Southeast San Diego

Southeast San Diego is the southeastern portion of the City of San Diego, generally represented by the urban neighborhoods directly east of Downtown San Diego, bordered by Interstate 5 and south of the Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway (State Route 94).

Southeast San Diego is an economically and ethnically diverse area that is largely urbanized towards the city's core to the westcite web|url=http://www.sandiego.gov/planning/community/profiles/southeasternsd/index.shtml|title=Southeastern San Diego Community Profile|accessdate=2007-11-17] and characteristically hilly, with lower-density residential neighborhoods towards the east.

In 1992, Councilman George Stevens campaigned against any official usage of the name "Southeast San Diego," since the designation had long been viewed as shorthand for the community as being a crime-ridden and impoverished area. His campaign was successful and all official use of "Southeast San Diego" had been discontinued by the city. [cite web|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20061017/news_1n17stevens.html|title=George Stevens 1932-2006 11 years a councilman, always a fighter|accessdate=2007-11-17] Most residents and locals however, still refer to the area as "The Southeast."

Geography

Historically, Southeast San Diego had been represented as the communities directly east of the downtown area which lies south of Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway, west of Interstate 805, east of Interstate 5, and sharing its border with National City.cite web|url=http://www.sandiego.gov/planning/community/profiles/southeasternsd/index.shtml|title=Southeastern San Diego Community Profile|accessdate=2007-11-17] These communities include Sherman Heights, Barrio Logan, Logan Heights, Grant Hill, and Stocktoncite web|url=http://www.sandiego.gov/neighborhoods-map/central.shtml|title=City of San Diego Central Map|accessdate=2007-11-17] of San Diego's Central District. However, Southeast San Diego also encompasses the urban communities east of Interstate 15, which are represented by City Council District 4 (Southeastern District). Southeast San Diego is limited by the city of Lemon Grove to the northeast, Spring Valley to the east, and the Filipino-American Highway (State Route 54) to the south.

Neighborhoods

Southeast San Diego covers the eastern portions of San Diego's Central District and all of the Southeastern District

San Diego Central District cite web|url=http://www.sandiego.gov/neighborhoods-map/central.shtml|title=City of San Diego Central Map|accessdate=2007-11-17]
* Barrio Logan
* Grant Hill
* Logan Heights
* Sherman Heights
* Stockton

San Diego Southeastern Districtcite web|url=http://www.sandiego.gov/neighborhoods-map/southeast.shtml|title=City of San Diego Southeastern Map|accessdate=2007-11-17]
* Alta Vista
* Broadway Heights
* Chollas View
* Emerald Hills
* Encanto
* Jamacha
* Lincoln Park
* Lomita Village
* Mt. Hope
* Mountain View
* North Bay Terrace
* Oak Park
* O'Farrell
* Paradise Hills
* Ridgeview
* Skyline Hills
* South Bay Terrace
* Valencia Park
* Webster

Transportation

Trains

Light rail

* San Diego Trolley: Blue Line
** Barrio Logan
** Harborside
** Pacific Fleet (NS San Diego at 32nd Street)

* San Diego Trolley: Orange Line
** Massachusetts Avenue (Lemon Grove)
** Encanto/62nd Street
** Euclid Avenue
** 47th Street
** 32nd & Commercial
** 25th & Commercial

Highways

*
*
*
*
*

Demographics

Southeast San Diego is widely viewed as one of the most diverse areas in the city, inhabited most visibly by Latinos, African-Americans, and Filipinos. Estimates based on the neighborhoods spanning the 92102, 92113, 92114, and 92139 Zip Codes of Southeast San Diego put the population at roughly 195,000 people over an area of 21.2 square miles, placing the area's population density at 9,285.7/sq mi (3,565.5/km²). [cite web|url=http://www.city-data.com/zips/92102.html
title=92102 Zip Code Detailed Profile|accessdate=2007-11-22] [cite web|url=http://www.city-data.com/zips/92113.html
title=92113 Zip Code Detailed Profile|accessdate=2007-11-22] [cite web|url=http://www.city-data.com/zips/92114.html
title=92114 Zip Code Detailed Profile|accessdate=2007-11-22] [cite web|url=http://www.city-data.com/zips/92139.html
title=92139 Zip Code Detailed Profile|accessdate=2007-11-22]

