SNAPSHOT OF THE VALLEY EATERY MANAGER WORRIES ABOUT CRIME, CROWDING IN POVERTY-MARKED AREA.Byline: BETH BARRETT Staff Writer Cynthia Cisneros and her husband were working as veterinarians Veterinarians and veterinary surgeons (vets) are medical professionals who operate exclusively on animals. Well-known and notable veterinarians include:
v. crum·bled, crum·bling, crum·bles v.tr. To break into small fragments or particles. v.intr. 1. To fall into small fragments or particles; disintegrate. in the early 1990s. Desperate to stay afloat, the couple immigrated legally to California a decade ago and rented a simple, two-bedroom apartment in Arleta for $800 a month. Cisneros landed a $4.25-an-hour job at a fast-food restaurant in Panorama City, while her husband juggled similar work and a second job as a valet parking valet parking n. Parking arrangements provided by a commercial establishment, such as a restaurant, whereby patrons leave their cars at the entrance and attendants park and retrieve them. Noun 1. attendant ATTENDANT. One who owes a duty or service to another, or in some sort depends upon him. Termes de la Ley, h.t. As to attendant terms, see Powell on Morts. Index, tit. Attendant term; Park on Dower, c. 1 7. . "We came here to study something else, but my first opportunity was Carl's Jr. I worked hard and it got better and better," said Cisneros, now 39 and the manager of the local eatery, where she makes about $30,000 a year. But despite her husband's seven-day work schedule, the couple still doesn't make much more than $40,000 -- just slightly more than average for the Panorama-Arleta community, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the most recent Census Bureau Noun 1. Census Bureau - the bureau of the Commerce Department responsible for taking the census; provides demographic information and analyses about the population of the United States Bureau of the Census figures. The Cisneroses are among an influx of immigrants in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. and their economic situation highlights growing gaps that have begun to emerge among the region's communities. Just two miles to the south of the Cisneros family -- in Encino and Tarzana -- the median household income The median household income is commonly used to provide data about geographic areas and divides households into two equal segments with the first half of households earning less than the median household income and the other half earning more. is nearly $70,000. But the Cisneroses aren't particularly bothered by their situation. They've worked hard to learn English by taking classes, watching television and asking co-workers for grammar advice. And they've saved enough money over the years to buy a couple of cars, take their 7-year-old son on outings to the beach and mountains, and buy an annual pass to Universal Studios. Cynthia Cisneros says it's values that matter, not money, ethnic or cultural differences. "Maybe the people have money, but if they can't think about the other person or feel about the other person, maybe that's a problem, too," she said. But the Cisneroses are concerned about what Cynthia describes as an erosion of the quality of life in her community. The Panorama City-Arleta area -- where one in four people lives in poverty -- has grown more crowded and traffic has worsened. While she's satisfied with her son's school, she worries about more crime, including robberies, auto thefts and hit-and-run crashes late at night. "Right now, I don't really like living in the Valley," she said. The couple has grown so frustrated frus·trate tr.v. frus·trat·ed, frus·trat·ing, frus·trates 1. a. To prevent from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart: that they even are considering moving to Ojai in Ventura County. Cisneros also is concerned about what she considers some people's unfair and uninformed attitudes about Mexicans and other immigrants. She said her family contributes in many ways to the economy, including by paying their taxes, their bills and rent. "We don't want anything for free," Cisneros said. "We don't do nothing bad. We're good people. We work ... We do everything." beth.barrett(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3731 Panorama City-Arleta Median household income: $37,354 Percent of people below poverty level: 23.4% Percent of renters: 52% Average household size: 3.8 Hispanic: 73.2% Non-Hispanic white: 8.9% Asian: 14.1% CAPTION(S): 2 photos, box Photo: (1 -- color) CISNEROS (2) Cynthia Cisneros, 39, a Carl's Jr. store manager, takes time to do her family's laundry Laundry can be:
Before industrialization in Arleta last week. Her family is making do, but she worries about quality-of-life issues. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer Box: Panorama City-Arleta (see text) |
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