31 served as important points of connection have begun to see lower attendance as some residents choose to stay home. “People, on average, are more afraid of coming out and being out and about,” says David. “Even our students, who always felt so safe, don’t feel safe anymore,” says Elaine. They have seen a significant decline in enrollment in ESL classes over the past year. In addition, their monthly community dinners that brought members of the entire community together – usually 600 people – has seen a decrease in attendance by “30 to 40%,” says Bob. As HIP has worked for years to build the social infrastructure that allows residents to belong and thrive in the city, that progress now faces new challenges from the federal government’s extreme and violent detainment efforts of immigrants throughout the country. In this climate, the organization keeps its doors open and programs running. Will the broader community of Hazleton show up to protect and support its immigrant neighbors, as has been the case in larger places like Minneapolis, Chicago, and Los Angeles? Having spent fifteen years working to soften lines of division, its leaders hold onto a cautious optimism that the broader community will show up and support one another now. They find that unlike the beginning, “they aren’t alone,” says Elaine. As a new generation of immigrants repopulates neighborhoods, fills prezoning duplexes, and reactivates local businesses, organizations like HIP work to create the social change needed to make these transitions easier. In a small city with limited municipal capacity and a built environment unequipped to support its current population, this civic infrastructure has become the primary means of accommodating growth and expanding the community’s sense of belonging. Ultimately, these institutions will create the social conditions necessary to ease and undo the barriers to new housing development. Hazleton remains a patchwork, not only in its geography but in the ongoing process of weaving new residents and institutions into its fabric. HIP's Summer Camp Program Small City Social & Cultural • Feature • Hazleton Integration Project
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0OTQ5OA==