As a person of color in Long Beach, I grew up in Cambodia Town. During this time, I hardly ever noticed the amount of institutional racism geared towards my neighborhood; there were a large amount of oil refineries, toxic waste dumps, and other polluters that increased the risk of developing chronic illnesses such as asthma for residents. Asthma had a negative impact on the community, children were getting sick left and right; since most residents were in economic poverty, nothing could be done about it.The neighborhood I lived in was low-income, and I felt like I literally lived in a toxic wasteland.
When we talked about environmental racism in class, it made me reflect on childhood memories growing up in Cambodia Town. It made me wonder if more affluent residents in areas such as Santa Barbara had to face the same problems. Was my community merely being exploited by the same politicians that promised equal justice for all in their campaigns? Just as political disenfranchisement affects former felons, it indirectly affected my community as well. Most of my neighbors had little to no say in elections due to lack of access or time as a result of their socioeconomic status/situation. They had no say to the toxic materials being dumped near their homes and where their children play after school. The unequal distribution of benefits and rewards was very apparent: corporations saved money while the residents of my community suffered various ailments and had little resources to confront this problem.
Mien-Quoc Ly
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