Letters to the Valley Edition : Stop Deprecating the Black Population

* Your story of Aug. 17 (“Alarcon Backs Idea of Redevelopment Study”) portrays Pacoima as the most impoverished community in the Valley.

It has become impoverished only because the Anglo community and the government have allowed illegal immigrants to flood into Los Angeles, and they have become the “new slaves” within the city. They are paid slave wages; therefore they are only able to reside in communities which have been traditionally working- and middle-class black communities.

These areas become eyesores soon after the immigrants settle in them. Abandoned cars litter the neighborhood, and front lawns take on the appearance of a used-car lot. This reduces property value in the entire community.

One would think that the media were on a mission to portray all African-American communities as impoverished and gang-ridden.

As a longtime resident of Pacoima, I understand that this article is about the immigrant population and not the middle-income people professionals of TRW, the aerospace industry, computer industries, banking and the civil service who reside in Pacoima. These individuals have raised their children in the community, and in many cases live in low- or no-mortgage homes.

If the media are going to continue to conduct polls about African-Americans, they should report what is reality. Stop deprecating black people, our families and our communities to the nation and the world.

PATRICIA THOMAS

Pacoima