Why Yakima?

By Lewis Dymer

Welcome to the Palm Springs of Yakima!

When Kyle asked me to give him an article, I agreed, and wanted to know what topic he’d like me to ramble about. His response was quick, but vague: “Yakima.” I prodded to see if he wanted me to focus on anything specific: the culture, economics, industry, or the politics. Nope. Just… “Yakima.”

Anyone who knows me, knows I’ll give you a discussion about any topic under the sun, but I was curious as to why he chose that (vague) topic, and why he specifically wanted ME to write about it.

“Because. You have an outsider’s perspective.”

Now, I have spent nearly fifteen years of my life periodically living in the Yakima Valley, and my extended family has been here for nearly twenty-five years. I visit the area on a monthly basis, if not even more regularly. Yet, that qualifies me as an outsider here, according to Kyle.

And he’s not wrong. Where I lived down in the valley, if your family hadn’t been there for at least thirty years or so… you were considered among the “new” people in town.

Alright, so I started to ponder about my status as an outsider, what drew me to the Yakima area, and what might possibly draw other “outsiders” to the area. This got me thinking about perception and what people from beyond the hills that frame the Valley think about this area and the city of Yakima. I have a fairly cut-and-dry mindset, so I just started listing what I felt were some of the pros and cons of Yakima and the Valley, in terms of what people from other parts of the state might consider.

Pros: It’s an important agricultural center, the cost of living is decent, there are thriving vineyards and a world-class specialty wine industry, a growing craft brewery scene, a wide range of cultural variety and ethnic diversity, a “quieter” pace of life, a small town atmosphere, more coffee shops per capita than the inside of a Starbucks, a burgeoning cutting-edge medical community, and lots of nature and outdoor pursuits. Most importantly, there is a growing population of young people who are interested and increasingly involved in Yakima area politics, culture, and industry.

These are just a few of the many benefits to Yakima and the lush valley that it sits in! But the biggest “pro” from an outsider’s perspective? You can always drive away from Yakima.

Now, before you get ahead of me and cry that I’m just bad-mouthing Yakima, please understand, I love this Valley and the area. I plan on moving back here and settling down some day because of the things I love about it. It’s just… well, Yakima.

There’s a fair number of “cons” that an outsider also sees and experiences here. The perception is a town with an excessive crime rate, higher than average poverty numbers, a drug trafficking problem, overall economic disparity compared to the rest of the state, a high teen pregnancy rate, poor education outcomes and graduation percentages, close-minded and stand-offish population, and reduced air quality, just to name a few things. Whether these are proven negative statistics for Yakima isn’t the point. Remember, this is what the perception of an outsider is.

“Why, Yakima?”

Where does this negativity towards Yakima come from? Well, partly from Yakima residents themselves, discouragingly. An online “Time” article a few years back (2014) claimed that based on two year’s worth of Gallup Poll surveys, they determined that only 51.3% of Yakima residents feel safe at night.

Local radio station KATS quipped on its website that it’d be hard for people to believe that Yakima was NOT “the worst city or town to live in the state of Washington.” Another Yakima station, KFFM, ran an article just earlier this year entitled, “Yakima Listed One of the Worst Places to Raise a Family in Washington.”

Yes, these are cherry-picked examples of negativity. But admit it, Yakima Residents… at times, there seems to be a pervasive mindset of, “Well, that’s just the way things are here.” To carry it into the political realm, there is an “us versus them” chip-on-the-shoulder mentality bred by the feelings that Yakima has little political influence throughout the state, indeed, that it is manipulated by the “West Side” of the state. Having a singular regional newspaper that is owned and controlled by Seattle interests surely doesn’t help break out of that mindset.

If you’ve lived in or near Yakima more than a day, you’re familiar with that sign: “Welcome to Yakima. The Palm Springs of Washington.” That sign encapsulates everything many outsiders think and see about Yakima. Yes, I know it’s not the best picture quality, but I decided to stick with it because it fits the conversation and my point well. Here you have a city and surrounding area that has a ton of potential, plenty of possibilities, and an inkling of hope to be a desert oasis.

But that hope gets stuck up on a plain white sign and buried in a crusty corner of town off the highway, providing a dingy first impression for outsiders to the city.

I think part of what Yakima needs is a shot of confidence, in whatever form it can get it. There is so much going in this city and region, it amazes me that it seems to continue to suffer from this “poor image” problem. Particularly when some of the image problem is simply from staring too intently in the mirror.

Yes, there are problems. Every city has them. So deal with them. Yes, Yakima gets peered down at occasionally by others throughout the state. So find more ways to highlight the best side Yakima has to offer!

Do you want to get rid of the violent stigma that clings to the city? Then get people into local political office that makes dealing with crime a priority. Do you want Yakima to be known for its promising economy and excellent educational opportunities? Then find people to develop those areas of need.

Yakima has the potential and resources to craft itself into whatever it can envision for itself. Ultimately, it all comes down to this: Yakima will be perceived exactly however the residents and communities work for it to be perceived.