designations [Blabbeando]
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You need to get out more often, East LA and Echo Park are worlds apart. Sue your school, cuz whatever education they doled out it’s impossible to figure out what you’re trying to say.
I win!
I really like your post. I especially agree with your comment on going to college, moving on up, etc…However, there is one minor thing I’d like to add: you imply that “real Echo Parkers” are cholos when you say, “Secondly, how many of the “real” Echo Parkers are going around creating plaques to protect gay bars? Not that they shouldn’t and not that cholos….”
Just a thought, because I did grow up in Echo Park, and even though I knew several cholos, I was never one myself.