Herman’s piece defines ethnic succession as the process when one ethnic group relocates another and gains dominance over business, political, or residential establishments. Herman explains that with an influx of new foreign arrivals, groups begin to “invade” and compete for resources and political hierarchy, causing conflict with original settlers. The author points out that an established community that experiences a new wave of immigration may feel threatened by the new group due to differences in religion, race, or cultural practices. This difference is then detected as a potential threat and newcomers are then sometimes faced with violence to ensure they do not expand in the society. Access to residential space is another contributing factor to tension or conflict in cases of ethnic succession. Competition for jobs is also a factor that impacts ethnic succession. An instance of ethnic succession caused by the competition for access to jobs occurred in New York City’s garment industry. Jewish immigrants first held positions in factories in the early twentieth century and were ultimately succeeded by present day Hispanic workers.
Anbinder’s piece describes more specific violent riots associated with ethnic succession. Anbinder recounts the riot of anti-abolitionists against African Americans and abolition supporters in 1834. Those in the anti-abolitionist mob sought to end the subtext behind the abolitionist movement of black and white equality. His retelling of the Five Points anti-abolitionist riot points out such underlying causes as white suspicion towards African American economic independence. This relates to causes mentioned by Herman that lead to tension in cases of ethnic succession. Whites felt threatened by possible residential and occupational competition with African Americans and so they had gone so far as to vandalize homes and businesses to the point of them being “uninhabitable.”
-Roseann Weick
