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The Iconic Ghetto

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  • Elijah Anderson

Abstract

In the minds of many Americans, the ghetto is where “the black people live,†symbolizing an impoverished, crime-prone, drug-infested, and violent area of the city. Aided by the mass media and popular culture, this image of the ghetto has achieved an iconic status, and serves as a powerful source of stereotype, prejudice, and discrimination. The history of racism in America, along with the ascription of “ghetto†to anonymous blacks, has burdened blacks with a negative presumption they must disprove before they can establish mutually trusting relationships with others. The poorest blacks occupy a caste-like status, and for the black middle class, contradictions and dilemmas of status are common, underscoring the racial divide and exacerbating racial tensions.

Suggested Citation

  • Elijah Anderson, 2012. "The Iconic Ghetto," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 642(1), pages 8-24, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:642:y:2012:i:1:p:8-24
    DOI: 10.1177/0002716212446299
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