Community Overview

The City of Pacoima is a predominantly low-income, working class community in the northern region of the San Fernando Valley. Pacoima has over 101,000 inhabitants, with over 80 percent of whom identify as Latino, 8 percent are African American, 7 percent are Asian, Caucasian, and Native American. Of the total inhabitants, it is estimated that 46 percent meet the poverty guideline.

With a community that faces the hardships of violence, unemployment, and environmental pollution, they are resilient and hopeful about the future of their city.

WHO LIVES IN PACOIMA?
Age:
15 yrs.-17 yrs.= 17,919
18 yrs.-24 yrs.= 17,538
35 yrs.-54 yrs. = 13,559
55 yrs+= 6,892

Educational Attainment: (Ages 25 and over)
69.20% = No High School Degree or Equivalent
15.41% = High School Degree or Equivalent
9.9% = Some college/No Degree

United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2007). Community Profiles 2007-Pacoima Beautiful, Pacoima, CA EPA Region 9. Retrieved August 25, 2008, from http://www.epa.gov/air/care/community2007.htm#pacoimaca

United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2003). Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Grant Awards 2003- Pacoima Lead Poisoning Prevention Community Program. Retrieved August 25, 2008, from
http://epa.gov/compliance/resources/publications/ej/grants/cps-project-abstracts-031004.pdf
+pacoima+46+percent+meet+the+poverty+guideline.html

Pacoima (City of Los Angeles)-Age and Education Attainment. (n.d.). Retrieved August 25, 2008, from http://www.laalmanac.com/LA/la00c44.htm

Boundaries

BOUNDARIES OF GANG INJUNCTION IN PANORAMA CITY

• East of the 405 Freeway
• North of Roscoe Blvd
• West of Wakefield and Van Nuys
• South of Plummer

INVISIBLE MANMADE BARRIERS

-- Boundaries or are not only made by city officials or natural barriers, but through our experiences we found that boundaries are also created by the members of the community (ie Gangs, prostitutes)
-- One would not have the knowledge of these Invisible Manmade barriers unless one lives in the community or has verbal communication with community members


CHANGE IN SCENERY WHILE TRAVELING ON SEPULVEDA
During our drive, we observed the physical differences between North and South of Nordhoff St. which may imply the socioecomonic status of the community members

South of Nordhoff- Produce Vendors, homes, schools and local businesses enclosed by gates/fences, unkept streets, families, youth and children casually walking

North of Nordhoff- Appeared more socially stable, streets were cleaner, more green, less social activity.

Mutual Aid

The San Fernando Valley is rich in mutual aid. The residents know their neighborhood has a bad reputation to the rest of LA County and they want to do something about it! As we all know, change takes time, and "The Valley" is a perfect example of how fortitude and determination pays off. As the people take back their neighborhood others can’t help but pay attention and join in. Here is just a small example of what Pacoima and Panorama City has to offer:
Communities In Schools: Along with many other individuals, there are ex-gang members working in the community to help at-risk youth find healthy alternatives to joining a gang and already existing gang members find a way out.
Pacoima Beautiful: Youth in the community working to make their neighborhoods beautiful. Soon they will have a graffiti cleanup day.
Boys and Girls Club: A fun and inexpensive place for kids to spend the day.
Hubert Humphrey Memorial Park Recreation: A place for kids to join the rest of their neighborhood in enjoying their park and all that their community has to offer.
Faith-based organizations: Churches in the area have programs and open their doors as a safe haven for the community.
Penny Lane: Located in North Hills, this is a social services agencies who seek to help at-risk families and children.
Work Source: This is part of the Employment Development Department for the State of California which provides services for people in need of a job.
Pacoima Community Center: This is a central location for city meetings and a place for business.

