Gentrification: let's fix it, not dismiss it...

The word "gentrification" went from being one that describes a process of urban improvement to one that social and urban activists equate with consumerism, inequality and displacement. Even filmmaker Spike Lee famously ranted recently on the unfairness of "bogarting" neighborhoods in his native New York. Gentrification does radically transform communities and the lives of those who have lived there for generations and as with every policy, there can be winners and losers. The traditional argument against gentrification is that as high-income individuals move in to gentrifying communities, rents and prices generally increase, thus driving out low-income families from their homes. New evidence, however, suggests that this narrative may not actually represent what is happening in our streets. Before making any conclusions on gentrification, we should therefore consider the following points.

Gentrification does not necessarily adversely affect low-income individuals

In a study that compares gentrifying and nongentrifying neighborhoods across the US, Lance Freeman from Columbia University found that gentrification contributes very little to displacement. In fact, Freeman found that low-income residents in gentrifying neighborhoods were no more likely to move out of their neighborhoods than low-income residents in comparable nongentrifying neighborhoods. Similarly, a recent study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland found that "gentrification is actually beneficial to the financial health of the original residents".

Gentrification creates safer and more dynamic neighborhoods

It is uncontrovertibly true that neighborhoods such as Williamsburg and Park Slope in Brooklyn, Columbia Heights and H Street in Washington, DC and Condesa and Roma in Mexico City today are safer and more dynamic than they were 10 years ago. These neighborhoods have gone from being low-income, crime-ridden and even earthquake-battered neighborhoods where walking at night was considered an extreme sport to communities whose streets are lined with cafés, restaurants and bars that create jobs for low, medium and high-income individuals and attract residents from around the world who create further economic opportunities. The jobs generated in gentrified neighborhoods in Mexico City, for instance, are the lifeline that provide a livelihood to millions of people living not just in these neighborhoods, but throughout the metropolitan area.

If we really care, let's put our money where our mouth is

If we do believe that gentrification adversely affects some low-income families and individuals and at the same time we can recognize that there are concrete and important benefits from this process, then we need to ask ourselves how can we harness the gains from gentrification while compensating those who are displaced or otherwise harmed. Rather than rejecting gentrification outright, for instance, we can structure this process in a way that extends the benefits more broadly. To do so, we need to:

(1) identify who are the losers from this process, how they are being affected and what are the measures we need to carry out to support them

(2) extract part of the surplus created by gentrification (e.g. rising property values and increased economic activity) through lump-sum, one-time taxing schemes and direct those revenues to funds that promote low-income housing, services for low-income individuals and urban improvement projects, both in gentrifying and nongentrifying neighborhoods

(3) demand that all new housing developments in gentrifying areas include low-income housing that is seamlessly integrated with their new communities

At the end of the day, we all want better cities that are safer, more prosperous and inclusive, so instead of ranting about how awful gentrification is, let's start thinking of how we can make this inexorable process work for everyone. 

What is Papiamentu and how do you eat it?

About a month ago, while listening to The World on NPR, I heard about this incredible group from Curaçao called Kuenta i Tambú (KiT). KiT, which means "Stories and Drums" in a language called Papiamentu, is an Amsterdam-based group that mixes Antillean rhythms with electronic music, à la reggaeton, but actually way cooler, really heavy on drums and percussion and sharp electronic beats. Check out two of my favorite KiT songs, one of them in Papiamentu, the other in English. For those of you who speak Spanish or Portuguese, you should be able to pick out some of the words in Papiamentu.

Ban Selebr'é



Jackhammer



Listening to KiT sparked my curiosity in Papiamentu, a language I had only heard about once before. Turns out Papiamentu, or Papiamento, is a creole language spoken by about 260,000 people in the Netherlands Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. It is the main language of the islands and it is considered official, along with Dutch and English.

