++ [ originally posted by Andy ] ++
Greg, would I be correct to say the Southside of Chicago is where the majority of European immigrants called home years ago while the Northside is where primarily the South and Central Americans and Asians settled in the city?
I drove through many of the parts of North Chicago, right through Chinatown and parts of the Korean and Costa Rican sectors of the city. To be honest I have never really seen something like that before, even in Washington DC and the parts of New York I visited.
As a fourth-generation Chicagoan (as if such a concept as that even exists in the U.S.), that city is truly in my blood. I can't help but visit family back there and encounter streets and sights that resonate with genetic lines many decades ago. It's almost as if I could call myself a "Chicago-American".
But one of the things I dislike about Chicago the most is that it's probably one of the most segregated cities in America. While the boundaries change over the years as the population changes, you can pick street names and even today divide this race or that race or this culture and that culture as landing on either side of the road. The upside is that neighborhoods have retained a lot of character. The bad side is that segregation isn't exactly a healthy thing -- nor is it something that encourages understanding and mutual respect across cultures.
But immigration has happened throughout all parts of the city -- South as well as North. Over the decades, the neighborhoods changed to reflect the Americanization of generations and changes in economics (and suburban flight). The South Side is predominantly industrial and is now characterized most by poor black communities -- though there are still areas with a predominant Polish, Irish, and Mexican populations, plus a cluster of Chinese. The North Side has been a little more well-heeled and white collar, though many of those neighborhoods are now characterized by Mexican, Puerto Rican, and even small Ukranian and Greek outposts.
But it was amusing coming to Berkeley for grad school, where a lot of people like to think they live among the most culturally diverse campuses. My undergrad school near downtown Chicago hosted daily bake sale fundraisers run by different student ethnic groups that took a full two months to go through the rotation.
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