Santa Ana: In Need of a Real Renaissance

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• Omar, we passed each other today like ships in the almost night. Good thing I had coffee at the Gentrication bar instead of beer at the Gentrification Bar or else I would have been all like BLAH BLAH BLAH. That's me of course, not you. I like your article here.

• But I must say,
  The Downtown Santa Ana homogeneous "Community" though is a fiction.
  There is the elementary school "community". There is the apartment and housing "community". There is the creative business "community". There is the industrial "community" There is the Government/Politico "community". There is the journalist "community", The LGBT "Community". The homeless "community" (That's a big one!) The immigrant "community",
  The Chicano "community". All of these folks think of Downtown Santa Ana as their home and "community'. All of these folks deserve equal access to be a voice for the "community".

  • The point I'm making is that the majority should have more of a presence in matters of the downtown, and citywide. It's the same point I've been making for years.

    Sometimes it seems that it is taboo to acknowledge what Santa Ana's demographics are. It's a place full of Mexicans when it comes time to bash this place, but then suddenly all Mexicans vanish into thin air when it comes to serving another group's interests.

    There is a conscious wishing away of Mexican influence in the downtown. There are attempts to block out the sun with one finger.

    You are diluting what this majority is by dividing it into subsets or "communities" as you say.

• You are correct, the majority Mexican community should have more of a say, and also think in terms of a Santa Ana Mexican Cultural Renaissance even if that is considered a Euro-Centric term as considered by some activists.

  • Euro-centric is the blatant whitewashing of the downtown. That's what's happening and let's not kid ourselves. It's Euro-centric because of white Americans' quickness to associate with and place a higher value on European ancestry.

    Yup, I remember the World Cup final at Memphis when a majority of the house was rooting for Holland.

    By the way, I recommend the book Whitewashed Adobe, a history by William Deverell who is an English professor at USC. Ever since he started using the term whitewash, I don't feel so bad using it anymore, because he's calling things as they were. What happened in that book is happening now in Santa Ana.

    • Regarding your comment about various groups being represented, that's not the case in DTSA. I've always argued for balance in the DT but I'm seeing an imbalance.

      Of these groups that you've identified it is precisely the LGBT that is getting preferential treatment. What do you call turning Teatro Fiesta into a gay movie theater?

      If you've been keeping up, you've seen that its an entirely new LGBT not native to Santa Ana that us being catered to.

      I argued that there isn't enough variety in the DT with a downtown inc lackey, whose name is Wendy. I said to that out of touch new arrival that there isn't any real cultural diversity in eating options there. That does not make a respectable, cosmopolitan downtown.

      The "changes" that the little sparrow "is proud to be a part of" for example, are one-sided.

      • So excited for that little bird!

• I heard there is talk of changing the Arco on Broadway to a PREMEX.

  • PEMEX

• "The point I’m making is that the majority should have more of a presence in matters of the downtown, and citywide".......... Hmmmmm

  It has and that is why Santa Ana sucks!...... Omar

• Omar, show me anywhere in the world a Hispanic/ Latino community, city, country which is prosperous and has its own Hispanic design car?

• The problem is that Hispanic/ Latinos are 99% left-liberal-socialists which does nod yield entrepreneurialism but dependency.

  If you want a real Renaissance you must have venture capital which concept does not exists in Hispanic/ Latino culture.

  Without private venture capital any real progress is impossible.

  Socialists like Teo hate private venture capital.

  • Fiala, I understand perfectly that a business mentality must be inculcated in the Latino community. That's what I've been arguing for years.

    I've written about the anti-capitalist philosophy in our midst and identified it as a problem.

    I know about the influence of the Latin American left.

    These are challenges that the Latino community faces. This is an ideological battle that must be won (inculcating a business mentality in the Latino community).

    Now that this problem is identified we need more business incubators, and ones that are Santa Ana specific. Ones that turn the enormous potential of the Santa Ana majority into an economic, job-generating engine.

    • In addition, if you want to see an example of Latin American capitalism, go to Mexico City. You'll be amazed if not dumbstruck.

      Also, you conveniently point out that Latinos are a numerical and political majority without taking into account that these realities are not yet reflected in job creation.

      Rome wasn't built overnight.

      • "go to Mexico City"....... Hmmmmmm

        FYI, I have large family in the Mexico City and am frequent visitor there.

        In early 90's I have wrote a letter to, then presidente Zedillo, offering a unique venture which could promote Mexico. He did reply to me and started trickling down process via various departments and my proposal ended up in some University, which name I have forgotten, replying to me with a classic Hispanic/ Latino egoistic crapola -- we do not need you Gringo.

        Unfortunately Omar, you are using left liberal talking points in your argument which are self destructive.

        I am convinced that it is Hispanic/ Latino culture which does not allow for a capitalistic entrepreneurialism.

        Since Hispanic/ Latinos are clinching to their culture and wouldn't adopt Anglo economical principles, like China did, they are doomed.

        • That was my next point. I was going to tell you to be careful not to generalize.

          You've gone off the far end making this easy.

          You've revealed a defeatist mentality, and written off an entire group of people, essentially calling that group underachieving and it is such typical bigoted rhetoric.

          I mean really, how typical.

          You have no faith in the economic potential of this Latino, or any other Latino, community but I do.

          So I'm going to place your words, and professor of sociology Sandra Wood's words on a scale and see what weighs more.

          Mm hmm, I think I've made my point clear.

• Numero uno:You must start calling yourself Americans. [Emphases added]

• FYI omar, I have made proposal to City Management, of which Admin knows, which could help to establish changes in the City bringing very much needed jobs into the Latino community.

  However, I am virtually certain that in the Hispanic/ Latino ran City it will be ridiculed and rejected because an entrepreneurialism is not supported here.

• Give a man a fish and you'll feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you'll feed him for a lifetime.

  Oh, and do you know where the next tech boom is happening?

  Tijuana FYI. Read up.

  What country ranks 3rd behind China and Korea in tech manufacturing? Mexico.

  What country is graduating more engineers, per capita, than the United States? Mexico.