What happens in the past shapes, in part, our perspectives and choices in the present. Over the course of the past two centuries the United states has become the most diverse nation on earth and Chicago, one of its most diverse (and segregated) cities (see the diversity index video and map data). These trends are continuing as immigration and demographic data show that the white population in America is not growing at near the rate of other racial groups. After looking at the data from our readings over the past two weeks, what do you think this growing diversity (and segregation) means for the U.S.? What does it mean for particular areas like Chicago? How do we, as a nation, think about and treat different types of diversity differently? What are the strengths and/or weaknesses and what does it mean in terms of American political identity?
Please try to create as much of an online dialogue as possible by commenting on classmates ideas and/or replying to them. Thanks.
I do believe that diversity absolutely make this country stronger as long as everyone is contributing to the system, which the majority of people do. Growing up in this city, I did notice the segregated neighborhoods after noticing that I lived predominantly around people of Hispanics and Polish descent in the Avondale neighborhood. When my family moved out of that neighborhood we noticed more and more of the Polish people were also leaving as Hispanics appeared to be the dominant race in that specific neighborhood. Now, I do notice in neighborhoods that were once occupied mostly by minority groups are being gentrified, neighborhoods including Pilsen, Logan Square and Humboldt Park and even the Cabrini Green neighborhood that once occupied several government housing buildings. I don't know if there is a negative effect to any of these neighborhoods being gentrified other than people who once occupied them being forced to move out due to raising of taxes. Occurrences such as these are positive for the city from a broad perspective because it brings in much needed revenue and attracts people from other cities or states to possibly make Chicago a future destination for students or job opportunities.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. I also believe that diversity affects national identity in various beneficial ways. America has been rooted in its diversity from the very beginning, being dubbed as the land of opportunities for people of many backgrounds, or the "melting pot". So, diversity absolutely makes the country stronger and affects it in other beneficial ways as long as and only as long as everyone is contributing to society in advantageous ways. I didn't grow up in the city, but I did grow up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. Similarly to how you noticed a variety of segregated neighborhoods, the northwest 'burbs are definitely known for theirs too. I feel like it isn't as prominent and not as discussed in the suburbs as much as it is in the city, but we definitely had areas that were predominantly one race or ethnicity. When my family immigrated here from Soviet Russia, them and all of their friends occupied the neighborhood on Devon in Niles/Skokie. Now, that area consists of predominantly people of Indian descent and the whole wave of Soviet Russian immigrants has completely left the area. I also know that America is becoming significantly less "white", and the white majority will soon become the minority as we accommodate more and more people of vast races and ethnicities.
DeleteAlthough it might be slightly biased, I believe that the growing diversity of America is stunning. Though in what way will this affect American culture? I believe that the fear of becoming a minority may be growing, creating a deeper racial divide. Chicago was segregated and divided by Mayor Richard J. Daley because it allowed him control in Chicago. It also prevented the white flight which many mayors feared for Chicago. But as diversity grows, I hope that the white flight isn't a problem anymore. A growing representations of minority leaders and a normalization of minorities in communities should dismiss that racism and fear, in theory. I wonder how much more our culture would change as the demographic slowly changes.
ReplyDeleteI would agree that there is a fear among some white people about becoming the minority. I think this fear allowed Donald Trump to win the presidency. He ran on the idea of strict immigration and building a wall to keep people out. These people he wants out are the growing minority populations in the US that could make whites the minority. I think this shows that there has been an underlying problem of racism for a long time. Regardless of how our immigration policy plays out the trends still show that the minorities will become the majority so I wonder if this will just create a deeper racial divide in this country between those that are accepting and those that feel threatened by this change.
DeleteI would say our culture has become more polarized as a backlash to the demographic changes we are experiencing. Diversity is embraced by some and seen as the strength that it is, but many others feel threatened by this changed. Because white people have always been the group in power, they view equality as oppression. Minorities do not want more rights than the majority group but to be seen and treated as equal, but because they have always had an inordinate amount of privellege, equality feels like they are having their power taken away. The reasoning behind white flight is also an interesting concept to discuss because it is another backlash to growing diversity. It shows the fear within white communities of minorties. It demonstrates the resistance to acceptance and change in a large way because people have to be so averse to people of color that they are willing to uproot their entire life and move, just to get away from people of color and not have to accept them into their communities.
