Those like Edward Glaesar, Harvard professor of economics, which in itself should tell you all you need to know, who contend that racial segregation in cities has all but abated, are living in a fantasy. What some may see as the integration of mixed race neighborhoods is often gentrification in reality. As housing costs rise, people who usually would stay in Manhattan are moving out and up to neighborhoods like Flushing, Forest Hills, Williamsburg, and Bayside, and they bring upscale products with them. For instance, new avocado-themed restaurant Avocaderia opening in Sunset Park doesn’t really cater to the current clientele around it, but rather what it sees on the horizon- the gentrifiers of Brooklyn moving in to enjoy their avocado this and that. The worst part is, I understand the appeal of a store like that! I would go there if in the neighborhood, and I can see friends of mine- that are white, read between the lines- specifically seeking the place out for things like savory toasts or sweet salads. But places like that price higher for clientele that can afford their higher prices, and afford the rent that creeps up higher as the neighborhood demographic changes, push out mom-and-pop delis and bodegas that cling to life in ethnic enclaves.
Another contributor to the racial divide in housing is that many landlords actively discriminate against certain races or social classes, even if those applying can afford the rent. In areas where a tenant board must approve new applicants, everyone suspiciously seems to be of the exact same background. It’s like a Stepford Wives situation, except it’s Astoria.
The prison-to-poverty cycle studied by University of Washington sociology Becky Pettit (oh why, why, why is her name Becky) is something I’ve heard talk about except in reverse- the unfortunately termed “pipeline” of minorities, often black people, from bad homes to delinquency in school to the streets to then, prison. To know that it works in vice versa, as such to create a negative feedback loop, is galling. The prison system is an overwhelming problem in American society today, and yet all these studies seem to leave us without solutions, only more proof of the problem.
