Midterm Presentation

Introduction: Gentrification has come a long way since 1920 when the California Alien Land Law passed through Congress until it ended in 1952. The Alien Land Law was meant to discourage immigrants from living and owning agricultural land and/or possessing property leases in California. Furthermore, this law and gentrification are similar in which it destabilizes an individual’s cultural identity and lifestyle when living (and owning) property in California. San Francisco, of which a multidiverse city has become one of the most gentrified since the 1980s. Visitacion Valley district has recently become part of the urban renewal process, thus displacing low-income individuals.

Problem: Due to gentrifications in San Francisco’s Asian American neighborhoods, they are being forced to move out of their homes without knowledge.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to inform the community about gentrifications and its negative feedback it gives to the community. By giving positive responses through neighborhood campaigning, it will stop hindering the quality of life and their ability to keep hold of their cultural identity.

Preliminary Research Summaries:

-Just in San Francisco alone (and other small number of cities) an individual would be earning $50,000 to be considered ‘low income’.
-Moreover, most families in the city earn an average of $109,000 and is considered upper-income and not ‘middleclass’
-Western Addition in the city went from middle to lower income class through gentrification; it displaced the traditional middle-class and left the low-income renters to governmental controlled units.

Significance:

-This study focuses on the Asian American audiences whom are not aware of current and future gentrifications located in and around Visitacion Valley.

-There has been a negative feedback when gentrifying had gone through to the community.

-By giving a positive feedback through neighborhood campaigning it will not only hinder the quality of life but also able to keep hold of their morals and values.

User Analysis:

 Asian Immigrants (First Generation 50-60+)

-Pamphlets: it’s a necessity of having pamphlets due to language barriers

and having simple and yet straightforward campaigning

Asian Americans (Second Generation and so forth 16-30+)

-Pamphlets

-Web Experience: To design a website of a more trendy and current issues to

be known for the younger generation who has access to

online resources

Definition of Terms: 

-Asian American(s): An individual with an Asian background whom has been assimilated at a young age in the U.S. and/or also those who are American born with Asian descent.

-Assmilated/tion: An individual who had arrived from a foreign country to the U.S. to permanently live, work and/or attend school.

-Gentrification: The restoration of rundown urban areas by the middle class (resulting in the displacement of low-income residents)

-California Alien Land Law of 1920: prohibits immigrants of living and owning agriculture land and property leases; it also discourages immigrants from doing so.

Sub Problems:  

(1) There is a lack of available resources for Asian Americans to understand what is going on in their

neighborhood such as gentrification

(2) Lack of multi-diverse languages to provide knowledge for the non-English speakers

(3) Due to the fact that class, social and racial hierarchy are clashing, gentrification is still being in use.

(4) Lack of community outreach and participation in campaigning the problem, thus Asian Americans do not know the current issues that is happening in their neighborhood.

Design Process:

Research Summaries: Visitacion Valley and their Asian American community lack the resources to provide information as well as the social and racial issues that comes with gentrification in that district.

Past gentrifications in San Francisco, though a couple were successful of urban renewal, had let the low-income class be displaced for them. The design solutions will bring upon the awareness it needs to have the community be informed and be up-to-date.