Social Injustice: Economic Segregation

Social Injustice Project

Economic Segregation

"We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream."

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Presented By:

Manhattan Perez

Darby James

Jorge Ramírez

Pasamon Supajareerak

Merriam-Websters definition of Segregation:

the separation or isolation of a race, class, or ethnic group by enforced or voluntary residence in a restricted area, by barriers to social intercourse, by separate educational facilities, or by other discriminatory means

History of Economic Segregation

Racial segregation begins with Native Americans and the day that slaves were brought over. Through racism many African Americans, along with other minorities were not given the same opportunities as whites in America. After Slaves were free and the Reconstruction period was over in the South Freedman continued to be discriminated against and were denied jobs so they could never move up class system. Until this day many African Americans and many other minorities continue to live in lower economic areas which continues the vicious cycle.

Segregation In The Past

If you didn't guess D you are wrong!

You all live in the most economically

segregated city in America!

San Antonio economically segregation based on race?

From information shown below, you notice that many races are in a centrally located area. The idea of the "Black" side of town, "White" side of town, and "Hispanic" side of town is very much alive.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Nelson Mandela

The benefits of living in a well-to-do neighborhood with a good school district are attributes make for high property values and their children can count on a good formal education as well as the good informal education that comes from associating with successful, accomplished adults and peers outside of school.

According to the political economy of school financing, economic segregation between school districts reduces the educational attainment of low-income children because as poor neighborhoods become poorer, they tend to spend less on education.

"We were only allowed to attend school days when the weather was so bad that you couldn't do anything else. You couldn't work in the field. You couldn't cut bushes. You couldn't cut the bushes on the edge of the field. Then you could go to school a little bit, but then you had to walk four or five miles to get to school, a one room building. They had only one heater in the school that sat in the middle of the floor. There were hardly any textbooks or supplies for us. You had maybe one book for reading and one for arithmetic that you shared among all the students in your family. But most kids quit school by the time they were 12 or 13 because they had to work in the field."

- Edgar Williams

"Since my stay in San Antonio I have noticed that houses in the same area have the same size. People in the same area usually create a small community of the same values.

"We could stop economic segregation if the wealthy understand the poor and know how lucky they are that they were born into a wealth family, neighborhood, and help the average American have a better life. The economic segregation may never be stopped because it is hard to make everybody think the same way because they have different values. I think the government should do something because it is better than do nothing."

Teresa James

"San Antonio is segregated from other cities economically because we are doing better because of oil eagle shale, travel industry (we have great weather), military and retirement community (low Texas), because we do business partners to do what's right for all, not just what's right for me."

Manhattan's Perspective

Learning that San Antonio is the number one economically segregated city was almost shocking, but at the same time I understood why it was like that way. We see San Antonio based on the different sides of town. The side of town I live on is considered to be the "White, rich" side of town with the stereotype that every person on this side of town drives their brand new Mercedes and lives in million dollar houses. Although, there are families like this not every single person lives like this. One thing I noticed from living on this side of town my whole entire life was that people still continue to hold pre-conceived notions that because I am African American I should have a certain attribute about me. I've been told on multiple occasions that I have very good speech. Surely, I should take this as a complement? The only thing is that every other kid I go to school with talks the same exact way that I do. I don't happen to speak like a "black person should". Like Martin Luther King, Jr. I have a dream as well: I hope that all types of segregation will be eliminated. I understand that this dream is about as real as World Peace or perfect Utopian society, but I think that if the American people and American government work together for a change something will eventually happen. The ripple has to start somewhere.

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”

Mother Teresa

Pasamon's Perspective

As an exchange student, I think economic segregation is everywhere in this world but some places are just not obviously. My house that I lived in Bangkok, Thailand, is in the end of a small street from the main street. When I walked into my street I see small houses that didn't look so nice. People have the same kind of jobs and the kids go to the same school, but I will see many kind of houses. It seemed like different classes live in the same area and kids go to better school that their parents can support. For me, economic segregation in San Antonio really obvious. I see it when I go to school. I compared Lee High School with Reagan High School (I take a bus to Reagan after school)and I think Reagan environment around the school is better than Lee's, and then I noticed that there are very nice neighborhoods around Reagan and better than around Lee. That is because much income that they get is spent on education..