Local Facilities

"You Don't Know What You Need
Until You Know What You Have."
-Bobby Arias

Below is a list of some resources/facilities available in and around the city of Pacoima, California

• Communities in Schools
  
• 8743 Burnet Avenue, North Hills, CA 91343
  
• Contact: Bobby Arias; Robert Hernandez
• 818-891-9399
• 818-891-2510 fax
  
• http://www.cisgla.org/

• Soledad Enrichment Action (SEA) School
• 13456 Van Nuys Blvd., Pacoima, CA 91331
• 818-834-2632
• 818-834-2793 fax
• http://www.seacharter.net/

• Sepulveda Recreation Center
• 8801 Kester Avenue, Panorama City, CA 91402
• 818-893-3700
• 818-830-8215 fax
• http://www.laparks.org/dos/reccenter/facility/sepulvedaRC.htm

• Hubert H. Humphrey Memorial Park
• 12560 Filmore Street, Pacoima, CA 91331
• 818-896-6510
• 818-896-4569 fax
• http://www.laparks.org/dos/parks/facility/hubertHumphMemPk.htm

• Maclay Middle School
• 12540 Pierce Street, Pacoima, CA 91331
• 818-686-3800
• 818-834-1012 fax
• http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/Maclay_MS/

• Boys and Girls Club--San Fernando Valley
• 11251 Glenoaks Blvd., Pacoima, CA 91331
• 818-896-5261
• 818-897-5866 fax
• http://www.bgcsfv.org/

• Pacoima Beautiful
• Contact: Nury Martinez, Executive Director
• 818-899-2454 x100

• Pacoima Youth and Family Center
• 11243 Glenoaks Blvd., Suite 3, Pacoima, CA 91331
• 818-834-5179

• Meet Each Need with Dignity (MEND)
• 10641 N. San Fernando Road, Pacoima, CA 91331
• 818-897-2443 or 818-896-0246
• 818-897-0128 fax
• http://www.mendpoverty.org/
• Education and Training Center
• 13460 Van Nuys Blvd., Pacoima, CA 91331
  

• Youth Speak! Collective
• 11243 Glenoaks Blvd., Suite 3, Pacoima, CA 91331
• Contact David Andres Kietzman, Co-Director
  
• 818-834-5181
• 818-834-5186
• http://youthspeakcollective.org/
  

• Pacoima Branch Library
• 13605 Van Nuys Blvd., Pacoima, CA 91331
• 818-899-5203
• 818-899-5336 fax

• Panorama City Branch Library
• 14345 Roscoe Blvd., Panorama City, CA 91402
• 818-894-4071
• 818-895-6482 fax

• Northeast San Fernando Valley WorkSource Center
• 11623 Glenoaks Blvd., Pacoima, CA 91331
• 818-890-9400
• 818-899-5830 fax

• San Fernando Valley Child and Family Guidance Center
• http://www.childguidance.org/

• Pacoima Neighborhood Council
• 11243 Glenoaks Blvd., #3, Pacoima, CA 91331
• 818-834-4696

• Panorama City Neighborhood Council
• P.O. Box 44282, Panorama City, CA 91412
• 818-785-9740

• Penny Lane Family Center
• 15305 Rayen Street, North Hills, CA 91343
• 818-892-3423
• 818-892-3574 fax
• http://www.pennylane.org/

• Panorama High School
• 8015 Van Nuys Blvd., Panorama City, CA 91402
• 818-909-4500
• 818-786-6991 fax
• http://www.panoramahs.org/

• James Monroe High School
• 9229 Haskell Ave., North Hills, CA 91343
• 818-830-4200
• 818-892-5622 fax
• http://monroe.lausd.k12.ca.us/glsys/

• Sepulveda Middle School
• 15330 Plummer Street, North Hills, CA 91343
• 818-920-2130
• 818-891-5754 fax
• http://www.sepulvedams.org/

• Rosa Parks Learning Center
• 8855 Noble Ave., North Hills, CA 91343
• 818-895-9620
• 818-894-4711 fax

• Langdon Elementary
• 8817 Langdon Ave., North Hills, CA 91343
• 818-892-0779
• 818-830-7532

• El Proyecto del Barrio
• 8902 Woodman Ave., Arleta, CA 91331
• 818-830-7133
• 818-830-7280 fax
• http://www.epdb.org/

Social Control

TYPES OF SOCIAL CONTROL IN PANORAMA CITY AND PACOIMA

• GANG INJUNCTION:

-RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST GANG MEMBERS WITHIN A DESIGNATED AREA CALLED GYRD (GANG REDUCTION AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT)

- THE GYRD IS AN INVISIBLE BORDERLINE CREATED BY THE POLICE AND COMMUNITY. POLICE ARE ALLOWED TO ARREST GANG MEMBERS ONLY WITHIN THIS GYRD ZONE WHEN THERE IS AN INJUNCTION

-IN PANORAMA CITY, THE GYRD ZONE STARTS EAST OF THE 405 TO WAKEFIELD AVENUE AND FROM PLUMMER ST. HEADING SOUTH TO ROSCOE BLVD.