The area of Barrio Logan, for example, had been first settled by Mexicans arriving in the 1890s, followed soon after by refugees fleeing the violence of the Mexican Revolution and the poor Mexican economy between 1910 and 1920. [cite web|url=http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/local/logan/barrio.com/index.html
title=Barrio Logan|accessdate=2007-11-17] Barrio Logan is predominantly Latino and is home to Chicano Park.

Prior to "White Flight" in the 1960s and early 1970s, many neighborhoods in Southeast San Diego were subject to discriminatory restrictive covenants, a problem faced by African-Americans like former Councilman George Stevens, who was denied the opportunity to purchase a house in the Skyline Hills from a white realtor. [cite web|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20061017/news_1n17stevens.html|title=George Stevens 1932-2006 11 years a councilman, always a fighter|accessdate=2007-11-17] Presently, much of the Skyline Hills, as well as other Encanto neighborhoods such as Emerald Hills, Lincoln Park, Mountain View, O'Farrell, South Encanto, and Valencia Park, have a substantial African-American population.

With the great influx of Filipino immigrants joining the United States Navy, [cite web|url=http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/76summer/migrants.htm|title=Journal of San Diego History|accessdate=2007-11-17] especially from the Vietnam War era on to the 1990s, many Filipinos inhabited the Southeast San Diego neighborhoods of Alta Vista, Bay Terraces, Paradise Hills, Skyline Hills, and Valencia Park, both for the relatively affordable housing prices and its close proximity to Naval Base San Diego.

Additionally, enlisted military personnel (ranks E-1 to E-6) and their families occupy the Bayview Hills, a sprawling military housing complex operated by Lincoln Military Housing. This community of townhouse-style homes occupy a significant portion of Paradise Hills. [cite web|url=http://www.lincolnmilitary.com/sandiego/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=62&Itemid=63|title=Lincoln Military - San Diego - Bayview Hills|accessdate=2007-11-18]

Demographics from Samuel F. B. Morse High School in the Skyline Hills neighborhood alone provides a snapshot sample of the area's diversity with the school's 3,000 students characterized by a slim majority of the students as Filipino (35%), Hispanic-Latino (34%), Black (21%), and non-Hispanic White (4.0%).cite web|url=http://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/Cbeds4.asp?FreeLunch=on&Enroll=on&PctBlack=on&PctAm=on&PctAsian=on&PctFil=on&PctHisp=on&PctPac=on&PctWhite=on&PctMult=on&cSelect=MORSE%5EHIGH--SAN%5EDIEGO%5EUNIFI--3768338-3734654&cChoice=SchProf1&cYear=2006-07&cLevel=School&cTopic=Profile&myTimeFrame=S&submit1=Submit|title=2006-07 Selected School Level Data for Morse High School|accessdate=2007-11-17] The latter statistic is most telling considering that as of 2000, US Census data indicates that non-Hispanic Whites alone represent 49.36% of the population of the City of San Diego. [cite web|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/0666000.html|title=San Diego (city) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau|accessdate=2007-11-17] Additionally, roughly 63% of the student body is eligible for Free or Reduced-Price Lunch,cite web|url=http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/ca/other/6207#toc|title=greatschools.net|accessdate=2007-11-17] a figure that reflects the working-class nature of the area.

