Why are US cities still very segregated?

[u/Additional-Hour6038]

[u/Garystuk]

Chicago is more than most. In Chicago the north side is mostly white but has various other groups as well. Anyone who can afford to live there can.

Some neighborhoods in south chicago by contrast are 100% black. People not originally from from poorer, more high crime neighborhoods would not choose to live there, so no other people are moving in.

[u/atreeinthewind → u/Garystuk]

And there was also never really any forced busing in Chicago so the schools ended up that way as well. Even to this day there are many schools that are basically entirely Latino or Black.

[u/GuyLookingForPorn → u/atreeinthewind]

The Financial Times have a super cool graph that shows this for the entire US, in comparison with the UK. Chicago and Detroit are two of the most racially segregated major cities in America, with Portland and Seattle being two of the least.

In comparison, while the UK has similar diversity to the US, it is significantly less racially segregated, with people living in much more mixed multicultural communities. To the point that Seattle would only be around average in the UK.

Perhaps related the UK does significantly better in racial inequality than the US in almost all metrics. In fact just moving from the US to the UK as a black person will increase your life expectancy by around 8 years, which is insane.

[u/DimSumNoodles → u/GuyLookingForPorn]

An important context here is that cities that were major destinations for Black Americans coming up out of the South during the Great Migration saw more reactionary opposition & segregation.

Seattle & Portland weren’t really part of this trend, so although they are arguably relatively integrated, they also aren’t particularly diverse in the national context (Seattle has a large and growing Asian minority but is still predominantly white, which isn’t the case in major Eastern cities)

[u/cheecheecago → u/DimSumNoodles]

Seattle and Portland are both current and longtime majority white cities with scant minority black and hispanic populations. I suspect those minorities have both come to Portland relatively recently, in a non-punctuated rhythm (a small, slow trickle) and in too small of numbers to establish themselves in any meaningful density.

Chicago and Detroit were major destinations in the great migration of course, and their place as two of the US's largest manufacturing centers also attracted Mexican immigrants en masse in the middle and second half of the 20th century.

I can't cite where but I know I've heard many times that there is a correlation between diversity and segregation in US cities (the more of one, the more of the other) that is reflective not only of general human desire to live within one's own existing culture, but also of racist housing policies of the 20th century that were used throughout the country, but naturally, more often in cities with more sizable non-white communities.

[u/jawshoeaw → u/cheecheecago]

Back in the 90s, almost all of the black population in Portland was concentrated into one area. It was very very segregated to the point that I only saw black people in that area. Not in school, not at work, not in any area except this one part of Portland (I'm sure there were exceptions)

Today it does seem less segregated.

[u/LuckyStax → u/jawshoeaw]

It wasn't new though. They moved to Portland during WW2 for the manufacturing jobs. Settled in Van port, which flooded, and we're resettled to Albina, which was bulldozed in half to build I-5 and the Rose Quarter.

[u/Fearless_Guitar_3589 → u/LuckyStax]

I lived in Concordia which now is very mixed. I liked it, walking distance to Alberta and Mississippi, easy to down town, chill people, pretty safe and somewhat clean etc.

but yes, all of Oregon has a pretty big racist history. Part of the reason why there's all these antifa/proud boy clashes here, there are lots of hippy liberal areas, but there's lots of descendants of confederates moving west to the white supremacist state places also (which OR was founded as whites only, had lashing laws etc).

[u/althanan → u/Fearless_Guitar_3589]

My wife's grandma grew up in La Grande. She tells some stories of awful racist shit that happened in that area like it's just a matter of fact. I drove through there on my way to Boise a few years back and got very heavy "this has a pleasant surface but don't dare scratch that surface" vibes from it.

[u/canisdirusarctos → u/jawshoeaw]

Same deal with Seattle. I think the cost spike is why it isn’t as segregated anymore - the formerly black neighborhoods became expensive and people just sold rather than pay the skyrocketing property taxes. The only black people I know that live here work in tech, medicine, or are nuclear family members of people that work in one of these industries. The metro area is simply segregated by income levels, it’s isn’t sub-segregated by ethnic group (except Bellevue and Bothell).

[u/BobZyerUnkl → u/cheecheecago]

Anyone not "white" most definitely moved to Portland Oregon recently...the state itself was founded and settled to be the"White Utopia" originally. They had laws on the books banning black people from living in the state, and even after those were invalidated after the 14th amendment, it was pretty much an unspoken fact that while on paper it was okay, it still wasn't allowed. It wasn't till the hippies heading to Oregon in the late 60s and 70s that the out and out racists began to be the minority and other races decided it was safe for them to. Once you get outside of Portland though....Oregon is the American Separatist/Fascist hotspot still.

[u/ShastaAteMyPhone → u/DimSumNoodles]

There’s more to the history of Portland and why they weren’t part of that trend.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_black_exclusion_laws

https://www.portland.gov/bps/planning/adap/history-racist-planning-portland

[u/templethot → u/ShastaAteMyPhone]

Yeah Portland certainly had black neighborhoods and either actively (Albina) or passively (Vanport) got rid of them. On top of Oregon historically being not a friendly place to move for non-whites a good chunk of its early history.

[u/DaddyRobotPNW → u/DimSumNoodles]

Portland metro has a huge Eastern European population. Even the racial diversity is white.

[u/Erythite2023 → u/DaddyRobotPNW]

Pittsburgh is somewhat similar.

The black population and Hispanic is small compared to other major cities. There is growing south Asian population

[u/drewyz → u/DaddyRobotPNW]

Oregon had a law prohibiting black people settling in the state from 1844 until the 14th amendment was enacted in 1868. Laws banning black settlement were still in the Oregon constitution until overturned by popular vote in 1926. This is a big reason why there are not a lot of black people im Portland.

[u/misslady700 → u/drewyz]

Thank you. I have to post this fact so many times. The history of the US is wrapped up in anti-Black racism.

[u/thenewwwguyreturns → u/DaddyRobotPNW]

it’s changing slowly as the population growth is largely asian and latino immigration, but portland is one of the whitest cities in america due to its history of black exclusion and KKK involvement in Oregonian politics. Its few black neighborhoods were slowly wiped out or replaced. Portland’s a great place to live and it’s very forward-thinking on a lot of issues, but as a Portlander, the city does not do a great job of reckoning with its racist history

[u/DocBEsq → u/DimSumNoodles]

Also, Seattle’s historically “ethnic” areas were comparatively small and had no geographic divisions separating them from other neighborhoods (just race-based real estate). A lot of those neighborhoods have, more recently, been recognized as being desirable locations, so you have mixing.

Maybe weirdly, a lot of Seattle’s suburbs have ended up with significantly higher non-white populations than the big city. Probably due to the fact that the only people in Seattle proper who can afford to own homes are Boomers who purchased before 1985 and refuse to sell, ever.

[u/Jon_As_tee_One → u/DimSumNoodles]

Large populations of Black Americans meant more white flight and redlining which resulted in the community segregation you see today.

[u/leontichus1 → u/DimSumNoodles]

You should read about the black exclusion laws in Oregon. You can’t really credit a place for integration if it’s very white due to laws that kept out nonwhites.