Delete-Anusha Jayaprakash
Tiana Petricevic
ReplyDeleteAs the daughter of an immigrant, I obviously think that immigration is beneficial to the country and this idea of an American identity. I believe the greatest thing about this country is each person’s ability to choose what they want that identity to look like. The segregation of our society, however, is a huge problem for citizens AND immigrants alike. As stated in the question, Chicago is a (not-so) great example of this. Other factors are important to point out here too: income inequality and availability of opportunity, which I think are the main proponents of this. I think that 1) we need to reform the immigration process because, as we learned, it hasn’t changed much (overall) since the 60’s, and the world is a VERY different place now with different issues. Those need to be addressed. 2) We need to solve problems of income inequality and availability of opportunity to make sure that the immigrants who are coming, come to a place that is hopefully welcoming and accepting.
Alex Stamatis
DeleteAs a daughter of an immigrant as well, I think that immigration is so important to the foundation of the US as well. My grandparents immigrated here, to Chicago, along with my father when he was very young. They came here for a better life, more job opportunities, and because a lot of our family had already come over. I think in Chicago specifically, you can easily see how segregated communities are- and that impacts our schooling system as well. The south side is so much more segregated from the rest of the city. In the Trump era we are currently in, I think we are supposed to think of immigration and think that it’s a bad thing- but it’s not- and a wall isn’t going to stop people from seeking asylum and opportunities for a new life. We talked about different push and pull factors in class, and those need to be taken into consideration. Some people have no choice but to come to the US and look to start a new life, and if we can’t provide that, then we aren’t being this inclusive and accommodating nation we claim to be. Diversity and immigration are a good thing and having such a melting pot of different cultures, backgrounds, races, and ethnicities is such a great thing.
I belive that diversity is good for the United States. We are a nation of immigrants and we must embrace that part of our identity. It strengthens our political identity by letting us here different point of views from different people. Once we start understanding that fact, we can move forward to the important issues. Segregation in Chicago is terrible. I've only lives here for a couple of months, but Chicago reminds me of stories in the 1960s. North and Eastside of Chicago has all the money and the South and Westside is underdeveloped. That just shows you who politicians care about. As a nation, I feel that we only accept diversity that we understand. For example, race has been more commonly accepted type of diversity over the year, but in contrast people in the LGBTQ community are not as widely accepted in our national diversity set up. - Egerton Abulu
ReplyDeleteI think diversity represents the United States and what keeps our nation strong, this diversity is something we should be proud of. Immigration is the foundation to the growth of diversity in the US. However, the segregation created from this diversity is not good specifically seen in Chicago. You can easily see the segregation in Chicago by simply looking at communities in the north vs. the south. Politically, diversity opens many opinions from different people on every topic. As a nation I think we need to accept immigration and see it as a positive more than a negative. But, the Trump Era has made immigration and diversity seem like a negative aspect for this country. I came from an immigrant household, and I believe diversity and immigration is a great thing because it exposes us to different cultures and ethnicities we may have not been familiar with.
ReplyDeleteTo me, it is hard to imagine America without immigration since that is in simple terms, what the foundation of our country was built on. My mom's parents came over from Italy first, and settled into the south west suburbs of Chicago with jobs. My mom and her siblings then followed a few years later with their grandparents, and they were all reunited with a new life in America. My family wouldn't be a family if it weren't for immigration in America, so for that I will always be supportive. Similar to my mom, the area we are from in the suburbs is FULL of immigrant ties and I can only see it all as a benefit. One thing I didn't have exposure to though is how segregated Chicago truly is. I think when I thought of the city of Chicago I thought of it as a whole rather than considering the various, and very very different, lives that are lived within it. There are significant differences in the city of Chicago between the North and South, and for the city of Chicago I feel like that is one of it's worst qualities. However though, what I will say is I don't think diversity and its acceptance is the ACTUAL issue here. I think a bigger divide is created among people when people choose to focus on what divides us, rather than what unites individuals within this country. Personally, I don't care to know your political party association, your rich or poor status, religious beliefs, nationalities, or your sexual orientation. You are a person just like me, and that connection is what I choose to see. Our differences are great and bring so many important aspects to our American life, but those differences aren't everything, and they aren't more important than what connects us.I have to wonder how things might be different if more people viewed our country through that lens...
ReplyDeleteSimilarly to you, Olivia, my family immigrated here as well, although from Poland. I cannot imagine America without considering its immigration foundation, Ellis island, all of the history. I find your take on the segregation and its reasoning to be pretty interesting. I have to agree with you that people forget we're all just human at the end of the day. I think it'd do people good to focus on the commonalities instead of the differences. I think something that people should also focus on with increasing diversity is tolerance, not necessarily acceptance. We won't all always like one another, but for the sake of everybody having tolerance for one another so we can coexist peacefully, I think that'd be key.
