Los Angeles residents move en masse to the increasingly Latine rural California
"Since 2018, the median cost of housing in Los Angeles County has increased from under $600k to nearly $800k. It began a trend of a shrinking population in the county with many flocking to other cities like San Diego and Las Vegas as well as rural communities in inland California like the High Desert. This migration of LA residents to these small rural towns has led to major population growth in the High Desert. As the town goes through its growing pains, it adjusts to a shifting political climate and an even more rapid ethnic shift in its population."
This article was written by Adrian as an homage to their hometown and in recognition of how the High Desert that they grew up in is inextricably tied to their new home of Los Angeles. In between their staff writing positions at Daily Trojan and Trojans360, Adrian took this project upon themselves after reflecting on how it is widely understood in the High Desert that large numbers of people migrate to that area when they are priced out of Los Angeles, but those currently residing in LA may not be as aware of where people go when they leave. Additionally, Adrian sought to dispel preconceived notions that the High Desert is merely a place you drive through to Las Vegas rather than the rapidly expanding and diverse community that it is.
By speaking to community leaders such as former Adelanto School District board member Elaine Gonzales and Victorville City Council Member Blanca Gomez, Adrian found that this phenomenon runs deeper than people simply moving from one city to another. They learned that despite the High Desert's shifting population (particularly its growing Latino population), the politics of the area have not reflected that shift because many of the new residents are undocumented or formerly incarcerated.
“We are a majority,” Gomez said regarding the Hispanic and Latino population, “but the majority is not being seen as the majority because immigrants are not literally counted.”
The full article can be read at: https://www.uscannenbergmedia.com/2023/11/09/los-angeles-residents-move-en-masse-to-the-increasingly-latine-rural-california/
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