Multiform Segregation in the Context of the Urban Crises in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, 1930 - 1980
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UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones 8-2010 Multiform segregation in the context of the urban crises in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, 1930 - 1980 Colin M. FitzGerald University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations Part of the African American Studies Commons, Social History Commons, and the United States History Commons Repository Citation FitzGerald, Colin M., "Multiform segregation in the context of the urban crises in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, 1930 - 1980" (2010). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 840. http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/2178045 This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MULTIFORM SEGREGATION IN THE CONTEXT OF THE URBAN CRISES IN LAS VEGAS AND LOS ANGELES, 1930 – 1980 by Colin M. FitzGerald Bachelor of Arts Boston College 2008 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in History Department of History College of Liberal Arts Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas August 2010 Copyright © 2010 Colin M. FitzGerald All Rights Reserved. THE GRADUATE COLLEGE We recommend the thesis prepared under our supervision by Colin M. FitzGerald entitled Multiform Segregation in the Context of the Urban Crises in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, 1930 - 1980 be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History Todd E. Robinson, Committee Chair Greg Hise, Committee Member Eugene P. Moehring, Committee Member Christie D. Batson, Graduate Faculty Representative Ronald Smith, Ph. D., Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies and Dean of the Graduate College August 2010 ii ABSTRACT Multiform Segregation in the Context of the Urban Crises in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, 1930 – 1980 by Colin M. FitzGerald Dr. Todd E. Robinson, Examination Committee Chair Assistant Professor of History University of Nevada, Las Vegas Multiform segregation in the context of the urban crises was a complex socio- historical phenomenon. The primary focus of this study addresses racial segregation in at least three basic societal areas: housing, employment, and education. Through the spatial separation of multiple ethnoracial groups such as African Americans and Mexican Americans, multiform segregation precipitated the urban crises. In the 50- year period this study covers, Las Vegas and Los Angeles sustained a two-tiered class system according to the prevailing racial attitudes of each city‟s business elite. As a resort city, Las Vegas could not endure ethnoracial tensions while Los Angeles‟ industrial base provided the city with the socio-political capital necessary to withstand rioting. Research materials include oral interviews, newspaper articles, governmental reports, and scholarly manuscripts. The main conclusion of this study reveals that multiform segregation was a citywide process marked by crises such as housing shortages, labor disturbances, race riots, and underperforming schools. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. v CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 1 Purpose of Study ..................................................................................................... 1 Urban Ethnoracial Framework ................................................................................ 2 Definition of Key Concepts .................................................................................... 3 Reasoning of Timeframe......................................................................................... 4 Comparative Urban History‟s Pitfalls ..................................................................... 5 CHAPTER 2 HOUSING AND EMPLOYMENT SEGREGATION ......................... 6 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 6 People, Property, and Labor .................................................................................... 7 Black Las Vegas ................................................................................................... 14 Multiethnic Los Angeles ....................................................................................... 27 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 39 CHAPTER 3 RACE RIOTS AND THE GHETTO UNDERCLASS ....................... 41 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 41 Mob Mentalities and Class Consciousness ........................................................... 42 Las Vegas‟ Ghetto Underclass .............................................................................. 47 Los Angeles‟ Race Riots ....................................................................................... 52 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 62 CHAPTER 4 MANDATORY BUSING AND SCHOOL DESEGREGATION ...... 64 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 64 Historiographical Debate and Psychological Dilemma ........................................ 65 Busing in Las Vegas ............................................................................................. 72 Busing in Los Angeles .......................................................................................... 81 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 90 CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION ................................................................................... 92 Purpose of Study (Reanalyzed) ............................................................................ 92 Revisiting the Urban Ethnoracial Framework ...................................................... 93 Comparing and Contrasting the Two Cities.......................................................... 94 Comparative Urban Analysis (Continued)........................................................... 95 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................. 96 APPENDIX MAPS ...................................................................................................... 102 VITA ............................................................................................................................... 104 iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This thesis has its roots in several graduate courses in the History Department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). In my first semester, Dr. Todd Robinson offered a class entitled “American School Desegregation,” which taught me to rethink the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education case. The following semester, Dr. Greg Hise taught a colloquium on “American Urban History,” which helped me to frame ethnoracial issues in an urban context. At the same time, Dr. Eugene Moehring offered a seminar on “Western Urban History,” which gave me the opportunity to conduct primary source research on mandatory busing in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Ultimately, these graduate courses introduced me to the socio-political concepts that this thesis covers; namely school desegregation, residential segregation, employment discrimination, and race riots. Other UNLV professors who have shaped my understanding of ethnoracial history include Dr. Christie Batson, Dr. Maria Casas, Dr. Kevin Dawson, Dr. David Holland, Dr. David Tanenhaus, and Dr. David Wrobel. A few UNLV colleagues also deserve recognition in the writing of this thesis. Matt Davis, Chris Manning, Chris Johnson, Erin Westman, Dave Christensen, Layne Karafantis, and Nick Pellegrino constantly pushed me to higher levels of academic rigor while Lynette Webber and Kathy Adkins helped me in times of despair. Adam Wax, a friend at UNLV‟s Boyd School of Law, helped me to frame the legal issues of race restrictive housing covenants. Fr. Albert Felice-Pace always offered inspiring homilies on Sundays at the UNLV Catholic Newman Center. And lastly, my parents and extended family, including Sean Bowen in California, must be acknowledged for their dedication, time, and effort throughout the formulation of this thesis. v CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Purpose of Study The primary argument being put forth in my thesis centers on multiform segregation as a distinctly urban process that precipitated crises in housing, employment, and education. Although the urban crisis stemming from racially segregated