1. The route of assimilation of members of ethnic groups into mainstream American society can be a matter of individual choice, or it can be a matter of accident or forces outside the ability of the individual to choose. The ethnic enclaves started by different ethnic groups come about as immigrants from other areas come to the United States and want to feel comfortable with others of their background; the ghetto that developed for black citizens, however, is different in that these people are not immigrants (at least not in this generation) and at least at one time had little choice about where they could live, since neighborhoods were segregated. The Women of Brewster Place live in the area they do because black people historically have populated such neighborhoods and still do. These women have not been given a choice as to where they want to live. The neighborhood was once all white, and this changed with the arrival of one black man. As more blacks moved in, the whites moved out, another trend creating ghettoes in different inner-city neighborhoods.
The reason why so many immigrants seek others of the same background is made evident in the article by Nava (1993) which shows how a French boy in his neighborhood was taunted for being different. Nava finds that the tormented individual grows to hate back, which might prevent assimilation unless it can be overcome. For many blacks, remaining where they are allows them to remain comfortable. The older generation in Brewster Place is less eager to make a change, and even if the world outside has changed, they fear it has not. Cesar Chavez (1975) shows how difficult it can be for those who want to assimilate to do so. Chavez fights to bring others into the mainstream or at least to gain justice. The shift is slow not because they want assimilation to be slow but because resistance is so heavy. Chang (1992) shows how many Asians are seen as being assimilated more quickly t...