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The Causes Of Segregation In The New York City

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Whenever one hears of segregation, they tend to write it off as a relic of the past. The Emancipation Proclamation as well as Civil Rights reforms further solidify this idea for many Americans that race relations have finally abated, and blacks and whites are equal. However for most minorities, segregation is still prevalent in everyday society in areas one least expects it. This is the case in New York City. One presumes that New York City - a sanctuary city that is deeply rooted in libertarianism, is deeply intertwined with segregation. Segregation is extremely ingrained subconsciously in the citizens of this city - after all in a city that is as diverse as New York, it seems like an evolutionary instinct for racial groups to band together as it increases survival for the entire pack. Chinatown is reflective of this primal instinct after larger numbers of Chinese immigrants came into New York during the 1800’s (New York Chinatown, 1). Most came in search of work and opportunities, and often worked in textile factories and tobacco rolling. Whites were outraged at Chinese immigrants as they couldn’t compete with their power wages and longer hours, and this animosity grew and climaxed at the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 (New York Chinatown, 2). As a result, the Chinese population self-segregated in what is known today as Chinatown, and founded their own businesses that satisfied their everyday needs such as supermarkets, temples, medical buildings, and more. One can walk

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