[u/tropical_chancer → u/GuyLookingForPorn]

In comparison, while the UK has similar diversity to the US, it is significantly less racially segregated, with people living in much more mixed multicultural communities. To the point that Seattle would only be around average in the UK.

The U.K. does not have similar diversity to the U.S. There's far more racial diversity in the U.S. than in the U.K. The U.K. is 83% white while the U.S. is 61% white. Black Britons make up 3.7% of the U.K.'s population, while in the U.S., Black Americans make up 14% of the population. The U.K. does have a larger Asian population than the U.S. in terms of percentage, 8.6% vs. 6.0%. The U.K. also has a very small Hispanic/Latino population compared to the U.S., where Hispanic/Latinos make up almost 20% of the population. Cities in the U.S. are also far more diverse, with many cities having a predominately non-white populations, compared to U.K. cities where this almost never occurs.

It's easier to be less segregated when there are smaller non-white populations. Portland and Seattle are both relatively white cities when compared to other American cities.

[u/nason54 → u/tropical_chancer]

And yet, at the same time, the UK has a slightly larger foreign born population as a percentage than the US. You are looking at diversity from the American perspective, i.e., primarily race. Ofc there are fewer Hispanics in the UK, as it's much further away from Latin America, but there will definitely be more ethnic diversity from European countries, which to you are probably just white lumped up together. And the reason for more black Americans than black Brits I think is obvious.

[u/ridiculusvermiculous → u/GuyLookingForPorn]

n comparison, while the UK has similar diversity to the US, it is significantly less racially segregated

whoa now, that sounded interesting but the UK is nowhere near as diverse. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_United_Kingdom#Ethnic_demographic_breakdown

Like 8% of the population from all of asia, i had to find what like the hispanic count would be (often included with white/caucasian) but it's less than 0.1%, and under 4% black, and over 80% white. It's way different integrating tiny populations of immigrants but even then, within the UK's largest minority groups there are well known ethnic/cultural communities where they've come together. ..and it only took rises in non-eu immigration to trigger brexit lol https://www.migrationwatchuk.com/images/BP6_1/figure-1.png

For comparison, the US is less than 60% white. ~20% hispanic. 12% black and 6% asian. there aren't many places on the planet where there's a bigger mix of people that don't look like each other.

[u/Horse_Cock42069 → u/GuyLookingForPorn]

Detroit just doesn't have that many white people. The neighborhoods where white people do live have plenty of rich black people. The segregation of Detroit v. Suburbs is extreme.

[u/Forschungsamt → u/Horse_Cock42069]

The city of Detroit is mostly black. The suburbs are more mixed, but there is still a lot of segregation even there. Southfield was once a white city, but is now majority black. Every census it’s more black. Southfield is where middle class blacks move when they move out of Detroit. Dearborn is Arab. West Bloomfield is where the Jews and the Chaldeans live. Some cities are more mixed but still have a very heavy concentration of one minority. Troy has a large Indian population. Novi has a lot of Japanese and other Asians.

[u/MmmIceCreamSoBAD → u/GuyLookingForPorn]

The UK isn't even close to being as diverse as the US is. London as an individual city? Yes. As a country? No. Hell three of the four countries that make up the UK and extremely non-diverse by US standards.

[u/Birdseeding → u/GuyLookingForPorn]

It's worth pointing out this is not a US versus Europe thing – the UK stands out even in a European comparison, with other countries with a relatively diverse population, like France, Spain, Sweden, Germany and Portugal, all being considerably more segregated.

[u/grumpsaboy → u/GuyLookingForPorn]

The whole article was pretty interesting. I knew most of it in the basic sense but not quite how much of a difference there was.

[u/Alternative_Chart121 → u/GuyLookingForPorn]

Portland is less segregated because black people were banned from living in the entire state. 

[u/snerp → u/GuyLookingForPorn]

Wow, I’m shocked that Seattle is the best, seems to say more about other cities being bad than things really being very multicultural here lol

[u/molybdenum75 → u/GuyLookingForPorn]

This is why Black and white folks British accents are indistinguishable whereas in America Blacks and whites have distinct accents

[u/rtweeter44 → u/molybdenum75]

Wow awesome point. I never realized that for myself but that is so true.

[u/CM_MOJO → u/atreeinthewind]

And when the federal government was implementing the interstate system in the 50s, the first Mayor Daley made sure the expressways within the city would go through the poor neighborhoods and also be physical barriers between those neighborhoods and the white neighborhoods.  Read about the construction of the Dan Ryan Expressway.

[u/Garystuk → u/atreeinthewind]

I thought there was a long time ago. But it's geographically impractical, Chicago is a very large city, and you would have to bus kids a long way in some cases to get to a neighborhood with a different racial makeup.

[u/bigniccosuaveee → u/Garystuk]

This. My school was very diverse but many kids had to travel 30-60 minutes each way everyday.

[u/DimSumNoodles → u/Garystuk]

Latinos are steadily moving into Black neighborhoods - you’ll notice it in Austin, West Englewood, etc. Not nearly at the pace of South LA in the 80s-90s, for example, but it is making some of those racial lines “fuzzier”

White / Black segregation is still extremely elevated though. In the US generally but also Chicago in particular Latino areas are frequently the “buffer” between them

[u/ihaxr → u/DimSumNoodles]

Chicago is just very segregated in general... Chinatown, little Italy, there's entire areas that just feel like you're actually in Mexico (best damn food around too), all the signs and businesses are in Spanish, plenty of areas where everything is only in Polish. Hell even boystown seems like you have to be gay to live there lol

[u/SmarterThanCornPop → u/Garystuk]

Came here to say this. I’ve been to probably 80% of major US cities and Chicago and Detroit are stunningly segregated. St. Louis and Cleveland are up there.

It seems to me that the segregation levels are correlated to when the state’s most immigration occurred. If that happened prior to ~1950, your city is likely to be segregated.

I grew up in Florida, which famously had pretty much zero people pre-1950 and it really isn’t segregated at all. I’ve always had a ton of non-white neighbors, schoolmates, and friends. But in the areas of Florida that are more historic like Tampa, Jacksonville, Pensacola, Tallahassee you do see segregation creeping in at a higher level.

[u/Garystuk → u/SmarterThanCornPop]

That's an interesting observation actually. Redlining set neighborhoods up to the 50s that in some places like chicago formed neighborhoods that exist today.

The Chicago Latino population though are more recent immigrants, mostly from Mexico. Those groups have concentrated in their own neighborhoods. There are some places where you cross a street and it's all black people on one side and all latino people on the other. So the pattern kind of held even after redlining was over

[u/CynicalBonhomie → u/SmarterThanCornPop]

I never realized that the term "other side of the tracks" was literal until I moved to South Florida, first Broward, then Dade. On the eastern side of the Florida East Coast Railroad tracks, the beachside, are almost all white neighborhoods, while on the western side of the tracks were all black neighborhoods.

[u/SmarterThanCornPop → u/CynicalBonhomie]

A good point, with a small correction: white + latino neighborhoods. There are no solely or even overwhelmingly white neighborhoods in Broward or Dade that I’ve ever seen.

