Oakland, California’s Points of Nutritional Hope
Social Sciences
Anth 199
Starting in the early 2000s, a flash flood of money from tech industries in Silicon Valley
and San Francisco has overwhelmed many neighborhoods in Oakland. Being geographically
centralized between the two hubs, Oakland has become a hot spot to live, invest, and unwind.
Because of how fast this tech revolution has shocked the area, communities that were once free
to move fluidly throughout the city, are now blocked off by miles of food deserts, upscale shops,
and trendy restaurants. Gentrification has affected Oakland’s food systems by restricting major
communities from having access to quality food outlets by increasing prices, diminishing food
diversity, and maintaining colonial practices. However, despite the major pressure that
gentrification has exerted on my home town, there are points of Nutritional Hope that provide
quality nutrition and a helping hand. Independent initiatives, Alice Waters and her restaurant
Chez Panisse, Bottoms Up Community Garden, and lastly Project Open Hand illustrate how
through horizontal collaboration, there are still community victories amongst all the chaos.
Furthermore, these areas reestablish the once cooperative vibrancy and fluid characteristics that
have been destroyed.