But, wait, what exactly is a creole language, you ask? Well, creole languages develop when two peoples speaking completely different languages interact heavily in a specific place (this happened a lot during colonial times). Eventually, the two groups begin speaking a very basic, unstructured speech called a pidgin language, which in essence combines bits and pieces of the two original languages. Generations later, if and when that pidgin language becomes more structured and native speakers are born, then it is officially considered a creole language. Examples of creole languages abound, from Oceania to Asia, to Africa, to the Caribbean. Some notable examples are Haitian Creole (French-based), Jamaican Patois (English-based), Cape Verdean Kriolu (Portuguese-based), Patuá in Macao (Portuguese-based), Papua New Guinea's Tok Pisin (English-based) and Chavacano in the Philippines (Mexican Spanish-based). Chavacano is another beauty of a language. Check out what is sounds like here (Spanish speakers will actually get most of it!).

There's something truly special about creole languages and their formation: the way two cultures and world views combine into one; how this process strips language to its most functional, most logical elements. It's an amazing, organic phenomenon that has been going ever since man began to speak. And yet, oftentimes, creole languages are looked down upon, considered rudimentary or unrefined. But if you think about, these languages are a product of evolution: by eliminating redundancies, they are generally more efficient than their parent language in conveying information and meaning and are easier to learn. At some level, all modern languages are themselves creoles. Spanish and Portuguese are very likely a mix of Vulgar Latin and Iberian languages; likewise, French is a creole of Vulgar Latin with Gallic Celtic languages; English is a mixture of a Germanic language (with strong Celtic and Nordic influences) and Norman French...One sometimes wonders whether the fact that we label a language a creole and others not has more to do with historical and political realities than with the actual linguistic fundamentals...

The development of Papiamentu, in particular, I find intriguing. The best-accepted genealogical theory suggests it is a Portuguese-based creole, mixed with West African languages and later influenced by Ladino Spanish (also known as Judeo-Spanish), Latin American Spanish, Dutch and English. If you listen or read it today, though, you can't help but notice that it is much more similar to Spanish than it is to Portuguese. For the word "man", for instance, Papiamentu-speakers say "homber", which is closer to "hombre" (Spanish) than it is to "homem" (Portuguese). Similarly, they say "muher" for woman, whereas in Spanish it is "mujer" (same pronunciation) and in Portuguese it is "mulher" (pronounced "mool-yair"). Linguists claim that this closer resemblance to Spanish is due to a process called relexification, in which Papiamentu has become closer to Spanish over time, due to its proximity to Spanish-speaking countries like Venezuela and Colombia. Who knows if any of this is true...What I do know, though, is that it is a beautiful and fascinating language and unique amongst creoles.

If you're interested in learning this incredible American language, check out this basic intro on Unilang.

¡Te otro bia!

El amor a tu país...

(English version)

Hace un par de semanas, mientras que los costarricenses se dirigían a las urnas para seleccionar su nuevo presidente, dos de mis grandes amigas postearon mensajes hermosos sobre su país: una de ellas, que no nació ahí y cuyos padres son estadounidense y mexicana, pero que es tan costarricense como el resto, simplemente subió en su perfil la hermosa bandera de su país; la otra escribió un mensaje conmovedor sobre lo emotivo y hermoso que es participar en las elecciones de su país. Ambos actos de amor hacia su nación me hicieron recordar un pensamiento que he tenido desde que regresé a mi propio país, México: el pertenecer a una nación y aprender a amarla es un regalo milagroso, bello e inexhaustible.

Fuente Popocatéptl, Condesa, Ciudad de México

Cuando yo llegué a este mundo yo era una criatura bi-nacional, producto de la incómoda y, a menudo, violenta colisión entre dos grandes naciones americanas. Nací en Juárez, México y crecí la mayor parte de mi vida en Estados Unidos, principalmente en la Florida. Por años, después de intentar pertenecer primero en un lugar y luego en otro y nunca lograrlo, me cansé y me di por vencido. Acepté que no era ni de aquí, ni de allá. En ese punto de mi vida tuve la oportunidad de vivir en otros dos países maravillosos, la República Dominicana y luego Colombia, y durante ese tiempo me di cuenta de que yo soy más feliz en América Latina. Me es más natural, me siento más en casa ser latinoamericano que estadounidense. Desde luego amo también la gringueza interna que en muchos aspectos me sigue definiendo, pero yo elegí ser latinoamericano y elijo vivir acá. Y así, después de brincar de un país a otro, decidí mudarme a México, mi patria, y aceptarlo con todas sus virtudes y flaquezas y simplemente comenzar a amarlo como mi nación.

