The Jewish Wedge and Black Migration Through The City

[EastsideAl]

One of the main reasons for the "hard left turn" the Jewish community took when it moved from the Hastings/Oakland area out into the Dexter/12th St. area was that Highland Park was mostly "restricted," and as with Dearborn, the Ford Motor Co. made sure it stayed that way. For several decades Anti-Semitism and anti-black racism were two of the great drivers in this migratory pattern, and that really can't be ignored. As stated by a poster above, for a long time areas that had had a heavily Jewish population were viewed as having already been "ruined" by many whites, and were given over to black populations who were also restricted from living elsewhere in the city.

Strangely, the story of Italian populations on the east side was broadly similar for a while. Restricted by ethnic/racial prejudice to living in Black Bottom and other nearby areas for much of their early history in the area [[note the location of the ancient Roma Cafe), east side Italians moved out Gratiot and into assimilation followed on that geographic path after some time by African-Americans.

My grand-mother experienced the anti-Semitism of that period first hand. She was Scots-Irish born and raised on the east side. But her half-sister and best friend married a Jew. This friend was working at Hudson Motor Car on Jefferson at the time, but they were thrown out of the same building my grandmother lived in because of her husband's background and suddenly found themselves unable to rent or buy a house anywhere on the east side in those days. Of course, the joke was on the haters as her husband went on to manage or own a string of apartment buildings and bars on the west side, they lived on Boston Blvd. for several years, and eventually moved on to Las Vegas where he ran food, beverage, entertainment, etc. for some of the big hotels.

And their kids have never even been to Detroit.

[IrishSpartan]

And to add on, there is still a synagogue in Mt. Clemens. There is even a Reform congregation in Downriver, another unlikely place one would find a Jewish community. However, these congregations are most likely very small, not a Beth El or a Shaarey Zedek.

Yes, Congregation Beth Tephilath Moses is on South Ave. Overall, the Jewish presence in Mount Clemens is greatly reduced compared to 40 years ago.

[Don K]

It's not just in the Detroit area where African-Americans have followed Jews in the outward migration. I grew up in South Jersey, and when I was a kid [[60's) Willingboro township was heavily Jewish. It was the third Levittown [[after the ones in New York and Pennsylvania), and was the first time William Levitt had the money to pretty much buy up an entire township for development. In the 2010 census, Willingboro was over 70% African-American.

The same thing happened to the north of Philadelphia, where African-Americans followed Jews out North Broad Street and into the northern burbs. My partner is from the Boston area, and tells me the history of the Dorchester area of Boston is similar.

In a way it's kind of a shame the Census Bureau hasn't asked about religion for a long time, because any study of these migration patterns has to rely on memory and anecdote.

[Omaha]

Interesting discussion. But the original question used the term "White" when from what I am reading the poster really meant WASP. In my mind, that is a significant difference.

[ghettopalmetto]

I find it interesting to think about these migration patterns in a historical context. You have two distinct populations, both of which were discriminated against to varying degrees in their place of origin. They both sought opportunity and freedom in the northern United States, but found neither, at least not for several decades. Not having had such an experience myself, it makes me wonder how the level of discrimination present in Detroit [[and other northern cities) compared to say, the South for blacks, or Central Europe for the Jews.

[Pam]

it makes me wonder how the level of discrimination present in Detroit [[and other northern cities) compared to say, the South for blacks, or Central Europe for the Jews.

http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Land-Lib...9&sr=1-2-spell

Sweet Land of Liberty: The Forgotten Struggle for Civil Rights in the North

[bartock]

Interesting discussion. But the original question used the term "White" when from what I am reading the poster really meant WASP. In my mind, that is a significant difference.

Second this. While the historical discussion is extremely interesting, there is always the underlying "evil white [non-Jewish] man" that lumps all in one group and is really inaccurate.

[luckycar]

http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Land-Lib...9&sr=1-2-spell

Let's see.Southern US,including Oklahoma ,St.Louis and Indiana.Jim Crow,lynchings,KKK and white riots against the blacks.Central Europe.Pogroms,Fascist,right-wing groups,both state and church sponsored.The Shoah,Nazis and anti-semitism.We win,or lose I guess.

[bartock]

Let's see.Southern US,including Oklahoma ,St.Louis and Indiana.Jim Crow,lynchings,KKK and white riots against the blacks.Central Europe.Pogroms,Fascist,right-wing groups,both state and church sponsored.The Shoah,Nazis and anti-semitism.We win,or lose I guess.

Who are "we"?

[English]

Second this. While the historical discussion is extremely interesting, there is always the underlying "evil white [non-Jewish] man" that lumps all in one group and is really inaccurate.

It may not be accurate now [[in 2011), but 75-100 years ago when these migration patterns began, there were serious social consequences for non-Jewish white men who were too sympathetic towards blacks and/or Jews. So even if the individual wasn't prejudiced, if they valued their property, their assets, and their livelihoods, they had to become part of the silent majority.

Blame is so counterproductive. What happened, happened, and since we're still living with the aftermath today, it's to our benefit to analyze it.