Delete-Paulina Michael
I find that the growing diversity of the United States forces Americans to confront the issue of racism. Diversity within the country is beneficial and should be celebrated. The growing diversity reveals how segregated urban areas have become. In Chicago, there are areas of the city that became known as the “Black Belt.” The “Black Belt” developed into an area that was the slums. When the Chicago Housing Authority tried to create solutions, white residents refused to allow for African Americans to integrate into their neighborhoods. Due to this rejection, Chicago has become the most segregated city in the country. Some of the country treats diversity as an attack against American values when in reality it strengthens the foundation of which this country was built on. On the Statue of Liberty it says, “Give me your tired, your poor…” as a celebration of immigration, but many Americans have forgotten that immigration is an important foundation to the country. Diversity strengthens the American political identity by giving it a new perspective. -Hannah Rhodes
ReplyDeleteI think that our multicultural identity is very important, and I would like, as the daughter of refugees, to believe that the more immigration and diversity in America is positive. I think that there is a difference between diversity and integration. Chicago is very diverse, but heavily segregated. I also believe that a white, male, Christian identity has been universalized in American history for so long that any ability to change that through added diversity is a perceived affront to that “American identity”.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you Flonja that multicultural identity is very important. As a daughter of an immigrant, I am an advocate for immigration and diversity. Chicago is known to be a very diverse city and it’s overall population is pretty much evenly divided. However, if you take a closer look you will find that Chicago still continues to be very segregated. This segregation is amplifying the cultural divide that has existed for many years. Not only is there racial segregation that exists within Chicago but also educational segregation as well as income segregation. If you head South past Roosevelt Road you will notice how different the communities and neighborhoods are than neighborhoods like Lincoln Park, or Gold Coast.
DeleteSoon, whites will be a minority in the United States. That is a fact. How that happened can be argued, whether it be the first poorer generation than the previous in American history choosing not to have children, the collapse of the traditional American family, or other reasons. This does not change the fact that whites will soon be in the minority in the US. This is not a bad thing. More diversity is good. More diversity generally means more ideas. More ideas means more innovation and business. Chicago is one of the most segregated cities in the country. I don’t actually believe this is primarily a function of racism, although it is obviously a major factor. I believe that geographic segregation is primarily a function of economic inequality. I believe the incoming diversity in terms of population will greatly reduce geographic segregation by reducing economic inequality.
ReplyDeleteWith this growing diversity in the US, I hope it means that people will become more accepting and inclusive. I, and I think most of my classmates would agree, that diversity only makes America stronger. I think that the way people feel about diversity and immigration depends heavily on someone’s generation. Baby boomers are often, but not always, threatened by people of other nationalities coming into this country, and even non-white people moving into their neighborhoods. Millennials and Gen Z on the other hand are more likely to embrace diversity. I think that this generational divide is important to note when looking at how America as a whole view’s diversity. Most of it has to do with the environment these generations were raised in. Gen Z is the most diverse generation yet and has grown up in a very different world than baby boomers. As these younger generations get older, I think that we will continue to see this shift in the way most Americans view diversity.
ReplyDeleteDiversity is a great thing that promotes the continued dialogue and understanding between groups. However, there is a major rural-urban divide here. Diversity is not a reality for most of rural America, especially in the north. It is in these communities without contact with other racial groups that fear of the 'other' is able to manifest. Conversely strides are being made in cities to promote this essential dialogue people, but at the same time the cities house the poorest and most mistreated of those persecuted groups. In these places, it is not diversity that is the problem, but inequality. It is my belief that diversity will not truly be a success until we couple it with equity and equality. These two realms pose very different problems. Because we do not have uniformity across the country, we are not able to talk about diversity in universal terms. Therefore, there is no simple fix, but a continued effort to accomplish what needs to be done in the specific area.
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that the foundation of America is diversity and therefore it is essential and a great thing. With growing diversity, I hope that individuals will become more accepting. Although there has been progress on acceptance, and this is not to denote that fact, but racists comments and actions are still everywhere. For instance this week, Katy Perry released shoes that resemble blackface and had to have them pulled. Another aspect of America that is not as widely recognized is that it is still very segregated. Specifically in Chicago, neighborhoods are gentrified and thus people are pushed out of their neighborhoods and homes because they can no longer afford to live there. Gentrification is simply the beginnings of segregation as people of color are usually the ones negatively affected by the transition. Segregation not only affects their housing conditions, which might I add are not well maintained and an issue in and of itself, but it also affects their education.
