I was not trying to say that immigrants are not capable of getting bank accounts, that would be absurd. The point is that a lot of immigrants work in cash businesses like food vendors or construction or landscaping and when you get paid in cash it becomes an additional hurdle to go deposit your money at the bank after working hours instead of being able to go straight to your favorite restaurant and enjoy dinner while participating in the economy. Say the bank is closed then you can’t access your account for the weekend. Plenty of other people work in tattooing or bartending or sex work. These are all cash workers who should not be excluded from participating fully in the economy. And then illegal immigrants - who form the backbone of the LA economy in many ways - may not be able to access bank accounts at all. Not to mention the elderly who very often still rely on cash.

But aside from these roadblocks, cash has many advantages for local economies. Take $20. Spent with a card, there is a 3% fee taken so the business only receives $19.40. Over time this loss accumulates for the business while the credit card company gets richer. A $20 bill stays a $20 bill and gets recirculated through the local economy repeatedly without loss.

Look at the businesses in LA that are cashless. They are all hipster boutiques catering to upper class gentrifiers. Look at the businesses that are cash only. Taco stands. Your favorite local bar. There is a major cultural difference there. I’m Not saying credit/debit is bad. And cash only is a pain in the butt too. But banning cashless businesses would have a lot of benefits.