Redevelopment a La Mexicana: Re-Making Mexican Public Space.

Natural disasters typically lead to human organization, but rarely are they the topic inquiry by researchers. This paper examines the case of the Loma Prieta Earthquake and the responses of two northern California communities: Santa Cruz and Watsonville. The descriptive nature of this paper shows how Santa Cruz redeveloped by using a utilitarian model. In contrast, Watsonville residents took a different route centered on racial politics. I argue that the Loma Prieta earthquake created an important historical moment where the space of city politics shifted from the former white majority to focus on the increasing Mexican and Mexican American population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]