A Piece of Plastic and $100

GUEST OPINION

Affordable housing (Photos – Ellie Trevarthen, commons.wikimedia.org, maxpixel.com)

I was at an awards ceremony for the SoCal region of my company two weeks ago. I work for a huge national property management company and I was sitting among around 300 other fellow SoCal employees. Out of the 300 attending, I would say that easily over 200 were Latino. Up to around 230. The awards started at 11am. One by one, 30 of our region’s senior Directors, regional managers and managers came out to present the awards. By 3pm when we were finished, only one out of the 30 senior executives who came to present was Black. There was not one single Latino.

By Mel Tillekeratne

I was frustrated. I was angry.

I was actually trying to rationalize myself to think that out of the 230 Latinos that were there, not a single person deserved to be promoted. That not a single qualified Latino applied for a senior executive position which are posted nationwide…

And that only one Black person applied…

The 230, well every year they switch out a bunch of these awards. And one by one, these hard working, committed and dedicated Latinos get them. A piece of plastic and $100. While the senior directors, managers and other executives receive Dollar amounts in the 5 to 7 figures in bonuses.

It was funny when I saw some of my friends sharing stories with pride of how Malibu voted themselves a sanctuary city. People were so impressed. So much love for the Latinos. Yet Malibu (92% White) would be the last City to allow an Affordable Housing property to be built within its limits. It’s almost as if they declared themselves a sanctuary city so that they could keep sucking on the cheap labor that it brings.

Affordable Housing
is the key
to creating
true equality

The Affordable Housing Crisis in LA is one that disproportionately affects Latinos and Blacks. Yet we rarely seem to hear about it and much less do anything about it. Latinos are getting evicted by the droves from Bolye Heights and other areas which just 5 years ago which were predominantly Latino. Schools that primarily serve Latinos and Blacks are in complete disarray. HAVE been for decades but the silence about it is deafening. Yet here we have Angelenos fighting for stupid issues like getting a veggie burger at In n Out! Because let’s shift the focus from the things that matter and let’s focus on the non-relevant issues and let’s MAKE them relevant. Because this is the way to maintain the status quo.

Affordable Housing is the key to creating true equality in LA.

Affordable Housing built spread out throughout Los Angeles will give Latino and other students in low income households an equal learning opportunity in LA schools. And we need to start focusing on our under performing schools. The schools in South LA need help. Forget going on that overseas trips to help schools in the third world. Make a trip down to South LA or any other low income area and volunteer at a school. Volunteer at a homeless shelter and become a tutor to a child surviving in a shelter. Be a role model.

In a way I can actually respect the people screaming out their hate against minorities. At least they have nothing to hide. It’s those who live in LA showing this ultra progressive front who worry me more!

Mel Tillekeratne organizes Monday Night Mission. Monday Night Mission goes to feed the homeless on Skid Row every weekday on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.