Well up until this point in my blog I have attempted to re-create the San Lorenzo atmosphere during post WWII. Houses that were once only created on a grand scale and meant for the upper class no longer were the standard. Once the "ticky tacky" house was created and implemented by David Bohannon, San Lorenzo grew in size and residents worked for America's manufacturing establishments in the Bay Area. However,legal covenants and restrictions from the San Lorenzo Home Association clearly show the exclusion of minority inhabitants in the neighborhood. During the ground breaking phase of the first west coast suburbs, minorities such as Japanese and African Americans occupied the cities boundaries; excluding such minorities from a stable post World War II community only created problems for their upward social mobility.Builders such as Bohannon and Levitt would soon shape the vision of post World War II modern day living.
The movement of Black Americans to the suburbs has been in motion from the 1950's to 2000.However, the rapid acceleration in suburbanization during the 1950s was fueled by the deferred demand for housing created by World War II and the pre-war housing shortage. After the war, families began to spend their war years' savings for new housing; returning servicemen were able to easily secure housing loans guaranteed by the Federal Housing and Veterans Administration ( Housing pg. 72) Whether voluntary or involuntary, where we live determines our access to good jobs, educational opportunities, safety from crime, and upward social mobility.
Housing segregation is motivated by racial redlining through home associations, real estate agencies, and the people of the neighborhood. African American out-migration has been more apparent among the middle class; which was searching for similar beneficial neighborhoods. For example,in the 1960's blacks made up less than 1 percent of the total population of Newark,San Leandro, San Lorenzo,and Union city combined. (Black in School) These demographic restrictions are directly related to what the good life brings.
The answer to "So What" is that housing discrimination creates sprawl and concentrated poverty in neighborhoods that absorb the ethnic population. (Privileged places pg 11)Racial group differences in socioeconomic status characteristics are well documented.On average, Blacks and Hispanics complete fewer years of school and are concentrated in lower-status occupations, earn less income, and accumulate less wealth compared to whites. ( Racial Segregation) America has lived with discrimination and segregation for so long that effects have also become causes. These symptoms created predictable setbacks for struggling minorities to face.One question that still remains to be answered is did the restrictive covenants in San Lorenzo ultimately create a black Oakland ? In 1950 white made up eighty percent of Oakland population, but by 1980 only made forty percent. ( Black in School) I suggest that the racial covenants in San Lorenzo pushed African Americans into neighborhoods that would accept them.
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I heard that stuff like this was happening in San Lorenzo but i didnt really believe it. I think it may have played a part in the amount of blacks that went to oakland but I'm the sheer number of blacks that came to Oakland was just too overwhelming to deny. Power in number you know, plus the jobs. I always suspected people make covenatnts like this just thought the bay area was waaaaay to diverse for something like this to happen, but i guess back then anything was possible, who woulda though the clan would exist in Oakland.
ReplyDeleteAs I‘ve said before, I think the racial segregation is one of the most important features of the new planned community. It’s not anything you will find in the official “History of San Lorenzo Village” so I’m very happy you were able to piece the information together. It’s VERY significant that the first fully planned, built, and sold suburban housing development was also the first segregated one. This made for a wholly different atmosphere. It wasn’t like people were just whispering about petitioning the “black family” down the street to have to move (as was the case on my grandmother’s block on Sunny Hills Rd. in Oakland during the late 40’s). This was implemented by the entire community, to provide the “ideal” for white, middle class families.
ReplyDeleteWas it only an “African American Out” mentality? How did the developers and occupants feel about Mexican, or Asian Americans?