Don’t Call It East Salinas

Call it Alisal, the New Alisal or El Nuevo Alisal de Salinas — but don’t call it east Salinas.

That term no longer is appropriate to describe the cluster of neighborhoods that make up roughly one-third of the city, generally east of Highway 101 and south of Constitution Boulevard, community leaders say.

They want to replace the moniker, which they say has come to evoke images of crime and negative racial and socio-economic stereotypes on the eastern side of Salinas, with a term free of any damaging stigma.

What ever it’s called will still be known as the ‘bad side of town’. Better to clean up the filth and criminals. Make “East Salinas” a name to associate with working families that take pride in their homes.

Don’t Call It East Salinas