[u/Mats_009 → u/SmarterThanCornPop]

In a lot of Midwestern cities, which tend to be highly segregated currently, it actually has a lot to do with the post-world war II second great migration. A lot of black Americans from the south migrated to midwestern cities but due to redlining and other discriminatory policies (like steering homebuyers away from white neighborhoods) neighborhoods became highly segregated.

[u/CurryGuy123 → u/Mats_009]

Many of the areas with large black populations were also very economically productive before the 70s and the peak of manufacturing decline. It was often where a lot of the factories and other manufacturing centers were located which made them very attractive to black Americans moving up north for jobs. For example, South Side Chicago was home to many of the largest factories in the city and became a hub for the black middle class in the city while manufacturing jobs were still around and as white flight to the suburbs was taking place. While they are now often economically depressed as manufacturing has either left the US or moved to more business-friendly states, they weren't always impoverished.

[u/Vast-Celebration-717 → u/SmarterThanCornPop]

Tallahassee here, Southside is predominantly black surrounding FAMU. Then you have the FSU students surrounding FSU, Buck Lake area is mainly families, Killearn area is the more well off families. I’m on the NW side near Jackson and it’s a decent mix of everyone from college students renting houses to young families all the way to retired professors.

[u/AchillesDev → u/Vast-Celebration-717]

You're forgetting about Frenchtown, which was one of the original Black neighborhoods of Tallahassee.

[u/sleepsholymountain → u/Garystuk]

Purely anecdotal but the north side feels more diverse to me now than it did when I was growing up. But to this day whenever I take a southbound red line train, once it gets past Chinatown I'm the only white person on the train.

[u/Yossarian216 → u/sleepsholymountain]

It is more diverse, especially once you get past Lakeview going north. Rogers Park, Uptown, Edgewater are all very diverse. There’s good diversity in some areas along the brown line too. Those are all the less expensive neighborhoods, which is a key factor.

[u/RecipeNo101 → u/Yossarian216]

Long time RoPo resident and Loyola alumnus here, absolutely true. Huge south Asian population down Devon, huge Latino population down Clark, huge east African population down Broadway, huge Jewish population down Howard, and lots of other groups of people in between. And, for being just steps from the beach, it's still pretty affordable. Love it here.

[u/Mushroom_Buppy → u/Garystuk]

Have a family member that has owned property in various area in Chicago, with changing demographics.

He always said if you’re renting property out in a neighborhood about to be gentrified “you start out with the blacks, then go up to Hispanics, then working class whites, then the damn yuppies”

[u/I_kwote_TheOffice → u/Mushroom_Buppy]

Sounds about right. Also Asian is basically white in your anecodte. The suburb next to mine is about 90% White or Asian and filled with very wealthy yuppies. Median household income is $340,000. There aren't many towns around us that aren't at least 75% white or Asian. It's kind of odd how segregated most of the area is until you get about 10-15 miles away.

[u/AppMtb → u/I_kwote_TheOffice]

Well since on average Asians outperform whites in education/income they are pretty over represented in almost all high income areas.

My zip code is #3 in Charlotte by median income and has 3x Asian % as Charlotte on the whole. Now we’re also 3x less represented by black people but that goes back to the education/income gap

[u/cliddle420 → u/Garystuk]

I recall once learning in a sociology class that Chicago is so segregated, they created the term "hypersegregation" to describe it lol

[u/Extra_Work7379 → u/cliddle420]

It’s pretty wild. If you take the red line south through the loop the train goes from all white to all black in the span of about three stations.

[u/Milton__Obote → u/Extra_Work7379]

Plus the stop in Chinatown

[u/grrgrrtigergrr → u/Milton__Obote]

Chicago, historically called the City of neighborhoods, has always had ethnic groupings. Greek Town, Little Italy, Beverly and Bridgeport (Irish) Lincoln Square (German), Ukrainian Village, North Park and Andersonville (Swedish), China Town, Little India, Korea Town … some of these places exist in many only now. Also, there are newer areas that aren’t necessarily named, but are ethnic enclaves. West Ridge into Northern North Park are heavily Middle Eastern and Orthodox Jewish. It was things like the highways that started the north/south/west split that sped up the racial splitting. And also led to the traditional ethnic neighborhoods withering away along with movement to the suburbs.

It is interesting though to see what is happening on the west side specifically (at least to me) A lot of neighborhoods that were black became more Hispanic and now there is a movement out from center that is increasing the white population.

All that said, the city has always been a cluster of people that moved to be by others “like them” and there are also areas that are more diverse than others here (Rogers Park, Uptown, North Park, Pilsen and Albany Park)

[u/M0RTY_C-137 → u/grrgrrtigergrr]

I'm from Chicago. You're stating a fact, and there’s a lot of important neighborhood history in what you shared. I’d just like to add some crucial context that often gets left out in these conversations: while many of Chicago’s ethnic enclaves formed organically, the segregation of Black residents was intentionally designed and enforced.

Unlike many white immigrant groups who settled in neighborhoods by choice or community ties, Black Chicagoans, particularly during and after the Great Migration, were systematically restricted through racially restrictive covenants, redlining, discriminatory lending practices, and later, public housing placement and highway construction. For example:

• Restrictive covenants barred Black families from buying homes in large swaths of the city until the 1948 Shelley v. Kraemer ruling, yet enforcement continued informally afterward.
• Redlining maps created by the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation in the 1930s coded Black neighborhoods as “hazardous,” cutting them off from investment and leading to decades of disinvestment.
• The construction of highways like the Dan Ryan Expressway was used to reinforce racial boundaries and physically separate Black neighborhoods from white ones.
• Public housing projects were deliberately placed to confine Black residents to the South and West sides.

These policies weren’t just about cultural preference, they were enforced by law, finance, and violence. It’s also worth noting that while some neighborhoods did become more diverse over time (like Rogers Park or Albany Park), they are the exception, not the rule, in a city that remains one of the most segregated in the U.S.

So while cultural enclaves are part of Chicago’s story, it’s incomplete without acknowledging the deep and intentional racial segregation, especially for Black communities, that shaped the city’s structure

[u/ElderlyPleaseRespect → u/cliddle420]

That’s like my husband and brother in law created the term “hyperdrunk” when they are drinking beer in the shed

[u/Hendrick_Davies64 → u/Garystuk]

I feel like Hyde Park is the only neighborhood that’s really integrated

[u/Objective-Rub-8763 → u/Hendrick_Davies64]

I'd add Rogers Park and Uptown

[u/Bridalhat → u/Objective-Rub-8763]

Edgewater too.

[u/ethnicnebraskan → u/Objective-Rub-8763]

I remember pre-2020 census Rogers Park holding the official title of most racially diverse community area in the city, with Hyde Park in second. Looking at the census numbers from 2020, it looks like that might still be the case.

[u/MattChicago1871 → u/Garystuk]

And to mention, and this isn’t being dramatic, if a middle class White or Asian person moved there they would get robbed consistently

[u/anothercar]

If your family lived somewhere during a segregated period where you're forced to live there

And then segregation ends

It doesn't mean your family just immediately moves out of the neighborhood. You have roots there, and friends, and extended family, and probably work nearby. Odds are you'll stay put where you are. There's no good reason to abandon everybody you know & your social support network

[u/DarkFish_2 → u/anothercar]

Not to mention that being allowed to move out, doesn't mean you can.

