Discuss Detroit » Archives - July 2008 » Will Downriver be Metro Detroit's Mexican corridor? « Previous Next »
Top of pageBottom of page

Crawford
Member
Username: Crawford

Post Number: 321
Registered: 10-2006
Posted on Monday, August 18, 2008 - 7:21 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I have heard anecdotally that many Southwest Detroit Mexicans are moving to downriver suburbs, specifically Melvindale, Lincoln Park and Allen Park.

I also heard that numerous new Mexican immigrants are bypassing Detroit entirely and moving downriver. After all, there isn't a huge difference in price between a SW Detroit home and a downriver bungalow, and schools, safety, public services, taxes etc. are much better.

Looking at Downriver from 2000:

City-Percent Latino
Melvindale-9%
Lincoln Park-6%
Allen Park-5%

Granted, these are all small percentages, but all three cities had basically no Latinos as of 1990.

Considering the population grew so quickly during the 1990's, and considering the recent Mexican outmigration from Southwest Detroit, I would guess that the 2010 Census will show significant Latino gains in all three communities.

Any thoughts?
Top of pageBottom of page

Danny
Member
Username: Danny

Post Number: 7655
Registered: 02-2004
Posted on Monday, August 18, 2008 - 8:38 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yes, in fact the Mexican Latino population grew really fast in Ecorse, up to 10%. More of them are settling along Southfield Rd. between Jefferson and the Ecorse River area. Lincoln Park's Latino/Mexican population has reached up to 7% Most of them are living along Fort St. between from Outer Dr. to Southfield Rd. Few of them want to move to downriver suburbs because of better housing and a excellent school district. However the Mexican. Latino population is very slow and it's not going to grow quickly anytime soon.

The large conglomerate barriohoods of Mexican/ Latinos remains in Detroit's SW side. Cheaper housing, more Mexican/Latino owned business for easy reach and en excellent "EVIL" charter school district made it possible for them to expand and grow from Bagley St to the Arabian Village of Dearborn and all the way up to W. Warren Ave. and Livernois Blvd.

Fewer Mexicans/Latinos who decided to move to the downriver suburbs will have to face racial challenges. There are not enough Mexican/Latino owned businesses in those downriver areas and they have to go their communities to buy their cultured products. Now if they want to make a new community in those downriver suburbs, it's going to take some family and culture building otherwise they would be strangers in a strange land having trouble where to step up shop and getting the welcome from other people of color.
Top of pageBottom of page

Lmichigan
Member
Username: Lmichigan

Post Number: 6214
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Monday, August 18, 2008 - 8:56 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

To be clear, Southwest Detroit is very much still attracting more new Lation residents than it's losing.
Top of pageBottom of page

Danny
Member
Username: Danny

Post Number: 7659
Registered: 02-2004
Posted on Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 12:36 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yes it is, and W. Vernor HWY. is the next Mexican/Latino cultural shopping and restaurant district. It's quickly growing and saving Detroit's Southwest Side from blight.
Top of pageBottom of page

Iheartthed
Member
Username: Iheartthed

Post Number: 3420
Registered: 04-2006
Posted on Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 1:43 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Only if they use your criteria to establish their sense of place...
Top of pageBottom of page

Umbound
Member
Username: Umbound

Post Number: 215
Registered: 02-2008
Posted on Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 5:43 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Well there is a huge amount of them up in Waterford also.
Top of pageBottom of page

Billybbrew
Member
Username: Billybbrew

Post Number: 328
Registered: 07-2005
Posted on Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 6:42 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Having lived in Southwest Detroit for the last 23 years (I came here from Midland at 18) I have very mixed feelings about it. My street (which I've lived on for 11 years now) was stable and the neighbors were excellent. Even the streets around it were pretty stable. Southwest Detroit has grown and improved in so many ways, the Vernor corridor being one of them. Lots of houses I never expected to see repaired were and are now being lived in...However, along with all this good, the bad has increased too. I no longer feel safe in my neighborhood. In the last 2 years I've had 3 break ins..Nothing stolen, but still very unsettling. The old neighborhood bar has turned into a loud mexican nightclub with drugs, pounding music, gunfire, fights, etc. on a regular basis. It has come to the point that the good has been overshadowed by the bad and we are leaving and moving to the East Side near Belle Isle. My area has gone from one of the most stable in the area to one of the least stable in a period of 5 years. I have been active in many community groups DIFT CBA, Claytown Neighborhood Revitalization, Michigan-Livernois Neighborhood Council, etc. I wish them the best in the challenges ahead as I still think SW Detroit, and all of Detroit for that matter, has alot of potential to be a world class city if we can end the corruption and find a way to bring new business' and residents to our city.
Top of pageBottom of page

Lmichigan
Member
Username: Lmichigan

Post Number: 6218
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 7:12 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Exactly where near Belle Isle are you moving? I ask because moving from the southwest to the East Side for a more stable area sounds just a little bit amusing unless we know the neighborhood, if you know what I mean.
Top of pageBottom of page

Lostlegumes
Member
Username: Lostlegumes

Post Number: 55
Registered: 09-2007
Posted on Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 8:28 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

They are all over that area--and they all came to my garage sale, haggling over socks at a dime a pair. And that's a fact--
Top of pageBottom of page

Billybbrew
Member
Username: Billybbrew

Post Number: 329
Registered: 07-2005
Posted on Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 9:15 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

West Village. I'm not leaving a place I've been this committed to without knowing what I'm getting into where I'm going.

(Message edited by BillyBBrew on August 19, 2008)
Top of pageBottom of page

Lmichigan
Member
Username: Lmichigan

Post Number: 6219
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 9:29 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Oh, I wasn't implying that, but you must have known how funny that could sound given the stereotypes of certain areas. (i.e. I'm moving from the Southwest to the more stable East Side.)
Top of pageBottom of page

Billybbrew
Member
Username: Billybbrew

Post Number: 330
Registered: 07-2005
Posted on Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 10:55 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

When I posted "by Belle Isle" I was thinking of the Indian Village/West Village/Islandview area and forgot how big Belle Isle is! Duh, as a professional mariner, I should know that by now.

Add Your Message Here
Posting is currently disabled in this topic. Contact your discussion moderator for more information.