Description
The Bronx is a fascinating history of a singular borough, mapping its evolution from a loose cluster of commuter villages to a densely populated home for New York's African American and Hispanic populations. In recounting the varied and extreme transformations this community has undergone, Evelyn Gonzalez argues that racial discrimination, rampant crime, postwar liberalism, and big government were not the only reasons for the urban crisis that assailed the Bronx during the late 1960s. Rather, a combination of population shifts, public housing initiatives, economic recession, and urban overdevelopment caused its decline. Yet she also proves that ongoing urbanization and neighborhood fluctuations are the very factors that have allowed the Bronx to undergo one of the most successful and inspiring community revivals in American history. The process of building and rebuilding carries on, and the revitalization of neighborhoods and a resurgence of economic growth continue to offer hope for the future.
About the Author
Evelyn Gonzalez is associate professor of history at William Paterson University in New Jersey.
Reviews
Gonzalez's reporting and research are excellent, and scholars will appreciate the extensive bibliography... recommended for public and academic libraries. Library Journal Gonzalez has given New York and the Bronx a historical snapshot of the sometimes forgotten borough inThe Bronx. New York Resident Ms. Gonzalez has created a text, not only of historic value, but also one that should serve as a contemporary study of urbanization... for serious students and teachers of Bronx history or urban studies. Every library should have a copy... It's well worth a read. Bronx Times Reporter This is must reading for any historian interested in exploring the process of suburbanization's impact on New York City...Recommended. -- T. D. Beal Choice A soberly thoughtful, statistic-filled study of that neglected borough, replete with maps and charts. -- Phillip Lopate New York Times Book Review This book tells a thoughtful story of urbanization in a place that most Americans know only stereotypically. -- Darrel E. Bigham American Historical Review A superior book, well worth reading. -- Lloyd Ultan The Bronx County Historical Society Journal Evelyn Gonzalez and Columbia University Press earn warm praise for this valuable book. -- Joeseph Dorinson H-Urban An excellent account of a place and its people. -- Brian Purnell Urban History
Book Information
ISBN 9780231121156
Author Evelyn Gonzalez
Format Paperback
Page Count 304
Imprint Columbia University Press
Publisher Columbia University Press