Many of the neighborhood's original residents feel invaded as white newcomers have displaced their communities, erasing and changing them to suit the tastes of their middle class. For example, in the article “Racial Tension: The Other Side of Gentrification” by Zaira Cortes, Cristian Chávez, an Ecuadorian artist who grew up in El Barrio, states: “I don't blame the whites but the city, because it prioritized their needs instead of our. Cycle paths are an example of how authorities provide resources to newcomers. My entire childhood I had to dodge cars. No one cared about black children. This clearly demonstrates how before East Harlem began to gentrify, the needs of people of color were always overlooked. However, as white newcomers began to settle in the neighborhood, the city began to offer them more services and conveniences. Gentrification, then, becomes a problem because it creates this tension between longtime residents and newcomers, who see the priorities of white residents being favored over theirs. Therefore, low-income residents feel that their city does not care about their needs due to the fact that they are poor. Furthermore, the changes these minority groups are witnessing in their communities also cause racial tensions. Many of the original residents feel threatened when they do so