Sí, estoy consciente de mis clases de Relaciones Internacionales donde me enseñaron sobre el surgimiento del estado-nación hace 500 años y también sobre cuán Moderno y poco iluminado es amar a tu nación, en vez de amar a toda la humanidad en un mundo sin fronteras. En algún momento, aspiré a ello y, hasta cierto punto, lo sigo haciendo. Amo el mundo inmensamente, sus culturas e idiomas y anhelo conocerlo todo, pero también me doy cuenta de que amar a tu nación, tu país, es una de las emociones más hermosas que podemos experimentar. Nuestro bienestar como humanos requiere que nos sintamos incluidos, que sintamos que formamos parte de algo. Para la mayoría de nosotros, además de pertenecer a nuestras familias y círculos de amistades, pertenecemos a una nación y punto. Desde luego, existe el lado oscuro de amar a una nación (múltiples guerras que se fundamentaron en una versión perversa de ello). No obstante, la sensación visceral de pertenecer a algo mucho más grande que uno mismo, la habilidad de contemplar tu situación entre millones de personas que comparten una tierra, un idioma y una historia contigo -por falso o artificial que sea el origen de todo aquello-, siguen siendo fuerzas contundentes e inestimables.

Mientras escribo este artículo veo hacia afuera por mi ventana, por encima de la Ciudad de México, la capital del país que yo elegí como nación, y observo los miles de árboles y edificios, el azul indefatigable de sus cielos, la valla gigante frente a mí con un futbolista de la Selección que grita por su país...Todo ello me hace sentir agradecido y orgulloso de vivir aquí y de por fin poder formar parte de este país. Me siento también infinitamente agradecido con los Estados Unidos, por todo lo que nos ha dado a mí y a mi familia; no sería quien soy hoy sin ser también estadounidense, pero México para mí es concreto, es incontrovertiblemente mío e irresistiblemente bello. Pocas cosas en la vida se sienten mejor que sentir que soy parte de su historia, su futuro, sus tradiciones, su cultura, su arte, sus colores, su comida, sus festividades, sus idiosincracias e incongruencias, sus calles alegres y mercados, sus hermosos pueblos coloniales, ruinas espectaculares y sus playas...

Paseo dominical en bici, Paseo de la Reforma, Ciudad de México

Me siento muy agradecido por estar aquí hoy y ahora, por poder participar en este periodo de florecimiento que México actualmente está experimentando y por poder ver cómo las calles, los parques, los barrios y la vida en general mejoran cada día. Me siento agradecido también cuando salgo de mi edificio y entro a esta magnífica ciudad verde, llena de jacarandas y con el mejor clima del planeta...cuando me desplazo a lo largo de sus bellas avenidas, plazas y palacios, sus cafés, mezcalerías y deliciosos puestos de tacos en la Condesa. Cuando pienso en todo aquello y en al amor que inspiran en mí este país y esta ciudad que ahora es mi hogar, en todo el esfuerzo y sacrificio de mis padres para que hoy yo pudiera estar aquí, no logro controlar las lágrimas que brotan de mis ojos. Me siento agradecido, extático, vivo, pleno.

Gracias, México.

The Gift of Loving Your Nation

(versión en español)

Yesterday, as Costa Ricans went to the polling booth for their latest presidential election two of my great friends posted beautiful messages about their country: one of them, who was not born there and whose parents are Mexican and American, but who is as Costa Rican as they come, simply posted her country's beautiful flag; the other wrote an incredibly moving message about what an emotional and beautiful experience it was for her to participate in her country's elections. Both acts of love towards their nation reminded me of a recurring thought I've had ever since I moved back to my own country, Mexico: belonging to a nation and learning to love your country is a miraculous, beautiful and inexhaustible gift.

Popocatéptl Fountain, Condesa, Mexico City

I came into this world as a bi-national creature, a product of the uncomfortable and oftentimes violent collision between two large nations in the Americas. I was born in Juárez, Mexico and grew up most of my life in the U.S., mostly in South Florida. After years of attempting to belong in one place and then the other and never fully accomplishing it, I became exhausted and simply gave up: no soy ni de aquí, ni de allá...(I am neither from here, nor from there)...At that point in my life, I had the opportunity to live in two other wonderful countries, the Dominican Republic and Colombia, and it became apparent to me during that time that I was happier in Latin America, that it felt more natural, more at home being Latin American than from the US, even as I cherished, too, the inner gringoness that in so many ways defines me to this day. And so, after many years of jumping from one country to another, I decided to move back to Mexico, my homeland and to accept it with all its virtues and flaws and start loving it as my nation. 

