Today on AirTalk, we take a look at the protest fighting for homeless encampments at Echo Park. We also talk with listeners about their thoughts on the "American Dirt" controversy.
Homeless Residents Call For Agreement That Would Allow For Camping In Echo Park
People experiencing homelessness in Echo Park are asking Los Angeles Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell to give them permission to camp out in Echo Park. Residents penned a letter to the public official titled, “Dear Mitch, Don’t Evict Us.”
The letter states that the group of about 60 people feels harassed and persecuted by local law enforcement and city employees. It calls on O’Farrell to work with the residents to develop a community contract. As part of the contract, the groups says it will keep the park clean and be respectful of neighbors in return for the dismissal of late night police raids and unpredictable “clean ups,” conducted by the city. According to Curbed L.A., LAPD officials have said they will work with those currently living in the park to try to find a solution. O’Farrell’s office issued a release last week saying he “wants to ensure that all City parks be kept clean, safe, and accessible for people of all ages and income levels.” It says his plan to address the situation at Echo Park includes staffing public restrooms facilities 24-7, provide mobile hygiene units and activate an emergency shelter in the area. Today on AirTalk, we learn more about the situation and what those living in the park seek in an agreement. Do you have thoughts? Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Jed Parriot, community organizer with Street Watch LA, a coalition from Democratic Socialists of L.A. and the L.A. Community Action Network that provides outreach and support to vulnerable populations; he tweets
Darcy Harris, chair of the Echo Park Neighborhood Council
Lloyd Edward, lives at Echo Park Lake
Appropriation Or Representation? We Hear Your Thoughts On The Controversial Novel ‘American Dirt’
By now, you’ve probably heard about “American Dirt,” the novel by Jeanine Cummins that was published last week amid high hopes and controversy.
The social thriller tells the story of a mother and son running from Acapulco, Mexico to the United States after the massacre of their family by a drug cartel. The book had reportedly set off a bidding war, with Cummins receiving a seven figure advance. It received some criticism in December, but was also lauded by the likes of Sandra Cisneros and Stephen King -- and then it was chosen as Oprah’s book club pick, which catapulted the novel to a new level of scrutiny.
Detractors say the book is poorly written. That it appropriates migrant stories and repackages them for a white audience, fetishizing their pain while relying on harmful and untrue stereotypes. They’ve also criticized the publishing industry for putting so many resources behind a book about migrants by a white author (she has one Puerto Rican grandmother, but has in the past identified as white). The marketing of the book, which included nods to the author’s formerly undocumented husband (he’s from Ireland) and barbed wire center pieces at a publishing party, have also garnered backlash.
Cummins has said that she did lots of research, including consulting with academics and interviewing migrants at the border, and that her goal was to help readers empathize with a faceless crisis at the border. Amid increasing tensions, the book’s publisher cancelled an event that was slated for yesterday, Tuesday, January 28, at the Pasadena bookstore Vroman’s. On Wednesday, the author tour was cancelled by the publisher.
Today, we want to hear from you. If you are a writer or creative, how do you think one should approach writing about an experience that’s not your own, if at all? How does this controversy reflect on the publishing industry? If you’ve read the book, did you think it humanized the plight of its characters or flattened and fetishized them? Call us at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Constance Grady, culture writer for Vox who’s been following this story; she tweets