A Raisin in the Sun and Segregation in Chicago
In today’s century, especially in places like Chicago, relations between Caucasians and African-Americans are not always equivalent. There are differences between some of the major aspects in life, including segregated neighborhoods, poverty, the workforce, and income. It is believed that racial prejudice has improved since the Civil Rights Movement in 1950. It has been proven by facts from poverty and income percentages that the segregation is still present. In A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, which takes place in the 1950’s, the Younger family struggles with money issues and racial prejudice. The Southside of Chicago is where most of the discrimination happens in the play, and also …show more content…
Income and the working class is another place that has been segregated for African-Americans. Chicago in the 1960’s and in present time is segregated, whether we notice it or not. Income and poverty are two of the main fields in where segregation has not improved over the years since the 1960’s.
Poverty and Housing
The Younger family lives in an old, run down apartment in the Southside of Chicago. This was not out of the ordinary for African-American families living in the 1950’s. The family had a small apartment with only a kitchen, living room, two bedrooms and a small window. Poverty percentiles have not changed much from the 1950’s until 2010, only dropping from 34.1% to 29.7% respectively (Bulgaria, 2013). “For a family of three, extreme poverty means surviving on about $9,500 or less for the entire year” (Cottrell, 2013, para. 9). This may be the reason why the Younger family gets very thrilled over the fact that Mama gets a $10,000 check from her husband’s insurance (Hansberry, 1966). More than one third of all low income African-Americans living in the urban areas of Chicago are …show more content…
The average African-American living in Chicago makes $29,371 (Borgia, 2013). As shown in the graph, in 2012, blacks have a much lower household income than whites (Grabinsky, 2015). As big as a difference that is, it is not shocking compared to similar data found in the 1960’s. As shown in the graph, in 2012, blacks have a much lower household income than whites (Grabinsky, 2015). In A Raisin in the Sun, Walter struggles with the fact that he can not become rich or find a higher paying job. All the elder people in the household, Walther, Ruth, and Lena, work serving white people. The opportunities of African-American’s to get a high paying job in the 50’s and 60’s was very slim (Hansberry, 1966). Some people are lucky enough to even get a job in Chicago, because the amount of black’s with unemployment was 7.6% and 2.3% for whites in the 1960’s. Today, it has been calculated that 19.5% of blacks are unemployed and 8.1% for whites. African-Americans unemployment rate is almost double the rate of the white percentages many years apart (Bogira, 2013). Income and unemployment go hand-in-hand, because if a person is unable to get a job, there is no way they are going to have a high salary. In Borgia 's 2013 study he found that one reason unemployment is so high in Chicago for blacks because big businesses relocated to the suburbs, because it was a more stable area and there were places
In today’s century, especially in places like Chicago, relations between Caucasians and African-Americans are not always equivalent. There are differences between some of the major aspects in life, including segregated neighborhoods, poverty, the workforce, and income. It is believed that racial prejudice has improved since the Civil Rights Movement in 1950. It has been proven by facts from poverty and income percentages that the segregation is still present. In A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, which takes place in the 1950’s, the Younger family struggles with money issues and racial prejudice. The Southside of Chicago is where most of the discrimination happens in the play, and also …show more content…
Income and the working class is another place that has been segregated for African-Americans. Chicago in the 1960’s and in present time is segregated, whether we notice it or not. Income and poverty are two of the main fields in where segregation has not improved over the years since the 1960’s.
Poverty and Housing
The Younger family lives in an old, run down apartment in the Southside of Chicago. This was not out of the ordinary for African-American families living in the 1950’s. The family had a small apartment with only a kitchen, living room, two bedrooms and a small window. Poverty percentiles have not changed much from the 1950’s until 2010, only dropping from 34.1% to 29.7% respectively (Bulgaria, 2013). “For a family of three, extreme poverty means surviving on about $9,500 or less for the entire year” (Cottrell, 2013, para. 9). This may be the reason why the Younger family gets very thrilled over the fact that Mama gets a $10,000 check from her husband’s insurance (Hansberry, 1966). More than one third of all low income African-Americans living in the urban areas of Chicago are …show more content…
The average African-American living in Chicago makes $29,371 (Borgia, 2013). As shown in the graph, in 2012, blacks have a much lower household income than whites (Grabinsky, 2015). As big as a difference that is, it is not shocking compared to similar data found in the 1960’s. As shown in the graph, in 2012, blacks have a much lower household income than whites (Grabinsky, 2015). In A Raisin in the Sun, Walter struggles with the fact that he can not become rich or find a higher paying job. All the elder people in the household, Walther, Ruth, and Lena, work serving white people. The opportunities of African-American’s to get a high paying job in the 50’s and 60’s was very slim (Hansberry, 1966). Some people are lucky enough to even get a job in Chicago, because the amount of black’s with unemployment was 7.6% and 2.3% for whites in the 1960’s. Today, it has been calculated that 19.5% of blacks are unemployed and 8.1% for whites. African-Americans unemployment rate is almost double the rate of the white percentages many years apart (Bogira, 2013). Income and unemployment go hand-in-hand, because if a person is unable to get a job, there is no way they are going to have a high salary. In Borgia 's 2013 study he found that one reason unemployment is so high in Chicago for blacks because big businesses relocated to the suburbs, because it was a more stable area and there were places