=

Southeast San Diego had long struggled with an image problem plagued by street gangs, drug dealing, assaults, and homicide throughout its communities. [cite web|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20041212/news_mz1e12street.html|title=On the street. Fighting crime in some of San Diego's toughest neighborhoods|accessdate=2007-11-22] In 1992, Councilman George Stevens campaigned against any official designation of the area as "Southeast San Diego" since the name labeled the area in an entirely negative light. [cite web|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20061017/news_1n17stevens.html|title=George Stevens 1932-2006 11 years a councilman, always a fighter|accessdate=2007-11-17]

The San Diego Police Department's Southeastern Division includes some of the city's peak crime areas, namely the neighborhoods of Encanto, Paradise Hills, Lincoln Park, Chollas View, Shelltown and Southcrest. Many of the inhabitants in these neighborhoods are working class or lower-income, and a typical sight that is evident throughout Southeast San Diego are homes outfitted with iron bars over the ground-floor windows and doors, and in many cases, cast-iron gates and chain-link fences guarding driveways, a reflection of the perceived need for security in these high-crime urban neighborhoods. [cite web|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20041212/news_mz1e12street.html|title=On the street. Fighting crime in some of San Diego's toughest neighborhoods|accessdate=2007-11-22]

Although crime has gone down citywide, shootings are still a regular occurrence throughout Southeast San Diego, and the area routinely has a disproportionate amount of homicides in relation to the rest of the city. [cite web|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050522/news_1m22violence.html|title=Taking a stand against violence, Shootings prompt call for residents to unite|accessdate=2007-11-22] Additionally, many crimes in the area are not reported to the police [cite web|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050522/news_1m22violence.html|title=Taking a stand against violence, Shootings prompt call for residents to unite|accessdate=2007-11-22] which makes it difficult to give a completely accurate assessment on crime statistics in Southeast San Diego. Over the last four years, statistics from the San Diego Police Department show that about half of all homicides in the whole city had been accounted for in southeastern San Diego neighborhoods (covered by both the Central and Southeastern Districts), a substantial figure considering Southeast San Diego's relatively small geographic size and population in relation to the rest of the city. [cite web|url=http://www.sandiego.gov/police/stats/index.shtml|title=Crime Statistics/Maps, Police Department|accessdate=2007-11-22] For example, in 2004, of the 62 homicides in the City of San Diego, 32 of them (roughly 16.4 murders per 100,000 residents or three times the national average of 5.5 murders per 100,000 for that year) [cite web|url=http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/tables/totalstab.htm|title=Bureau of Justice Statistics Homicide Trends in the United States|accessdate=2008-04-20] had been accounted for in sixteen southeastern San Diego neighborhoods, from Barrio Logan to Lomita Village. [cite web|url=http://www.sandiego.gov/police/pdf/jandec04actual.pdf|title=City of San Diego Actual Crimes January to December 2004|accessdate=2007-11-22] In comparison, the northern San Diego suburb of Mira Mesa, which covers a substantial geographical area sizeable to Southeast San Diego's (21.4 square miles to Southeast San Diego's 21.2 square miles), [cite web|url=http://www.city-data.com/zips/92126.html/|title=92126 Zip Code Detailed Profile|accessdate=2007-11-22] [cite web|url=http://www.sandiego.gov/neighborhoods-map/|title=City of San Diego Neighborhoods Map|accessdate=2007-11-22] [cite web|url=http://www.sandiego.gov/neighborhoods-map/northeast.shtml|title=City of San Diego Northeastern Neighborhoods Map|accessdate=2007-11-22] had no homicides for that year. [cite web|url=http://www.sandiego.gov/police/pdf/jandec04actual.pdf|title=City of San Diego Actual Crimes January to December 2004|accessdate=2007-11-22]

The rash of violence in Southeast San Diego had been met with community outrage over the years and prompted a series of anti-violence marches and rallies. More recently in 2005, as a response to the spike in violence in the area, hundreds of middle school students took part in an anti-violence rally from the Lincoln Park area to Gompers Park in Chollas View, echoing chants of "Peace in Southeast" as they marched. [cite web|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050409/news_7m9march.html
title=Middle school students walk a mile for peace|accessdate=2007-11-22]

