TCLA:. The Digital Divide:. Parents & Community:. Interview w/Marvin Andrade

The issue of limited access to computers and technology in many of the poorer communities of Los Angeles has prompted the creation of several "community technology centers" which provide neighborhood residents with free public computer labs, basic training, and other resources.

On May 2, 2001 I had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Marvin Andrade of CARECEN (The Central American Resource Center), the site of one of L.A.’s community technology centers. CARECEN is located in the Pico-Union district of L.A. at 2845 W. 7th Street and serves a primarily immigrant population. Mr. Andrade shares his insights on the "Digital Divide" and the role his organization is playing in trying to overcome it.

CM: The first question that I have for you is about the "Digital Divide." What do you see as the "Digital Divide," as it pertains to the work that you do?

MA: Colin Powell said something very interesting not so long ago. He said that the "Digital Divide" is more like a digital apartheid and that was very interesting. He said that the people that are lacking technological skills and access to technology and computers are immigrants and that it’s no longer about income levels, but races. I think that this is true for the people that I work with, which are primarily Central American immigrants.

CM: Why does this inequality, particularly as it pertains to the immigrant population you work with, matter?

MA: Well, I think it’s automatic. If you do not have access to technology you’re already a step behind. You become another minority within a minority. Access to and knowledge of technology is crucial. This is the way the economy, the country, society is moving and if you do not have access to technology and computers you’re not going to be able to compete with current trends. I think that it is crucial for everyone to have this access. I think that it provides a playing field. For example, advocacy, civic participation, education, and economic opportunities are all closely linked with technology.

CM: And to what do you attribute the differences that create the divide?

MA: Income is one. People cannot afford computers. People do not have access to computers and technology in the areas that they live. People lack education when it comes to technology. The community that I work with does not have an understanding of where or how or what to buy in terms of computers. They have difficulty understanding what they need as far as software and hardware. I think that income, education, and exposure to the terminology of technology play a significant role in the divide.

"These people know that technology is there and that if they want to better their job possibilities they need to learn computer skills."

CM: You mentioned in a talk that you gave that you do sense a general hunger among the population that you work with to use technology. Would you say that most people come in knowing that they need it or is it something that you, through your organization, help to make people aware?

MA: I think that people know that it’s important to learn and become acquainted with technology. We at CARECEN have been providing basic computer skill classes for the past couple of years. We see that the members of the community are very interested in this. They are hungry for more. They want to go beyond just an introduction to computers and the Internet. Unfortunately, the resources are not there for us to provide more. I think that they see the necessity. They see that learning how to use a computer is very important. There’s something that I learned from one of our parent students. She said that the only time she had been exposed to a computer prior to coming to our class was when she was cleaning or dusting the computers at the place where she worked. Now that’s a profound statement! These people know that technology is there and that if they want to better their job possibilities they need to learn computer skills. If they want to help educate their children at home, they need to know how to use a computer. If they want to purchase a computer, they need to know what it is that they’re getting into before making what may be a big investment for some of them.

CM: You tapped into my final question which is what are you doing to address this through your organization? Could you give us more specifics on the types of services you provide?

MA: For a while we’ve known that moving towards technology is crucial for the organization and the community that we serve. We made an investment about a year and a half ago of acquiring our own server connecting to a DSL line, trying to get new equipment, and expanding our lab. We currently have a lab of about fifteen computers. We provide services for youth and also parents. The class for the parents and other members of our community is once a week. It’s a basic computer skills and introduction to computers class. Now, we want to expand it. Last week we got a $95,000 dollar grant through The Community Technology Foundation of Los Angeles. What we want to do with this money is expand our technology services and have an intermediate and an advanced level class that would be a continuation of the program that we provide now. We want to link technology to community organizing. So in the process of teaching community members how to use computers we teach them publishing. We teach them how to create a flyer for a community event, how to put together banners for, how to access and create data bases, how to print labels for mailings, how to mail merge, to write letters to different members of congress, or city council, or the state assembly. Also, they will learn how to do basic research on the Internet about particular issues that are affecting them. Some of the money will be used to hire more staff so the lab can remain open longer allowing members of the community to come in and work on whatever project they want. With more staff, we’d have courses at night to stimulate them and to encourage them to learn more technology and, hopefully, educate them that it is important for them to acquire a computer and have it at home and be accessible for the children and themselves.