From LA to San Fernando Valley: A Change in Community
Growing up, I’ve spent my elementary school years in the heart of Los Angeles.
Approximately 10 minutes away from Downtown (without traffic of course), I was exposed to a predominantly Latino community, along with a couple of Filipinos as it was located in the Historic Filipinotown.
It was when I moved to the San Fernando Valley in February 2010 did I realize that there was a plethora of other cultures that I would soon become familiar with.
Spending my formative years in the valley, I noticed a melting pot of different cultures as I found myself making friends with other ethnicities as opposed to my old friends in LA that were either Latino or Filipino. It was this very sense of belonging in this wonderful assortment of different cultures when I realized that the San Fernando Valley was the place that I would get to call home.
Even though I live in Arleta, I went to school in Granada Hills and Northridge. As a result, I have spent more time in these neighborhoods than I actually have in my own neighborhood. Although I have been all over the San Fernando Valley, I consider Northridge to be my main community as it was and continues to be an integral part of forming my identity as a young adult.
In the decade that I spent living here, I am grateful for the memories and friendships that I have made. Now, as we’re about to hit one year since the initial lockdown occurred, I would say that COVID-19 has definitely impacted the valley in many ways than one.
Before COVID-19, I remembered how busy Reseda Blvd. would be, especially during the weekdays. The streets were filled with college students walking back to their apartments or studying at nearby cafes for their upcoming midterm. In retrospect, I took for granted the mundane qualities of college life and much like everyone else, I do miss it.
Seeing how we go through a cycle of locking things down and opening back up again, COVID-19 has instilled a change in everyone’s social life. The “valley life” that most college students have become accustomed to has definitely shifted. With popular hotspots such as restaurants, the mall, and every corner plazas where college students congregate, these places gradually lose their value as social interactions dwindle down due to uncertainties.
I would be interested in getting a better understanding of how our community perseveres throughout these unprecedented times and to be able to shine a light on their experiences as a whole.
I personally get my news from social media, as well as news outlets such as the LA Times and the New York Times. I assume that the majority of college students who live around the area prefer to use social media as their form of getting news, whereas older people that live in the valley choose a more traditional means of news such as the television.
Overall, I believe that while the San Fernando Valley is well covered in terms of local news, there should be more stories written about its locals that have made their mark here since the very beginning.