Landmarks

* Chicano Park (Barrio Logan)
* Coronado Bridge (Barrio Logan)
* [http://www.eisca.org/ Elementary Institute of Science] (Emerald Hills)
* [http://www.sandiego.gov/public-library/locations/#malcolmx Malcolm X Library and Performing Arts Center] (Valencia Park)
* [http://www.sandiegoroots.org/terra_nova.html Terra Nova Garden at Morse High School] (Skyline Hills)
* [http://www.sandiegoartandsol.com/ Tubman-Chavez Multicultural Center] (Valencia Park)
* Walls of Excellence (Lincoln Park)
* Writerz Blok (Chollas View)

Education

The San Diego Unified School District oversees all public elementary, middle, junior and senior high schools in Southeast San Diego.

Elementary schools

*Audobon Elementary
*Balboa Elementary
*Baker Elementary
*Bethune Elementary
*Boone Elementary
*Burbank Elementary
*Cesar Chavez Elementary
*Emerson/Bandini Elementary
*Encanto Elementary
*Freese Elementary
*Fulton Elementary
*Johnson Elementary
*John F. Kennedy Elementary
*Knox Elementary
*Logan Elementary
*Mt. Erie Christian Academy (Private)
*Nye Elementary
*Oliver Hazard Perry Elementary
*Paradise Hills Elementary
*Penn Elementary
*Perkins Elementary
*Porter Elementary
*Rodriguez Elementary
*Valencia Park Elementary
*Webster Elementary
*Zamorano Elementary

Middle and junior high schools

*Bell Junior High School
*Gompers Charter Middle School
*Keiller Leadership Academy (Middle School)
*Memorial Academy of Learning and Technology (Middle School)
*O'Farrell Community School (Middle School)

enior high schools

The Southeast San Diego area is served primarily by three urban senior high schools.
*Abraham Lincoln High School
*Samuel F. B. Morse High School
*San Diego High School (in Downtown San Diego)

Through the District's Voluntary Enrollment Exchange Program (VEEP), students from the Southeast San Diego community may be bused to high schools in San Diego's more affluent northern suburban neighborhoods, [cite web|url=http://www.sandi.net/enrollmentoptions/oeoveep.html|title=VEEP Information|accessdate=2007-11-17] namely Mira Mesa High School, Scripps Ranch High School, Serra High School and University City High School. [cite web|url=http://www.sandi.net/enrollmentoptions/veep/07_08_VEEP_AlliedPatterns.pdf|title=2007-2008 VEEP Allied Patterns|accessdate=2007-11-17]

Atypical and other charter schools

*Holly Drive Leadership
*King/Chavez Preparatory Academy
*Marcy School
*Nubia Leadership Academy
*San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts
*Twain High School (Morse Campus)

People from Southeast San Diego

Artists

*Yolanda M. Lopez, artist (Logan Heights)
*Salvador Torres, artist and muralist, Chicano Park (Barrio Logan) [cite web|url=http://cemaweb.library.ucsb.edu/torres.html|title=Salvador Roberto Torres|accessdate=2008-02-19]

