BY L.M.
Deindustrialization
and criminalization are very closely linked with segregation. The main
difference between white neighborhoods and some segregated Hispanic/black
neighborhoods are deindustrialization and criminalization. As a community is
deindustrialized its property value goes down. As the businesses leave they
take away the jobs with them making most people in this communities jobless. According
to the recent reports poverty and unemployment are the 3rd most
causes for crimes and criminal activities in united states. This leaves us with
the question why is these Hispanic/black neighborhoods getting deindustrialized
and criminalized? The only difference between these communities is color of the
people.
The
answer to this question is neglect from police departments which is a form of
institutionalized racism and the way media portray these communities. Long
island a very segregated area of New York. Most of the Hispanics, Latinos and
blacks like in segregated communities. For example, West Hempstead and New
castle. These two towns are predominantly occupied by Hispanics and blacks.
These towns are part of Nassau county. But till this day Nassau police refuse
to patrol and be responsible for this towns. Therefore, these towns have their
own police departments which is very expensive and dysfunctional. This causes
the crime rate to sky rocket in these towns.
The
other main reason is the way media portray these communities. The main stream
media portray these communities as very crime prone places and not suitable to
life safely. News and entertainment media have reinforced these anxieties by
seemingly adhering to an unwritten rule that the only Latino stories worth
telling are about troubled youths or the people to strive to steer them straight.
(Hayes,1) This causes the property value to drop significantly. For example,
the property values in Levittown and Hicksville are 3 times as of what is it in
New castle and West Hempstead. This also prevents the working class Hispanics
and blacks from moving to these high class, mostly white communities. Institutionalized
racism and discrimination makes it very hard to change these situations around.
In a very segregated area such as long island it will take a very long time for
this to happen
SOURCE:
“The criminalization of Latino identity makes fighting gangs that much harder”,
Los Angeles times, David Hayes, 9/15/1996.
I really like the content of your post and how it portrays the truth and differences between white and Hispanic/black neighborhoods.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned reports on unemployment and poverty. Do you know what the 1st and 2nd most causes of crime/criminal activity are?
In response to your second and third paragraphs, I am mind boggled all over again about how literally everything is against blacks and Hispanics.
I thought this would be of interest to you that my Social Movements professor informed the class about how CDTA bus line isn't allowed to have a route to Clifton Park because whites and wealthier people fought back against having blacks and Hispanics into their neighborhoods. This is a recent example of why communities today are still segregated.
I like how you talked about the police departments in West Hempstead and New Castle being less active in the predominantly Hispanic/Black neighborhoods that have been deindustrialize. This shows how the neighborhoods that are Hispanic and Black are deprived of businesses and jobs, therefore polluted with crime. The media is also a good way to show how the criminalization of these places are further enhanced to others who don't live there or live in affluent neighborhoods.
ReplyDeleteI like how you talked about the police departments in West Hempstead and New Castle being less active in the predominantly Hispanic/Black neighborhoods that have been deindustrialize. This shows how the neighborhoods that are Hispanic and Black are deprived of businesses and jobs, therefore polluted with crime. The media is also a good way to show how the criminalization of these places are further enhanced to others who don't live there or live in affluent neighborhoods.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the part where you say media portrays these communities as full of crime and not being able to love safely. For example I live in south Bronx and when I tell people this they think of crime. In the specific part of south Bronx that I live in, I feel safe. Not type of criminal activity happens there when I am home. The news reports on two or three places in the bronx and automatically people have a stigma towards the Bronx as a whole.
ReplyDeleteI find this issue to be interesting, and at the heart of a lot of problems and stereotypes that Latino/a's face. Living in a deindustralized and criminalized neighborhood cannot be good for the people in it, especially not the children growing up there. I also think that some of this segregation, deindustralizing, and criminalization is perpetuated and encouraged by the process of redlining that went on in the 1900's.
ReplyDeleteWhen reading the part that you wrote about how these areas are portrayed negatively by the media, I thought of the video we saw in class where a pop star (Fergie?) was driving through a poorer area of NYC. It was not somewhere that seemed to be very criminal, in fact it seemed like propaganda showing how much character and spirit this area has. And yet, this commercial also came under fire. I wonder how the media needs to start portraying these areas in order to be right, and start solving these issues?