"Calles Malditas"

This photo depicts South Los Angeles resident Sandra Polanco breaking down at the sight of a homicide shrine near her home this weekend. "Again, again," she said. "These accursed streets." She did not know the victim. But Polanco lost her son, Giovanni Mancia, 16, to a homicide almost a year ago. As she spoke, she gripped a cellphone containing Giovanni's picture. The hand with which she held the phone was shaking. Seeing her reaction, her remaining son, Jesus, 6, put his arms around her.

Comments

[Ana]

This makes me very upset because due to the fact that the rent is expensive in decent neighborhoods, people like Mrs.Polanco are forced to live in unsafe neighborhoods. What chance of survival does her 6 year old son have? what are the chances of him joining a gang to feel safe? or of getting educated.

[Ernesto]

According to statistics, the chances of her son surviving or obtaining an education are not as high as someone who lives in the suburbs. However, I grew up one block from where this incident took place (in fact, I was at home when this incident occurred) and I am now 21 and am currently attending UCSB. Life in the area is not as bleak as people set it out to be. While it is bad, and I in no way wish to underscore the severity of the situation, I also do not wish to perpetuate some stereotypical picture of what living in South Los Angeles is like. Not everyone that grows up in this type of environment is subject to become a criminal or suffer a premature death.

Far from it, I think those of us who do seek out better lives do so because we are all too familiar with living in such an environment. Luckily, the number of us choosing to get away from such environments is growing and with these individuals, there is borne a social responsibility to go back and change this environment.