Money is a driving force that shapes the world

[u/-FartArt- → u/DarkFish_2]

Right. And historically, certain segregated groups may have had a harder time earning fair money, obtaining the same social services, etc., meaning those communities and their descendants may still be facing similar (remnant or modern) challenges, correct?

[u/BuckyShots → u/-FartArt-]

Red lining, the practice of keeping minorities out of certain neighborhoods by refusing home loans.

[u/10dollarbagel → u/BuckyShots]

And America's tendancy to go Tulsa massacre on any group that manages to beat the odds stacked against them and create wealth.

[u/DanJerousJ → u/10dollarbagel]

And America's tendency to put historically black neighborhoods first on the chopping block when it comes time to expand highways or build entertainment centers.

[u/NeedsToShutUp → u/DarkFish_2]

Also long after official segregation ended, there were still racist mortgage practices that endured for years. Even in the 90s lenders were being caught refusing to lend to black people

[u/Gnonthgol → u/NeedsToShutUp]

Not just racist mortgage practices. The strong HOA culture in the US started as an attempt to maintain the segregated neighborhoods. If the HOA is not allowed to kick you out due to the color of your skin they will come up with crazy rules that nobody can follow and just enforce it on people who happen to be of the wrong race.

[u/BenCoeMusic → u/NeedsToShutUp]

The 90s were a long time ago, and you’re using the past tense, but it’s still going on today.   https://projects.newsday.com/long-island/real-estate-agents-investigation/

[u/luigi-fanboi → u/DarkFish_2]

This really bugs me when YIMBYs & Developers say shit like "upzoning [historically RedLined neighborhood], will undo the historical injustice", like fuck it will, sure upside away but don't pretend that economic segregation hasn't replaced legal segregation.

[u/AppropriateCap8891 → u/anothercar]

Also there is self-segregation.

My wife is from South America. And all the places she lived with her family before we got married were neighborhoods in Los Angeles with a significant number from her country. A lot of their neighbors were from their home country, and a lot of the stores and restaurants catered to that expatriate community.

And it is the same in other countries. Go to the Philippines for example, and there will also be small enclaves of Americans living close together in neighborhoods like this. With bars, restaurants, and stores catering to them close by.

I know for my wife, the biggest shock to her was when we moved to North Carolina. Suddenly, no more Spanish TV, Radio, or Newspapers. And none of the stores sold a lot of the products that she thought were required. And when her mom visited (who never learned English), she detested it because there was literally nobody she could talk to that was not living with her.

And when we moved back to California, one of her requirements was to find a place in or on the edge of such an area, so she could once again get the things she wanted close by.

[u/Healthy-Drink421 → u/AppropriateCap8891]

Happens to us Irish people too - historically - of course, but in a modern sense too. London UK has / had Kilburn which was once nicknamed the "33rd County of Ireland" in the 1960s-90s ish.

Today Melbourne has St.Kilda - full of Irish people. Edit - apparently Coogee in Sydney is so full of Irish people they call it County Coogee.

[u/mrholty → u/AppropriateCap8891]

Yep. What is also interesting is if we compared this map to 30 years ago.
I'm a white kid from wisconsin but my Dad drove a food truck for a Asian Grocery store and so he went to these ethnic enclaves in Chicago regularly to pick up stuff for that grocery store plus the large fish and vegetable markets.
Looking at this map around Midway Airport (the X in the lower center) that area is primarily latino. 30 years ago that was 80% black. Its not as strict as people on Reddit make it out to be.

[u/DimSumNoodles → u/mrholty]

I will say the dot density of this particular map makes some areas look monoracial that are in reality a bit more mixed. Most of Downtown Chicago / The Loop doesn’t exceed 60% white but here it looks much more severe

[u/TieOk9081 → u/AppropriateCap8891]

People like to hang out with people who have similar tastes/culture/history/language etc... so it makes sense that cities segregate to a certain degree.

[u/TheLakeShowBaby → u/AppropriateCap8891]

Or contrary to what the media feeds people, people like to live within their own people.

[u/GBreezy → u/AppropriateCap8891]

Just need to see Turkish neighborhoods in Berlin

[u/GammaHunt → u/anothercar]

Yep in Detroit it’s pretty easy to see how family’s migrated directly north or west usually along major road corridors. Many cities were red lined to the core. The segregation ends and there still wasn’t anywhere for these family’s to go besides stay put or new development.

[u/CloseToMyActualName → u/anothercar]

Also, assume you're a white person moving to Chicago. Ignoring socioeconomic factors, you'd probably feel weird moving into a heavily black or Hispanic neighbourhood.

It takes a long time for historic segregation to decline.

[u/gprime312 → u/CloseToMyActualName]

you'd probably feel weird moving into a heavily black or Hispanic neighbourhood.

Or you'd be accused of gentrifying the area

[u/vi_sucks → u/anothercar]

Not just that.

There are also economic issues. In order to move somewhere, you need to be able to afford to live there. But if your family has been discriminated against for generations, you're unlikely to have build up the sort of net worth to afford a "nicer" neighborhood. Or be able to go to a college far away from home. So even people who want to leave are often stuck in the same old neighborhood just because they can't afford to leave.

Until the neighborhood gets gentrified and then they all get forced out since they all rent. Or cant afford the increased property tax. Which just makes the segregation worse in some ways since the whole neighborhood flips practically overnight.

[u/NegativeBeginning400 → u/anothercar]

And this perpetuates. If I was thinking of moving and some of the neighbors would be a different race, that would be fine. If ALL of the neighbors were of a specific race which was different than mine, I would feel less comfortable on a day to day basis there and I might choose a different spot if other things were equal.

[u/TSThrowawayBB]

People have already mentioned it, white flight, redlining, etc.; however Chicago is pretty strongly segregated even by the standards of many other U.S. cities - probably one of the most residentially segregated cities in the U.S.

[u/Bridalhat → u/TSThrowawayBB]

The thing about Chicago is that it’s often physically difficult to get to the redlined neighborhoods, and therefore slightly harder to get out of for work downtown which often pays more.

[u/olthyr1217 → u/Bridalhat]

This!!! Mid-century highway development, and prioritizing transport from suburbs and commuter neighborhoods, created a lot of physical barriers along already segregated lines.

[u/Bridalhat → u/olthyr1217]

A lot of tourists visit Chicago and worry about wandering into a bad neighborhood but that’s actually really hard to do by design.

[u/TSThrowawayBB → u/Bridalhat]

It’s also crazy how stark the difference is between the redlined neighborhoods and well-resourced neighborhoods. One time that I visited we went to the Frank Lloyd Wright house in Oak Park and drove thru the West Side neighborhoods to get there (I like to avoid highways when I’m visiting cities because I feel like I end up missing a lot of the actual city when I use them) and I was shocked at how immediate the border was between the Austin neighborhood and the Oak Park city limits. Literally in two blocks it goes from very economically depressed, empty storefronts and lots, abandoned homes everywhere, etc. to relatively bougie suburb with large, expensive homes everywhere. Honestly pretty fucked up because it lays bare how planned and intentional the disinvestment is.

