A proliferation of immigrant run or owned strip malls can be seen in smaller and larger cities alike throughout the U.S. Martinez Plaza, located in Conyers, is a result of an increase in the immigrant, Hispanic population in Georgia. Martinez Plaza is a thriving community center supporting the needs of an immigrant population. It supports a largely Hispanic population by providing a space that delivers the needs of that population to its members and disseminating their language and culture to a non-Hispanic population.
The lower economic status of the immigrant population at Martinez Plaza can be seen in the small size of the strip mall and the individual stores. Likewise, the somewhat dated and sparse décor indicates an immigrant population unable or not interested in updating in the same manner the upper-middle class population undertakes every five years. Finally, goods are offered at a cheaper price, illustrating the economic status of the customers they are serving.
The sense of community surrounding Martinez Plaza is its most striking and significant feature. The types of stores – clothing, grocery, laundry – convey the significance of Martinez Plaza as a small “village” for the surrounding Hispanic population. Customers and employees move from store to store, buying goods and conversing with one another. As I attempted to buy pastries from the Christian Bakery #2, pictured here, a seemingly random man delivering goods to another establishment was brought in to help translate. I am not sure if this communal atmosphere is a result of their living closely with one another or a cultural phenomenon.
Very good work, Mollie. Your observation about updating is quite interesting--although from the photos everything looks well-maintained. I'm glad you got a sense of the kind of community that exists in this place--also perhaps quite unlike more mainstream shopping centers.
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