• ACTIVITIES THAT GANG MEMBERS ARE RESTRICTED FROM DOING DURING THE INJUNCTION

-CONGREGATING IN GROUPS
-TAGGING/VANDALISM
-SELLING/BUYING DRUGS
-LOITERING IN PUBLIC PLACES IN THE COMMUNITY (PARKS, SCHOOLS, ETC)
-CARRYING MOBILE DEVICES (CELLPHONE, PAGERS)

• PEOPLE WHO MAINTAIN SOCIAL CONTROL

-POLICE
-COMMUNITY MEMBERS
-SOCIAL WORKERS
-PUBLIC MANAGEMENT
-COURTS
-CITY COUNCILMEN

• CONSEQUENCES OF VIOLATION OF GANG INJUNCTION

-ARREST
-IF A STUDENT, EXPELLED FROM SCHOOL
-COMMUNITY SERVICE

Social Networks

Pacoima and Panorama City in the San Fernando Valley actually have a large social network of organizations and agencies structured around making the community a better place. Although the communities are known for low resources, poverty, poor academic achievement and high gang violence, members of the community are working to bring positive changes to Pacoima and Panorama City. Through developing programs and activities targeted to impact at risk- youth, the community is making improvements. Teachers, police officers, city hall representatives, social workers, gang interventionists and youth are pulling together to empower their community. Here are a few examples of social networks:

COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS
-Has Hardcore Gang Interventionist on staff to help reach youth involved in gangs and all at-risk youth.

- Empower youth by having them help run programs.

-Provide alternatives to keep youth off the streets through sports, DJ Academy, tutoring and therapy.

LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
-Works with Communities In Schools to assess and discuss the gang coalitions.

-Refers gang members to different agencies such as Community In School to prevent retaliation.

-Collaborate with agencies such as San Fernando Valley Coalition on Gangs, Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles Public Works and San Fernando Valley Faith Coalition etc.

PASTOR SAM - FAITH-BASED SERVICES
-Adopt a school in San Fernando Valley to work in building faith and creating change

-Has been doing Octofest, Thanksgiving Feast and Christmas programs to aid the community for over 15 years.

-Presides over funerals of youth who fall victim to gang violence and provides counseling to the families.

BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

-A positive and safe place for low income kids to spend time together regardless of their race and socioeconomic background.

-Provides tutoring and mentoring to children at the club.

-Works with other community agencies to develop programs for the youth in Pacoima, Panorama City and San Fernando Valley.

PACOIMA COMMUNITY CENTER / PACOIMA BEAUTIFUL

-Serves as a place to bring the community together through programs and activities.

-Helps create a better environment for the people of Pacoima.

-Empowers local students to be leaders in the community to advocate for positive changes.

Identity

Having the opportunity to visit with the Pacoima and Panorama community allowed us the privilege to verbally communicate with them on a very personal level. For example, at SEA school we met with students individually. When meeting with them we learned many of the students have been in the foster system, Camp, and or juvenile hall for several of years and or have been expelled from their local home schools due to unacceptable behaviors. We asked them what were the most challenging perspectives they have been faced with. The answer was staff. According to the students, staff whom they have encountered with do not view them as humans, they saw them as a chart and created bias towards them because of the information on their chart. However, the students want to be seen and dealt with as humans and not a piece of paper. Also, when meeting with the youth in the community whom are very involved in making their community a better place, mentioned that they would like for people to see them and their community as humans and not by what statistics show.

It was interesting to visit the community because words such as "ugly" and "dangerous" have been used to describe this community for years, but as we got to see the community on a personal level we were able to realize that it is filled with so many positive factors. The community knows they have a lot to deal with on the outside, and know they have been viewed as a community with issues of gang violence, graffiti, poverty and so fourth, but will never stop their efforts in changing how their community is viewed. It was an eye-opening experience to meet with people of the community on a personal level to see them for what they were on the inside and who they really where as individuals. The several agencies in the Pacoima and Panorama City community are striving everyday to make the outside reflect what really is on the inside, and their hard work and effort really goes to show that you really cannot judge a book by its cover.

