There Goes the Neighborhood

"There goes the neighborhood" is a phrase used when something new occurs that will lower the value of the neighborhood, in terms of financially and socially. Situations like when the English started settling in America definitely provides the phrase with some truth. However, this saying is still being used today, especially in such a diverse yet segregated city as Chicago.

 Exploration was done in hopes of gaining profit, and winning the fight for “most powerful country” as seen from Columbus’s exploration followed by the French and British. Europeans have already been accustomed of exploiting other civilizations and countries for their own benefit, shown from the draining of African resources, culture and people. The lifestyles and beliefs led most Europeans and especially Puritans to believe they were living the “correct” way of life and anything different was wrong. As soon as settlers started arriving, then taking over land, native people and their cultures was unavoidable. The conquest does not stop from “there goes the neighborhood”, but rather “there goes the whole country and people” since Europeans spread throughout the entire continent, and leaving Native Americans with their destroyed culture and restricted living space. 

Currently, we do not experience such extremities in Chicago communities as the Native Americans did. However, instances where “there goes the neighborhood” gets dropped ever so often here and there.  This expression generally is used to show disapproval of racial minorities moving to an all-white neighborhood. Chicago is split in the general: whites in the north, blacks in the south, hispanics in the west. This expression might be said more of the north-west side, as more hispanics move eastward. Chicago is split in the general: whites in the north, blacks in the south, Hispanics in the west. This expression might be said more of the north-west side, as more Hispanics move eastward. However, there is one neighborhood that is contradicting the remark; Pilsen, known for its rich Latino culture, shown by its artistic murals all over main streets. Since housing is more affordable, more non-Hispanics started moving in the past few years. “There goes the neighborhood” can still apply to this situation since local groups are trying to preserve the Mexican-American culture by preventing the increase of property tax.

 Since I live in a generally diverse neighborhood, Bridgeport, I have not yet to witness the phrase being used. Bridgeport was initially an Irish-American neighborhood in the 1830s, but has grown to inhabit many Italian and Lithuanian Americans. More recently, Chinese and Mexicans immigrants made their homes, racially grouped in the north and west areas. However, I assume that people cannot criticize about their neighbors since Bridgeport’s citizens all had immigrant roots to relate to. Anyone can see the diversity just by the food; Bridgeport is famous for the Italian cuisine, Irish pubs, with some Chinese restaurants and Mexican bakeries here and there, but adds some own flare with cafes and organic restaurants. Although Chicago is known as the most diverse as well as segregated city of the nation, I am glad that there are some neighborhoods that can reject the statement, and I am proud to claim that I live in one and call it home.