A city of Neighborhoods: Diversity and Immigration

With a 40 minute subway commute and a successful L transfer under my belt, I made my way to Pilsen on Chicago's lower west side to explore its phenomenal National Museum of Mexican Art. Before departing for my excursion, I was given a map displaying the major "racial" groups for Chicago and the vicinity, based off the 2000 census. This particular map used variations in color to represent the different ethnic groups and their concentrations. It was evident that there were distinct pockets of culture located throughout the metro area. One of things I found particularly interesting was that communities containing residents that were 90%+ white and 90%+ African American shared an approximately equal area of lakefront property. I had expected the lakefront to be dominated by the traditionally wealthier white population. This visual guide also reiterated that fact that suburbs are traditionally white neighborhoods; there are very few ethnic enclaves located situated beyond the Chicago city limits.

Whereas there is almost certainly some factor of self-segregation in these communities, because racial support systems have heretofore been set up, there are most defiantly other forces combining to cause this marked racial segregation. While outward expressions have taken a nosedive since the days of segregation, subtle discrimination is still alive and well in most communities. An prominent example of this more inconspicuous discrimination is the unjust housing policies that some municipalities have chosen to adopt. This coupled with the already low number of affordable houses available has created a very limited market for minorities. This map indicated how the question is "whether Chicago will become a city of coexisting, cooperating groups sharing in ample resources, or a segregated city with heightened tensions among groups" (Maly and Leachman).

The National Museum of Mexican Art was a fabulous museum that I would highly recommend; in fact its only four hours later and I have already suggested it to two people. I found the exhibit on Mexican Muralists particularly engaging. Pilsen, though named from it's Czech heritage, is now largely a Hispanic neighborhood, and is easily identified by the outstanding murals dotting its streets. By looking at the impressive museum masterpieces, it is evident that there are some reoccurring themes in the works, specifically the plight of workers and the oppressed. Several pieces in the collection showed poor workers, such as field hands and factory workers in uncomfortable circumstances. Two of the pieces on oppression that were especially thought provoking dealt with the oppression in concentration camps during World War II. My favorite piece of art in the museum was called A Man to Remember by Charles H. White. (This is the picture featured in my post.) It was an unforgettable picture of a man so downtrodden and almost grotesque looking that you felt like you shouldn't stare, but yet couldn't look away. One of the most interesting elements in this piece was the whirlwind of brushstrokes surrounding the man, giving the impression that he is the only thing in focus. This clever technique forces you to acknowledge the immense suffering in the world, hopefully inspiring you to act for positive change.