Free or Abandon, the emergence of black ghetto - Essay Example

Scope of the Author The author has broader and clear perception regarding the black community. He indicates that out of the forty-four existing settlers in Los Angeles, twenty-six were of African ancestry (Graaf 325). However, this number decreased rapidly following a census carried out in 1970. The results of the census disclosed that there were only twenty-two mulattoes out of a population of 150 individuals; however, a handful of Afro-Americans came to the city during the Spanish and Mexican era.

Furthermore, the Afro-American element vanished virtually, although some present reports reveal that numerous famous landowners and political figures of California have African ancestry. Graaf continues to reveal that the first decades of American governance saw the influx of numerous families, particularly the family of Biddie Mason, into Los Angeles (Graaf 326). The Afro-American population grew from 12 to 102 families within the period of years between 1850 and 1880, which only translates into one percent of the general population of the state of California.

Additionally, the land boom of 1888 led to the increase of the Afro-American population up to 1258 people. This translated into three percent of the general population of the state (Graaf 327). The land boom caused the increase of unemployment rate that stretched all over the state of California. . Considering all the aforementioned factors Graaf argues that it is difficult to obtain any evidence that before 1900 there were any particular economical or other driving forces for African Americans to create ghetto-like urban areas within the black community.

The employment setting of Afro-Americans contained signs of prejudice and starvation. Unemployment rate hit them hard and in 1893 they formed a body to guarantee jobs and land because the existing unions rejected their appeal for jobs. However, unemployment was not distinctive among the Afro-Americans and numerous factors lessened the aftermath of the Depression. However, Los Angeles felt the intensity of the panic in 1897. The majority of the Afro-Americans soon acquired service jobs and the inflow of whites generated a market for more jobs.

Moreover, the depression neither discouraged the influx of other Afro-Americans into the city nor restricted the African Americans from expanding their businesses. Graaf also reveals that the racial hostility towards Afro-Americans declined abruptly. Los Angeles had desegregated its institutions and the state had incorporated a civil rights rule. Therefore, the Afro-American population enjoyed a spell of declining racial tension and a substantial degree of recognition. The number of Afro-Americans migrating to the state augmented abundantly between 1900 and 1920.

This led to a multiplication of the Afro-American population with several migrants arriving from the Southern States. There were also intense efforts to increase the Afro-American population, such as Mass importation. Reports reveal that that the Pacific railroad conveyed almost 2000 Afro-Americans with an intention to end a