LAUSR

ABSTRACT Located at the edge of downtown San Diego, Barrio Logan is a neighborhood undergoing rapid gentrification. With a host of new breweries, galleries and cafés, this traditionally working-class, Mexican American community is being rebranded as the latest hotspot for cutting-edge arts and “authentic” local culture. Some support this change as gentefication. The word gentefication is a play on la gente (“the people” in Spanish) and suggests grassroots, Latino-led redevelopment of the community. In this paper, we draw from interviews with local residents, artists, business owners, and developers to explore the contradictions inherent in the gentrification of Barrio Logan. We argue that while gentefication signifies an attempt to rewrite urban space in a more culturally inclusive manner, it remains a discursive tool that leads to ongoing displacement of the racialized poor.