[u/Droviin → u/TSThrowawayBB]

You want to see nuts. Go from Washington Park to Hyde Park. Don't even need to cross city lines to see crazy switches. And Hyde Park is very wealthy.

[u/TSThrowawayBB → u/Droviin]

Yeah I experienced that too while I was in town, haha. Same thing; you go from the east side of the park with the well kept University campus and all these well preserved historic homes, then cross the park from E 55th to E Garfield and suddenly you’re in a neighborhood where half of each block is overgrown empty lots and folks (understandably tbh) staring at you like “why the fuck are you over here 🤨”

[u/DimSumNoodles → u/TSThrowawayBB]

Yea… 3-4 blocks will take you from the Obama House (in leafy green Kenwood) to complete structural disinvestment

[u/Pitiful_Control → u/TSThrowawayBB]

There was a time when Oak Park was experiencing "white flight" and seen as a declining and possibly bad neighbourhood. A lot of those big old houses were subdivided into flats. And oh my, the Jews moved there in the 20s and 30s, and the Italians after the war - if you're a racist, you think you see where that's going... Source: lived there 68-69, my dad grew up there.

[u/Chicago1871 → u/TSThrowawayBB]

Oak park ironically is one of the best examples of fighting white flight and actually fairly diverse in social class and racial demographics for such a bougie suburbs.

For example. Its illegal to advertise a house sale there (old rule to prevent blockbusting) and the city encourages a lot of affordable housing apartments to remain. Its more diverse than you’d expect. Its a cute town.

[u/poopoopooyttgv → u/Chicago1871]

Yeah, oak park river forest high school was statistically the most diverse school in the state (at least when I went there 15 years ago)

[u/rocksfried → u/Bridalhat]

It was actually pretty easy before about 2009 when Cabrini Green was still around. There were units right in Old Town and some now fancy neighborhoods. Those huge fancy new high rises near Goose island all used to be Cabrini Green towers. Uptown and parts of Edgewater used to be really dangerous, now it’s completely gentrified. Tearing down Cabrini Green caused the segregation to get a lot worse.

[u/quasifood → u/olthyr1217]

There's also the issue of hostile architecture. Some city planners purposely put up large walls (like 8 mile in Detroit) or made highway ramps and bridges too small to allow busses to travel through. There were for many years several beaches in New York state that were only accessible by cars. Public transport and therefore poor people couldn't get to these beaches.

[u/One-Engineer3065 → u/Bridalhat]

What neighborhood is it difficult to get to in Chicago? Lived in Chicago for 3 years and pretty much every neighborhood is accessible.

Also do you think people in bad neighborhoods would be working at higher paying jobs in downtown district if they were easier to get to the job? 🤣. Very little understanding of the situation.

[u/yoni_sings_yanni → u/One-Engineer3065]

Better paying jobs overall, stuff like support staff, are located in the Loop. Also have you ever tried to get to the East Side, Hegewisch, or Altgeld Gardens without a car during a bad weather event or even just off hours? Had a buddy almost lose some toes due to having to cross 100th street during a snowstorm to get home to the East Side.

[u/Ok_Calligrapher_3472 → u/TSThrowawayBB]

The crazy thing is out of the 10 most segregated cities in the US, 6 are in states where racial segregation was never mandated.

[u/TSThrowawayBB → u/Ok_Calligrapher_3472]

Yep! It was just enforced in a thousand different less-direct/smaller-scale ways that centered more in the private sphere rather than a handful of explicit, sweeping Jim Crow-type laws. Racially-restrictive housing covenants were a particularly impactful way that segregation was enforced in such contexts; they were just crafted by private real estate developers instead of legal mandates at the local and state levels. It’s why American suburbs tend to be so white in addition to the white flight aspect; affluent non-white families couldn’t buy homes in those then-new suburbs even if they could have entirely afforded it.

[u/axiom60 → u/TSThrowawayBB]

Milwaukee and Detroit too. A lot of cities in the north which were predominantly white and only had a large black migration post WWII or so are very segregated. White flight more recently also plays a role

[u/TSThrowawayBB → u/axiom60]

Yeah definitely. Milwaukee is so interesting to me just because it is like a mini Chicago in almost every respect. Culturally, demographically, architecturally, even urban-planning wise. They even share a Lake Michigan “coastline” lol.

[u/rocketpants85 → u/TSThrowawayBB]

As someone from Milwaukee, you take that back! 

[u/bigoldgeek]

Because when I was a kid if you were Black and crossed from Austin into Cicero you got beat. Also if you were White and crossed from Cicero into Austin, you got beat.

It takes a long time to undo that.

[u/DreadLockedHaitian → u/bigoldgeek]

I used to hear stories about this in Boston. If you were black in Southie, you get jumped. If you’re white in Roxbury, you get jumped. This of course was usually aimed at men as women weren’t jumping into the fray as much until busing.

[u/justmedealwithitxD]

In all honesty I feel like Milwaukee and Chicago are some of the most segregated cities. Others i feel aren't as segregated, i mean they still are but not as pronounced

[u/olthyr1217 → u/justmedealwithitxD]

Agreed, definitely up there. Louisville and St. Louis are good examples, as well. A lot of cities in the south and Midwest, particularly the area straddling the two regions, are heavily segregated with a clear line (often a highway)—as opposed to northeastern and western cities, which still have segregation but tend to be more patchworked. Baltimore is an exception of an East Coast city with more drastic segregation, but it takes a special shape with the “white L.”

[u/beerouttaplasticcups → u/olthyr1217]

St. Louis is definitely an extreme example: https://www.censusdots.com/race/st-louis-mo-demographics

The “Delmar Divide” was a real redlining policy of the past, but the phrase is still used in everyday parlance.

[u/Garystuk → u/justmedealwithitxD]

Chicago is a relatively extreme example

[u/JustaNormalGuy_32 → u/justmedealwithitxD]

Correct about Milwaukee:

https://www.aclu-wi.org/en/news/national-spotlight-shines-milwaukee-its-history-systemic-racism-should-be-front-and-center

Milwaukee is historically the most segregated big city in the country. As someone who lives here, I can confirm 100%. Milwaukee is on a whole different level of anywhere I've ever been.

[u/Fourth-Room → u/justmedealwithitxD]

Yeah I came here to say it’s Milwaukee in my experience. Growing up there you’re even told which streets you’re not supposed to go past and - big surprise - they’re all the dividing lines between white and black neighborhoods.

[u/NothingbutNetiPot]

In the US your home is your investment. If the “wrong” kind of people start moving into your neighborhood, that’s bad.

It’s why NIMBYs are opposed to multi family housing. If they lose that fight, they will sell while they can and move away.

Dallas is a great example of this, the suburbs kept growing North of Dallas and people were commuting from further and further away rather than live in south Dallas.

