Gabriella Sheffler - MELA Vernon Protest and Ecofeminism

 My project is about the 1987 protest in Vernon by the Mothers of East Los Angeles (MELA) to block an incinerator's construction and how this event relates to environmental racism and ecofeminism. The Mothers of East Los Angeles is a group of Latina mothers dedicated to the cause of environmental justice. In 1987, MELA took on the California Thermal Treatment Center on their decision to place an incinerator in the heart of the South Coast Air Basin. The incinerator would be placed within 7,500 feet of a predominantly Latino community. This incident of targeting a minority community is an example of exclusionary zoning, a tool used to sustain discrimination in government policy. MELA used their position as mothers to advocate for a safe environment for their children. Additionally, their position as women, specifically, women in a minority community, allowed their message to be effective in protesting an instance of environmental racism. This topic is a historical project because it focuses on the history of an interest group engaging in activism. Additionally, this project is an environmental project because it describes the environmental impact an incinerator would have on a community. Figure 1 and Figure 2 are the maps of the South Coast Air Basin and the city of Vernon, respectively.


                            Figure 1
Figure 2                    

For my research, I began studying the history of environmental racism in Los Angeles. Robert D. Bullard's “The Threat of Environmental Racism” includes data that reveals the presence of environmental racism and discriminatory practices in policy-making. Using the example of MELA, the author argues Latino communities are especially vulnerable to environmental racism. From there, I researched the history of MELA and how they were successful in their efforts to stop the incinerator. Mary Pardo's "Mexican American Women Grassroots Community Activists: Mothers of East Los Angeles" includes detailed interviews from members of MELA and their experience in the 1987 protest. Through testimonies of women in MELA, the author argues that the Mexican-American community in Los Angeles has become victim to the environmental consequences of development focused solely on profit. Next, I used an LA Times news article from 1989 to contextualize the event and investigate the tactics MELA used to successfully protest and how it was revolutionary at the time. From this source, it became clear that MELA used their position as women, mothers, and members of the Latino community to push their environmental justice movement. This led me to my next source, Delores Delgado Bernal's “Grassroots Leadership Reconceptualized: Chicana Oral Histories and the 1968 East Los Angeles School Blowouts.” An assessment of this source revealed the long history of ecofeminism in the Latina community. Finally, I used Kamala Platt's “Chicana Strategies for Success and Survival: Cultural Poetics of Environmental Justice from the Mothers of East Los Angeles" to review the relationship between popular narratives of environmental justice and actual accounts of protesting environmental racism. This source gives insight to ecofeminism and how MELA was successful in their search for environmental justice.  Figure 3 is an image from the 1987 protest. 


Figure 3

In the coming weeks, I will try to contact a member of MELA for an interview. Additionally, I will be searching for more graphics to make clear the area of Vernon, where the incinerator was intended to be placed, and photographs from the actual protest. 


Bibliography
Bullard, Robert D. “The Threat of Environmental Racism.” Natural Resources & Environment, vol. 7, no. 3, 1993, pp. 23–56. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40923229. Accessed 26 Jan. 2021.

 Bernal, Dolores Delgado. “Grassroots Leadership Reconceptualized: Chicana Oral Histories and the 1968 East Los Angeles School Blowouts.” Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, vol. 19, no. 2, 1998, pp. 113–142. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3347162. Accessed 2 Feb. 2021.

Pardo, Mary. “Mexican American Women Grassroots Community Activists: ‘Mothers of East Los Angeles.’” Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, vol. 11, no. 1, 1990, pp. 1–7. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3346696. Accessed 26 Jan. 2021.

Platt, Kamala. “Chicana Strategies for Success and Survival: Cultural Poetics of Environmental Justice from the Mothers of East Los Angeles.” Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, vol. 18, no. 2, 1997, pp. 48–72. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3346965. Accessed 26 Jan. 2021.

Sahagun, Louis. “The Mothers of East L.A. Transform Themselves and Their Neighborhood.” Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, August 13, 1989. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-08-13-me-816-story.html.

Comments

  1. Ben KilerFebruary 9, 2021 at 3:53 PM

    The direction of this project is really cool. Social and environmental justice have pretty commonly intersected throughout the last century and the addition of ecofeminism I think adds layers to the importance of your project. There's a lot going on here, and the project can definitely emphasis how interconnected all of these issues are in the grander scheme of California. The sources you've gotten from jstor are also super informing on the struggles of environmental damage and racial injustice. There's a lot of potential to get direct, primary sources on this issue and so far all of your sources are solid. I especially liked "Chicana Strategies for Success and Survival;" it places an important emphasis on how cultural erasure is a threat to many Latino communities. The project could probably be improved if you had a couple more sources that dealt with the environment directly, such as how incinerators directly affect the air quality of the area it is installed in. That way the environmental aspect of your project would be elevated to where the social aspect is.

    Here are a few sources from Google Scholar.
    https://folyoirat.ludovika.hu/index.php/aarms/article/view/1649
    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0956053X20304645
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK233619/

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  2. Ramy ShbaitaFebruary 9, 2021 at 4:27 PM

    You have a very clear and concise argument for your project! I really appreciate the intimate and personal aspect of your research; you are able to tell a story of personal struggle in a community that deeply cares about those in it. It is often said that a mother’s love knows no bounds, and you have an awesome example of that here. I would say that you could go into a bit more detail of the exact impacts the incinerator may have on the community, just to highlight the environmental dangers that sparked this entire movement more. You could focus on what could happen to the air or water quality of the area, and how that hurts the people nearby. The community knows the stakes and what will happen to them, but I don’t know what may happen aside from some level of medical or overall environmental health issues.
    Your blog is very well organized and your sources are rock solid. The testimonials from 1987 especially would be invaluable I think in terms of understanding more of the social attitude of what these incinerators will do to these communities. I hope you are able to get a personal interview with a member of MELA at some point for your project as you mentioned. Not only would it be an incredible opportunity for research of the project, but also just a really interesting experience as a whole.
    My only small critique is that your figures 1 and 2 are a bit difficult to read. I am sure you have better versions of them for yourself but honestly, I’m nitpicking to find some area for you to improve as you’ve gone into a lot of great detail for your project. Overall, you have an awesome research post!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kevin Francisco PenaFebruary 9, 2021 at 10:31 PM

    This project caught by interest from the start I really liked your introduction about the mothers of East LA. Your project also shows the history behind this group and what led to their movement which I am interested in learning more about. I am also writing about the City of Vernon so it would be interesting to see what we could find if we collaborate on our projects. Though your event happened before mines I will be touching the historical points that led to the contamination of soil in the city of Vernon and the surrounding areas affected by it. I would also like to point out that linking the grass roots Chicano movements of the era to your research was excellent. I grew up in Boyle Heights which borders East LA and I have found that both carry rich history from the Chicano Movement era and this project is a great way to pay homage to that memory.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gabriella ShefflerFebruary 10, 2021 at 9:35 AM

      Thank you and I would definitely be willing to talk more about our projects!

      Delete

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