Chicago is one of those places where there is much diversity when it comes to races, but low key Chicago is one of the most segregated cities in America! Since Chicago is a big city, there are a lot of different neighborhoods. As times changed, so did the neighborhoods. Different people of different races move in, and sometimes because of that, people decide to move out. Even though segregation was fixed by Martin Luther King, whether you like it or not, there is a lot of racial separation in Chicago that still exists today.
An example would be my neighborhood. When my parents and sister first moved to "my" house 20 years ago, there were a lot more Polish people. As time progressed, they decided to move out, bringing other races to my neighborhood. As more time progressed, I was around two or three when my Asian neighbor decided to move out and rent their house to a different family. That way, my neighbor could get more profit, and the newcomers to the neighborhood could be happy. Many different families moved to the house next door, as around every 2 years or so, there would be a new family that moves in, sometimes a different race than the previous owner. Also, recently there were some Asian families that moved to my block and the block next to mine. Given that, you could say that the majority of my neighborhood is Mexican and Asian.
Another thing about Chicago is the fact that a few blocks makes a difference! One second you can be driving through a decent neighborhood and the next second.. YOU SEE A RATCHET HOOD!(That's only a few blocks away from the decent neighborhood.) Low key, my parents would warn me to not get out of the train when I accidentally reach the "hood", but thankfully that hasn't happened yet. *knock on wood*
Anyways, that's about it for Chicago neighborhoods. Believe it or not, back around when Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas as a complete stranger to the Native Americans, their reaction was shocked. At the same time, the Native Americans attempted to be welcoming, and their reactions are similar to our reactions when a new neighbor comes around.
Back then- 1492, Native American's Journal
It was cold, yet it was just like any other day in the Americas. I hunted for deer that day, and I got it. I was eating warm rabbit meat when I heard the waves of the ocean. "Swoosh, swoosh!" It was getting louder and louder. It was unusual for the waves to be moving so fast, so I turned my head to where the ocean was, and from a distance, I could see white. "Were they people?!," I thought to myself, shocked as I made out a ship that was getting closer and closer to the shore. The white shouted out something unfamiliar to me, but their rough voices were loud and obnoxious. As the white got even closer, the birds that surrounded near the ocean flapped their tiny wings, going to an unknown world with freedom. As I glanced over to the ocean once more, I could make out the white. They looked like people, but their faces were really unfamiliar to me. I've never seen a person so light before, and their eyes... their eyes were blue, unlike everybody else in my tribe. Finally they reached the shore, and they shouted something that sounded like excitement. Again what they shouted sounded loud and obnoxious, and I couldn't make out their words as they spoke fast.... There goes my tribe..
I like how you applied this prompt to a personal experience and to the discussion we had in class about how Chicago is still basically separated by race, but I have two questions:
ReplyDeleteDo you think there was a reason that attracted certain races to live in your neighborhood? Also, do you feel like you or other people are quick to judge certain neighborhoods in the city? If yes, why would they do so?
Thank you! Yes, I think there is a reason for certain races living in my neighborhood. I think that one of the factors that affect certain races to live in my neighborhood are the type of people living in my neighborhood (which would include race, whether or not they're "good" people, and even age) Answering your other question, yes I do feel like people are quick to judge about certain neighborhoods based on what they see on the news and what they hear from others. For example: You see a certain neighborhood always on the news because of gangs and shootings- of course we would judge that and think to yourself that it isn't particularly a "safe" place to go to. We warn other people about what we hear, and before we know it neighborhoods around that area might also be judged and classified as "bad" mainly because of what we hear from the news and other people.
DeleteI can relate to this! Chicago is separated by race. There is a bridge by where I live that separates the African Americans from the Mexicans. Why do you think people choose to live with their own race instead of living with people with different races?
ReplyDeleteI feel like people choose to live with their own race because certain people are more comfortable with their own race. For some, it's like a feeling of "safety" in a sense. If it's your own race living in your neighborhood, you know more about what they are "up to" since you have less differences and more to relate to them. Therefore I feel like one of the big factors that lead to racial separation are the racial differences and the tolerance of living with one another.
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