ReplyDeleteMorgan Triefenbach
I honestly do not think there are any weaknesses of any kind that could be the effect of immigration. Just as we have discussed in class, our nation has been built by immigrants that have come here over the last two centuries. It was literally built by people fleeing one country and starting a new one. Traditional Democracies, and famous Democratic philosophers have made emphatic defenses for immigration and open borders. America has embodied that characteristic of Democracies by being the most diverse nation. Diversity allows our national identity to constantly change, and adapt to the changing traditions and values of the various cultures brought in by immigrants. It allows new things to be learned, as long as you open to it. For places like Chicago, it means adapting to new cultures and new ways of learning and sharing an identity, and nurturing these new ideas. However immigration on too large a scale can cause to clashing ideas over too fast a period of time, rather than an adaption to the ideas. This is being framed as a problem in America, but I do not think that immigration is happening on too grand of scale to be considered a crisis. -Derek van Thullenar
ReplyDeleteI think the growing diversity will overall be a good thing for the country. There is definitely going to be some turmoil at first, what we're seeing in our country right now is an example of that. I think however over time it will improve. Once more people start
ReplyDeleteinteracting, the divide will hopefully be less intense. I think if anything it will make the idea of a national identity more diverse, and the United States could be become stronger because of it, it just will take time. Like other students have said, it's very much a generational thing, and more kids growing up with immigration as a norm will make the diversifying nation an easier process, so it can also be a model for other countries that will eventually go through the same process.
Increased diversity is very good for our nation because America began as a land of immigrants so being welcoming towards immigrants should inherently be part of our identities as Americans. However, a lot of people have developed heavy xenophobic attitudes which hold our nation back from achieving its full potential when it comes to diversity. The attitudes that a lot of people display make immigrants feel unwelcome and cause them to be segregated economically and socially, taking away from them the choice of whether to assimilate or not. Forced and institutionalized segregation means that no one can reap the benefits of diversity because it leads to a lack of exposure to different cultures through mixing. The current debate about the border wall isn't helping this situation much either. Hopefully, as time goes on, people will become more welcoming towards immigrants and won't see them as "the other" which will in turn lead to an easier diversification process. This can only happen though, if we broaden what we define as the "American identity."
ReplyDelete-Anna Starobinets
I think the segregation that is so widespread in the US hinders our ability to cultivate the beneficial effects of our diversity. Because there are so many racial divides on top of the growing urban/rural divide, I think it makes it that much more challenge to try and understand and build solidarity with other groups. Additionally, I think another divide that gets over looked is the fact that people are moving to areas where their neighbors are more likely to share similar viewpoints. Diversity of thought is, in my view, just as important as diversity of race. I think most liberals view diversity of race to be positive, but that sentiment is not the same for diversity of thought. I think our growing diversity will be good for the country so long as we can cultivate a strong American identity centered around our democratic ideals. This way, if people of all races, and religions uphold our democratic ideals at home, people abroad will take notice and hopefully fight to bring establish those ideals in their countries.
ReplyDeleteChicago is one of the most segregated cities in America. The North side is very different from the South side, both economically and racially. Redlining is a black mark on Chicago’s history and it must be addressed. I grew up in a fairly diverse neighborhood and it gave me the opportunity to meet people of all kinds of backgrounds. It is important for all Americans to be integrated and not separated. I am a strong believer in the idea that when you get to know someone and talk to them, you lose some of your preconceived notions. As a nation, diversity should be important because we all share this world and we all must work together to save it. Not everyone shares this sentiment, some white people will feel like they are losing their identity and that America is losing its identity. The idea of there being two Americas will continue as the country becomes more and more diverse. Urban life versus rural will be also be two different worlds.
ReplyDelete-Jeff Rios
I think the growing diversity in the U.S. is a positive thing. I grew up in the northern suburbs and, as you can tell from the map data, this was not a diverse area. While my high school was not racially diverse by any means, I feel as though it was diverse in that it had a significant population of Jewish students. It wasn’t until coming to DePaul that I realized that was unusual—DePaul is the biggest Catholic University in the country, but I’ve heard from friends that there were few Jewish students if any at their high schools. (I also became aware of how much I use Yiddish terms in casual conversation.)
