The
vision of what the United States is destined to become by mid-century. A place
where people from just about every place on Earth can be found living amongst
the locals.
YET
THE REALITY of human beings these days is that while we might be in a great big
mix, it doesn’t always mean we get along with each other. Perhaps we need to
learn to “play nice” with each other.
That
certainly is evidenced by the recent stink over the upcoming Riot Fest musical
concert that will take place come Sept. 11-13 in Douglas Park.
That
festival was supposed to be held in Humboldt Park, but an outcry from local
residents and the alderman – Roberto Maldonado – caused it to be relocated to
the park in the North Lawndale neighborhood.
There
was a sense that the Puerto Rican community that lives in the Humboldt Park
neighborhood wasn’t enthused about having an event in its namesake park that
would attract a non-Latino crowd.
I
DON’T DOUBT that to be true. Although in talking with people who have gone to
Riot Fest events in past years, they say they were contained to a part of the
park and really didn’t feel like they interacted with the neighborhood that
much.
But
before one starts thinking that the Puerto Ricans are being intolerant of
others, you have to consider that they may just be spewing back the hostility
they feel from others as well.
For
the Everyblock.com website currently has a running discussion of sorts calling for
people to boycott certain Humboldt Park businesses, along with penalize
Maldonado.
Reading
through the commentary (which began back on May 22 and running continuously through
Tuesday morning), it seems the non-Puerto Rican residents who have moved into
the neighborhood hoping to get cheap rents in hopes of “upgrading” the
neighborhood to their standards are behind this effort.
 |
| GUTIERREZ: A former Lincoln Parker |
THEY
WANT TO boycott any local businesses that expressed support for removing Riot
Fest from Humboldt Park. They’re compiling a running list of these businesses –
making sure it is known where we should shop or eat within the community.
As
one anonymous person posted on the website, “I need to know where not to spend
my money. We are getting screwed blind during the day while we are at work. It’s
time to fight back with the money we have earned through our labor and by
denying those who sponsor people who vote against our interests.”
Only
the most oblivious of persons (or ones determined to ignore racism) doesn’t get
the hostile tone of THAT message!
Consider
that perhaps part of the reason the locals, many of whom have a history of
having been pushed out of the Lincoln Park neighborhood back in the 1960s and
early1970s (Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., was among the locals who grew up in
what is now one of Chicago’s most upscale neighborhoods), wonder if this newest
gentrification is a repeat of the past.
PERHAPS
SOME PEOPLE think multi-ethnic is good only if certain select ethnicities are
included in the mix. And that statement applies all ways.
So
back to Riot Fest, which it seems is going to include artists ranging from Billy
Idol to Iggy Pop and from Ice Cube to Snoop Dog performing. Personally, my
attention was caught by the band Echo and the Bunnymen being on the program –
not that I care for them much, but I recall them being popular amongst the
crowd that listened to college radio (and still spinning vinyl discs) back when I was a part of it in the
mid-1980s.
It
seems to be a mix meant to appeal to as many people as possible (which usually
is a good way to make money). But for those fest-goers who have their own
ethnic hang-ups, I wonder how they’ll react to being in Douglas Park – which is
surrounded by an impoverished African-American community.
Hopefully,
music in all forms will keep people’s minds off such concerns.
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