Three of the Austin bombings occurred in East Austin, a historically black and Latino part of the city. Susana Almanza, community organizer and lifelong resident, talks gentrification in the area.
SCOTT SIMON, HOST: The serial bomber who terrorized Austin blew himself up this week. Investigators still search for a motive. The attack shook the city, as residents everywhere felt at risk - and no more so than in east Austin, which experienced the initial bombings. Susana Almanza is president of the Montopolis Neighborhood Association in east Austin and joins us now. Thanks very much for being with us.</s>SUSANA ALMANZA: Thank you for having me.</s>SCOTT SIMON, HOST: I understand you lived just six houses away from one of the people who was injured lives. What's it been like for your neighborhood these past couple of weeks?</s>SUSANA ALMANZA: Well, it's been kind of scary. People have been anxious, and people have been very worried. And we are very concerned that because it had happened on east of Interstate Highway 35, and it was communities of color that somebody was targeting people of color.</s>SCOTT SIMON, HOST: The first victims were African-American and Latino, as you note. The authorities have said so far they haven't identified a motive. But I'm wondering if you can help us understand historically, maybe, why some of those feelings might run deep in your community.</s>SUSANA ALMANZA: Well, you know, historically, we've always been a very segregated community and also economically segregated. And so, you know, when the first bomb went off, the city - the police thought, well, it was either maybe a drug deal that went bad, or maybe he had done this to himself. So looking at it, that's very kind of racial profiling. You know, because of all the racism that exists, we just say it's easier for the institutions, whether it's, you know, the FBI or ATF - it's easier for them not to be honest with the people that race had a place to play in it. The fact is that three people-of-color families were devastated, and it was done by a white young guy conservative. To us, it's pretty much very much racial. And I don't think they'll be able to change our minds about that.</s>SCOTT SIMON, HOST: Ms. Almanza, tell us about east Austin. You grew up there.</s>SUSANA ALMANZA: Yes, I did.</s>SCOTT SIMON, HOST: What was it like when you were growing up? What's it like now?</s>SUSANA ALMANZA: Well, you know, like I said, it was pretty much segregated. The city put together their 1928 master plan, which began to - at one time, Austin was pretty much integrated. But in that master plan, it decided that all people of color would be moved east of the highway. And not only would we be moved east of the highway, but all the unwanted facilities, you know, hazardous facilities, chemical using facilities would also be in our communities. We have substandard housing. We have lower educational attainment in east Austin. So you think about, you know, higher crime rates. You talk about more poverty, so when you look at all this evidence you can just see how the big - there's two cities within Austin.</s>SCOTT SIMON, HOST: East Austin is changing, from what we've read, isn't it?</s>SUSANA ALMANZA: Absolutely. East Austin is changing. And I tell you that it took us a decade to clean up our communities and get rid of the most hazardous facilities. And after that, the city then began to gentrify our communities. We all bought our homes from $2,000 to $18,000. If you look now, they're all valued from $250,000 to a million dollars. So the taxes have displaced us.</s>SCOTT SIMON, HOST: May I ask, have you ever thought of just selling your house, making a bundle and moving elsewhere?</s>SUSANA ALMANZA: Well, they call me all the time. And it's gotten to where it looks like it's a personal letter, but it's really you open it, and they wanted to buy your house. And so I've called their realtor, and I said, I got this notice that you want to buy my property. And they say, oh, yes, yes. We are very much interested. And I said, well, I want $1.5 million. And they say, oh my, Ms. Almanza that is not the value of your house. I said, I don't care. I'm setting the value of my house. I'm saying that if you want it, it's $1.5 million. And if you don't, then take me off the list and don't call me and don't write me anymore because I don't want to leave.</s>SCOTT SIMON, HOST: Susana Almanza is the director of PODER, a community organization in Austin. Thanks so much for speaking with us.</s>SUSANA ALMANZA: Thank you.