Civic Engagement

Students from Maclay Middle School utilize their spare time to advocate for the betterment of their community, Pacoima. Volunteering for Pacoima Beautiful, an environment advocacy organization, has made the youth living in Pacoima love their neighborhood while educating others about community beautification.


At Hubert H. Humphrey Memorial Park youth gather to play handball against walls decorated with murals. These murals were designed and created by youth who have been involved with gangs in the community.



Youth at the Boys and Girls Club use their summer exploring art, sports, literacy, and computer skills for only $25 a year.

Youth who live or grew up in Pacoima now serve as role models to others as they now serve their local park. These youth serve as mentors to other students who live in gang-injunction communities.

Common Fate

The common fate of the communities we visited is dynamic and ever-evolving and while we were given some dire facts on graduation rates, gang affiliation, and teen pregnancy, we were also introduced to youth squads and proactive youth involved in bettering the community. Past perception of the community has been negative, but members seem engaged and interested in seeing their community prosper. The only thing that we can say for certain is that it is a community in transition and self-determination will play an increasing large role in common fate.

Assets and Risks

The assets of Pacoima and Panorama City are an appropriate response to the risks in the cities. During our immersion, the Hard-Core gang interventionists explained that many youth become involved in gang violence because there are not other activities for them. Also, these communities are low-income, and the youth struggle financially, which provokes criminal behavior. In response, CIS, Communities in Schools, puts on activities throughout the year for the youth to be involved. The San Fernando Valley Worker Center provides job resources to this population, allowing them to become one step closer to financial stability. Ultimately, the populations of Pacoima and Panorama City improve in correlation to the resources afforded to them. The various community centers, worker centers, and recreational activities help elevate these communities to their potential.

On the other hand, there is still evidence of the prominent risks in Pacoima and Panorama city, for example, when visiting Pacoima, the Hubert Humphrey Park was vandalized by the nearby gang in the area. The staff of the park, had to tell us of the vandalism and warned us to be careful as we explored the park and nearby area. Also, there are gang injunctions in the areas we visited, which is a sign that there are still risks in these areas and families must still be cautious and aware of what is going on in their communities

ASSETS - NORTH HILLS/PANORAMA CITY
Community in Schools (CIS)- Helps at-risk youth by creating a service delivery plan and ensuring the plan is benefiting the youth.
Soledad Enrichment action- Charter school for youth unable to attend a traditional school. Provides students with a unique way of learning by respecting them, giving personal attention to students, and allowing students to have 3 different classes to attend to per day.
Park across from Soledad Enrichment Action
Penny lane-family center/community living
Shopping center
Grocery stores
Clothing stores
Churches
Trucks that provide produce to the community
Fast food
Mexican food restaurants
Advancement Project- research ways to improve the status of at-risk communities
In Mission Hill, there is a church that provides services to the community that is headed by Pastor Sam.

RISKS - NORTH HILLS/PANORAMA CITY
Liquor Stores
Motels because of prostitution
Empty Lots
Trash on the streets
Langdon boy gang is near the community
Multiple payday advance stores which perpetuates a cycle of debt in the community

ASSETS - PACOIMA
Humphrey Park which provides programs for teens such as the “Summer Night Lights” program where the teen center stays open until 12am through the Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa’s office
Boys and Girls Club of San Fernando Valley
Community center
Senior center
Church
Northeast San Fernando Valley Work Source Center
Pacoima beautiful
Murals
Pacoima Youth and Family Center
Youth Speak! Collective

RISKS - PACOIMA
Gang violence
Pacoima projects across the street from elementary school
Graffiti at the park
Gang Injunction

Insider/Outsider Perspectives

INSIDER PERSPECTIVE

At Hubert Humphrey Memorial Park in Pacoima, we met high school students from surrounding neighborhoods who shared their opinions and feelings about the changes that have been happening in the recent years. One of them shared about how she'd felt reluctant to participate in activities at the Humphrey Park Teen Center due the reputation in the 1990s. They realize the positive changes that have occurred.
These are programs that have been developed:

• Summer Nights Program
• Cultural Fairs
• Sporting Events such as Basketball, Soccer, Baseball..etc.
• Peace Makers

OUTSIDER PERSPECTIVE

When I tell friends and family that we're going to Panorama City and Pacoima, the reactions are notably the same: "Aren't you scared?" "Is that safe?" "What about gangs?" Knowing nothing of the area, I come with no preconceived notions of where we're going, the types of people we'll be meeting or the area we'll be exploring. When I first arrive in Panorama City, it seems like a "no-man's-land," just another exit on the highway. Arriving a little early, I drive around the area, which seems very quiet, with few people on the street. Besides the large shopping center at Nordhoff and Sepulveda, there appears to be little in the way of social capital. The area seems forgotten, a sort of ghost town.