Yes, I recall all the IR lectures about the rise of the nation state 500 years ago and also about how Modern and unenlightened it is to love your nation, rather than loving all of humanity in a borderless world. I aspired to that at one point, and at some level, I still do and I do love the world immensely, its cultures and languages, but I also realize now and am comfortable with the fact that loving your nation, your country, is one of the most beautiful feelings one can have. Our wellbeing as humans requires that we feel included, that we feel we belong to something and for most of us, beyond our families and close friends, we only belong to a nation. Of course, as with everything, there exists a dark side to loving your nation (plenty of wars have been waged on that account), but on balance nationhood and the visceral sense of belonging to something much greater than you, the ability to contemplate where you stand in the midst of millions of people who share a common land, language and history, however false or contrived all that may be, remains strong and priceless. 

As I write this post, I stare out my window high above Mexico City, the capital of the country I chose as my nation, observing the thousands of buildings and trees and the indefatigably blue skies of this city, the billboard of a screaming soccer player from Mexico's national team...It all makes me feel grateful and proud to live here and to finally be a part of this country. I am infinitely grateful to the U.S. for all it's given me and my family and I wouldn't be who I am without it, but Mexico for me is concrete, it is undeniably mine and so damn overwhelmingly beautiful. There are few things in the world that feel better than sensing that I am a part of its history, its traditions, its culture, its art, its colors, its food, its festivities, its idiosyncrasies and incongruences, its lively streets and markets, its beautiful colonial towns, spectacular ruins and beaches...

Sunday bike ride, Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City

I feel so grateful to be here right now, to be able to partake in this blossoming period that Mexico is currently undergoing and to see how every day roads, parks, neighborhoods, life in general here keep getting better and better. I feel grateful, too, when I walk outside my building into this magnificent verdant city, its lovely streets and palatial buildings, its Condesa coffee shops and delicious taco stands. I wonder, as I feel my skin being gently kissed by its sun and enveloped in the loveliest weather in the world, how I could ever live anywhere else. When I think about it and the love this country and this city inspire in me and all the effort and sacrifice my parents had to make so that I could be here today, I find myself incapable of controlling the tears running down my face. I feel so grateful, ecstatic, alive, whole.

Thank you, Mexico. 

Belice: nuestro vecino desconocido

(English version)

¿Cuál es la capital de Belice? ¿Ciudad de Belice? No. Es Belmopan. ¿Qué idioma hablan los beliceños entre sí? ¿Inglés? No...Hablan kriol, un idioma criollo basado en el inglés.

La mayoría de nosotros no sabe nada sobre Belice; ignoramos por completo el hecho de que existe...Es muy probable que yo jamás habría ido si no me hubiera planteado la meta de visitar 30 países antes de cumplir 30 años. Tenía pocos meses para cumplirlos y, puesto que vivo en la Ciudad de México, Belice y Guatemala eran dos países relativamente fáciles de visitar. Belice fue el #29 y, si todo sale bien, Guatemala será el #30 muy pronto (¡tengo hasta el 20 de abril de 2014!).

Los mexicanos tendemos a no pensar mucho en los países hacia el sur, lo que es una verdadera lástima. Guatemala y, sobre todo Belice, no son la excepción, a pesar de su proximidad. La verdad, es vergonzoso lo poco que conocemos a todos estos países maravillosos que nos rodean y el hecho de que no aprovechamos nuestra proximidad y nuestro mayor nivel de desarrollo para ayudarlos e influenciarlos económica y culturalmente. En Belice vi algunos productos mexicanos, pero se veían más productos estadounidenses, británicos y chinos...¿Cuántas oportunidades estaremos perdiendo al ni siquiera considerar las sinergías que pudiéramos generar con nuestros países vecinos si nos diéramos la oportunidad de conocerlos?

