Chapter 19 Section 4 The Other America

1
Chapter 19 Section 4The Other America

• MAIN IDEA
• Amidst the prosperity of the 1950s, millions of
  Americans lived in poverty.

2
The Urban Poor

• 1962, nearly 1 out of every 4 Americans was
  living below poverty level
• Many were elderly, single women, and minorities
• 1950s millions of middle class Americans left
  the cities for suburbs
• Rural poor migrated to the inner cities

3
White Flight

• Cities lost people and business
• Cities could no longer afford to maintain or
  improve schools, public transportation, and
  police and fire departments
• Suburban Americans were unaware of decay in the
  inner city

4
The Other America

• Book written by Michael Harrington-issue of
  poverty in the United States
• Most African Americans, Native Americans, and
  Latinos lived in crowded, dirty slums
• URBAN RENEWAL- The National Housing Act of 1949
  was passed to provide a decent home and suitable
  living environment for every American family
• Called to tear down neighborhoods

5
Poverty Leads to Activism

• African American Civil Rights movement was
  inspired to make a change
• 1942-Mexican Americans through a program called
  braceros (hired hands) were allowed into the U.S.
  to harvest crops
• Many braceros were expected to leave the U.S.
  after their work was done but many stayed
  illegally to escape Mexico

6
Native Americans Continue their Struggle

• Continued to fight for rights and identity
• 1924 Snyder Act granted citizenship to Native
  Americans but they still remain 2nd class
  citizens
• 1944 established National Congress of American
  Indians to ensure civil rights that whites had

7
The Termination Policy

• Termination Policy- eliminated federal economic
  support, discontinued the reservation system, and
  distributed tribal lands among individual native
  Americans
• Termination policy was failure
• Native Americans were left without medical care
  and jobs