Tenderloin, Neighborhood in San Francisco - Essay Example

Tenderloin Here are some of the important ideas that one must learn about Tenderloin. It is a neighborhood in downtown San Francisco, California, between the Union Square shopping district to the northeast and the Civic Center office district to the southwest. The place is a high-crime neighborhood particularly it is featured to consist of violent street crimes such as robbery and aggravated assault. The Tenderloin remains a place of attraction for drugs, prostitution, homelessness, and indiscriminate violence. Less noted are the many theaters on the eastern portion of the Tenderloin (making up the Theater District) and the fact that the neighborhood’s bad reputation has had a silver lining for the City’s poor and immigrant communities choking off gentrification and the accompanying high rents, for now. It is also widely acknowledged as the most hellish neighborhood in San Francisco. Out of the city’s ten most violent crime plots, the Tenderloin is home to seven. Recent stats estimate the neighborhood has an average of three major crimes per hour, including one-third of the city’s drug offenses, with a yearly mean of two crimes per resident. The population is made up of more than 6,000 homeless people and contains one-fourth of the city’s HIV-positive drug users. Filthy sidewalks and vacant buildings peppered with single-occupancy hotel rooms provide a home to all levels of drugs and prostitution. However, there are a lot of immigrants living there with their children, as well as a lot of the staff and the many social centers. So it places dangers on the lives of people living there. It seems that the things that one could dominantly hear about Tenderloin are relevant to how dangerous this place might be to life. Not only that. The face of poverty is one that could literally be part of the dominant perception of what Tenderloin is all about. It seems that due to the presence of poverty, crimes and other illegal activities are associated with this place. It therefore makes sense that the number one reason as to why the threats that are related to crimes and illegal acts are overflowing at Tenderloin is the presence of poverty all around the place. It cannot be denied that due to poor financial capability of the people there, resulting to the easy way of getting access to money has become the vital component of the economic activity in the place. It is also important to consider that due to poverty in the place, many people are willing to gamble their safety, in exchange for earning easy, but large amount of money, no matter what it cost them in acquiring them. Thus, the place could be a perfect target of big syndicates for finding their best assets to help them perpetuate their illegal businesses and activities. However, what concerns me so much is the thought that since the place has become a haven for many illegal activities, crimes are imminent from time to time. There are relevant numbers of crimes linked to illegal activities at Tenderloin. What is most triggering part of it is the idea that Tenderloin cannot be a good place for individuals, especially children who can be the best subjects that are easy to be influenced by a lot of things in this world. Section 2 I had a memorable four-week experience at Tenderloin. My first week was an encounter at children’s play ground. This place was crowded by around four thousand children of various race and ethnicity, Hispanic, African-American, Southeast Asian and Russians. The playground is an opportunity for pre-school activities, dances, tiny torts, art and craft, sewing, gardening, sports, wood work and programming for teen’s club every Friday night. The playground is serving around 200 children each day, and provided with enjoyment, convenience and assurance of a safety environment. There are flexible schedules to visit the playground, assuring the visitors to enjoy the park at their most convenient time. In the second week, the itinerary was the Bay Area Women’s and Children’s Center (BAWCC). The experience revealed how the institution caters to the needs of women and children in the locality. There are short-term and long-term goals that are to be achieved in order to successfully facilitate the program. The third week was spared for the Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco (BGCSF), where I learned how the institution would want to free the children from drugs and other related crimes. The fourth week was a stop at Seneca Hotel. From the management, we heard how the people are dangerously involved with drug addiction and prostitution. With this reality, the management expounds the need of the community for rehabilitation. In October 31, we joined the community’s Halloween party. I took charge of facilitating the games for the children. They enjoyed it. I enjoyed even more. From the eyes of the little children, it seems clear that they are oblivious about the real score taking place at Tenderloin. The smiles on their faces at the children’s play ground may conceal the sad reality of the Tenderloin, at some point. However, based on the ultimate objectives of many institutions to rehabilitate the place, it is clear that the crimes and illegal activities may probably have exceeded to the point that the security of living there may have been placed at the level of great jeopardy. My experience at Tenderloin can substantially provide essential point of view as to how I both like and consider the place a risk to take into account. First, there are little children who are willing to face the danger, but they are oblivious about its existence of peril in the first place. I would love to stay in the place due to this vital consideration. These children need someone rely on, somebody who could provide them the help they deserve, such as protection from harm or troubles that are caused by various crimes and other related illegal activities. These children have future ahead them, but it could be wasted if they will not be properly guided or monitored. In other words, the laughter that I saw upon the faces of the little children starting from the play ground until the day of the Halloween party could only be just the icing of the cake. The real score behind the laughter is due to children’s innocence. However, it cannot be denied that the sad reality in there existed. The acceptance of this reality might be hard enough to consider. However, it is always essential to consider as to how other concerned institutions are promulgating ways and means in order to help rehabilitate socio-political and economic environment of Tenderloin. These concerns are vital to the linked future of the children in order to prepare it good for them in as much as possible. Nevertheless, the success of this concern lies on the hands of the people there and how willing they are to go for change for good. Section 3 The purpose of the book Stories of survival is vital to the human existence. It documents the past or historic events that the generation today should learn to understand