San Diego's City Heights neighborhood struggles with crime and poverty and a shortage of everything from parks to doctors. But for 22-year-old resident Jhaga Mahat, the biggest challenge of living in City Heights is getting people to see it the way he does.
"When I tell people I live here, they tell me it's a ghetto and there are a lot of gangs here. But for me, City Heights is not like that," says Mahat, who came to San Diego in 2011 from a refugee camp in Nepal.
"When I got here, I saw a lot of diverse people, and I was kind of glad, because it felt like I was still at home. City Heights is more peaceful than people say, and I just want to improve the neighborhood. I want people to see the good side."
With giving back on his mind and able hands at the ready, Mahat has become the go-to volunteer the Union of Pan Asian Communities' efforts to bolster the people and image of City Heights.
Since then, Mahat has become a vital part of the ACE (Alliance for Community Empowerment) community-improvement team. He is a founding member of the organization's fledgling Youth Business Enterprise program, which teaches young people how to run a business.
To read more of Karla Peterson's article, please click here.
Comments (0)