Silent Killer

Dayana Molina is no stranger to gentrification. As a longtime resident of and advocate for Northeast LA, she has seen her community change drastically. It is part of the double-edged sword that comes with fighting to improve one’s neighborhood.

Dayana has engaged with community activism since her youth. As a teenager playing in Anahuak Youth Soccer Association, she participated in canvassing efforts for the creation of Rio de Los Angeles State Park. Now as a Community Organizer for the Trust for Public Land, she continues to collaborate with leaders from park-poor communities. Through these experiences, Dayana has seen the benefits of green spaces, but also the displacement of local residents before they have a chance to enjoy the new neighborhood parks.

“Green gentrification is real. It is the silent killer of communities, and really of the benefits that were really intended for the communities that were living here in those decades.

So I just feel that you can’t have a conversation of revitalizing the river — the whole LA river — or creating any green spaces in any community at this point without also touching on the fact that the community members that you’re engaging with want to live in and benefit from these changes.”

There is no exact formula to avoid green gentrification. It is a complex issue created by several factors, but steps can be taken to curb it, and maybe even avoid it in the near future.

“I don’t wanna say that it was the green projects that specifically brought these changes to the community, but it was a variety of investments happening at the same time. And this goes back to the fact that Los Angeles doesn’t have much affordable housing.

Investment just has to be done thoughtfully. And I think the same applies when anybody’s working on green space or bringing any sort of benefit to the community. It’s about listening to the community and bringing knowledge and expertise that maybe we don’t have.”

Dayana says that she is not anti-investment and still wants positive changes for the community, but acknowledges that recent community changes have forced out longtime residents who do not get to enjoy the projects that were made for them. 

“If the last two decades have taught us anything, it’s the fact that if you’re not actively doing that type of work or trying to bring those resources to the community, then you are doing the community wrong.”

Dayana Molina is a longtime Northeast LA resident and activist. Her entry point into this line of work began in an unconventional manner. Born in Acapulco, Guerrero, her earliest memories were of the river that flowed by her house, at a young age she understood its importance and value. As a young teen in a local soccer league called Anahuak Youth Sports Association, she advocated for the creation of local green spaces alongside Don Raúl Macias and others. These early experiences sparked a passion for activism, and she is now the Community Organizer with the Trust for Public Land.