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Shankar 1
Sanjay Shankar
Ms. Jorgensen
English 10 Honors P.5
27 November 2018
The Caveats and Benefits Of An Integrated Community
Often, mainstream media broadcasts the brutality shown by policemen in communities
across the United States of America. Often, this brutality is shown towards racial minorities.
Often, these confrontations arise from a police’s suspicion of criminal activities. In mixed
neighborhoods across America, the struggle that African Americans, and minorities in general,
go through is appalling. But, there are indubitable positives of an integrated community. Creating
a functional and multicultural community comes with a plethora of social and economic
challenges, including prejudice and displacement of the poor, but can provide great benefits to
people, such as academic excellence.
Many social problems can transpire in interwoven communities. One common problem is
the concept of social degradation. Sheryll Cashin, in her article “The Failures of Integration”,
explains that “it is increasingly difficult for middle-income whites to afford the trappings of
middle class status, which includes a home in a “safe” neighborhood with “good” schools"
(Cashin 1). This translates to the fact that whites who cannot pay for the most expensive
neighborhoods end up living in mixed middle income neighborhoods which they consider horrid.
Due to this, the social status of minorities is degraded, as living in a mixed community is seen to
be directly comparable to living in an “unsafe” community. Another social problem that directly
affects mixed neighborhoods is corrupt politicians. According to Gregory Smithsimon’s book
Cause...And How It Doesn’t Always Equal Effect, “Politicians foster [other] racial problems too:
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the racialization of welfare recipients as black and their simultaneous vilification, the promotion
of a racialized crime hysteria, voter disenfranchisement, and the scapegoating of people of color
at every turn" (Smithsimon 1). This directly affects mixed communities, as corrupt politics leads
to certain amenities, such as welfare and healthcare, only being provided to those who politicians
have no prejudice towards. The sad truth is, they usually have prejudice towards minorities, thus
letting them suffer.
In mixed neighborhoods, economic disparities may create further turmoil. More
specifically, economic disparities are seen in a process known as gentrification. In Benjamin
Grant’s article “What is Gentrification?”, he explains that “gentrification is a general term for the
arrival of wealthier people in an existing urban district, a related increase in rents and property
values, and changes in the district’s character and culture" (Grant 1). Gentrification has its
benefits, such as improvements in infrastructure, but it comes with a heap of negatives. This is
due to the fact that those who usually “gentrify” neighborhoods are: white and wealthy. Thus,
when these rich people “improve” poor and urban areas, they displace the poor residents by
increasing the rates of rent for the land. Low-income families are forced to migrate from their
homes, which exacerbates their economic condition, as they have not much money at all and are
being forced to move. Grant implies later in his article that gentrification also decreases blue
collar jobs, such as industry and factory work, replacing them with high end properties. The
mixed neighborhood aspect of gentrification may sound positive in terms of improving the land,
but it has devastating impacts on people with low socioeconomic conditions, as it displaces them
and causes a loss in jobs in the secondary sector of the economy.
Despite all the caveats of an interwoven community, there are tremendous benefits for
both minorities and majorities. To access these benefits, a collective effort towards making a
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satisfactory society for everyone is needed. A great way to connect mixed neighborhoods is
through local programs. Local programs strive to encourage engagement throughout a society,
thus relaxing possible tensions that arise. Conley, in his article Communities Promote Diversity,
explains the positive impacts of “five communities that received awards for programs that
encourage citizen involvement and promote cultural diversity" (Conley 1). He explains that these
local programs promote diversity, which implies that they loosen much of the social stress
between different cultures. There is also concrete evidence that proves the effectiveness of
interwoven communities. In Marjory Austin Turner’s article, “Promoting Neighborhood
Diversity”, she explains the everlasting positive impacts of mixed communities, including
research which shows that “ residents of more diverse neighborhoods express less racial and
ethnic prejudice"(Turner 1). This statement can be further strengthened by introducing local
programs, as there will be less prejudice with the help of the community. Turner also furthers
that diverse communities have an enhanced level of education. Turner shows studies which
“find that white and minority students benefit both academically and socially from a racially and
ethnically diverse university community" (Turner 1). Better academics leads to minorities
escaping out of low socio-economic conditions. This impact is attainable with the
implementation of local programs.
As the nation progresses as a whole, there are two options for the ongoing squabble that
is the effectiveness of integrated communities. Either it continues its path, leading to the demise
of the population, or a turnaround of events could lead to positive outcomes for all races. The
Founding Fathers created this land as a place of equal man. Unfortunately, in the status quo, this
is not the case. Social and economic disparities and conflicts sweep through interwoven
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communities across the country. But, the positive turnaround would completely supersede the
negatives of these communities, and is attainable through communal effort.
Works Cited
Cashin, Sheryll. “The Failures of Integration.” Center for American Progress, 2005.
Conley. “Communities Promote Diversity.” American City and County, 15 March 2012.
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Grant, Benjamin. “What is Gentrification?” Flag Wars, PBS, 17 June 2003
Smithsimon, Gregory. “Are African American Families More Vulnerable in a Largely White
Neighborhood?” Cause… And How It Doesn’t Always Equal Effect, Melville House, 13
February 2018.
Turner, Marjory Austin, and Annette Rowlings. “Promoting Neighborhood Diversity, Benefits,
Barriers, and Strategies.” The Urban Institute, August 2009.

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Shankar 1

English 10 Honors P.5

The Caveats and Benefits Of An Integrated Community

Often, mainstream media broadcasts the brutality shown by policemen in communities

people, such as academic excellence.

affects mixed neighborhoods is corrupt politicians. According to Gregory Smithsimon’s book

letting them suffer.

In mixed neighborhoods, economic disparities may create further turmoil. More

specifically, economic disparities are seen in a process known as gentrification. In Benjamin

and causes a loss in jobs in the secondary sector of the economy.

interwoven communities. In Marjory Austin Turner’s article, “Promoting Neighborhood

implementation of local programs.

negatives of these communities, and is attainable through communal effort.

Grant, Benjamin. “What is Gentrification?” Flag Wars, PBS, 17 June 2003

Barriers, and Strategies.” The Urban Institute, August 2009.

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