or appreciate, particularly for the people at Tenderloin. It gives moral lessons, especially on what to do in the future. It depicts the challenges of the past generation, and the survival of the ancestors of those people living at Tenderloin. Survival seems to be the main theme of the book, but what it actually implies is to provide some essential insights in order to depict a more recognizable point of view concerning the value of life. The book is strategically presented in a witty manner in order to attract the reader about the real score of the situation from the past. There are things from the past that the children today do not even realize. The book therefore would be an opportunity for them to explore the past and learn many things from it. It is essential to consider the thought that in order to understand the present, knowing the past might be critical in that objective. For this reason, it is necessary to present the book to the younger generation, so that in as much as possible they would be able to appreciate the past or historic events that were able to mold the present. This might give them essential insights about the future, at some point, especially when they come to their right age. However, the book’s purpose may not only be confided within allowing the generation today to learn and understand the past. What is most critical consideration is the idea that there are things that simply cannot be overlooked. This simply means that the level of influence of the past generation at present may possibly determine the future. However, the purpose of the book may go beyond this point. What the book is trying to establish is the idea that there are so much to learn from past mistakes or successes. These are elemental things to bear in mind in order to deliberately achieve the best for the present and in the future. Nevertheless, the historical records may be the bases of the present and future events. Specifically, the book may stand as essential framework of what is happening at present at the Tenderloin. It cannot be denied that the ancestors were struggling from the past, and at present, Tenderloin is still struggling. From the sociological context, the Tenderloin is struggling to maintain its moral values, for the thought that crimes have become the norms may eventually eliminate the possibility of quality social interaction that is full of moral considerations and obligations. In this regard, the Tenderloin may have to substantially learn the thought about the survival of their ancestors from the past that at some point may eventually influence or inspire the younger generation. On the other hand, by looking at the political context, the presence of crimes at the Tenderloin and with regards to the concept of survival in the book reveals the scenario by which concerned institutions are using their political influence in order to rehabilitate the place. Finally, from the economic context, the book may have provided significant reflection of the past struggles of the ancestors in terms of economic aspect. At present at the Tenderloin, poverty is very obvious, which paves the way for crimes and any types of violence that may substantially support how to find easy, but large sum of money. In other words, the book is a critical component of understanding the Tenderloin, because it talks about various aspects that at some point may be used to relate with the status quo. Section 4 I have fears, hopes and dreams for the people of the Tenderloin. It is straightforward to see that those who are trying to be confined with illegal activities cannot certainly live a brighter life in the future, due to the probable threats that may result to the loss of their lives along the way. My great fear at the same time is on how the people are influencing their future generation, the children. How the children witness various forms or crimes and illegal activities has important impact on their future directions in life. This is my great fear for them. It is not easy to be confined within the environment where the moral considerations are also placed in jeopardy. In the same way, it also important to point out the fact that children are subjects that could easily be influenced, at some certain points. Thus, the presence of crimes and illegal activities in Tenderloin could substantially create an impact on the future generation of its people. However, things like this should be included in the education of the students. Education should be critically added with quality socialization, like that what I witnessed during the college night at the Tenderloin. On the other hand, even if the threats may be overwhelming, I still have much hopes and dreams for the people of the Tenderloin. I see that there are still people, like volunteers willing to go and realize change at the Tenderloin, such as the event I witnessed during the thanksgiving at the park. I see that there is still a chance for the people of Tenderloin to mend over a new leaf and start with the change that many of them have also desired. My dream for them is to become the ultimate epitome of what survival truly means. Their lives could be a perfect story to inspire future generation, especially on the point that there is always a hope for better change. Section 5 I have learned many things when I had my time at the Tenderloin. I should take these things with me as I go on with my life. In this world, it is always good not to waste your time for nothing. Doing things that could just only harm us is just as good as doing nothing at all for good. This is a very destructive form of human’s creative effort to create things. At some point, some people in there are badly in need of prime example for them to live their lives for good. In the case of the people of the Tenderloin, survival is something that is not only physical, but something hidden from the human naked eye. Many people there are dying inside due to the point that crime has become a norm, which means the way of the human standard in their moral values has been momentarily perishing. It steals the idea of what is meant to be human, someone who must live with balance and harmony with the nature and each other. The place of Tenderloin has become a sophisticated area of troubles and various related activities. In this regard, it is necessary to consider that this place must remarkably consider rehabilitation programs. The government must work to educate the parents in the first place. It is necessary to secure the future of the children, because they are the ones holding the future. The government should encourage every family to do what is good and beneficial not just for the personal, but for the well-being of everybody. In this case, it would be interesting to engage every family to a certain level of program that would momentarily rehabilitate the beliefs, values and culture, for good. I specifically would want to agree with the thought of IndoChinese Housing Development Corporation citizenship training and family literacy for the people of the Tenderloin. Read More