[English]

Let's see.Southern US,including Oklahoma ,St.Louis and Indiana.Jim Crow,lynchings,KKK and white riots against the blacks.Central Europe.Pogroms,Fascist,right-wing groups,both state and church sponsored.The Shoah,Nazis and anti-semitism.We win,or lose I guess.

Other than a shared history of discrimination, I don't think that the black and Jewish experiences are as parallel as some have made them out to be. Apples and oranges.

[bartock]

[QUOTE=English;250420]It may not be accurate now [[in 2011), but 75-100 years ago when these migration patterns began, there were serious social consequences for non-Jewish white men who were too sympathetic towards blacks and/or Jews. So even if the individual wasn't prejudiced, if they valued their property, their assets, and their livelihoods, they had to become part of the silent majority.

Blame is so counterproductive. What happened, happened, and since we're still living with the aftermath today, it's to our benefit to analyze it.[/QUOTE]

I'm kind of a believer in the "divide the poor" theory of people like Howard Zinn that really kind of goes to a lot of racism, so It is the self-loathing comments like "I guess we win" that bug me. It is a lazy cliche, and doesn't begin to tell the story. It's like somewhere there are a bazillion white, blond haired, blue eyed German Protestant males responsible for all this, I guess.

...and, I would agree with your other statement about comparing Jewish folks and black folks. Different stories, as I'm sure Asians, Mexicans, Irish, etc., etc., will also attest to, as would homosexuals, women, physically challenged, etc.

[socks_mahoney]

Other than a shared history of discrimination, I don't think that the black and Jewish experiences are as parallel as some have made them out to be. Apples and oranges.

I always found the shared "Exodus" narrative to be pretty compelling. Especially in regard to the black church as an institution. The specifics are different but the diaspora narrative is relatively unique, there are only so many true diaspora cultures in the world [[do we include the Detroit diaspora in this ?? ). IMO, the geographic, social, and political intertwining of these groups is no coincidence at all. The universe works in strange ways.

[GUSHI]

Its not just the African Americans who followed the Jews, Muslims also did, [[besides Dearborn) I notice alot more mosk in Oakland County than I do Living in Macomb County.

[English]

I always found the shared "Exodus" narrative to be pretty compelling. Especially in regard to the black church as an institution. The specifics are different but the diaspora narrative is relatively unique, there are only so many true diaspora cultures in the world [[do we include the Detroit diaspora in this ?? ). IMO, the geographic, social, and political intertwining of these groups is no coincidence at all. The universe works in strange ways.

A Jewish professor of mine at [[school name redacted) told me that there was no Diaspora other than the Jewish one that occurred after 70 AD. He didn't like my use of the term to describe movements of people descended from Africans as a result of the Maafa.

[English]

Also, the Maafa has only lasted for a little over five centuries. I may be an optimist, but I don't believe it will last for another five. Anti-Semitism is at least as old as ancient Egypt, and still is on the rise. There are people who won't make racist statements who will tell you the nuttiest things about "those Jews." It is just irrational, stupid, and just plain hateful to despise people because of their religion and/or heritage.

[socks_mahoney]

I wasn't implying that there isn't an African diaspora, I hope it didn't come off that way. Its unique that there is one.

PS Maafa? Whats that?

[English]

I wasn't implying that there isn't an African diaspora, I hope it didn't come off that way. Its unique that there is one.

PS Maafa? Whats that?

No, I know you weren't. I used to use the term "African Diaspora" quite a bit until heading to ____ and getting verbally slapped down for it.

Also, maafa is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maafa -- some Africana scholars have recognized the need for a term to describe what has happened to people of African descent over the past 500 years, globally. People used "the African Holocaust" for a long time but the etymology of the word is very specific to what happened to the Jews.

Me, I believe we should all be informed about history and not shrink away from it. If we want to create a better world, we would do well to learn from the mistakes of our [[collective) ancestors.

[luckycar]

Who are "we"?

Us of the Hebrew semite tribes.

[Huggybear]

Other than a shared history of discrimination, I don't think that the black and Jewish experiences are as parallel as some have made them out to be. Apples and oranges.

You're onto something here. There is no magic. Three basic things have driven many groups' mass migrations in Detroit:

1. You lived where restrictive covenants let you.

2. When it was time to leave, you sold to whomever was buying.

3. You followed your major road corridor.

Much of the rest of this thread is an exercise in promoting stereotypes [[albeit "good" ones) in an attempt to avoid the appearance of making negative racial, cultural or religious generalizations. In real life, the Jewish community is far from monolithic. On the one hand, you have civil libertarians, urban progressives, and civil rights fighters. On the other, you have some of the most conservative and warlike elements of the Nixon, Reagan, Bush and Bush administrations [[to say nothing of conservative media figures like Bloomberg, Breitbart and Drudge). And that's just the politics; there is also a huge spectrum of religious views and cultural practices.

What I think i am seeing here is people's perceiving qualities they like in individuals and then extrapolating to a group as a whole. The tactful way to describe that is "inductive reasoning." When applied to people, it's more appropriately called stereotyping.