In his article Color-Full before Color Blind: The Emergence of Multiracial Neighborhood Politics in Queens, New York City, Roger Sanjek analyzes the development of Elmhurst-Corona over the years, specifically highlighting the immense diversity that has played a key role in the interracial political collaboration on the community board level. Known for its significant “majority-minority” shift, Elmhurst-Corona today bears no resemblance to its previous state of exclusive whiteness. It is no longer homogenous, as is evident by the progress that the community board has experienced. In fact, Sanjek develops the idea that the community board is essentially a microcosm for the state of Elmhurst-Corona and of the minority groups that live there.
Initially those from Lefrak City Tennant Association, who were mostly white, were invited to the Community Board. During one of the meetings, they referred to blacks as “welfare cases”. While this offensive reference was highly inaccurate, it was not the sole instance of derogatory slander toward minorities; the white chairman referred to immigrants as “people’s pollution”.
The community board, with its racist and myopic outlook, did not solve any problems, and with the onset of financial problems in the area, the situation in Elmhurst-Corona deteriorated. The quality of life worsened dramatically as crime skyrocketed. This violence was thus the impetus that the community board required to facilitate camaraderie by working together and putting their differences aside- or rather, bringing their differences to the table and embracing the cultural diversity. Both literally and figuratively, the community board was beginning to shape up. For example, Lucy Schilero, an Italian, began interacting with and befriending those of different nationalities, eventually forming a coalition. This played a vital role in the development of the community board because there were now ways of establishing change through petitions as well as focusing on important topics at the meetings. Over time, the Community Board more accurately reflected the diversity within Elmhurst-Corona; churches, Koreans and Latin Americans also joined in order to have a say. Women particularly played an important role in the community board because they created a pathway for all different peoples to join in. As leadership members, the women also decided on what projects to focus on, such as education.
In one sentence, Sanjek essentially summarizes the entire argument of the article: “Without a community board there would have been no public forum at which white, black, Latin American, and Asian leaders had a place to interact (769)”. The community board functioned as a means of bringing a variety of people together who otherwise would have remained separate, or worse, combative. Elmhurst-Corona was not always intended to be the heterogeneous area that it is today. Yet the community board transformed Elmhurst-Corona’s diversity into a boon and thus helped shape the area into the unique place it is today.
