Blogging Social Difference in L.A.: Week 4

This week, I was planning to spent my weekend exploring West Hollywood and have a dinner there and stop by one of bars on Santa Monica Blvd, but I have to prepare for my midterm which is the first midterm I have in UCLA (I am a transfer student). I would like to do the exploration this weekend and use Hollywood as my topic for week 5. This week, I left a comment on 

http://jimmyinlosangeles.blogspot.com/2012/10/blogging-in-laweek-3.html  

Hi, I really like the way you analyzed Chinatown in downtown LA. I have been to Chinatown several times, and I have same observations as yours. There are so many traditional Chinese restaurants. Dim-sum is my favorite!! Furthermore, on the sidewalk, there are stores sell traditional Chinese decorations. As you mentioned, the majority of the people live in here are not Chinese people but Latino Americans. I believe the reason why the majority who live in here is not Chinese is because Chinese people have established their own community/group in other areas. I am a Chinese, so I know which areas are Chinese dominated. Areas like, Monterey Park, San Gabriel, Alhambra, etc. are literally Chinese people only. On the other hand, I think in the beginning of the old Chinatown that is created in downtown LA is because Chinese has held a main position of produce industries for years in Los Angeles. However, most people who live in downtown LA are mostly Latino Americans, gradually, Chinatown is being dominated by Latino Americans, in the meantime, Chinese people move to further area like Monterey Park, San Gabriel. And I think that in this case, for Chinese people, Downtown LA Chinatown means “the loop”, and Monterey Park, San Gabriel etc. are so-called “residential zone”. 

Blogging Social Difference in L.A.: Week 3

this week, I left a comment on King Wing's blog
http://nkwgeog.blogspot.com/2012/10/blogging-social-difference-in-la-week-2.html

Pin-chieh HoOctober 19, 2012 9:39 PM

I went to santa monica for my last weeks blog as well. Indeed, this is a place full of happiness and fun. However, there is a group of people that we cannot ignore which are the homeless people. They are people who don’t have jobs and place to live in. Your explanations and observations of social stratification remind me of the reading i had last week. According to Blackwell City Reader, “the growth of the city”, I think santa monica beach area (start from the pier to third street promenade) is considering the loop, a lot of people work/visit here. Unlike downtown LA, santa monica creates its own zone. Surrounding the loop, zone in transition, where is the area of deterioration. Started from third street to Lincoln Blvd, I think its because zone in transition is the area of deterioration, most of the people do not live in here, so homeless people is the majority in this area. After the zone of transition, zone of workingmen’s home and residential zone are most of the people who live in. In other words, in between the loop and the zone of workingmen’s homes, in general, is where the homeless people stay in. I discovered that the reason why they are around the loop and we can see them mostly everywhere in the santa monica beach area is because they are looking for helps/opportunities from there and they cannot go far because once they enter where most people live in, they will be expelled.

Blogging Social Difference in L.A.: Week 2

Night view of Santa Monica Third Street Promenade

Day view of Santa Monica Third Street Promenade

This week, I decided to explore one of the most well-know streets in Southern California--- Santa Monica Third Street Promenade. This is also one if the most famous shopping destinations. By using the Google map, the shopping area starts from the intersection of 3^rd Street and Broadway to the intersection of 3^rd Street and Wilshire Blvd. Third Street Promenade has its own distinct personality other shopping destinations don’t have that make this place so unique than others. Want to go to the beach? Just two blocks away from3rd Street, Santa Monica Pier is one of the best places to go. On 2^nd street and Broadway, there is a huge modern shopping mall Santa Monica Place that completes with two different department stores (Bloomingdale and Nordstrom), boutique stores (LV, Tiffany & Co. etc.), food court, market and some stores that are completely different than those stores on3rd Street. Speaking of the 3^rd Street Promenade itself, the street is lined with lots of shops (Zara, H&M, FROEVER 21,Victoria Secret, J. Crew etc.)  AMC theater and restaurants. 

The best part of Third Street Promenade is that the sidewalk and the street itself are nicely decorated. In the nighttime, there are light bulbs hanging on trees that lighting up the whole street. Furthermore, Third Street Promenade is kept very clean and well managed. There are also some street performers who show their talents for visitors and for people who appreciate their performance. This is a place for tourists, visitor. People from all over the world that are in a vacation come to here to chill on Santa Monica Beach, to shop and eat on Third Street Promenade. 

santa monica pier

santa monica place

After visiting Third Street Promenade, it is really easy to realize that even it just a block; the formation of it is an organic solidarity. Based on the lecture in class, we have learned that an organic solidarity is a society that based on division of labor, which means it specialized individuals. Individual perform different tasks and rely on other to fulfill different needs. Start from a single clothes shop; for example, there are so many people in H&M, workers, cashier, and customers. None of them designed the clothes and accessories. Designer who only designed those stunning clothes but they do not have to stand in there and do cashiers’ job to sell the clothes. And maybe, one of the customers who is shopping in H&M, his or her job is owned a fabric company that offer fabric to H&M factory to produce clothes.  And another example, any one of the restaurants on Third Street Promenade, the chief didn’t grow the ingredients to make the food they want to serve the customers. The farmers grew vegetables and wheat etc. and the chiefs made them nice food to eat. 

“Division of Labor”, As Adam Smith’s perspective, it is also a concept of economic growth. It makes the whole society more functional and advanced. Last but not least, as we discussed in class, the main concern of the division of labor. How societies with high level of differentiation can still remain moral cohesive? I think collective conscience and respect others play an important role in this high level of differentiation. We have to respect people that doing all kinds of jobs, and gather everyone's conscience to make the whole society remain moral cohesive.  

Blogging Social Difference in L.A.: Week 1

Hello everyone!

My name is Pin Chieh, Ho. This blog will be my observations and explorations of the metropolitan of Los Angeles region. I was born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan until I graduated  from high school. I decided to come to the US (more specifically, Los Angeles) to finish my college degree. Before I came to Los Angeles, my imagination to here is “celebrities, beaches and fun”. (Well, that’s not the reason why I chose here to study. :P) Personally, I am always very interested in the area that I am living in. I know the city where I come from a lot. Every time when people ask me where am I come from, six out of ten people would think Taiwan means Thailand, and eight out of ten people would ask me what is the difference between Taiwan and China since we all speak in Chinese. I spent time and I am still spending time to explain and introduce to people who have questions about my country. As a result, it is really exciting that I have a chance to use concepts I will learn in this class to analyze Los Angeles.

Since I have only been to the US for only two year, my perceptions of “social difference” in the metro Los Angeles area might be not as deep and as convincible as most of the classmates. As far as I am concerned, Los Angeles is a really diversity city. People come from everywhere of the world. Based on different language, race, gender, religion, culture, financial status and value for each individual, social differences exists. The inequality is an issue that always follows with the social difference. I am looking forward to explore the variety of this city and sharing my opinions with professor Wilford and my classmates.