| Chapter 2: | Looking Beyond the Blighted Surface |
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Chapter 2
Looking Beyond the Blighted Surface
The Gaze of Redevelopment and the Immigrants' Milieu
2.1. Introduction
The history of neighborhood revitalization and urban redevelopment in the U.S. has been one of disruption and destruction of low-income neighborhoods. A central theme within this history has been the effort to target and implement revitalization programs in immigrant neighborhoods. As the central business district (CBD) elite seek to capitalize on regenerating low-income areas, this has historically placed immigrant neighborhoods in an ever-changing struggle for the maintenance and survival of their communities. These immigrant ethnic neighborhoods possess a strong mixture of social, financial, political, and cultural capital (“the immigrants' milieu”), which both attracts the “gaze” of redevelopment and offers potential resources for the neighborhoods' survival.