Motivado por mi meta de turismo personal y por el deseo de acercarme más a nuestros vecinos, decidí lanzarme a conocer a Belice. Lo que descubrí fue un país sorprendente. Este pequeño país sobre el Mar Caribe entre México y Guatemala tiene una de las mezclas étnicas, culturales y lingüísticas más ricas que jamás haya visto. Los beliceños, de los cuales sólo hay alrededor de 350,000, pueden ser de ascendencia maya, mestiza, negra, mulata, europea o asiática (al parecer, todas las tiendas son de beliceños asiáticos...). Sin embargo, a pesar de la gran diversidad de Belice, los beliceños han construido una identidad nacional que los une, sin importar su raza. En gran parte, esa identidad se centra en torno de su idioma nacional, el criollo beliceño o kriol, el cual constituye una fuente de orgullo para los beliceños. No obstante, todos los beliceños hablan también inglés y muchos de ellos hablan español (¡el país realmente parecía ser totalmente trilingüe!). Dentro de un mismo bar o en cualquier calle, puedes escuchar los tres idiomas a la vez. Y lo más interesante es que puedes escuchar hablar español a alguien que parece chino o africano, mientras que oyes a alguien que parece mexicano hablar inglés o kriol. Realmente es bello ver las interacciones casuales, la unidad y la total familiaridad entre personas de ascendencias tan diversas.

Fuente: HMDM

Belice también cuenta con algunas de las playas e islas más espectaculares de América, además de junglas y ruinas mayas. Con todos esos atributos, las oportunidades para el turismo en Belice abundan, a pesar de que su territorio es apenas la mitad de la superficie del vecino estado mexicano de Quintana Roo. En particular, a Belice se le reconoce alrededor del mundo por las posibilidades para bucear y hacer snorkeling. De hecho, la Barrera de Arrecife de Belice es una de las más grandes del mundo.

Pero no todo es diversión en Belice. Cuando estaba planeando mi viaje a ese país, me sorprendió que varias personas me recomendaron evitar por completo la Ciudad de Belice. Belice aún es un país de ingresos bajos y la Ciudad de Belice concentra mucha de la pobreza y el crimen en el país. La verdad es una lástima, porque la arquitectura es agradable, aunque bastante descuidada.

Al final del día, me quedé con muchas ganas de regresar a Belice. En este primer viaje, sólo tuve la oportunidad de explorar los cayos y un poco de la selva beliceña. Espero regresar pronto para poder explorar Placencia y las ruinas de Caracol. Mientras tanto, ¡tengo que aprender a bucear y también un poco de kriol! 

Why Belize is the coolest country you know nothing about!

(Versión en español)

What's the capital of Belize, quick? Belize City, you say? Nope...Not even close. It's Belmopan. What do Belizeans speak amongst themselves? English? Nope...They speak Kriol, a creole language based on English.

Most of us know nothing about Belize; we completely ignore the fact that it exists...I would have probably never made it there had I not been trying to accomplish the goal of visiting 30 countries by the age of 30. I had a few months left to do so and living in Mexico City, Belize and Guatemala were the low-hanging fruit. Belize was #29 and Guatemala will hopefully soon be #30 (I have until April 20th, 2014!).

The fact that Americans know so little about Belize, despite the fact that it is so close, is quite sad. Worse still is that Mexicans--next-door neighbors--know even less about it...They never bother to think of this fantastic little neighbor to the south, at all. As a Mexican and an American, I felt an obligation to go to Belize to meet our neighbors and to try to understand what Belize is all about. What I found on my short trip there was surprising! Truly unbelizeable, as they'd say!

This tiny little country squished between Mexico and Guatemala on the Caribbean Sea, has one of the most remarkable ethnic, cultural and linguistic mixes I have ever experienced. Belizeans, of which there are only about 350,000, can be of Mayan, Mestizo (Native American and European), black, mulatto (African and European), European or Asian descent (all stores seemed to be owned by Asians!)...That said, there seems to be a strong Belizean identity that unites the people of Belize, regardless of race or ethnic background. Belizeans to a large extent have based this national identity on their language, Kriol, which is a source of pride for them. All of them also speak English, however, and many speak Spanish as well. It is not uncommon to hear all three languages simultaneously in a restaurant or a bar. And sometimes the Spanish is being spoken by someone who looks Asian or African and the English by someone who pretty much looks Latin American. It is really quite beautiful, to see the casual interactions, unity and total familiarity of people from such different backgrounds.

