Networks of support - Mutual aid, settlement houses go back 120 years. Jane Addams' Hull House offered classes in English, drama, trades, with empowerment thrown in. Most groups have legal, social support networks. Twenty-five countries of origin are well represented, wit h 6,500 or more residents each. Success by Korean, Arab shopkeepers has fueled resentment, especially in African-American areas.
Blacks also charge they are passed over for jobs in favor of some ethnic groups.
Set-aside programs for minorities helped firms get foothold, but now are under attack. Tight times mean less work, more in-fighting. Recent flare-ups center on housing, especially in ethnic communities where costs are up and options limited. Latinos charge zoning, building codes force them out of suburban Cicero, Addison. U.S. Justice Dept. has investigated these villages over restrictions on number of people allowed to live in a housing unit.