Racially Restrictive Covenants
In 1942, the WRA created an “indefinite leave” program to relocate “loyal” inmates east of the West Coast’s Exclusion Zone.
Officials blamed Japanese culture and the existence of neighborhoods where Japanese Americans lived in close proximity – rather than racism and war hysteria – for the root of anti- Japanese prejudice. As such, authorities stressed assimilation. In the leave clearance interview, they asked, “Will you assist in the general resettlement program by staying away from large groups of Japanese?”
In reality, “staying away” was almost impossible to do. Many communities had racially discriminatory housing agreements, called covenants, that openly banned non-White people from buying or occupying land. These covenants could be legally enforced and excluded people based on their race, ethnicity, or religion. In 1968, the Federal Fair Housing Act made the practice of writing racial covenants into deeds illegal. It is often surprising to modern-day homeowners to discover that their property still has this covenant attached, even if no longer enforceable.
Redlining was a discriminatory practice by which banks, insurance companies, and the government denied loans, mortgages, or insurance to people in certain neighborhoods.
Redlining entrenched racial segregation and contributed to economic inequality by restricting homeownership and investment opportunities in areas deemed to be high risk for investments. Though illegal since 1968, many still deeply feel redlining’s effects today. This map shows part of Chicago in 1940, but the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) created maps like this one for towns and cities across the US. The colors represent different levels of “investment risk” in each neighborhood. Green areas (“Best”) were typically white, affluent neighborhoods. Blue neighborhoods (“Still Desirable”) tended to be less prestigious, but still solidly middle-class. Yellow zones (“Definitely Declining”) often had older buildings or a mix of working-class and minority residents. Red areas (“Hazardous”) primarily consisted of Black, immigrant, or low-income neighborhoods.
