The Summer They Said We Weren’t Family… What Happened at La Costa Changed Everything, Gin Hammond
The Summer that Changed me, and Brought Me Closer to the Truth, as remembered by Gin Hammond So when I was a kid, my family would go to the Del Mar Fair. There was this timeshare and we’d hang out there and we would also go to a place called La Costa. I remember there was a spot under a fence my brother and I would shimmy through (and we’d just be running around the fair all day, just the two of us.
It was the 1970s, so my parents were like, whatever, we think they’re over there. Let’s go to the races.
I remember that that’s what comes to mind right away with La Costa. I remember the pinball machines. They were always playing Blondie and My Sharona and all of that. But I remember getting accosted in La Costa by the other kids Because gangs of kids just find gangs of other kids. All week long they would say (to me and my brother) you two aren’t related (because I’m lighter-skinned and he’s darker-skinned). They just insisted.
My brother and I would go back to our parents and ask ‘We’re related, right?’ And they’re like, yes, you’re related. And we’d come back. Our parents say that we’re related.
The whole rigmarole would start all over again, but that’s not the only place where that would happen. But that was definitely a place where we were reminded of our uniqueness.
I’m Gin Hammond and I’m Living IncogNegro. I’m glad you’re here and we’re on this journey together.
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