Lesson Plan - Waldinger, Still the Promised City?

These are some of the questions you should be able to answer after reading the assigned chapters in Waldinger's book.
Basics
  1. What are two major theories used to explain declining economic position of African Americans in urban centers?
  2. According to Waldinger, were blacks or African Americans heavily engaged in manufacturing prior to the deindustrialization of NY economy?
  3. Describe the Waldinger’s labor queue analogy.
    • Succession model
    • Leapfrogging model
    • Persistence scenario
  4. How does Waldinger use this analogy to explain black-white antagonism?
Groups and Niches
  1. What are economic niches and how do they benefit different groups?
  2. Do all people participate in economic niches?
  3. Discuss discrimination and how economic niches support discrimination.
  4. Describe the economic niches of the following groups: 
    • Jews 
    • Italians 
    • African-Americans 
    • West Indians 
    • Chinese 
    • Dominicans
Who gets the lousy jobs?
  1. Garment Industry 
    • Why did African Americans leave the garment industry? 
  2. Hotel Industry 
    • Why did they leave the hotel industry? 
  3. Why did both industries see a rise in immigrant labor?
Is Waldinger worried about African Americans?

Criticism of Waldinger

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