Civic Goods and the Machine in Westchester: An Unauthorized Minority Report: The Case of New Rochelle and Mount Vernon New York

Author

Roxanne Neilson , '15

Date of Award

2015

Document Type

Thesis

Terms of Use

© 2015 Roanne Neilson. All rights reserved. This work is freely available courtesy of the author. It may only be used for non-commercial, educational, and research purposes. For all other uses, including reproduction and distribution, please contact the copyright holder.

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Black Studies Program, Sociology & Anthropology Department, Political Science Department

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to look at what impact shifting demographics in a suburb of New York City has on publicly funded institutions as waves of immigrant groups arrive and then establish themselves. The study answers the question: Does political participation and representation matter; does access to the polity transform subsequent newcomers to the suburbs equally? Is there a case for reparations? I examine the historical record and closely review both the literal and figurative paths that led to the success of some groups as well as the demise of others in two cities in Westchester County New Rochelle and later, Mt Vernon from first contact to the present. I demonstrate how civic machines evolved, how they were fueled enforced, and the impact that residential demographics have had on the distribution of public resources, from the early colonial period, through the wars, until today.

Recommended Citation

Neilson, Roxanne , '15, "Civic Goods and the Machine in Westchester: An Unauthorized Minority Report: The Case of New Rochelle and Mount Vernon New York" (2015). Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards. 200.
https://works.swarthmore.edu/theses/200