Mayorga Gallo Summary
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In the first chapter, Mayorga-Gallo examines multicultural neighborhoods and their experiences, “This book unpacks the meanings white and non-white residents attach to this multiethnic space and their experiences within it” (Mayorga-Gallo 4). She unpacks interracial relationships in multiethnic neighborhoods by studying an annual picnic in a typical multiethnic neighborhood in North Carolina called Creekridge Park. She guides us (the readers) through the experiences of Black, White, and Latino/a residents. She also includes racial, gender, and age demographic charts to inform the reader. She included demographics to make a point that although neighborhoods are integrated, it does not necessarily mean that that will increase positive interracial relations. Although this is an “integrated” neighborhood, a Black neighborhood resident, Roberta, went to the picnic but because of her race, she was ignored by most of the neighborhood (with the exception of a few people). Another point that was valid was that Latino/a residents usually avoid the neighborhood’s annual picnic because they thought that the neighborhood didn’t concern them because everything was in English. This goes to show that although this is perceived to be an integrated neighborhood, there are still instances of racial hierarchy. In essence, there is a high level of social distance where groups interact primarily with their own racial group.
In the second chapter, the author describes how different people