Considering The Hunger Games & What Happens When People of Color Are Killed

On a spur-of-the-moment decision, I went to a midnight showing of The Hunger Games when it opened last week. I was wary of Jennifer Lawrence's casting as Katniss (and by wary, I mean I was pissed off) because I had read the series last summer and Katniss is clearly described as not-white, as many of the characters were.

When I saw photos of Jennifer Lawrence, I had a similar feeling about her to Mou Khan's: that she was too soft-looking for the role. And then I saw Winter's Bone, and her acting convinced me that she could be Katniss. Khan (and many others) were apparently unconvinced by her acting, but that raises the question of what our picture of a strong, fierce woman looks like. Many of the strong, fierce women that I know are not always--actually, rarely-- wiry, hawk-eyed, or thin. They look like my mother, my grandmother, my friends. They have soft cheeks and tough souls. After the movie, I texted my other friends that I was "satisfied."

There is so much to unpack about the racist reactions to The Hunger Games, the news of Trayvon Martin's and Shaima Alawadi’s killings, and the hate they expose. When I see someone tweet that they didn't feel as sad about Rue's death because she was black, I realized two things:

Dayshot: GMBL Granted My Wish

The first time I attempted to use a Gardena Municipal bus, my plan was thwarted because I had my bicycle with me and I did not know that GMBL buses were not equipped with bike racks. I stood there on Manhattan Beach Boulevard forlornly for a few minutes (I did not have a smartphone so I couldn't look up an alternate route) and eventually found my way to wherever I was going. 

So, when I actually began to live in Gardena in August 2010 and got a job in Little Tokyo, I didn't even think to figure out how to get there by bus. I had the privilege of not thinking about it and chose to drive. I eventually moved out of my friend's spare room and signed a lease (gasp) to share an apartment with another friend. There happened to be a GMBL stop directly in front of my apartment building and, upon investigation, I found that one of the lines that stopped there could drop me off within about two blocks of my part-time job in Little Tokyo. Sure, I was disappointed that there were no bike racks on the line, but it was hard to complain when I could jump out of my apartment two minutes before the bus arrived and still make it to work on time.

Then, it happened. The buses were equipped with bike racks! I was surprised and elated when I first saw them, even though their arrival came on the heels of a service change that meant I had to walk two blocks to my stop instead of two minutes (spoiled, I know.) 

Here is a picture of Cornelius the Cerulean Centurion nestled securely in said rack one morning:

Cornelius, racked. 3/26/12

The unfortunate thing is that these racks are made mostly of plastic and feel much less sturdy than the all-metal racks on LA Metro, Torrance, and LADOT buses. I suppose these plastic racks were cheaper. I had trouble putting them back up for the first few weeks, probably because they were new and thus sticky. I still have some trouble with the handles now and then. The other all-metal racks work so smoothly. Ah well. It's still a tremendous help that I can take my bike on GMBL, and I like that I can support my local bus line rather than have to use LA Metro when I need to bring my bike along. 

Gentrification, USC, & Me

Back in 2008, I had the following email exchange:

May 17, 2008:

Hello! I was reading your online blog and was curious - do you still live at 1821-1839 S. Main Street? I was looking at those apartments some time ago and thought they were wonderful,but was weary of the area. How has your experience been? Also, I remember parking was tight -- do you park at the lot across the street, and how safe has your car been? I also noticed there was a lot for LA Mart down the street - do you know if this is at all available for tenants? Thanks for all your advice!

I replied the next day:

Hi there, 

Thanks for visiting my blog! I do still live there (though I haven't been posting nearly enough lately).  

I've been here since November and the people I've encountered in and near my building have generally been either friendly or at least non-threatening. I think it depends a lot on your own comfort level. I am careful about going out at night and last night was the first time I walked farther than the market downstairs alone (I usually bike everywhere at night). I walked to my apartment from the train station on Grand at about 10PM, and there were people around. Of course I'm always cautious but I try not to let that keep me from doing things. There is a restaurant downstairs that serves beer and has somewhat odd hours, and I see a few intoxicated people around once in a while-- nothing terribly alarming though.