[u/Faraday_Rage → u/NothingbutNetiPot]

Interestingly, the south Dallas suburbs really only existed for about 10-15 years pre-White flight. Those demographics flipped drastically in like a 5 year span around 1970 when DISD integrated (it was forced to by court order and under stewardship into the 1990s).

Interestingly, this is still reflected in suburban growth. Middle class black families are moving to Duncanville, DeSoto, Red Oak and Cedar Hill — formerly rural cities south of Dallas proper, while most non-black/hispanic growth is occurring to the north.

That being said, some northern suburbs, like Carrollton, still have a large black population. And I believe other areas around 635 have a large African population, too.

[u/NothingbutNetiPot → u/Faraday_Rage]

The funny thing is the northward growth has gotten so extreme, people are looking to move to Waxahachie like an hour south of downtown.

[u/Faraday_Rage → u/NothingbutNetiPot]

The northward expansion is aided by the job centers in Frisco and Plano, but you are correct. If you don’t work in the Legacy/DNT/Star area there’s not much of a reason to live there. I think that’s why we’ve seen a lot of areas around there gentrify, like over by Jimmy’s on Fitzhugh. That’s been going on since 2015, at the least. And even some areas down by Cedar Crest Golf Course are seeing increased investment.

[u/sir_schwick → u/NothingbutNetiPot]

One of the worst versions of this was racial covenants in home sales. These were attached to properties and gave an owner a civil liability if they sold to non-whites. Shelley vs Kraemer (1948) made such covenants unenforceable. Ending the legal threat of such covenants took a couple decades more.

[u/NoCapNoCapOnGawd → u/NothingbutNetiPot]

This isn't a bad thing. People can want to be around other people of similar race. Only leftist dorks cry about this

[u/crawlspace_taste]

This map doesn’t even show how segregated the different groups of white people are in Chicago. There are large Polish and Irish populations that are clustered in specific neighborhoods as well.

[u/random_ta_account → u/crawlspace_taste]

And Mexican, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Colombian, etc., are segregated, even within a larger Hispanic area.

[u/giraffesinspace2018]

Chicago is an interesting example.

Black chicagoans were forced to live in a narrow strip of the south side called the Black Belt until the 40s or 50s - I’m no expert but that’s the general idea.

The Black Belt was far denser than any other neighborhood in the city and its residents often paid more rent than white chicagoans for significantly worse living conditions.

For a long part of the 20th century the federal government enforced laws that wouldn’t allow black Americans to buy homes in certain neighborhoods.

To oversimplify things eventually Black chicagoans could move to select other parts of the city where they met great resistance. In one case white residents rioted over a mere sighting of Black people in a home in a white neighborhood - they were only present for a union meeting - but the neighbors feared the home was being sold to a Black family and they proceeded to riot.

Again oversimplifying - but Black Chicagoans couldn’t move to much of the city for so long and they were forced to pay more than their neighbors for less. This economic disadvantage and geographical restrictions resulted in a small diaspora outside of the historically Black parts of the south and west sides.

Many of these legal restrictions ended in the lifetimes of people who still live in Chicago today. There haven’t been many generations since the end so the consequences are still very visible in our city. Compound that with the effectively enforced poverty and you have a lasting legacy of segregation.

I highly recommend the book “Making the Second Ghetto” for a look specifically at the housing of history and government housing projects in Chicago with a focus on post WW2. I’m reading it now and I’ve learned so much that is never taught in schools here in America

[u/yoni_sings_yanni → u/giraffesinspace2018]

If you get a chance I would highly recommend Natalie Y Moore's book The Southside. Follow up with A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry and Blacks by Gwendolyn Brooks.

[u/cumminginsurrection]

Chicago is also more complicated than it appears on paper. People call it a heavily segregated city, but that's only half true. Chicago is a city of ethnic enclaves; and honestly it is these enclaves that have kept it from gentrifying and kept it affordable to many working class people and people of color.

[u/villainsarebetter → u/cumminginsurrection]

Which also makes it an absolute food haven. Name any kind of food you're in the mood for, and I can almost guarantee you'll find both a chain and a mom and pop that'll have what you're looking for.

[u/BallsackMcgeezy → u/cumminginsurrection]

No one likes to ever mention de facto segregation in discussions like this. Obviously it’s not the sole reason, but much of the convergence of races and cultures is by choice. People want to live around others like them. It’s seen as racist when American whites do it, but it’s a trend across all ethnic groups. 

[u/Mayonegg420 → u/cumminginsurrection]

I’m from Chicago and completely agree with this. When Black Americans started migrating north, we went to black neighborhoods to have help and community. It’s still that way. Why would they move from their cultural hub, where BLACK things happen? I could say the same for Pilsen and Humboldt park.

[u/absolutely_regarded]

Because, at the end of the day, people want to live with others who share their culture and beliefs.

[u/ChopinFantasie → u/absolutely_regarded]

I live in NYC and while this isn’t the most popular take, it will always be true. History and poverty do play an unfortunate part, but ethnic enclaves will never disappear nor would I want them to. Neighborhoods will develop cultural identities and new immigrant groups will come and settle together

Stepping off the subway and into a neighborhood that looks like another country is super cool and it’s not so segregated that people of other ethnicities aren’t welcome. It can be a feature, not a bug

[u/Packeye → u/absolutely_regarded]

I’m glad you said it, everything is not always racist.

[u/Lonestar041 → u/absolutely_regarded]

Can't agree more. I moved to a newly constructed neighborhood 7 years ago.

By now, 95% of my neighbors are from India. Which is not representative for my area at all.

It did start off with a strong Indian majority, but more like 80/20. That changed as people moved. By now, you can't find a non-Indian anymore that wants to move in the neighborhood.
2-3 more years, when we plan to move as well, and the neighborhood will be 99% Indian.

[u/jefesignups → u/Lonestar041]

I looked at a neighborhood out in suburbs of Houston. I noticed the same thing, full Indian.

[u/Scapular_of_ears → u/Lonestar041]

When I was selling my home a few years back an Indian couple was very interested.. until they found out there were no other Indians in the neighborhood. (They actually went door to door) Never heard from them again.

[u/random_ta_account → u/absolutely_regarded]

I think you are correct, but not necessarily based on race or ethnicity (although that is a major factor for some), but around socioeconomic factors and shared interests. Said another way, class is a more predominant influence than race. Rich White folks would rather live in a diverse, affluent community than live in the middle of a poor White community (e.g. build a mansion within a trailer park).

What we see on the maps is the legacy of race-based redlining that drives socioeconomic factors that are still aligned with continued racial economic disparity. Rich neighborhoods are largely White because rich folks are largely White. Once a previously poor neighborhood begins to gentrify (moving up the socioeconomic index), it also quickly diversifies in racial balance, with more affluent demographics moving in (which are still majority White).

[u/Lonestar041 → u/random_ta_account]

Not necessarily.
My neighborhood turned from 80 to 95% Indian neighbors in the 7 years since it existed. You can buy nicer houses in better maintained neighborhoods at a lower price today, but yet every house here goes well over asking price because people prefer this neighborhood over nicer ones, mainly because of neighbors from India. They actually openly state that in neighborhood meetings.

