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Barrio Dreams: Puerto Ricans, Latinos, and the Neoliberal CityPublisher:Berkeley, CA: University of California Press
Copyright:2004
Pages:xi + 234
Review:
In Barrio Dreams, Arlene Dávila explores the intersection of cultural politics and the politicization of space by examining these trends as they are manifested in East Harlem, New York City, in response to gentrification and neoliberal development policies attempting to market the Latinidad (Latinness) of the neighborhood. East Harlem, commonly referred to as “El Barrio” because of its history as a primarily Latino neighborhood, suffered a long history of marginalization as a result of its ethnic and cultural uniqueness. Now, however, it is seeing an increase in big businesses coming in and capitalizing on its marketability as a cultural attraction. Dávila explores the struggles between developers and residents for power over physical space and the cultural representation of that space within East Harlem. Her goals are to examine “cultures as ethnicity and as marketable industry” (p. 3) and to “delve deeper into the politics behind the marketing of space” (p. 11). Dávila argues that development and tourism initiatives are implicated with people’s class and ethnic identities in various ways, and she suggests that gentrification and neoliberal policies of privatization probe into the politics of space within contemporary cities and utilize the marketability of ethnic and cultural identities for purposes of entertainment and industry. She builds on literature within Latino studies, urban studies, and studies of multiculturalism and cultural politics.
The six chapters in this book provide background on East Harlem as a historically Latino, primarily Puerto Rican, space and examine several development projects and advertising trends that have moved into the area and co-opted the neighborhood’s ethnic and cultural identity for marketing purposes. In chapter 1, Dávila documents stories of Puerto Ricans’ struggle for housing equity in El Barrio, showing how the area has traditionally been used as a building ground for special needs and public housing developments, leaving little room for upwardly mobile residents. Now, however, the area is seeing a rise in home ownership programs that target higher-income residents and hinder current working-class residents’ ability to remain there. In chapter 2, she highlights the history of East Harlem as a Latino space and examines its value as a cultural community to its residents. Dávila explores the complex intraethnic and intraclass relations within East Harlem, specifically those between Puerto Ricans and African Americans, and the dynamics between professional and working-class Puerto Ricans. In chapters 3 and 4, she identifies specific development projects that have moved into El Barrio, explores how the use of culture as an object of tourism causes tension within ethnic communities about how culture is being represented and supported, and notes which segments of the population are overlooked. In chapter 5, Dávila identifies the rise in residency of Mexicans in El Barrio and discusses both the cooperation and tensions between ethnic groups within the area in response to gentrification and development policies. In chapter 6, she identifies how private spaces, such as the outdoor walls of local stores, are increasingly being purchased for cheap advertising space by big businesses seeking to objectify simplified images of Latino culture to sell products, in the process pushing out local mural and graffiti artists, whose art traditionally brings politicized messages and images of cultural memory to the community. Finally, she concludes that the specific development projects discussed in her preceding chapters are suggestive of the place of culture and identity in the execution of and resistance to neoliberal processes. The strengths of Barrio Dreams are many, including the author’s skill in providing a nuanced look at intraethnic relations in a primarily urban Latino neighborhood. Dávila’s explanation of the ways in which neoliberal strategies and marketing have privileged visitors to El Barrio over the area’s current residents is insightful. Although she elaborates in her endnotes on the ethnic makeup of El Barrio and on her use of the word Latinidad, I wish Dávila had taken more time in the main text to unpack her use of the term Latino, which is sometimes used synonymously with and sometimes separately from Puerto Rican. This, however, is a minor complaint when compared with Dávila’s overall success in maintaining her intended focus on exploring the politics of space and culture. Although the text is too theoretically dense to be taught to undergraduates, it is a useful read for more advanced scholars of urban and Latino studies interested in adding to their knowledge of the cultural politics of space and its interplay with neoliberal economic strategies. [references, index.]
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