Athletes

* Marcus Allen, football, 1981 Heisman Trophy winner (Lincoln High School)cite web|url=http://weblog.signonsandiego.com/multimedia/utmedia/070902lincoln/index.html|title=Special Feature on Lincoln High School's History|publisher=San Diego Union-Tribune|accessdate=2007-11-17]
*Tommy Bennett, football (Morse High School)
*Marcus Brady, football (Morse High School)
* Reggie Bush, football, 2005 Heisman Trophy winner (Skyline Hills)cite web|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/college_football/20060110-9999-1s8reggie.html|title="Greatness suits him - Trophy hopeful Bush from humble beginnings, tries to stay that way" from the San Diego Union-Tribune|date=12.08.05|accessdate=2007-11-17]
*Rashard Cook, football (Morse High School)
* Terrell Davis, football (Lincoln Park, Morse and Lincoln High School) [cite web|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=yNLzRB9e1sAC&pg=PA1989&lpg=PA1989&dq=terrel+davis+morse+high+school&source=web&ots=W2ksmz6XdP&sig=GoYcFk183jwoPIIsicFU11YiIxs|title=Terrell Davis: Toughing It Out|first=Mark|last=Stewart|accessdate=2007-11-17]
*Tony Drake, pro wrestling [cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/b/babi-slymm.html|title=Wrestler Profile, Babi Slymm]
*Lonnie Ford, football (Morse High School)
*Monique Henderson, track and field, 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist, 4x400m relay (Morse High School) [cite web|url=http://www.usoc.org/26_22052.htm|title=United States Olympic Committee - Henderson, Monique|publisher=United States Olympic Committee|accessdate=2007-08-23]
* Sam Horn, baseball (Morse High School) [cite web|url=http://www.sonsofsamhorn.net/wiki/index.php?title=Sam_Horn&oldid=20272|title=SoSH Wiki|date=2006-09-21|accessdate=2007-08-22]
* Adam Jones, baseball (Morse High School) [cite web|url=http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=430945|title=The Official Site of The Seattle Mariners|publisher=MLB|accessdate=2007-08-22]
*Jacque Jones, baseball (San Diego High School)
* Lincoln Kennedy, football (Skyline Hills, Morse High School)
*Cliff Levingston, basketball (Morse High School) [cite web|url=http://www.sdhoc.com/main/awards/breitbardhof/hofnominees/|title=San Diego Hall of Champions Breitbard Hall of Fame Nominees|accessdate=2007-10-02]
* Dominic McGuire, basketball (Lincoln High School)
* Mark McLemore, baseball (Morse High School)cite web|url=http://www.thebaseballcube.com/high-schools/morse-987.shtml|title=The Baseball Cube|accessdate=2007-08-22] cite web|url=http://www.alibris.com/search/detail.cfm?S=R&bid=9193497075&cm_mmc=shopcompare-_-base-_-nonisbn-_-na|title=Samuel F.B. Morse High School Yearbook 1982-San Diego California|accessdate=2007-08-22]
* Arnie Robinson, track and field, 1972 Olympic Bronze Medalist and 1976 Olympic Gold Medalist, long jump (Morse High School) [cite web|url=http://chapters.sdsu.edu/aaac/Crimson_and_Black.pdf|title=The Black in Crimson and Black: A History and Profiles of African Americans at SDSU|first=Robert|last=Fikes, Jr.|accessdate=2007-08-23]
* Rashaan Salaam, football, 1994 Heisman Trophy winner [cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0DE7D61139F932A25751C1A962958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all|title= COLLEGE FOOTBALL; 2,055 Reasons Why Salaam Is the Winner|publisher=New York Times|date=1994-12-11|accessdate=2008-02-24]
* Akili Smith, football (Lincoln High School)
*Marcus Smith, football (Morse High School)

Musical and performance artists

* Raytoven, Producer, Rapper (Chollas View)
* Nick Cannon, rapper, actor, comedian (Grant Hill) [cite web|url=http://www.vh1.com/video/play.jhtml?id=1570813&vid=178547|title=vh1.com - Rags to Riches Episode, Nick Cannon|accessdate=2008-02-19] [cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/detail/tv-show.aspx?tvobjectid=290579&more=ucepisodelist&episodeid=7084177|title=TV Guide - Rags to Riches Episodes, Nick Cannon|accessdate=2008-02-19]
*Jayo Felony, rapper (Chollas View, Gompers Secondary High School)
*Rosalie Hamlin, singer-songwriter (O'Farrell Junior High School) [cite web|url=http://rosieandtheoriginals.com/main/rosiehamlin.htm|title=The Biography of Rosie Hamlin]
* Ananda Lewis, model, television personality (San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts)
* Mitchy Slick, rapper (Lincoln Park, Lincoln High School)
* Members of the rock band My American Heart (Morse High School)
* Tom Waits, singer-songwriter, actor (O'Farrell Junior High School) [cite web|url=http://www.tomwaitslibrary.com/quotes/childhood.html|title=Quotes: Childhood|publisher=Tom Waits Library|accessdate=2008-02-07]
* Zezaleez, activist, musician, broker (Lincoln High School)

