On Being Black In LA: Code Switching To Survive Crossing Racial Lines

People protest the death of George Floyd in the Fairfax District on Saturday, May 30, 2020. (Josie Huang/LAist)

The theme of LAist's Black History Month coverage this year is: “What does it mean to be Black in L.A.?” We'll publish reponses from community members and staff throughout the month. Add your voice to the conversation below.

Yesterday, we shared a response from a West Hollywood woman who found being bused across town as a kid in the '60s helped her see L.A. as a "place of possibilities."

Today, a Hollywood woman who grew up in the San Fernando Valley writes about her experiences with code-switching -- to fit into her Catholic prep school and with lifelong city kids she encountered on summers in St. Louis. She reflects on how that duality still affects her as an adult.

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"I was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley a.k.a the 818. I lived with my mother in the Valley for most of the year, and during the summer break I would visit my dad in St. Louis. My mother was a big proponent of education and working hard to make sure I was able to get the same opportunities that wealthier, smart white kids had. She insisted on sending me to private schools during my K-12 years. I spent a big chunk of that going to a private Catholic college prep school. I am grateful for her pushing for me to go to those schools and her forethought about how that decision would provide me a bigger leg up in life.

"But it was tough at times. I had to be two different Ashleys. I was around 98% higher income white kids who had both parents in their home. I had to be a chameleon and do my best to fit in with the popular culture. I was good at it. I am a people person and can make friends with anyone. I was friends or friendly with lots of different groups. I was co-captain of my high school’s cheer squad, likely the first Black one too.

"Then summer would roll around and I would be in St. Louis. There I would have to figure out how to blend in with the more urban, city Black kids around the neighborhood. I got teased a lot because of my California-white girl voice, as the kids called it. I also had to learn how to blend in with the rest of my relatives, nieces and cousins, who grew up around mostly Black culture.

"As an adult, I have found a way to be more comfortable with my background and embracing all of my parts, but a lot of being Black in L.A./the Valley for me is about duality: knowing how to code switch and how to turn up the Blackness or turn it down sometimes. I know in a perfect world we would say that we should just be ourselves, but in reality, you can't do that sometimes. At least, that is how I feel. As a Black woman in a professional world, you sometimes have to know how to adjust personalities."

— Ashley, Hollywood

RELATED

• The 8%: Exploring The Inextricable Ties Between L.A. And Its Black Residents

• Racism 101: Facilitating Deeper Conversations On Race

• Racism 101 on Take Two: How to Be an Ally, Code Switching for Survival, Deconstructing 'Defund the Police', Legacy of Slavery

• Race In LA: How Does Your Race Or Ethnicity Shape Your Life?

The first installment of our The 8 Percent project began exploring the inextricable ties between L.A. and its Black residents — how Black migration, community and culture have shaped and changed L.A. For Black History Month, we’re homing in on a more specific experience — yours. Tell us: What does it mean to you to be Black in L.A.?

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