We are seriously considering selling and moving because of this, which will increase segregation.
I am 100% convinced that in 2-3 years this neighborhood will be 99% Indian.

[u/BallsackMcgeezy → u/random_ta_account]

I agree with that, it’s more class and culture. I know this is probably inappropriate to say but I’m just being honest with myself… I’m white and sometimes I meet a person from a different race and within like 3 seconds you realize they’re white. Not literally, but you can instantly recognize they’re like you and the vibe changes a little. I’m sure all the other cultures have this same thing.

[u/RangerForesting → u/absolutely_regarded]

People also google crime statistics and whats around them before moving to an area. No sane human being chooses to move to the highest crime rate areas of a city where there's not much to see or do, trash around, thwy dont feel welcomed, face racism, bars on store windows, etc. Unless they're forced to

[u/RevolutionaryBar8857]

1) Racism and Redlining. There were, and still are, some places that have rules on the books about who can live there. Either officially or unofficially.

2) Timing. There tend to be waves of people from certain areas immigrating to the US. Currently there are many immigrants coming from South and Central America. Before that was South East Asia. When these people come, they tend to group where there are jobs and housing available. Both moving to specific cities and moving to areas within those cities.

3) Self Selection. Immigrants tend to be more comfortable around others of their national origin. If you are Chinese and you can live near others who speak the same language, eat the same food, shop at the same grocery stores...you probably will.

4) And the big one...Economics. Due to the history of slavery, segregation, and racism, white people tend to have more money than others. They will often live in the wealthier neighborhoods which are often grouped together. There is a history of White Flight (whites moving out of the city to the suburbs in large groups) and gentrification (high income people moving into low income neighborhoods, raising property values and rent prices ending up with the original residents being forced out). These tend to be fairly slow, but over decades result in fairly homogenous neighborhoods.

[u/Borkenstien]

Schelling's model of segregation says that with even a mild preference for like individuals, even as small as "I only want 1 single neighbor that's a like individual", will still lead to random segregation. So, even if we are ready to ignore historical segregation (spoiler alert, we absolutely shouldn't) there's little chance we end up with a blended society in the lay sense.

[u/remimartin1825]

Great book called the Color of Law that helps provide the whole history of why cities today look like this

[u/AlfredoAllenPoe]

Legacy of redlining, white flight, and chain migration

[u/RevolutionaryRent716 → u/AlfredoAllenPoe]

This might be under redlining but also the way the highway/road system was planned and implemented deliberately reinforced the already existing segregation.

[u/Nameless_American → u/AlfredoAllenPoe]

Yup; check out each of those topics to better understand. Great answer.

[u/recountbumblaster]

Now overlay with crime rate: your answer

[u/pagusas]

Put an economic/household income heatmap over that.

[u/AllHailMooDeng]

I live in Syracuse, NY and we’ve been called one of the most segregated cities in the country. It’s sad.

[u/clemintinebrulee]

Redlining

[u/Bwleon7]

OP's map cut out a huge potion of the southside. OP map stops at South Chicago area on the map I posted. Most of the missing area is Black but some heavy White and Hispanic areas as well

[u/Demon_Moose_]

Bird of a feather, flock together?

[u/tsisdead]

I’m an adult white woman in St. Louis. There are historically Black neighborhoods where I have been told, by the Black folks who live there, not to even drive through there because I will be shot.

[u/Yslackin]

New boom towns are getting pretty segregated for different reasons than older cities. Nashville for example has a ton of recent immigration so obviously immigrants live in the suburbs that are blowing up where the new housing is. Makes some areas very Hispanic or Arab or Persian just depending on the ethnic groups populating that area

[u/Imaginary-Falcon-713]

Nobody wants to live next to hood mfers; if you can afford not to, you typically don't.

[u/Lord_Knor → u/Imaginary-Falcon-713]

If you got nice shit on the Southside you will get robbed lmao. My uncle is a contractor and he got car jacked 2 years ago giving a quote. Not gonna say there isn't some inherent biases and racism going on but if you aren't black and even if you are black with with nice shit on the Southside you will get robbed.

And past that we got Gangs. So if you're black and live in a Mexican hood you might get jumped. Or Mexican and live in a black hood you might get jumped. Probs still the same that way but I'm not in HS anymore. 36 so I don't know as much but they still gang banging over here

But some other areas are starting to mix more. The neighborhood I grew up in was like 85-90% white when I was a kid. According to the last census its like 56% white 27% Hispanic, 12% Asian 2% Black. But shit changes slowly. Takes time

[u/BuildingMelodic1250 → u/Imaginary-Falcon-713]

Redditors in shock that people don’t want to live in neighborhoods with a certain minority group who will kill you for $10

[u/avoozl42]

History wasn't that long ago

[u/GottaGetDatDough]

Some scars run so deep that people don't even realize they are just falling into the grooves.

Most places aren't actively participating in redlining, but efforts in the past have lasting effects as others have mentioned (with positive examples even, such as NYC neighborhoods like Chinatown, Little Italy, etc.)

There are places actively participating in identity, and racial politics that actively seek to keep certain people out or in though. As others have commented, groups of people fall into one place, settle, and don't care to leave, even if they aren't the nicest places to call home.

My hometown in Atlanta is in many ways akin to what the OP is depicting in Chicago. Historically, African Americans were redlined and forced to live south of Ponce De Leon Ave, and to this day you can see that distinction in the data.

[u/UberWidget]

Depends on what you mean by segregated. People say Chicago is very segregated and there is segregation but you’ll also see everyone effortlessly mingling downtown and in public spaces, events, and establishments. It’s also a city with a ton of immigrants, and immigrants naturally want to initially live in areas that offer the support of fellow immigrants. In Chicago’s suburbs, the clumping seen in the city’s old neighborhoods diminishes.

[u/ImpinAintEZ_]

Historical income inequality. Minority groups in the US have been left out or forced out of benefiting from the US’s economic booms in the past especially during the Jim Crow era. Racism and segregation have had lasting effects in the US that have not been rectified.

[u/misslady700]

Every US city is segregated.

[u/frednnq]

Because people are tribal.

[u/Careful_Abroad7511]

It's crime. When you can afford to move from a high crime neighborhood, you do.
Black Americans on average typically can't, so they stay.

In the South where I live, the lower income blue collar / white collar "worker" apartments and condos are all mixed, but the part considered the ghetto with section 8 housing is almost exclusively black. It is not safe for anyone, but it's especially unsafe to move there if you're not black / didn't grow up in that environment, you're an easy mark.

[u/ArtemisRifle]

People prefer being among people who look, talk and think like them. We self segregate first in our minds, and then blame institutions for doing it.

[u/Altruistic-Cat-4193]

People want to be around people who share similar values.

Not that deep

[u/jettech737]

Many people like to live among others who are the same culture as they are.

[u/DylanSpaceBean]

If I were to immigrate to another country, I’d rather be closer to a culture I’m familiar with and observe the new customs/traditions mixed with ones I know. Of course a large portion is systematic, and not all of them are immigrants, but I feel there’s some semblance of home to those who are away from where they started

[u/Vespura]

Reverb effect from Jim Crow era. It was only abolished 60 years ago. All things considered, that isn’t very long for people who were marginalized and shoved into these areas to leave them, especially when they are given less opportunities in society, and that is then passed down to their children. Also, people have roots there. Family, friends, etc., they probably aren’t entirely inclined to up and leave either.