Political figures

*Shirley Horton, California Assemblywoman and former Mayor of Chula Vista (O'Farrell Junior High School) [cite web|url=http://www.asianamerican.net/bios/Horton-Shirley.html|title=Biography of Shirley Horton]
*Charles Lewis, former Councilman, City of San Diego, District 4 (Bay Terraces, Morse High School) [cite web|title=City Councilman Lewis dead at age 37|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20040808-1758-councilmandies.html|publisher=SignOnSanDiego|accessdate=2007-08-23] [cite web|url=http://www.uniontribune.org/uniontrib/20060320/news_1m20cowan.html|title=After his acquittal, 'a whole new life'|publisher=Union-Tribune|first=Kelly|last=Thornton|accessdate=2007-08-23] [cite web|url=http://www.10news.com/news/3652065/detail.html|title=Thousands Gather For Councilman's Funeral|publisher=10News.com|accessdate=2007-08-23] [cite web|url=http://www.charlesllewis3.org/About_Charles.html|title=About Charles L Lewis Foundation|publisher=The Charles L. Lewis III Foundation|accessdate=2007-08-24]
* Fabian Núñez, former Speaker of the California State Assembly (Logan Heights, San Diego High School) [cite web|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080518/news_1n18nunez.html|title=Ex-assembly speaker Núñez looks at options for his future|first=James P.|last=Sweeney|publisher=San Diego Union-Tribune|accessdate=2008-05-19]
* Tony Young, Councilman, City of San Diego, District 4 (Valencia Park, Morse High School) [cite web|url=http://www.sandiego.gov/citycouncil/cd4/about/index.shtml|title=About Tony Young|accessdate=2007-08-22]

Distinguished military veterans

*Army Staff Sgt. Richwell A. Doria, USA, casualty Iraq War (Morse High School) [cite web|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/iraq/memorial/20061114-9999-1m14doria.html|first=Tanya|last=Mannes|publisher=Union-Tribune|title=Morse High graduate dies in Iraq|accessdate=2007-08-22] [cite press release|url=http://www.defenselink.mil/Releases/Release.aspx?ReleaseID=10179|title=DoD Identifies Army Casualty|publisher= U.S. Department of Defense|accessdate=2007-08-22|date=2006-11-13] [cite web|url=http://starbulletin.com/2006/11/15/news/story12.html|title=Schofield GI died saving pals|publisher=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|first=Gregg K.|last=Kakesako|accessdate=2007-08-22]
*Army Pvt. Devon D. Jones, USA, casualty Iraq War (Lincoln High School) [cite web|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/iraq/memorial/20030408-9999_1n8jones.html|title=Soldier sought a family, touched many lives|first=Susan|last=Gembrowski|publisher=Union-Tribune|accessdate=2007-08-23]
*Seaman Lakiba Nicole Palmer USN, USS Cole casualty USS Cole bombing 10/12/2000 (San Diego High School, 1996)
*Marine Sergeant Rafael Peralta, USMC, casualty Iraq War (Morse High School) [cite web|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20041121/news_1m21peralta.html|title=Another tragedy for grieving family|first=Caitlin|last=Rother|publisher=Union-Tribune|accessdate=2007-08-22]

References

External links

* [http://www.sandiego.gov/citycouncil/cd4/ City Council District 4 website]
* [http://www.sandiego.gov/planning/community/profiles/southeasternsd/index.shtml Southeastern San Diego Community Profile]
* [http://southeastsandiego.com/ Southeast San Diego - A Diamond in the Rough Community Website]