Source: HMDM

Belize also has some of the most amazing beaches and islands in North America, along with jungles dotted with Mayan ruins. With all its attributes, tourism opportunities in Belize abound, despite the fact that the country is barely the size of Massachusetts. In particular, Belize is well known for its diving and snorkeling spots. In fact, the Belize Barrier Reef is the third largest coral reef in the world.

Not all is fun and joy in Belize, however. When I was planning my trip, I was surprised by the fact that most people told me to avoid Belize City entirely. Belize is still low-income country and Belize City concentrates much of the poverty and crime in the country.

All in all, I am determined to continue coming back to Belize. On my first trip, I was only able to explore the cayes and a bit of the jungle. Hopefully, I will have an opportunity to see other areas like Placencia and Caracol in the near future. In the meantime, I gotta brush up on my Kriol and learn how to dive!

Cooperation and intransigence: political lessons for the U.S. from South of the Border

(versión en español)

In the year that has passed since I moved back to Mexico, I have learned from its current administration an important lesson that I would now like to apply to my personal life: in transcendental moments, pragmatism and cooperation are more profitable than ideology and intransigence. In the political environment in Mexico today, this vision is allowing us, finally, to construct the foundations for the country that we all desire. The current government--by no means perfect, but one of the most systematically pragmatic governments we have ever had--has decided to set ideology aside in order to promote the most significant process of transformation that we have lived in decades. Without a well-defined ideology, the current administration has put forth policies both from the right and the left. Its vision is not defined by anyone's canon, rather it attempts to go beyond the divisions that fragment our society for the sake of the "greater good" or, at the very least, for the sake of its own political success. Regardless of what its underlying motivation might be, what is undeniably true is that the current administration in Mexico has shown that it is possible to overcome political gridlock; in fact, as many have already pointed out, the political performance of the current government in Mexico could be a good example to follow for its neighbors (see the recent Christian Science Monitor, for example).

While in the United States politics now routinely stagnates in a morass of hatred and antagonism between its political parties, in Mexico--in spite of the tripartite political system that everyone had condemned as the worst of all scenarios and, perhaps, because of it--we have reached a fundamental agreement: let us forget about our differences and let us focus on what we can all agree our country needs. We are neither rich, nor poor; we are neither Conservative, nor Liberal; we are humans, we are Mexicans and we all want a better country. We may not agree on everything, certainly not on "how" we can create a better country, but there does exist a consensus today on the fact that great things, dramatic changes must be carried out now so as to take advantage of this historic moment we are living. 

There certainly exist frictions between the parties that dominate politics in Mexico and, as a result, the pact that has been established for our country becomes strained from time to time. Nonetheless, despite our differences, the country continues to put forth a vision for itself that is not contingent on a consensus on the details, but that rather gains strength from our capacity as a nation to prioritize the processes that we must carry out to create the country we all want: a more prosperous, more inclusive, more peaceful and happier Mexico... 

This pax mexicana will not last forever. And so much the better for it, since a greater degree of political contestation will allow us to grow and to improve as a nation, in due time. The important thing to remember is that there are times to argue and fight and there are times to forget about our disagreements and cooperate. Today, we are in a stage in our life as a nation that demands transformation, creation, maturation; we are in a time of global shocks in which every country must decide in what direction they want to go. This moment in our history requires forceful action; a vision that transcends factions; an attitude that gives priority to the goals we have in common. When the grand bargains to transform our country have been established, then we may return to the perennial struggle that allows nations to define the details of the plans they want to carry out as economies, nations and societies.  

As for the United States, it is unclear to me what are the main obstacles for reconciliation. At this point I have more questions than answers, I suppose: What is it about a country that almost allows itself (and the rest of the world) to drown as a result of the inflexibility of its political parties? What can we say about a nation that every day becomes more and more polarized and that actively promotes ideology, rejects cooperation and calls any efforts for reconciliation a lack of integrity?

As a citizen of both of these great countries, whose futures will forever be intrinsically intertwined, I hope that cooperation in Mexico bears fruits soon and I hope that this compels Americans to take note and apply the lesson.