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My community of East Harlem gathers at places of worship, Central Park and other smaller parks, shopping areas/stores, community centers, arts and culture centers, bodegas and barbershops and more. These are the major ones that come to mind.
My community is primarily Latinx (with large concentrations of Mexican, Puerto Rican and Dominican people) and Black. Though there has been an increase in white, more affluent people coming into the neighborhood over the last couple of decades. It can be argued that East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem, has resisted the level of gentrification seen in other neighborhoods in downtown Manhattan because of the high quantity of public housing in this neighborhood. My specific area is also a cultural hub with places like El Museo del Barrio and the City Museum located within walking distance. East Harlem is known for history of activism, Latinx culture and a blend of both disciplines.
2020 Census data shows that the median household income in East Harlem is approx.. $33.5K (half the amount in NYS), 32% of people live below the poverty line (more than double the rate in NYS), and only 32% of people have a bachelor’s degree or higher. These stats speak to the need to expand educational opportunities/access, minimize unemployment, and increase job readiness. Other economic interests include prioritizing affordable housing, deterring the effects of gentrification on small businesses that are being priced out by the fancy coffee shops, grocery stores, etc. Environmental interests include maintaining and expanding green community spaces, open streets and minimizing pollution.
I would say that one of the largest interests is to make sure that lower income Latinx, Black and other ethnic groups are not priced out of living in East Harlem. To finish my thoughts on cultural interests, I want politicians to prioritize access to arts and cultural, especially for youth. That means maintaining cultural institutions financially accessible and funding arts programming in public schools and in community and senior centers. Lastly, I think it's important to keep East Harlem within the same district in order to not dilute Latinx voters and voices, and to have one City Council member representing and advocating for the needs of the Spanish Harlem community as a whole.
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