Driving around Panorama City produces a sense of lurking danger. The image that sticks with me is iron bars and security gates surrounding apartment buildings, shops and schools. As our hosts from Comunities in Schools hustles us from the van to our next destination, it seems as if peril is looming and we're being watched.

The urban landscape in Pacoima, on the other hand, projects an appearance of normalcy. Residential streets lined with single-family homes and Section 8 apartment blocks, where laundry flaps on the line and clusters of canna lilies and oleander push against iron fences, give little indication of the violence that has wracked this community. On this hot August morning, youth enrolled in a summer program at Hubert Humphrey Memorial Park play video games at computer terminals, handball players charge a backstop of brightly painted murals and a few women relax with their children under shade umbrellas on park benches. It's difficult to imagine that up until six or seven years ago, as Coach Daniel Salazar tells us, this quiet park was considered too dangerous for recreational use by the community.

Pacoima Beautiful is a grassroots organization with programs that "provide environmental education, advocacy and local leadership in order to foster a healthy and safe environment." The irony of the name is not lost on the young women from PB's Youth Institute, who are well aware of their community's image as, in their words, "a poor, dirty ghetto." Their work is part of a texture of community organizing that, though perhaps still invisible to the outside eye, puts Pacoima well on its way to reversing the negative perspective outsiders have about its neighborhoods.

Evidence of Diversity

During our visit to the neighborhood of Pacoima, we primarily saw residents of Hispanic & African American descent. As we explored the neighborhood, we observed a large population of Hispanic individuals using facilities within the neighborhood. The local markets, Carnicerias, produce trucks, and restaurants provide products representative of both American and Hispanic cultures. The Boys & Girls Club in Pacoima serves predominantly Hispanic and African American children who come from various neighborhoods to participate in their center.

We learned of the diverse populations residing within the community of Pacoima. Several religious centers and churches marked the existence of diversity among available faith-based groups. The Living Hope Community Church is a progressive faith-based organization focused not only on serving its own group members, but in providing outreach to outside populations in the community, such as schools, the homeless, neighborhood blocks, gang members, and their families. Diversity within the community was also evident within the differing groups of law enforcement and gang affiliation. The enacted gang injunctions in the community of Pacoima represent the strain between law enforcement and those affiliated with gangs. While law enforcement focus on reducing gang activity, the gang members affected by these limitations still reside in the local community. The Summer Night Lights program held in Hubert Humphrey Memorial Park provides an opportunity for multiple populations to gather for recreational and cultural activities. Local families, gang members, city officials, and vendors come together to support a positive effort and peaceful demonstrations in their community.

In the community of Pacoima, levels of economic status among its members are also diverse. The majority of residents in North Hills and Pacoima represent those of a low socio-economic status. Many individuals are either low-income or greatly impoverished. This impoverished population is not only evident within status and housing, but also in services local businesses make available to them such as check cashing locations and pre-paid telephone services. The range of housing within this community are marked by apartment living, Section 8 and project housing, homeowners, and the homeless who might use shelter facilities. Diversity also exists within the ages of the community members. The highest percentage of residents are children and adolescents who were observed playing in the parks and strolling down the streets. However, middle-aged adults account for the second highest age group in the community. Elderly adults also make up a small percentage of the neighborhood, and they were mainly observed in the housing communities.

Several community programs in North Hills and Pacoima offer an array of efforts which focus on serving varying populations. Many programs provide resources for youth in the community, such as the environmental work led by young people at Pacoima Beautiful. The Boys and Girls Club and local Teen Center also provide youth with positive outlets. The Communities in Schools is an outreach program focused on work with gang members, at-risk youth, and their families. MEND (Meet each person with Dignity) is a community effort focused on helping those in-need or those who may be homeless. Penny Lane is an organization which serves children in the foster-care system, families, and emancipated individuals.