No matter how long I've been away from this community, Bridgeport will always be my home. I spent the first 10 years of my life living in this South Side neighborhood and couldn't have had a better place to call home. Although a majority of the population in Bridgeport are from non-immigrant families, the community is still very diverse. Bridgeport is home to many Irish-American, Italian-American, Chinese, and Hispanic families. Even though my family and I never faced this problem, race relations in Bridgeport were and still are an issue within the community. Because Bridgeport is home to many families with "traditional" values, Bridgeport is known for the segregation that goes on within the community.
I know I do not speak for everyone of the Bridgeport community when I say that race relations in the community are more prominent between the African American community in Bronzeville and the Irish and Italian American communities in Bridgeport. One example of this would be the Dan Ryan expressway. The bridge that extends on 35th street from Bridgeport to Bronzeville has been said to keep African Americans from entering the Bridgeport community (Ryan). There aren't people actually stopping the black community from entering Bridgeport but this argument makes sense. The expressway acts as a dividing line between blacks and whites in what is supposed to be a diverse city. In fact, the dividing line of the Dan Ryan has done its job to keep African Americans out of Bridgeport as "the African American population remains below one percent" (Ryan). This also adds on to the argument that even though Chicago is home to many races and ethnicities, neighborhoods within the city are very segregated based on race.
Another example of how Bridgeport is such a segregated community comes from a beating of a young African American male back in 1997. Even though this example was a while back, the time in which it happened is too recent to say that hate crimes were a common thing to happen. Lenard Clark, the victim, was riding his bike near Armor Square Park when three men knocked him off his bike and started beating him until he was unconscious because he was in "'their neighborhood'" (Ryan). Clearly, Bridgeport is an area that deals with race in the wrong manner, and even though the community itself can be diverse, the views of some of its residents may not be as open as its diversity.
A recent concern not dealing with race that is being brought up is gentrification. With the opening of the Bridgeport Art Center just a little over 10 years ago, Bridgeport is a new location that many young artists may be thinking of moving into. The art center offers a home for young aspiring artists to work on their art as well as a chance to display it to the public. Later seen through the examples of Pilsen and Wicker Park, one cause of gentrification is linked to the migration of young artists looking for a new place to live. In Aimee Levitt's article, "The Migration of the Hipster," she points out that Bridgeport is a new location that young artists should consider moving to. Even though a current resident doesn't believe there will be a mass migration of young artists to Bridgeport, the possibility of Bridgeport undergoing gentrification is still possible (Levitt). Bridgeport does offer a welcoming home to young artists looking to work on display their art.
What makes me believe that Bridgeport will only go under minor changes is that the likelihood of Bridgeport undergoing gentrification is not that high. Even though the community offers a home to young artists, Bridgeport is still not as open minded as other areas of Chicago might be due to the ongoing issue of race relations. Bridgeport is still home to an older generation of Chicagoans which is why I don't see Bridgeport facing the issue of gentrification. Although the effects of gentrification might be positive in Bridgeport's case, the neighborhood doesn't offer a welcome to a change that could bring in more diversity.
I know I do not speak for everyone of the Bridgeport community when I say that race relations in the community are more prominent between the African American community in Bronzeville and the Irish and Italian American communities in Bridgeport. One example of this would be the Dan Ryan expressway. The bridge that extends on 35th street from Bridgeport to Bronzeville has been said to keep African Americans from entering the Bridgeport community (Ryan). There aren't people actually stopping the black community from entering Bridgeport but this argument makes sense. The expressway acts as a dividing line between blacks and whites in what is supposed to be a diverse city. In fact, the dividing line of the Dan Ryan has done its job to keep African Americans out of Bridgeport as "the African American population remains below one percent" (Ryan). This also adds on to the argument that even though Chicago is home to many races and ethnicities, neighborhoods within the city are very segregated based on race.
Another example of how Bridgeport is such a segregated community comes from a beating of a young African American male back in 1997. Even though this example was a while back, the time in which it happened is too recent to say that hate crimes were a common thing to happen. Lenard Clark, the victim, was riding his bike near Armor Square Park when three men knocked him off his bike and started beating him until he was unconscious because he was in "'their neighborhood'" (Ryan). Clearly, Bridgeport is an area that deals with race in the wrong manner, and even though the community itself can be diverse, the views of some of its residents may not be as open as its diversity.
A recent concern not dealing with race that is being brought up is gentrification. With the opening of the Bridgeport Art Center just a little over 10 years ago, Bridgeport is a new location that many young artists may be thinking of moving into. The art center offers a home for young aspiring artists to work on their art as well as a chance to display it to the public. Later seen through the examples of Pilsen and Wicker Park, one cause of gentrification is linked to the migration of young artists looking for a new place to live. In Aimee Levitt's article, "The Migration of the Hipster," she points out that Bridgeport is a new location that young artists should consider moving to. Even though a current resident doesn't believe there will be a mass migration of young artists to Bridgeport, the possibility of Bridgeport undergoing gentrification is still possible (Levitt). Bridgeport does offer a welcoming home to young artists looking to work on display their art.
What makes me believe that Bridgeport will only go under minor changes is that the likelihood of Bridgeport undergoing gentrification is not that high. Even though the community offers a home to young artists, Bridgeport is still not as open minded as other areas of Chicago might be due to the ongoing issue of race relations. Bridgeport is still home to an older generation of Chicagoans which is why I don't see Bridgeport facing the issue of gentrification. Although the effects of gentrification might be positive in Bridgeport's case, the neighborhood doesn't offer a welcome to a change that could bring in more diversity.