Chapter six of the DetroitFolio discusses going beyond the Black-White binary that has defined Detroit, and explores the cultural enclave of Mexicantown

1. 6.1
Beyond Black and White: Detroit’s Modern Racial Diversityi
Detroit’s narrative has been that of black and white people, history, culture, and strife.
Thomas Sugrue’s analysis of Detroit1 describes a dichotomy of inner-city, black Detroiters
struggling as their white counterparts’ resist, repress, and flee them. History teaches about
Detroit as a city in decline after black-white race riots caused whites to flee, taking
manufacturing jobs with them to the suburbs. However, these are not the only stories taking
place in Detroit. Increasingly, Detroit is becoming home to a vibrant Mexican population that
forms enclaves within the city; in which they are opening businesses, paying taxes, and sending
their children to Detroit Public Schools. Because of this, it is time for Detroit’s story to shift
toward the inclusion of the new racial and ethnic face of Detroit.
Richard Florida’s article “Quantifying Downtown Detroit’s Comeback”2 analyzes and
discusses the ways in which Downtown Detroit has managed to revitalize itself in recent years.
The Greater Downtown area has become home to “commercial, educational, and entertainment”;
all aspects of the city’s cultural capital. Coffee shops, stadiums, theatres and museums all
contribute to this sense of urban culture, and attract 10.5 million people to Greater Downtown
each year. Clearly, the importance of culture to a city’s economy and overall health cannot be
understated. The Hispanic Detroit enclave known as Mexicantown is one such area on the rise in
its cultural and economic contributions to the city. With restaurants, shops, churches and
taquerias lining the streets along Vernon Highway, it is clear that Mexicantown has become an
important staple of Detroit revitalization. In recent years, Mexicantown has flourished;
1 Sugrue, T. J. (1996). The Origins of the UrbanCrisis: Race andInequality in PostwarDetroit
(pp. 1-267). Princeton,NJ: Princeton University Press.
2 Florida, R. (2013, February 20). Quantifying Downtown Detroit's Comeback [Electronic version]. The Atlantic Cities.

2. 6.2
stimulating the economy through small business and tourist attraction. In 2012 alone, the top
three Hispanic-owned businesses brought in approximately $226 million and employed 1,195
people full-time3. Through the creation of these cultural enclaves, Detroit is seeing a type of
segregation that spells prosperity for the city rather than destruction.
Sugrue’s book The Origins of the Urban Crisis told an important story of the dangers of
segregation within the city of Detroit, and the ways in which homogenous neighborhoods can do
more harm than good. However, this argument does not stand for the current situation of cultural
enclaves within Detroit. Now more than ever, Detroit needs neighborhoods like Mexicantown to
come forth and provide economic and social support within the city. The segregation that led to
Detroit’s downfall in the post-war era was harmful in its subjugation of certain peoples and its
inability to allow neighborhoods to become integrated if desired. In contrast, Mexicantown is a
cultural celebration and choice made by those people immigrating to Detroit. Mexicantown
provides a cultural experience not only for Mexican immigrants who wish to enjoy the comforts
of their home country, but also for tourists and suburbanites wishing for authentic Mexican food,
clothing, or items. And, increasingly so, it is becoming a source of a new, growing, and
permanent population in Detroit.
. In the 2000 Census, Hispanics accounted for 18,664 persons, or 5.0% of the total
population in Detroit. In 2013, that number has grown to 52,298 people making up 7.5%4 of the
population. These numbers tell a significant story about the way in which Detroit’s racial
background and narrative is shifting. Rather than black and white Detroiters being the only major
groups of people to live and work in Detroit, these statistics show that increasingly Hispanic
3 Crain’s DetroitBusiness:Largest Hispanic-Owned Businesses in Detroit
4 All statisticsregardingtheHispanic population in Detroitand its metro area are attached and were found using
Census data through Social Explorer

3. 6.3
immigrants are living in Detroit and attracting others through chain-migration. This gives the city
an influx of young people, families, and those able to work and settle within the city.
Currently, Hispanics account for 4.1% of the metropolitan statistical area of Detroit, up
from 2.0% in 2000. This could mean danger for the newly flourishing population in Detroit, if
Hispanic immigrants are not regarded as the asset they are. According to Daniel Denvir5,
Detroit’s positioning as a border city adds additional scrutiny of Mexican immigrants, making
the city “feel more like Arizona” (2) than Michigan. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE) located in Detroit often spells trouble even for U.S. born Hispanics, who are stopped by
officers who wish to see their papers. Even more troubling is the situation of those with expired
visas who face increased deportation in Detroit as opposed to living in one of its suburban cities.
The current racial and immigration
climate in Detroit is increasingly
detracting Mexican immigrants from
the city, and if this phenomenon is
allowed to continue it could create a
danger to the prosperity brought to
Detroit by Mexican immigrants. If,
through chain migration, Mexicans are
brought to the suburbs instead of the
5 Denvir, D. (2012,September 24). The Paradox of Mexicantown: Detroit's Uncomfortable Relationship With the
Immigrants itDesperately Needs [Electronic version]. The Atlantic Cities.
1Mexicantown's significance within the city is becoming increasingly prevalent, and is
exemplified in things such as the development of a website for the neighborhood.

4. 6.4
city, Detroit could see additional drain of resources, people, and growth; an already hefty issue in
Detroit.
The contributions of Mexicantown and its residents create a new narrative for the city of
Detroit: one of revitalization. The black-white binary story that has existed for so long in the
minds of Michiganders and Americans is a story of strife and disrepair. In order for Detroit to
heal and once again become a great city, it must first abandon the black-white dichotomy, and
next embrace its newfound racial makeup, with all of the benefits it provides.

5. 6.5
Bibliography
Crain’s Detroit Business: Largest Hispanic-Owned Businesses in Detroit
Denvir, D. (2012, September 24). The Paradox of Mexicantown: Detroit's Uncomfortable
Relationship With the Immigrants it Desperately Needs [Electronic version]. The Atlantic
Cities.
Florida, R. (2013, February 20). Quantifying Downtown Detroit's Comeback [Electronic.
version]. The Atlantic Cities
Sugrue, T. J. (1996). The Origins of the Urban Crisis: Race and Inequality in Postwar Detroit
(pp. 1-267). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
i Writer’s Note: The city of Detroit has become home to several different ethnic and racial enclaves who contribute
greatly to its revitalization.However, for the purposes of this chapter I personally feltitbest to focus on one ethnic
group, the one most visibleto those visitingDetroit. Therefore, I chose Mexicantown and its inhabitants as my
example of Detroit’s increasing ethnic and racial diversity.