It's a tough discussion. And one that has long plagued my wife and I, as we grew up asking ourselves, "Where do I belong?"
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You belong to whatever group you associate with, and to every group that exists. Despite what's going on in this country, we all "belong" to each other, and there's no need to feel excluded based on anything, most of all working hard and doing better than the generation before you.
Look, I don't know much about what constitutes "gentrification," nor do I care. When my family first came to America, I was 5. We lived (and I grew up) in Astoria, and my immediate family still lives there. Over the years, I've lived in the West Village, the east Flatiron district and the East Village. Each time, I am sure I displaced someone who made less than me. Each time, I was displaced by someone who made more than me (or I just wanted to save money and not throw it away paying rent every month). Did I "gentrify" the East Village? I don't think so. Is the East Village safer and more expensive today, and are the shopping options higher end, than when I lived there? Yes. But that's just the city.
Again, I look at any change in our business district as an improvement over what it was 12 years ago - a vast array of money transfer stores, cell phone shops, really bad take-out, cheap clothes and dirty chain drug stores. Our restaurants have improved on decore and cleanliness (thanks, in large part, to the ratings, but also because newcomers tend to go after the newer looking restaurants); we have clothing stores where I can go and buy stuff to wear as business casual clothing; and our Duane Reade/Rite Aid is actually pretty decent and well kept. There's still room for improvement, but even in nice parts of Brooklyn, the opening of a Target didn't kill the independent businesses. Instead, walk a couple of blocks away and you'll see them flourish.
