Race and the Community Suburb

race and the community suburb of one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the country if not possibly the world, Joliet exhibits a curious combination of tolerance and tension. Having lived here a number of years, I feel strongly that most social conflict stems more from economic and class issues than due to race or ethnicity. Having experienced a high degree of economic depression and unemployment, residents seem segregated more in terms of their class status than their heritage. Still, race and ethnicity play a major role in community demographics and some neighborhoods seem stunningly segregated. Being a part of the greater Chicago area makes it easier to address these issues. I believe that urban centers foster open-mindedness. City councils and other municipal public and private organizations are generally peopled by representatives from all local ethnic groups. Diversity at the official level prevents overt social injustices, even if Joliet is not yet a model of racial harmony. Having investigated the resources available in our community and through interviews with residents and active members of local organizations, I believe that this community can congratulate itself on promoting positive diversity. However, I do feel that increased attention must be paid to issues like small business development and other economic avenues for community enrichment. Community leaders agree, noting that while Joliet still reveals sources of ethnic tension that our greater problems lie with economic inequity.

In fact, my interviews with community leaders and residents have transformed my perspective of this community in substantial ways, bringing to my attention issues I never thought of before. Among the most important included the lack of attention paid to the plight of local schools and the ways students are becoming increasingly segregated. The repercussions of peer segregation in public schools is far-reaching because students who have unequal access to the cultural capital necessary for upward social mobility then poverty will continue to plague minority communities.

Contrary to what I believed before commencing this research, affirmative action programs have become stymied in recent years to the point that minorities confront discrimination in the workplace and in local politics. This was an issue discussed by two of my interview subjects, whereas the others viewed affirmative action with some derision. Accusations of reverse racism continue to shroud affirmative action that could be used to help minority men and women become more active in local politics and business organizations.

Another somewhat controversial topic among Joliet residents is the value of multiculturalism and its role in our community. Some see multiculturalism as an ideal: to stimulate ethnic pride and create more economically self-sustaining subcultures. Others view multiculturalism as a hindrance to true integration and harmony: the opposite of the "melting pot" that has governed the American ideology especially in the Midwest. Personally I enjoy the preservation of ethnic enclaves and do believe that multiculturalism can benefit all community members.

We Midwesterners have been aware of the particular issues in Black-White community relations for a century or more but only within the past several decades have we understood the added complexity of multiculturalism. The Latino community in Joliet has increased substantially over the last 20 years or so. Now there are as many Latino residents in our community as there are African-Americans. Cross-cultural communication is not as black-and-white as it used to be.

Joliet is predominantly white but has substantial African-American and Latino populations. Being from a mixed heritage but visibly white, I do not feel out of place at all here and know that many other members of the community look and think like me. The way I dress, speak, and carry myself are all emblems of my background, which I think allows me to relate to a greater number of people. I do not have any outstanding features or disabilities that would cause other people to treat me differently. Most members of the community in which I live treat me like I am an insider, part of the in-group. At the same time, I am Caucasian and therefore isolated from minority communities and am often treated like an out-group member when among people of different ethnic or racial backgrounds than me.

Leaders of the community treat all community members with respect. However, Caucasian people can generally count on the benefit of the doubt not usually reserved for persons from other ethnic backgrounds. I believe, and interviews substantiate my believe, that social class often has a greater bearing on how a community member is treated than ethnicity. Occasionally community leaders treat individuals who do not speak English differently. This is partly due to the frustration that comes from not being able to communicate in the same language but partly to the discrimination against non-English speakers, who are viewed as having some sort of physical deficit. I also believe that Latinos in our community receive a fair bit of discrimination from some community leaders but not all.

The community leader I interviewed was in fact Latino and claimed that it was often difficult to be in his position as a minority. To protect his privacy I changed his name to Mr. Gonzales for this report. He indicated experiencing discrimination even as an official and a professional. However, Gonzales claimed it was even harder for Latino members of the community. When new members of the community do not speak English they run into sometimes insurmountable obstacles. Their children struggle in school because they cannot ask their parents to help with homework like other students can. In fact, their parents ask the children to translate important forms and other information for them. They remain poor because of the lack of resources available to them in terms of job advancement. Thus, Gonzales said that what we have is a segregated society.

Speaking only about Joliet, Gonzales noted that there is not much difference between the highest and lowest income. Income disparity is more obvious in other parts of the metropolitan area. As a result, residents of Joliet tend to be regarded the same by other members of the community. Caucasian residents probably still enjoy the "white privilege," especially as affirmative action programs are being phased out and white community members do tend to have slightly higher incomes than their non-white counterparts.

The educational texts and work manuals I have been exposed to have become more inclusive. Photographs are not just of white people but of persons of color as well as individuals with physical disabilities. As a white person, it is hard to read manuals as if I were a minority to find out if there are assumptions or subtle discrimination contained in them. Therefore, I asked several community members and leaders how they felt about the public and official materials they have read. Many did not notice any overt discrimination in those texts. However, one observant community member pointed out that many texts are written by Caucasian individuals who assume their cultural values and norms are universal. Gonzales noted that the lack of Spanish-language materials to help new immigrants is exclusionary and therefore white people are privileged in terms of language as well as other cultural variables.

The local media represents most of the cultures in our community. Anchors are men and women from various racial backgrounds. There are slightly more white media anchors and reporters, which generally reflects the ethnic proportion in our community. Media coverage, however, is skewed somewhat. Crime is reported heavily on the local news. The crime that is reported tends to be those committed by minorities. This disproportionate representation of minorities is harmful to their community, Gonzales noted, echoing many of the articles I have read about ethnicity in diverse communities and how the media plays a major role in shaping self-image and community identity. Rarely do we see positive portrayals of minority members of the community such as profiles of successful minority business leaders.

However, there are many successful minority members of the Joliet community. Several community leaders and civil servants are African-American and Latino. Whites are also represented in positions of leadership. White members of the community like me have therefore always had role models in positions of power. Having more minority individuals in positions of power helps transform subordinate social statuses into an egalitarian society. Our community is ethnically and racially diverse and increasingly, linguistically diverse. This diversity should be celebrated, not suppressed. One of the things I love most about living here is the diversity in the community and in the greater Chicago area.