The Importance of Suburbia

Dear Willow S. Lung-Amam, 
I found it really interesting when you mentioned the importance of suburbia in the discussion of racial groups. I’ve never considered ethnic communities in suburbia before, as I usually associate the suburbs with White middle-class people. 


Growing up in a city, I know that in urban spaces, communities are divided up among racial/ethical boundaries (i.e. Chinatown and Little Italy in NYC, where I’m from). You argue that this depicts Asian Americans as “forever foreigners” (10), and doesn’t allow them to assimilate into American culture, which I found very interesting. Do you think the expansion of Asian Americans into the suburbs allows them to become “American”? Also, in the suburbs, boundaries are less specific, so could this allow for the further inclusion of Asian Americans as “Americans”? 

Sincerely, 
Jahnavi Bhavsar

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