Santa Ana is changing for the worse

In the last decade, the ongoing redevelopment of the downtown area has led to changes that have turned this city into something I no longer recognize. The city has always had updates, but lately, instead of making space for the old and new, they displace and replace.

As a child, walking down La Cuatro filled me with joy. On Sunday afternoons after church, my family and I would hit up La Cuatro to do a little shopping. I’d always make my dad buy me the biggest plate of watermelon from the fruit stands outside the shops. One of my favorite stores to go to was Fallas Paredes, a discount department store I frequented mostly because I liked to go up and down the stairs they had in the middle of the store. Instead of going to your typical movie theater, we would go to the Fiesta Twin Theater (now known as the Frida Cinema) because they would always have subtitles in Spanish and that was the only way my dad had any chance of understanding the movie. Dresses for baptisms, weddings and other equally important celebrations were all bought downtown at La Gaviota.

Even as a kid, I knew there was something special about La Cuatro. I was constantly surrounded by people I knew and felt safe around and I was so proud of it. These days, it feels completely different.

With the gentrification it has endured, La Cuatro began to feel cold. Beloved fruit stands slowly disappeared, the Frida Cinema seldom plays Spanish movies and the shops that have stood there for decades remain empty with lease signs on the doors. Now all you see when you walk through is luxury apartment buildings and overpriced retail shops.

The streetcar that residents actively advocated against continues to take up space. Not only is it unnecessary, but its construction negatively affected businesses downtown. Santa Ana is losing all of its charm and turning into another cookie-cutter city like Irvine or Tustin. It feels like the city is attempting to model the aforementioned city’s bland housing and shopping centers.

Worst of all, with the recent ICE raids, Santa Ana feels lifeless. The city has been beaten down and is struggling to get back to normal. How can we do that knowing that at any minute beloved friends and family could be gone in an instant?

We must let businesses and public officials know that they are stripping the city’s history away. All the changes that have been made have not been for us, they’ve been made for outsiders. I understand that things always change with time. I’ve indulged in some of the changes myself. I occasionally grab a bite at the 4th Street Market and watch movies at the Frida Cinema. Despite this, I wish that these places remembered where they set up shop.

4th Street Market should make room for community-owned eats, and the Frida Cinema should play Spanish movies to bring in the Spanish speaking crowd. The problem here is that the residents seem to no longer be a priority. Public officials are making decisions that completely undermine what I believe Santa Ana to be: a one-of-a-kind gem filled with rich history and residents that embody that.

Shop at local businesses that desperately need your support to survive. Help out in your community whenever possible. Let public officials know that we aren’t going anywhere without a fight.