The Forgotten Citizens of Isla Vista (Interviews)

Jen Woo:    

We all know the parties, the masses of people, the array of various delectable convenience foods and the endless desire for booze and good times, but what lies beneath the surface of Isla Vista are the unspoken members of a forgotten community. These are the people that linger silently, tucked away in the dark crevices of IV, drifting through our daily lives, living their own.  We see them as a single anomaly in a sea of students; odd, displaced faces that do not seem to blend into the fabric of the Isla Vista neighborhood identity, and yet the majority of them have lived there all their lives.    

Family at playground at Estero Park.

Who these people really are, are good, wholesome families looking to raise and support their children – people that have families much like many of our own with warm, caring, hardworking parents, siblings that although may act like adversaries, still love each other, and students just like us who go to school looking to achieve their dreams. One factor that does set them apart from the student tenants of Isla Vista is that growing up, they are surrounded by wild college parties and are treated as an unwanted minority by local landlords and apartment managers. For these families whose voices are rarely heard, we are able to take a step into the lives of a few and listen to what they have to say.    

Mother and her children taking a walk in IV.

Laticia Luna, mother of three has lived in Isla Vista for nine years. She raised her children in IV who are now ages 29, 23 and 20. She says that she likes living in IV because her work and the school her children went to are close by, although in some ways, the students did influence her children in that every Thursday, Friday and Saturday they were exposed to loud music, drinking, and partying. She says that it is different for Latinos because this begins at a different time in their lives. Seeing the college students who had no curfews caused her children to become somewhat rebellious in trying to push their curfews, but for the most part they listened and were respectful of her rules. She says that “everyone thinks differently”. Her kids have “always been good”.    

Laticia Luna in her living room at Meadows Apartments.

In terms of the living situation in IV, Luna says that the landlord gives more chances to students. She was one of the victims of the incident five years ago at Embarcadero Del Mar Apartments, who evicted all of the Latin family residents in order to make room for student housing. “Everyone was evicted from the apartment,” Luna describes. “It was hard because we couldn’t find an apartment right away, and when we came here (Meadows Apartments), we had to pay a higher rent. Because we were never late on rent before though, moving in was a quicker process.” She illustrates the struggles of hiring a lawyer who was able to get them placed into Meadows Apartments, and how instead of paying $800 for rent, she now has to pay $1400, a major increase.  

Luna explains, “We were not compensated at all. They wouldn’t even accept rent from us. We had to give it to the lawyer who would then give it to the manager.”   

Brian Bolanos and Laticia Luna by the laundry room at Meadows Apartments.

A similar incident occurred in August 2006 when Conquest Student Housing evicted 55 families and long-time residents of Cedarwood Apartments, which have since been renamed Coronado. For the purpose of creating high-priced student housing, low-income Hispanic families lost their homes and were forced to relocate with their children on an immediate basis.    

At this time, Conquest manages two properties, Breakpointe and Coronado (Cedarwood), both of which were acquired through mass evictions of low-income tenants. As described on their website, Conquest Student Housing is the “premier provider of housing for students…” It goes on then to describe the company’s philosophy:    

” The student population in Isla Vista has been neglected, underserved and disrespected by their landlords for many years. This is evidenced by the dilapidated buildings, and the horror stories written about unethical landlords in the Daily Nexus year after year. Conquest came to Isla Vista to set a new standard through focusing on the needs of students while maintaining a strong level of professionalism.”    

It seems as if Conquest definitely has students’ needs in mind, but apparently at the price of a few dozen families, who still have to suffer the consequences of racist and biased landlords, living in leftover housing in IV, and who still have horror stories of their own to tell. With so many cases of unwarranted evictions and unequal treatment, unethical property owners and landlords seem to have become a norm in Isla Vista.    

Woman doing laundry at Meadows Apartments.

Luna, when asked if she would prefer to stay living in Isla Vista or move elsewhere and if she would like her children to stay or leave, responded by saying she feels like it’d be much better to stay here because everything is close – work and school. She would also rather have her children stay so that she can be close to them. She expresses very proudly that her son is studying to be an engineer and the closest colleges that offer the required curriculum other than Santa Barbara City College, are in San Luis Obispo and Los Angeles.    

Girl in tree at Estero Park in front of the teen center.

Luna says that living here, her children were able to receive a good education. She explains that had they gone to another elementary school, there would have been more Latin families. Her youngest child, Rachel, turning 21 this week, went to El Rancho Elementary where she said they spoke mostly English. There, she was given a free translator as they had some teachers that spoke both English and Spanish.    

Rachel Luna in her living room at Meadows Apartments.

When discussing whether she felt like she was treated differently in Isla Vista, Luna says that “there are two classes in Isla Vista. One is racist and one doesn’t mind [the Latin families]”. When asked how she could tell they were racist, she says that there are some students who are very nice and will greet her, but others will make remarks when they walk by and make faces. She explains that although she does not know what they are saying, she can tell by their body movements that they are making negative comments and are not comfortable around her. It seems that there are only two extremes in the students – those who have their music blaring until five in the morning and those who do not make any noise and are mindful of the families. While talking to Luna and her son, Julio, they discuss how the younger people do not see racism as the older people do.    

Jacob Plaza, Angel Romero, Michael Dreyer, Joseph Jimenez at Estero Park.