Jorge's Perspective

While working with my group members on this project, we learned something that really shocked us. Apparently, San Antonio is the most socioeconomically segregated city in the U.S. When I heard this I thought it was a joke. If i were to guess which city is the most economically segregated, I would have guessed a major city in Alabama or Mississippi. After a while I started to think about it and I realized how true this fact is. For example, the North, East, West, and South side. They are really different. The East side is primarily latino and black, the West and South side is primarily latino, and the North side is where most of the whites are concentrated. I also started to think about the city in which I used to live in. It is a small city in California called Lynwood which is right next to Compton. It used to be mostly all white, but then the latinos and the blacks moved in. That caused the white people of Lynwood to move out, and now Lynwood is mainly black and latino. It’s like the East side here in San Antonio. After all of this, some research, and a bit of talking with my parents, I do realize that San Antonio is the most socioeconomically segregated city in the U.S.

Darby's Perspective

It really shocked me to figure out that San Antonio is the most socioeconomically segregated city in the Nation. I would have never expected it to be our city. I know that we are very segregated but I expected it to be like some city in Alabama or one of the other southern states. The more you think about it, the more apparent the situation appears. While driving to school, from my house, you can see the segregation as you pass by different neighborhoods. The neighborhood I used to live in, a long time ago, was in the Madison school district. The homes were significantly smaller than the ones in and around my neighborhood today. Back when I used to live there, it was a predominately hispanic school. But it is starting to even out between whites and hispanics. This is a good improvement and a step in the right direction. I don't know what there is too do, because most people self segregate themselves. I guess the best way to is to get rid of the stereotypes one group has for another.

Citations

1) "A New Kind Of Segregation, Income Segregation? : NPR." NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2013. <http://www.npr.org/2012/08/13/158694543/a-new-kind-of-segregation-income-segregation>.

2)Drennon, Christine, and Another View. "The roots of economic segregation - San Antonio Express-News." San Antonio News, Weather, Sports, Spurs, Breaking | Express-News | mySA.com - San Antonio Express-News. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2013. <http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/commentary/article/Restrictive-policies-economically-segregated-3779323.php>.

3) "Economic segregation rising in US public schools - CSMonitor.com." The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2013. <http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2010/0527/Economic-segregation-rising-in-US-public-schools>.

4) "Economic Segregation in U.S. Neighborhoods » Sociological Images."The Society Pages. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2013. <http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2012/08/06/economic-segregation-in-u-s-neighborhoods/>.

5) "The 10 Most Economically Segregated Cities In America: Pew." Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2013. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/02/cities-economic-segregation_n_1733178.html#slide=1320482>.

6) "The Legacy of the Civil Rights Movement - The Civil Rights Movement in Virginia - Virginia Historical Society." Virginia Historical Society - The Center for Virginia History. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2013. <http://www.vahistorical.org/civilrights/legacy.htm>.

7) Waldron, Travis. "STUDY: American Schools Still Largely Segregated On Racial, Economic Lines | ThinkProgress."ThinkProgress. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2013. <http://thinkprogress.org/education/2012/09/20/879011/american-schools-segregation/?mobile=nc>.

8) " Blacks and Whites Favor Same-Race Neighborhoods | Segregation | LiveScience ." Science News – Science Articles and Current Events | LiveScience . N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2013. <http://www.livescience.com/20663-black-white-segregated-neighborhoods.html>.

9) "Chart: American Income By Race : Planet Money : NPR." NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2013. <http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2009/09/chart_american_income_by_race.html>.we

During the Civil Rights Movement

All Photo Credit:

Pasamon Supajareerak

Education during the Civil Rights movement

The civil rights movement was a heroic episode in American history. It aimed to give African Americans the same citizenship rights that whites took for granted. It was a war waged on many fronts. In the 1960s it achieved impressive judicial and legislative victories against discrimination in public accommodations and voting. It had less complete but still considerable success in combating job and housing discrimination. Those best able to take advantage of new opportunities were middle-class blacks—the teachers, lawyers, doctors, and other professionals who had served as role models for the black community. Their departure for formerly all-white areas left all-black neighborhoods segregated not only by race but now also by class. The problem of poverty, compounded by drugs, crime, and broken families, was not solved by the civil rights movement.

The process of school integration begun by the Brown decision of 1954 is viewed by some as a failure because many schools remain segregated by race as blacks and whites still, mostly, live in distinct neighborhoods. But no longer does the law assign blacks to separate schools. Although Brown dealt only with discrimination in education, it effectively sounded the death knell for the whole Jim Crow system of second-class citizenship. That is its greatest significance. However, it took the efforts—and in some cases the lives—of many men and women, black and white, to finally conquer Jim Crow.

From the Voting Rights Institutes

Inequality remains. The average income of black families is still well below that of whites. Even college-educated blacks earn less than their white counterparts. The civil rights movement did not achieve complete equality, but greater equality. It brought the reality of Virginia closer to the promise articulated by Virginian Thomas Jefferson when he wrote "that all men are created equal."

Pasamon Supajareerak

Neighborhood

& Educations