5 Questions with Gustavo Arellano: the Journalist who Broke the Dervaes Urban Homesteading Story Talks About Intellectual Property and the Urban Homesteading Movement

| Monday, February 21st, 2011 | 6 Comments »

In recent days, the story of the Dervaes family has been a hot topic in the world of urban agriculture.  It has sparked a passionate debate (just see Twitter hashtag #dumpthedervaeses) about what should be owned in this age of instant information and corporations.  Gustavo Arellano from the OCWeekly was one of the first journalists to break this story, continually researching and updating this story over the past week.  His thoughts on the role of the journalism profession, intellectual property, and the urban homesteading movement follow.

 
Gustavo Arrelano first broke the Dump the Dervaeses story.Gustavo Arellano is a staff writer with OC Weekly, an alternative newspaper in Orange County, California, a contributing editor to the Los Angeles Times Op/Ed pages, author of Orange County: A Personal History, and radio host on KPFK-FM 90.7 in Southern California. He writes “¡Ask a Mexican!,” a nationally syndicated column in which he answers any and all questions about America’s spiciest and largest minority. The column has a weekly circulation of over 2 million in 39 newspapers across the United States, won the 2006 and 2008 Association of Alternative Weeklies award for Best Column, and was published in book form by Scribner Press in May 2007. Arellano has been the subject of press coverage in national and international newspapers, The Today Show, Hannity & Colmes, Nightline, Good Morning America, and The Colbert Report. Gustavo was a finalist for the 2005 Maggie Award’s Best Public Service Series or Article category for his work on the Catholic Diocese of Orange sex-abuse scandal, a topic for which he was the recipient of the Lilly Scholarship in Religion from the Religion Newswriters Association. Gustavo is also the recipient of the Los Angeles Press Club’s 2007 President’s Award and an Impacto Award from the National Hispanic Media Coalition, and was recognized by the California Latino Legislative Caucus with a 2008 Spirit Award for his “exceptional vision, creativity, and work ethic.” Gustavo lives in Orange County and is the proud son of two Mexican immigrants, one whom was illegal.
 
1. You were one of the first journalists to cover this story. How did you first learn of the Dervaeses story, and what was your impetus for writing about it for OCWeekly?
 
I learned about the story from my girlfriend. Tuesday evening, she had seen on the Facebook page for the Institute for Urban Homesteading in Oakland that they received the Dervaeses’ cease-and-desist letter; by Wednesday morning, their page was gone. Although there was no immediate Orange County connection, I am a fierce advocate for free speech. Once I began looking into the matter, I realized other people were getting threatened as well—and I don’t appreciate bullies. And as I dig more into the Dervaes clan, there’s so much there that I’m not so provincial as to not care about being on top of the story (and that’s the journalism juices in me, as well!)
 
2. This story raises questions about ethics and law, especially in the information economy. As a journalist that has seen his original story take off across the internet, what are your thoughts about trademarks and intellectual property in the “Rip-Mix-Burn” culture that Lawrence Lessig describes in his book “Free Culture?”
 
People’s intellectual property should be respected, no doubt about it, and plagiarism in my industry is one of our most-loathed offenses. That said, however, there is also something to be said about the fascinating spread of information in our age. I don’t want people ripping off my stories, but I also trust that if someone does like what they read no matter how they found it, they’ll go on and try to find my other material—and in the process, I might have gained myself a new fan.
 
I actually have a column I do, ¡Ask a Mexican!, trademarked by my company, Village Voice Media. It wasn’t my idea to do it—frankly, it reeks of corporate cynicism. That said, whenever I see people copying my column or the logo that goes with it, I just ask them to provide a link to one of my stories. And anyone can use the logo, provided they ask me for permission. Again: I’m confident that once someone sees my work, they’ll return to the source and I’ll be able to nab them there!

3. What has been the response you’ve received from the urban homesteading, urban agriculture, and gardening communities? What about the journalism community?

 I have received nothing but positive response from the urban homesteading community, and more than a few tips from them—for that, I’m grateful. Nothing yet from the journalism community, though—if you see the coverage so far, this story has been flat-out ignored by the mainstream media, which just shows how out-of-touch they are.

4. What are your thoughts on urban homesteading? From your research on the history of the movement, do you think the trademarks, granted in October 2010, were justified?

My girlfriend and I are apartment homesteaders! My girlfriend, who’s a certified Master Food Preserver, runs an eco store called The Road Less Traveled and has a blog called Project Small where she documents our life trying to grow food and embrace the movement. I’m thrilled that people have returned to a practice that should’ve never gone by the wayside.

 
5. How do you think this story will resolve?
 
 

I’m not sure. I’m not a lawyer, so can’t comment on the legal front. Jules Dervaes strikes me as out of touch with reality, so I just hope he snaps out of his delusions. But one great thing has emerged from this: the outrage created by the Dervaeses’ move has further mobilized urban homesteaders, further inspired them to continue on their path, and provoked the opposite reaction the Dervaeses hoped for: instead of intimidating people from using the terms, they just sparked a revolution.

 
Thanks, Gustavo, for this enlightening interview!  Check back on Thursday for an interview with Jennifer Horn, from planted cloud.
  

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6 Comments

  1. Grown in the City » Blog Archive » Can You Trademark the Urban Self-Sufficiency Movement? The Controversy Over the Dervaese Family says:
    February 21, 2011 at

    [...] Like what you read?  Don’t forget to add us to your reader.  Read more about the Urban Homesteading cotroversy at 5 Questions with Gustavo Arellano: the Journalist who Broke the Dervaes Urban Homesteading Story Tal…  [...]

  2. AgBlogFeed says:
    February 21, 2011 at

    #agchat #urbanag 5 Questions with Gustavo Arellano: the Journalist who Broke the Dervaes Urb… http://bit.ly/g0PN63 /by @GrownInTheCity

  3. AgBlogFeed says:
    February 21, 2011 at

    #agchat #urbanag 5 Questions with Gustavo Arellano: the Journalist who Broke the Dervaes Urban… http://bit.ly/g0PN63 / @GrownInTheCity

  4. delilah @ Project Small says:
    February 21, 2011 at

    I think “out of touch” is putting it lightly in the case of Jules Dervaes…

  5. Kim Krawford says:
    March 9, 2011 at

    I have seen the video that was on Nightline about this fmaily and was impressed and inspired actually. We have most of our backyard devoted to vegetables and fruit trees which provides most of our diet. We haven’t really thought to label or define ourselves. It’s a great lifestyle!

    I wondered if you or anyone from the protest group has spoken with the Dervaes family to get their side of the story?

  6. John Reinhardt says:
    March 9, 2011 at

    Kim – Glad to see you’re enjoying your urban garden!

    Many have tried to contact the Dervaeses, but they removed the comment feature on their blog, took down the Facebook page, and did not respond to emails. If you want to find out more about the whole (long, drawn out) story, there is more at the Facebook group “Take Back Urban Homesteading(s)”.

    Thanks for reading!

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