Overall, Luna says that she is very comfortable living in Isla Vista and feels like she fits in and is not a minority. She says that some students do affect the community negatively, but many are also very helpful. Growing up around the students, her children did not pick up any bad habits. Confirming this, her son Julio says that “although [he] grew up here and saw bad things, [he and his siblings] never did anything bad. Most of [their] neighbors that live there, that go to UCSB, are really respectful”.    

Rubin Moscaira,Veronica Alvavez and Mireya Laguna on DP. Mireya explains that they came here looking for more job opportunities. Rubin helps by collecting cans and bottles. He turned 10 on November 17th.

Denys Luna, daughter of Laticia Luna, who has lived in Isla Vista for nine years with her children as well, describes her experience, which varies slightly from Laticia’s in that she says if she could move out of Isla Vista with her children, she would. She says that it is difficult for non English speakers as there are classes that teach English, but they cannot go because they have to go to work. The children staying after school though are able to receive help with their English. Denys gives details about how the students here do influence her children because of the parties and drinking, but the apartments outside of Isla Vista cost more, and the school and her job are close by.    

Denys Luna in her kitchen at Meadows Apartments.

When asked if she would prefer to have her children stay in Isla Vista or leave, she says that she would rather have her kids stay so that she can help them and keep an eye on them. In regards to raising a family, Denys says that are no added obstacles because of the area they live in, and that she does not feel limited. She points out that she knows “it’s a student place, but it would be better if families had more opportunities”. She uses the example of the landlords choosing to rent to students rather than to families, and adds in that they are much more rude and strict with the families than with the students.    

Three girls play at the jungle gym at Estero Park.

It seems as if the younger generation is much more accepting of the students, although there is a lack of agreement on what growing up in Isla Vista is like. When talking to “C” and Mike Gama, brothers who were raised in Isla Vista but recently moved to Goleta with the rest of the family, they each give a different perspective on growing up. C, who has lived in Isla Vista since he was 11 years old, and who is now 23 says that he enjoyed living there because there were a lot of parties, and as a minor he was able to get in easily. Being around the college students did affect him in that he “grew up much faster and was more mature than his friends”. He points out that he had his first round of shots when he was 15 years old. Mike, who is now 19, does not believe that he is a product of the environment he grew up in and says, “I think my life would be the same if I grew up outside of IV”. He does not believe he was affected by the college students at all and points out that did not start drinking until after high school. We agree that he was a good kid.    

Nicole Fausto (8), Vieiana Roman (6) and Angel Frausto (9) at the corner of Camino Pescadero and Pardall. They have been living in IV all their lives on Picasso.

The local families and non-students may all agree that Isla Vista is not a normal living situation, but for the most part enjoy living there. While some were born and raised in the area, many have come either alone or with their families looking for more job opportunities. Speaking to parents, children, and single can and bottle collectors, the one thing they are all looking for is somewhere they can live comfortably and be able to support themselves and their families. Each one of these individuals is a proud member of a tightly knitted identity; a strong, independent, self-sufficient, fighting spirit that forces them to push on.    

Tomas Pacheco and Dominga Rodriguez have been living here for 10 years. They do not have children and like living in IV because there is more work for them. Tomas says that they do this everyday and make somewhere between $20-$30 a day.

On the surface, Isla Vista materializes to be a normal city, but in the labyrinth of fast-food restaurants, bicycle shops, and liquor stores, there lies a complex, balanced ecosystem where students, families, the homeless, and everyone in between can live, for the most part, in harmony. Standing at Estero Park, I watch children play, families enjoy picnics, and teenagers play soccer and basketball. I stop to ask three girls at the playground if I can take their picture and they gladly pose for me shot after shot. I try to remember how it felt to be truly free; where there were no limits to what one could do and life was full of exhilaration and opportunities. I wonder if there is more to this simplistic life than what meets the eye, and if these families living in Isla Vista have found the key to true happiness. I think to myself that perhaps it is not the environment in which we grow up that molds us to become what we are, but rather the people we choose to surround ourselves with, and that perchance we should be taking advice from this compelling group of people rather than thinking we know what is best for them. My last shot I capture remains in the mind for the rest of the day, a beautiful nameless girl hanging from the jungle gym, smiling with the vindication of knowing that everything is going to be alright.    

Girl playing on jungle gym at Estero Park.

Girl playing on jungle gym at Estero Park.

Boy playing in playground at Estero Park.

Boy playing in playground at Estero Park.

Boys playing in playground at Estero Park.

Girl playing on jungle gym at Estero Park.

Girl playing on jungle gym at Estero Park.

Can/ bottle collector at Estero Park.

Can/ bottle collector at Estero Park.

Jacob Plaza, Angel Romero, Michael Dreyer, Joseph Jimenez at Estero Park.

Jacob Plaza, Angel Romero, Michael Dreyer, Joseph Jimenez making funny faces at Estero Park.

Dancing in front of the teen center at Estero Park.

A boy looks up to his mother at Estero Park.

Inside of St. Mark’s Church.

Dominga Rodriguez collecting cans and bottles in a dumpster on DP.

Javier Santiago enjoys living in IV as well, but he is going back to Mexico in 2 weeks.

Nicole Fausto (8) and Vieiana Roman (6) at the corner of Camino Pescadero and Pardall. Their aunt moved here from Mexico 9 years ago.

Interviews translated by: Brian Bolanos    

Photo interviews translated by: Stephanie Ng    

To view more of Jen’s photography, miscellaneous art, and current projects, check out her blog.