Hull House Neighborhood

The neighborhood around Hull House was different from how I imagined it. The maps of nationalities really shocked me. The neighborhood was not only tightly packed, but also extremely diverse. Ethnic groups were scattered everywhere; however, there were a few areas where a particular nationalities appeared to dominate. After seeing this I assumed that there probably were clashes between the ethnic groups as each has their own beliefs and customs. And in fact there were. One of the articles stated that Jews and Italians rarely inhabited the same tenement house because they look down upon one another. Living closely together with different people produced some conflicts.

Even though there were some cultural clashes, they still asserted there identity. The article talked about the Italian celebrating the Feast of Assumption and the characteristics of their religious rites. There are also several business owned by particular ethnic groups such as the Greeks and their restaurants, saloons, and groceries. People did indeed express their identity in their own ways.

People also had opportunities for social interaction. One of the images showed children playing in an alley even though it was a filthy and hazardous to their health. There were also five-cent theaters where people could watch dramas. The article also mentioned saloons. The additions to Hull House such as the gymnasium, women's club, and coffee house provided more opportunities for social interaction everyone, especially for the children. They these opportunities provided a learning environment where people could interact. I think that the social opportunities in Hull House may have motivated people to respect their differences and to assert their nationalities.