Friday, January 15, 2016

Snapshot from the new Mission District

Every Thursday morning around 10 am at 24th Street and Bartlett, any interested observer can catch a glimpse of what tech money and tech workers mean to the culture of this city.

At the massive granite SF Public Library building, a line of women pushing strollers curls around the corner. They are queuing up for the "Toddler Tales" story telling program, offered in English and Spanish.

It's wonderful that the Library offers this introduction to reading. That's the job of this vital institution.

But I can't help noticing that most of these children appear to be blond and blue-eyed and their caretakers appear mostly Latina. Are the women mostly nannies working for the newcomers, for the two-income affluent families who are the only people who can afford to move in here? It certainly looks that way. Where are the nannies' children? Do they have a chance to attend "Toddler Tales"? The library does its best to provide for all, but I wonder.

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