The Suburban Village: Whites, Latinos and Neighborhood Relations

This study examines intergroup relations in a new immigrant gateway, post white to Latino succession. Specifically, I explore how neighborhood succession engenders intergroup tensions in political, religious, and cultural dimensions of community life. I pay particular attention to how whites residents react to changes associated with neighborhood succession and how Latino residents respond and navigate these reactions. A core theme in this dissertation revolves around the concept of group threat, whereby white residents perceive the growing numbers of Latinos as a threat to social privilege and well-being within the spheres of neighborhood politics, religious institutions, and community cultural events. In doing so, I uncover how white/Latino relations are shaped by local contexts and social structures that facilitate or impede newcomers’ integration into neighborhood life.