Whoever thought I'd miss San Jose?
A couple nights ago I went to an event that POWER put on releasing a book on demographics of the "Eastern Neighborhoods." I knew a lot of folks there, though most not very well...and I realized as I was listening to the presentation about neighborhoods that I vaguely know that I don't know the first thing about SF or East Bay politics. Ok, so I know something--I know a cluster of youth organizing or education focused groups, and another cluster of anti-imperialist & anti-racist folks, but not how they fit together & who lives where & what the context is.
But I can make you a power map of San Jose in 10 minutes. I can tell you who the movers & shakers are, I can make a list of organizations & people & locate them generally in terms of politics, approach to work, etc., I can tell you the major campaigns & groups that have shaped the city over the past 10 years. I don't know everything (duh!), but if I don't know something about the politics of SanJo, I probably know somebody who does.
I can't do that for Oakland. I feel ungrounded & a little lost because I don't know how a lot of the folks that I know & the broader politics all fit together & relate to each other. I'm starting to realize that in order to do the political thinking & analysis that I want to do that I need to feel grounded in the politics of this place (Oakland/East Bay, & somewhat SF), even though I don't plan on being here long term. I hadn't realized how much I valued this type of knowledge--gained over 5 years of deep engagement in San Jose.
So if anybody wants to sit down & make me a power map of Oakland, or the North Bay more generally, be my guest!
But I can make you a power map of San Jose in 10 minutes. I can tell you who the movers & shakers are, I can make a list of organizations & people & locate them generally in terms of politics, approach to work, etc., I can tell you the major campaigns & groups that have shaped the city over the past 10 years. I don't know everything (duh!), but if I don't know something about the politics of SanJo, I probably know somebody who does.
I can't do that for Oakland. I feel ungrounded & a little lost because I don't know how a lot of the folks that I know & the broader politics all fit together & relate to each other. I'm starting to realize that in order to do the political thinking & analysis that I want to do that I need to feel grounded in the politics of this place (Oakland/East Bay, & somewhat SF), even though I don't plan on being here long term. I hadn't realized how much I valued this type of knowledge--gained over 5 years of deep engagement in San Jose.
So if anybody wants to sit down & make me a power map of Oakland, or the North Bay more generally, be my guest!
posted by Cathy at 7:36 p. m.
2 Comments:
Hi Cathy! I joined Blogger so I could comment on your blog. I'm copying you and also trying out a blog of my own. Anyhow, a year ago I could have been a useful part of an SF mapmaking effort. But a few months in grad school in Jersey and you lose touch! Now I can map for you the chain stores along Route 1.
Good luck settling in, and I know you'll figure it out quickly. By the way, can you really consider Oakland part of the Northbay?
Hi Cathy again-
Links are when you highlight some text when you're trying to post, and you click on the little automatic make a link button.
I think of Northbay as Marin only -- there must be some way to say not-Southbay in other terms.
You and I are apparently challenged by linear thinking, as our comments sort of respond to things in both of our blogs, yet as far as I know the response can only appear in one location. Decisions, decisions...
Best-
Leo
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