How East New York became a ghetto

Walter Thabit

NYU Press, 2003 - Social Science - 304 pages

In response to the riots of the mid-‘60s, Walter Thabit was hired to work with the community of East New York to develop a plan for low- and moderate-income public housing. In the years that followed, he experienced first-hand the forces that had engineered East New York’s dramatic decline and that continued to work against its successful revitalization. How East New York Became a Ghetto describes the shift of East New York from a working-class immigrant neighborhood to a largely black and Puerto Rican neighborhood and shows how the resulting racially biased policies caused the deterioration of this once flourishing area.

A clear-sighted, unflinching look at one ghetto community, How East New York Became a Ghetto provides insights and observations on the histories and fates of ghettos throughout the United States.

What people are saying

Review: How East New York Became a Ghetto

User Review - Goodreads

There are several references to Pratt and Cypress Hills LDC. This is not the book to learn about the general policies or laws that allowed East New York to become a "ghetto." It is, however, the place to learn about the power brokers of the neighborhood and the history of this specific place.

Review: How East New York Became a Ghetto

User Review  - Justin - Goodreads

A hauntingly familiar story of racial injustice committed through predatory lending and insurance-scouring. It is so important to understand how the current situation of these neighborhoods has so ...

Contents

• Introduction: 1
• Welcome to East New York: 7
• The Population Wave: 23
• The Ghettoization of East New York: 37
• Destruction of the Target Area: 55
• The Uniformed and Other Services: 70
• The Youth of East New York: 83
• Vest Pocket Planning: 101
• Vest Pocket Implementation: 122
• The Model Cities Fiasco: 138
• East New York under Siege: 169
• The FHA Scandals: 178
• The Community School Board Disaster: 188
• Rebuilding in East New York: 205
• The Hard Road to Recovery: 228
• Policing the Ghetto: 247
• About the Author: 304

About the author

Walter Thabit has 35 years of experience in housing, renewal, community planning, city planning, and anti-poverty projects. He lives in New York City.

Bibliographic information

• Title: How East New York became a ghetto
• Author: Walter Thabit
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: NYU Press, 2003
• ISBN: 0814782671, 9780814782675
• Length: 304 pages
• Subjects: History / Social History; History / United States / State & Local / Midwest (IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI); Social Science / Research; Social Science / Sociology / Urban