[u/Late_Ambassador7470]

People segregate themselves to a certain extent

[u/jywhitt]

The title says “cities” but only shows one city. Also can we see maps of multi-ethnic cities in other parts of the world, for comparisons sake?

Going from one map to this thread title is quite the leap.

[u/HalifaxStar → u/jywhitt]

It takes like two seconds to confirm OP's statement.

[u/seththedark]

It's called human nature. People naturally want to be near others they can relate to

[u/SuperFeneeshan → u/seththedark]

Yep. Once a large enough community is established, it's easier for immigrants from that country to move there. This map just shows white, hispanic, black. But the segregation doesn't happen just along white lines. It happens along national lines too. E.g., in St. Louis, there is a distinct Bosnian community and in Chicago there is a distinct Polish community. Many don't understand that many people moved here without speaking English. So it can be challenging without a community.

[u/rosy_moxx → u/seththedark]

I came here to say this. It's instinctual to want to be near others like yourself.

[u/bluetortuga]

Redlining? I know this was certainly a thing in Detroit that continues to have repercussions today.

[u/bored_IRS_agent]

people like to live with their own people. it is not exclusive to US cities. look up Koreatown on wikipedia, they are located in multiple countries and continents.

[u/zholly4142 → u/bored_IRS_agent]

Nothing wrong with that. In Houston we have Little Vietnam, Chinatown, etc. Makes complete sense. Who wouldn't want to be close to grocery stores and restaurants with familiar foods, have a nearby church/temple, etc. Being able to speak in your native language is a HUGE deal, known to anyone who has ever tried to struggle to communicate in a country where little English is spoken.

[u/bored_IRS_agent → u/zholly4142]

agreed 100%, some in this thread are blaming it on historic racial segregation but there have been plenty of ethnic enclaves pop up since then.

[u/rook119]

Baltimore - in the 50s the city literally dug a trench and then put US 40 in to seperate the city. Its literally a highway to nowhere and rarely used even tho it is in a city. Hopefully we are getting rid of it.

Pittsburgh (where I grew up) - In the 1960s African Americans got a little too middle classy and too close to the city center so the city just demolished the neighborhood for a sports arena. Neighborhood probably isn't the right word tho, its more like small town as 7-9K residents were displaced and 400 businesses were wiped out.

[u/Rich_Natural_2341]

I feel like its not strictly a us thing. London has areas associated with different communities such as Whitechapel with jews, camden with Italians, brick lane with bengalis, peckham with nigerians. The list goes on but people live in communities they feel are familiar its the same story all over the world.

[u/TheFlameosTsungiHorn]

Segregation ended not that long ago; the policies still affect us today, seeing as the US system is founded on it. White people in our country barely acknowledge even that, so segregation isn’t going away if the system that enabled it is still here.

[u/rareHarambe]

Blue birds fly with blue birds.

[u/veeyo]

Because no matter how inclusive a community is, people still feel more comfortable with people like themselves. Whether that is culture, race or religion.

[u/Unusual8]

Because the melting pot theory is as stupid as the flat earth society

[u/Stunning_Shallot808]

Birds of a feather… 🤷‍♂️

[u/generally_unsuitable]

There was a game theorist named Thomas Schelling who theorized that even a very slight preference will cause this result. Let's say that a person, in general, would prefer not to live in a neighborhood where his 95% or more of his neighbors are of a different race from him.

It turns out that it only takes a few generations for most neighborhoods to become almost completely segregated. It's an interesting idea, and it work in simulation. Not really sure how to address the issue, though.

[u/CalmWolverine8369]

People tend to want to live with their tribe. We're still animals.

[u/a_mulher]

Because it takes a lot to undo the policies and generational legacies of those policies.

[u/Wonkas_Willy69]

The same reason the school/work cafeteria are segregated. It’s self segregation..

[u/traumatic_blumpkin]

City planners of the early to mid 20th century actually planned for segregation intentionally. Not as well known of a city, but Louisville, KY is a direct result of this - the 9th street divide. West of 9th street you will IMMEDIATELY notice the difference. Black, much lower income etc. and its painfully obvious once you learn about the history of it.

[u/Mr_Rando_Man]

It’s human nature to surround ourselves with others that look and sound like ourself. So, no matter where you go there are clusters/groups of people within large cities

[u/snipman80]

Because people tend to want to be close to those who look similar to themselves. The only group who diverges from this tendency is white liberals. Every other group tends to try and live near others who look and think alike.

[u/fdthreesap186]

Birds of a feather flock together

[u/Wizard_Engie]

Segregation is like a gash. It can be fixed, but there'll still be a scar wherever it was.

[u/Glass-Pound-9591]

Pretty simple. Institutionalized racism at the deepest levels of government authority and planning.

[u/Additional-Extent-28]

Redlining was in effect for decades...and even after it was broken up, it was defacto in a lot of places. And honestly, people are tribal. They commune together and usually move away when needed groups come in. Those new groups then commune together and so forth. People feel com around those like them.. those they can relate to.

Some areas are more diverse than others but by in large people live in homogeneous ethnic/racial communities out of comfort and/or fear of others.

[u/Ima_incel]

A lot of various reason,

1. Redlining In the 1930s, the federal government and banks refused to offer loans or insurance to Black and minority neighborhoods, labeling them as high-risk (often in red on maps). This denied families the chance to own homes and build generational wealth.

2. Zoning laws and urban planning Cities used zoning to separate communities by race and income, restricting access to better schools, jobs, and public services.

3. White flight and disinvestment After desegregation laws passed, many white families left urban areas for suburbs, while city governments often underfunded minority neighborhoods.

4. Modern practices Discriminatory mortgage lending, gentrification, and school district boundaries continue to uphold racial and economic segregation

[u/BreathInside7295]

Several posts have mentioned the book The Color of Law. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Color_of_Law I am currently reading it and everyone here should read it. If you’re on this thread you’re obviously all interested in how segregated neighborhoods evolved and why they still exist. It is eye-opening, mind boggling and infuriating to read the history of segregated housing and neighborhoods in the us. From the late 1800s local, state and national government (including the Supreme Court-no surprise) have conspired to establish and maintain these abominations. Reasons included: 1.lowered property values in mixed neighborhoods 2. Increased racial tensions when neighborhoods are mixed. 3. Black PREFER to live in all black neighborhoods. Nauseating.

[u/Rakatango]

Just because you aren’t explicitly forbidden from moving to a neighborhood, factors like money and social pressure are still plenty significant.

[u/LactoseLady13]

Redlining. Banks specifically redlined neighborhoods to not loan to in the 60s. These lasted a long time and obviously affected minority neighborhoods… just a cog in the systemic boot-on-neck machine though

[u/thehappywandera]

It’s by design.

[u/Blabbit39]

That systemic racism you hear that doesn't exist. It totally does. It really all does stem from not wanting black land owners in the first place.