The Other America -by Vivek Sainanee

The urban poor made up almost 1/4 of the American population. These were the people that were below the poverty level. In the 1950s, many of the middle-class whites decided to move to the suburbs to start again. On the other hand, much of the black population moved to the urban areas. Unfortunately, the poverty level increased, and many minorities had to live in slums . The proposition of Urban renewal proposed a solution to this problem. It proposed that they tear down the poorly constructed buildings of the current neighborhood. Then, they would build new housing that could fit as many people as possible in the smallest amount of space possible. The proposition did not come into place, however, and parking lots, shopping centers, highways, parks, and factories were built instead of the new housing.


During the Second World War, much of the workforce was off fighting the war. During this time, American Government started a plan in which Mexicans known as braceros were allowed into the US to contribute to the work force. The braceros mostly harvested crops. The Longoria Incident was a Mexican American hero of World War Two who was killed, but the government in his home town refused to pay the funeral services. Many Native Americans gained citizenship, fought for rights, and joined the American army to fight in World War Two. In 1953, the United States Federal Government announced they would cease to take responsibility of the Native American tribes. This became widely known as the termination policy. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, however, took charge by starting a relocation program to help Native Americans settle in cities. Many of the Native Americans in cities were not able to get decent jobs. Many were subject to racial prejudice and many did not have access to health care. By 1963, the government realized what they were doing and abandoned the termination policy.

by Vivek Sainanee