1. THE OTHER AMERICA
CHAPTER 27, SECTION 4

2. URBAN POVERTY Post-War wealth didn’t extend to all Americans
1960: ¼ of all Americans living in poverty
Who are the poorest?
Elderly
Single mothers
Minorities: African-Amer., Latinos, N. Amer.
Post-War Migrations: Massive inter-regional movement during 1950’s; Where?
“White Flight”: Millions of white Americans leave cities for suburbs
Afr.-Amer. Movement: : 5 mil. move from rural South to urban areas; Why?
U.S. economic expansion; industrial growth in North
Civil Rights problems in South

3. URBAN POVERTY (Cont’d.)
“White Flight”: Effects?
Cities lose businesses
Cities lose property / income taxes
Loss of tax base = Cities lose $ for …
Public transportation
Public schools
Emergency Services (Fire, Police Dept., etc.)
Infrastructure (road maintenance, etc.)
So… Cities begin to decay
See quote, bottom p. 820

4. URBAN POVERTY (Cont’d.)
White / Suburban America unaware / unconcerned w/urban poverty; Why?
Consumerism
Popular culture hid urban poverty
Suburban distance from cities
Solutions?
1949: National Housing Act ; Did What?
Demolition of rundown neighborhoods
Construction of low-income housing
Problems? Yes
Not enough housing constructed to accommodate all urban poor
So…Urban poor are simply moved out
“URBAN RENEWAL” = “URBAN REMOVAL”

5. L.A. City
Eviction
Notice,
1950

6. CHAVEZ
RAVINE, L.A.

10. THE GREAT WALL OF L.A.

13. LATINO & NATIVE AMERICAN ISSUES
Mexican-American & Native American Activism:
Growth of Afr.-Amer. Civil Rights movement encourages Latinos & N. Amer. to do same
Civil Rights “activism” increases after WW II
Mexican-Americans: large #s enter U.S. during & after WW II
Many are “Braceros”: Define:
Braceros: “hired hands” brought into U.S. to do agricultural work / harvest crops
Why? Workers needed to meet war demands
: 200,000 enter U.S.; expected to leave U.S. after work completed
Many stay in U.S. illegally

14. BRACEROS AT WORK

15. LATINO & NATIVE AMERICAN ISSUES,Cont’d.
U.S. Government responds:
When? 1954
What? Operation Wetback
Why? To stop flow of illegal immigration into U.S.
Did What?
: large-scale arrests made
: 2 million illegal aliens deported
So What?
Temporary, not long-term solution
Latinos still dealt w/many problems

18. PROBLEMS BECOME PUBLIC
THE LONGORIA INCIDENT:
When? 1945
What?
Felix Longoria, US Army KIA in Philippines
Texas funeral home owner denies family use of funeral home because they are Mexican-Am.
Mexican-Am. Population outraged
Results?
FDR has Longoria buried in Arlington National Cemetery
CA outlaws segregated classrooms for Mex.-Am. students
League of United Latin American Citizens gains nation-wide attention for Latino rights

19. NATIVE AMERICAN ISSUES
Problems for Native Americans:
Poor preparation for gaining job skills
High Unemployment
Tribes had no power to influence their own economic, political, cultural direction
N.A. do what?
1944: National Congress of American Indians
Goals:
To ensure equal rights for N. Americans
To enable N. Americans to retain their owns customs on Reservations
Federal Government actions:
1953: Termination Policy: Did What?
Feds eliminate federal economic support for N. Americans
Reservation system discontinued
Tribal lands distributed among individual Native Americans

20. The 50’s and Early 60’s Essay Topic
Consider the following three areas of American life:
Big Business
Daily Life
Popular Culture & the Mass Media
Which one of those three areas changed most noticeably in the Postwar (Post – WWII) era?
Why do you think so? Please explain.