ReplyDeleteOne of the reasons I decided to go to DePaul was because I wanted to go to school with a more diverse student population. While I personally do not feel threatened by increasing diversity, I think of the white supremacists that marched in Charlottesville and am concerned about how some groups will react to becoming a racial minority in the next few decades.
I think the growing diversity in America is the only way that American political identity and the agenda and structure of the nation can and will change. If there's anything history has proven in America it's that the white american male population is unwilling to give up the power that it has possessed and continues to possess for the betterment of the nation. It hasn't been until this past midterm election that we even began to see a number of women and women of color being elected into office. The way that this government and economy is structured is in a way that benefits the white upper class man. It will not be until this country becomes more and more diverse that this country's government will be able to change so that the needs of the majority of the American people will be represented in the best way possible.
ReplyDeleteDiversity in the United States is essential in my opinion. Globalization is expanding and I believe it is extremely helpful to have a country comprised of people from all over the globe that understand the interests of other states. Diversity promotes other manners of thinking about situations which could lead to innovations and intellectual growth overall. As for the desegregation of communities in Chicago I don’t really know how viable it is for mayoral candidates to try to desegregate the city. The segregation of communities causes many inequalities in the city of Chicago (although the south side has produced black elites) but I can see why many communities would continue to want to live amongst people with the same cultural background. Personally, I know that the majority of my community has traditions that are rooted with the shared cultural background. I live in Gage Park a southwest neighborhood that is predominantly Latino and I could never imagine not living there because it feels so communal. In the summer, there are older women speaking Spanish to each other and engaging in gossip while they wash the sidewalk and I feel like I couldn’t find that anywhere else in the city. People with the same cultural background have similar shared experiences making communities like that almost a safe haven. But it should be emphasized that anyone of any experiences and any cultural, ethnic, or racial background should easily be able to move and reside wherever they feel the most comfortable.
ReplyDelete-Karen Marin
Hi Karen!
DeleteYou brought up a point that I think is very interesting and through further examination can probably teach us a lot about the housing search process and its relation to racial residential segregation in America.
I’m sure there have been formal studies done on this topic, but I wonder to what extent people select the neighborhoods they would prefer to live in based on how many members of their own ethnic group that are already living there. Of course, there are many compounding factors within the housing search process (housing availability, price range, access to convenience locations), but I’d be curious to see how important different ethnic groups rate living in an area with their peers when these other factors are controlled for. I’d guess that nonwhite communities would prefer to live among others of their same ethnic backgrounds, as for groups that face racial discrimination there’s safety and comfort in numbers. Unfortunately, many of the areas that nonwhite groups can inhabit are routinely neglected by city and state governments (the south side of Chicago being a prime example). I also wonder if the rate of this preference would be similar across different groups or vary significantly.
- Nora
In my opinion, diversity only makes the United States stronger. Yet, I believe that as the US is getting more diverse, segregation is becoming more transparent. Growing up, I lived in a neighborhood that was predominantly Hispanic and African American, but I do know that before these groups, the majority was Polish and when Hispanics and African Americans started to move in, they left. Recently, I moved to Calumet City, and I noticed that not much has changed from city to city. They also have the “bad” neighborhoods like Chicago has and you can clearly see the racial divide. In my opinion, diversity isn’t bad but I would also be naïve to think that everyone shares this belief. I think that as diversity grows, racial divides become more apparent because as more people with different backgrounds are moving in, fears of being generalized or even forgotten may start to present themselves. For example, the United States was once white but since each day it becomes less white, the majority is slowly becoming the minority and people aren’t used to that. That would explain why more acts of racism are being evident and why it seems as if there’s a greater divide more than ever.
ReplyDeleteUndoubtedly, America has become more diverse over the past few decades. This does not, however, necessarily mean it's inclusive; a point many of our other classmates highlighted. The veneer of equity is ever-prominent within our schools and institutions. Taking a look at the skyrocketing rates of wealth/race disparity within some of the nearby neighborhoods, we can see this. School-wise, there needs to be more of an active effort by people of means to avoid sending their children to elite (and predominantly white) schools. Many CPS teachers boast sending their kids to CPS schools, and for good reason--after all, how can one claim to be a part of the same communities they purposely circumvent?
ReplyDeleteAnother important issue to tackle, I think, would be the compact clusters of rural white America--where the most political polarization occurs. Many Americans lack exposure, and as someone who grew up in a fairly urban and diverse neighborhood, meeting others who hold views and experiences so entirely different is pretty strange.