Chapter 2:
This section predominantly deals with the living conditions experienced by immigrants throughout the 20th century and how they compare to more recent living conditions (still terrible conditions). It is fairly reflective of the other readings we have done on the tenements in the Lower East Side and the changes that occurred within these neighborhoods as the decades progressed and as legislation was passed. It addresses how neighborhoods change with different influxes of demographics and how immigration had actually helped certain neighborhoods survive episodes of white flight, essentially a review of discussed material with a focus on various demographic groups.
Chapter 5:
It appears that regardless of one’s country of origin, there was at least one time in US history when one’s ethnic group was deemed inferior to mainstream American society, especially in the case of immigrants. The plight of the Jewish and Italian immigrants mirrors the more modern struggles of African Americans, Hispanics, and West Indians as new groups enter neighborhoods and interact with the well-established members before them. How does the established social status quo affect ethnically African or other colored immigrants’ self-perceptions and communities? What affect do the changing labels of Asian immigrants have on their neighborhoods?
