Or perhaps they would rather “Eat The Rich,” as a protest
sign said.
My friend Terry** and I had made plans to have dinner one
night a couple weeks ago. A much
anticipated email arrived that afternoon – Terry made a reservation at PiDGiN. The name perked my interest. I recently started using the open source
system, Ubuntu, and Pidgin is its nifty default instant
messaging (IM) program that allows people to connect to multiple chat networks simultaneously. Ubuntu is not just
software – it’s also about the community,
which is what attracted me to it. Would
there be any connection between Pidgin the IM program and PiDGiN the restaurant?
I didn’t have time to find out much about the
restaurant. I only knew it is in the
Downtown East Side (DTES) and which bus to take by glancing at the address. This infamous
and highly stigmatized neighbourhood is home to many low-income residents,
especially those plagued with mental
health and addiction issues. These
problems are particularly
acute among Aboriginal people, who are disproportionately represented in the
area and continue to face discrimination, cycles of difficult circumstances,
and barriers to care.
Terry and I have explored eateries in this and other areas –
we both believe in supporting local establishments. However, as I approached the restaurant,
unexpected protestors and picket signs awaited.
A woman explained that this new eatery across the Pigeon Park -- a hangout
place and makeshift home for many without sustainable shelter -- is pushing
people out of their homes. (The building
had sat empty
for decades.) One picket sign said, “Do the right thing – don’t go in.” Seeing
through the glass door that Terry was already at the bar, I explained that I had
to meet my friend. I asked the protester
if she had flyers with information about their concerns. She didn’t, but recommended that we dine
elsewhere. She probably meant in a
different neighbourhood. The protesters believe
the area should not be open for business until everyone has affordable housing.
In my clinical ethics work, I am
regularly confronted with how to ethically and safely discharge patients who
have longstanding mental health and addiction issues back to a neighbourhood
frequented by drug dealers and drug users, which can reinforce people’s cycle
of problems. Safeguarding cheap housing
in an enclave when the real estate in the rest of the city has become a
speculative commodity may keep the residents there, but without some form of revitalization
or upgrade, preserving a squalor would unlikely evoke hope or promote
health and wellbeing.
The closure of Woodward’s
department store and other businesses during the early 1990s contributed to the
downward
spiral of the neighbourhood, challenging the over-simplistic assumption
that shutting down businesses would promote better housing options. Ironically, such closure may exacerbate the
problem by preserving the “ghetto” character of the gritty enclave. Protesters argue that the residents want to
stay in DTES because they feel accepted there.
I’m not recommending forcing people to move, especially in the absence
of affordable options elsewhere. But confining
impoverished people to and resisting refurbishment of a squalid area is an antithesis
to equality and acceptance. Such
strategy also easily allows those living in other neighbourhoods to turn a
blind eye. People should feel accepted anywhere.
Terry and I decided to stay, recognizing
that we could be branded with other diners and the restaurant
owners as villains. Paper was taped
to the lower parts of the windows, but the protesters
tied flashlights to poles to shine inside.
(The windows have since been frosted.)
So in a few short minutes, I went
from looking forward to catching up with a friend after a tough week to being shamed
for allegedly contributing to gentrification.
Based solely on our location choice for one meal, we were pigeonholed as
part of the presumably one-dimensional, selfish, and uncaring conglomerate
called “the rich.” Certainly, any impact
on the shamed diners, albeit unfair, is likely minimal compared to the damage
that many residents in DTES face because of systemic marginalization and discrimination. But would the harassment actually help to
bring people together to collaborate on sustainable solutions?
After the meal, Terry and I chatted
with some protesters to learn more about their perspectives. Occasional comments of “shame on you” by some
picketers to patrons entering or exiting the restaurant aside, our discussion
was cordial and somewhat informative. But instead of pestering diners, some of whom
may want to be part of the solution in various ways, I wonder if the protesters could
instead pass out flyers that can give patrons and passersby information. Yelling at people would likely provoke
defensive, dismissive, and divisive reactions rather than encourage collaborative responses. But well-rounded information can help people
be responsible consumers and engaged citizens.
And rather than harassing business owners, protesters and activists can
perhaps partner with them to help train and hire area residents or to coordinate
opportunities to support the community.
After all, a healthy neighbourhood is good business.
Certainly, the protesters may balk
at the suggestion of niceties when moral outrage for persistent problems in the
DTES is required. Nonetheless, their
tactics sidestep larger system problems that cannot easily be put on PiDGiN or
its customers. The problem isn’t that an
upscale restaurant opened in the DTES. High-end
stores have been in the neighbourhood for decades, and mixed
neighbourhoods can help promote vitality that is often necessary to promote
healthier lives for all. Much of the
problem lies with the inability of the municipal and provincial governments in
effectively managing multi-faceted issues in integrated manners.
When I first heard of the
restaurant’s name, I thought of the IM program on Ubuntu, which promotes
community and tries to minimize elitism or the “us versus them” mentality. New restaurants often have difficulty
surviving even without protesters, and whatever PiDGiN’s fate, I only hope that
Vancouverites, rich or poor, could unite as part of the same community in
petitioning policy makers and service providers in finding sustainable solutions.
Protesting in front of the restaurant,
while provocative, would likely further marginalize people who can benefit more
from integration rather than segregation.
Image Sources: PiDGiN
protest (day), PiDGiN protest (night),
See
the Rich, Ubuntu
*Young pigeon, or squab, is often considered a culinary delicacy.
**Terry is a pseudonym for my fellow dining villain :)
Acknowledgement: A special thank you to a co-conspirator, who encouraged me to write about local issues and shared ideas with me on this topic.
*Young pigeon, or squab, is often considered a culinary delicacy.
**Terry is a pseudonym for my fellow dining villain :)
Acknowledgement: A special thank you to a co-conspirator, who encouraged me to write about local issues and shared ideas with me on this topic.
