Documenting Racism in Portland
Sense of Community
Directed and narrated by Cornelius Swart, Priced Out is a documentary about Albina, in North Portland which has gone through many changes over the past two decades. It has gone through and housing crisis, gentrification, and revitalization. A quote from a resident of Albina from the documentary, "It's not just that it's all white. It's a different kind of white. Back in the day, at least people would look you in the eye. Now it's this 'I'm afraid to look at you, talk at you' kind of white. I joke that I feel like Moses when I walk down the Mississippi, because the water seem to part," expresses her distaste for the changes happening in the community.
New Portland
This documentary doesn't just follow the gentrification of North Portland but shows the evolution of "New Portland". One of the residents who left the community states, "I wanted to see people give a damn about the community, not to push us out and make things nice for the new, white community. I want to ask these new people, 'Where were you when we were cleaning up with neighborhood?" Albina went through changes that their community was dealing with and go pushed out by people who wanted cheaper housing and to make a community of their own.
Unfamiliar Surroundings
Getting pushed out and not feeling like you're at home was the reason why some people left. Getting flooded with new people and a new community forming before your eyes is something that people don't adjust to easily. Seeing a new community unfold that is not welcoming to the original one, makes people feel isolated and they lose their sense of community.
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