Chicago's Racial Divide

            I think that a large part of the reason that there is still a racial divide in the city of Chicago and around the United States is the difference in income levels among the races. Even though the city is supposed to be an equal employment center there is a lot of equality that still exist in the job market.  There are still many companies that feel that they can pay black and women lower wages then white males. The companies may not be performing this discrimination on purpose but as a potential employee is looked at, things like experience and schooling are a factor. So if it is harder for you to get a job as a minority it become increasingly difficult for you to move up in the work for once you have entered into a lower level position because of discrimination. Also minority groups are often brought up with the same advancements as the majority. Children of immigrants will have a hard time paying for schooling and housing in good districts because they came here with parents who may not have been able to find well paying jobs.  This is where income level comes into play. I feel more families live in segregated areas not because they want to be near people of the same race but because they are forced into segregated areas because they cannot afford to live anywhere else. You see a lot of mostly black neighborhoods in the city of Chicago this is not because they don’t want to move into other areas of the city but because blacks in the city traditionally make lower wages then whites in the area and are faced with discrimination when job hunting to improve their financial situation.  Suburbs are faced with the same problem people who can afford to live in neighborhoods do those who can’t afford to live in the area cant. I volunteer with a non-profit housing organization that is bases in the south. They get scrutiny because people believe they only build houses for minority groups. This is not the case, however they build housing for families with low incomes and minority groups are often the families that are in need the most.  The mixed income housing developments like those in the old Cabrini green area are a start to helping to end racial segregation but I feel there is no way to end racial segregation without guaranteeing that all minority groups no longer face job discrimination and immigrant families don’t enter into the united states with little to no income. This is impossibility therefore I believe we will always find racially or income separated areas.