Subverting the “migrant division of labor” through the traditional retail market: the London Latin Village’s struggle against gentrification

Abstract

Retail gentri fi cation describes the process by which the retail o ff er of a neighborhood is recon fi gured to cater to a wealthier clientele than previously. This not only a ff ects the ability of poorer urban residents to access essential goods and services but also has disruptive e ff ects on existing communities. In this paper, we analyze the threat of gentri fi cation and its impact on the experiences of migrant workers at the Latin Village, a Traditional Retail Market (TRM) in North London. We make two arguments based on a combination of qualitative research methods (interviews, participant observation, survey and document analysis). First, we fi nd that the market o ff ers a sense of belonging as well as economic opportunities to migrants, predominantly from Latin America, who face discrimination in many other parts of London ’ s strati fi ed labor market. Second, we argue that regeneration of the Latin Village as originally envisaged would disproportionately a ff ect this migrant community by threatening an important space of social and economic inclusion. The paper concludes by highlighting the importance of the workplace as a mediator of migrants ’ experiences of the city, which calls for further attention to instances of workspace displacement engendered by processes of retail gentri fi cation and their consequences for marginalized communities.