What I would consider my community is the city of Champions Gate. It is relatively small, but it is quickly developing. There is a population of about 19,400 people. It is designed to attract tourists with all the resorts and short-term rentals, but there are still plenty of full-time residents in the area. Almost 90 percent of the population are white-collar workers, and the average household income is nearly $90,000. Approximately 97 percent of people use a car to get to work rather than bus, taxis, biking, or walking. Roughly 72 percent of people were born in the United States, and about 3 percent moved from abroad within the last year (“Champions Gate.” n.d.).
Below, is a map of the nearby grocery options. Technically, only one Publix is within the city boundaries. Nearby, there are three other Publix stores (one is the unlabeled point next to Aldi) and one Aldi. The gray point I have highlighted is another Publix that is currently under construction. This area is not considered a food desert, but several surrounding areas are (USDA Economic Research Service, 2020)
Las Americas Food Mart is a small Latin and British grocery store. Below is an image from the inside of the store. While they have some specialty items, it is a lot like the findings of a gas station mart filled with convenience items like processed foods, coolers of bottled beverages, and necessary household items. This market aligns with the minority markets described in Unshared Bounty because of the less varied items, high prices, and small size (New York Law School Racial Justice Project, 2012).
Part of the food system should be having access to culturally appropriate foods. Publix being the prominent grocer in the area, does not provide that. Not only is Publix is notorious for being more expensive than other grocers, and they are generally limited to one aisle of “international foods,” which are usually heavily processed items. There are plenty of options for healthy food items but at a higher price point. On the other hand, Aldi provides an extensive array of things, but they only consistently have their brand of items in stock. While their prices are generally much lower than Publix, there are some tradeoffs to shopping there.
Several neighbors talk about how they drive more than 30 minutes away for other options like Walmart, Target, Trader Joe’s, or Whole Foods. This makes me wonder how the situation changes for people who cannot drive that far away.
For an urban city and surrounding area with so many houses, people, and tourists from all over the world, there are limited grocery options. Also, since all the Publix stores get stocked from the same warehouse that is about 30 minutes away, several food items are sold out when it is a busy tourist time.
Despite the lack of variety, I am fortunate enough to live in an area where I have access to grocery stores. Champions Gate does not face the problem that many minority communities do regarding grocery stores. In large cities, African American neighborhoods tend to have half as many chains as white neighborhoods and Hispanic communities tend to have a third (New York Law School Racial Justice Project, 2012, p. 21).
References: Carb Loaded (Producer). (2015, February 21). What is A Food Desert? [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAu8Noo8CxA Gallery. (n.d.). Retrieved from lasamericasfoodmart: https://lasamericasfoodmart.business.site/#gallery
Champions Gate Demographics. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.point2homes.com/US/Neighborhood/FL/Champions-Gate-Demographics.html
HD BROS. (Producer). (2017, September 21). Champions Gate | FL [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUkIG0lvFnw
New York Law School Racial Justice Project. (2012). Unshared Bounty: How Structural Racism Contributes to the Creation and Persistence of Food Deserts. (with American Civil Liberties Union). Racial Justice Project, Book 3. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.nyls.edu/racial_justice_project/3