Graduation Date
1987
Document Type
Thesis
Program
Other
Program
Art
Committee Chair Name
Dr. Samuel P. Oliner
Committee Chair Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
Dr. James W. Carroll
Keywords
Art
Subject Categories
Art
Abstract
Fresno, California, is a moderately large city located in the heart of the rich fertile area of the San Joaquin Valley. The city is geographically situated midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Ranked 8th among California cities, Fresno's population is approximately 265,000. There is a relatively large number of minorities who reside in Fresno, particularly the Chicano population,(1) and with rapidly changing demographics, the future ethnic composition of Fresno is expected to change. For example, in 1970, 29,880 Chicanos (18.0% of the Fresno population) and 15,875 Blacks (9.6%) lived in Fresno. In 1980, however, the numbers substantially increased for the Chicano group (51,489 or 23.6%) but remained relatively the same for Blacks (20,106 or 9.2%). Other minority groups in Fresno composed a very small percentage. (See Table 1) Chicanos settled in Fresno during the early 1920's primarily because of the agricultural labor market. Fresno was considered a seasonal labor market and central location place near other rural areas where employment could be found. Thus, by 1930, over half (60%) of the agricultural labor market in the Fresno area was reportedly Chicano.(2) Chicanos primarily settled in the west side of town; West Fresno offered low cost housing, social and cultural activities (Chinatown), and proximity to places of employment. As white immigrants sought better housing and moved out of the area, Chicanos occupied those dwellings and a pattern of segregation was established. For Blacks, the migration to Fresno began following World War II. Prior to that time, the relatively few Blacks who lived in Fresno resided in the west side. Many of the new arrivals were ex-servicemen who had been stationed in California and were now seeking a new beginning. Furthermore, there were numbers of Blacks migrating from the south, and Fresno's agricultural market attracted a Black labor force.(3) Like Chicanos, Blacks were in search of higher levels of social and economic opportunities. By 1950, over 90% of the Black and Chicano population in Fresno lived in the west side of town. This study is therefore confined to focus on the two major minority groups in Fresno: Blacks and Chicanos. The investigation is divided into three major areas of emphasis: (1) a sociohistorical examination of the West Fresno community; (2) a structural analysis of West Fresno in the context of urban ecological theory; and (3) an overview of the processes that account for the West Fresno Model. Chapter II focuses on the historical development of the west side district of Fresno by tracing the settlement patterns of both Blacks and Chicanos. Both groups settled in the West Fresno area for similar reasons: low cost housing; racial barriers; low income status ; and places of employment. Moreover, the attraction of Chinatown played a key role: a small district of the west side which became a social haven for local residents. Chapter III demonstrates the ’’ghettoized" conditions of West Fresno by examining the socioeconomic variables of racial segregation, income, occupational status, housing, and education. These variables are comparatively analyzed between West Fresno and the city of Fresno. Chapter IV reviews major urban ecological theories in an attempt to establish a theoretical (classical) framework for the structural analysis of West Fresno. The structural analysis of the community is pursued in Chapter V. This section examines a variety of indices which measure spatial dispersion and racial segregation of the population in West Fresno. Finally, Chapter VI summarizes the research and draws some conclusions based on the empirical data of the community. The chapter concludes with a description of the processes that account for the West Fresno model.
Recommended Citation
Chacon, Priscilla, "West Fresno: A Study of Classic Ghettoization" (1987). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 2464.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/2464