Savarese 1
Kevin Savarese
Professor Aries
IDC 3001H
9 March 2015
Bensonhurst Bibliography
Berger, Joseph. "Well, the Ices Are Still Italian; Immigration Patterns Shift, Altering the Old
Neighborhood." The New York Times. The New York Times, 16 Sept. 2002. Web. 06
Mar. 2015.
Brooks, Charles. "Little Has Changed in Bensonhurst Since Hawkins Murder." New York
Amsterdam News 11 June 1998, 24th ed.: 3. Print.
Jackson, Kenneth T. "Bensonhurst." Encyclopedia of New York City. 2nd ed. 2010. Print.
Scharfenberg, David. "An Old Neighborhood Grows Up Again." The New York Times. The
New York Times, 19 Aug. 2006. Web. 06 Mar. 2015.
Sullivan, Andrew. "The Two Faces of Bensonhurst." New Republic 203.1 (1990): 1316. EBSCO Host. Web. 6 Mar. 2015.
United States. U.S. Department of Commerce. United States Census Bureau. ACS Demographic
and Housing Estimates. United States Census Bureau, n.d. Web. 6 Mar. 2015.
United States. U.S. Department of Commerce. United States Census Bureau. Selected Housing
Characteristics. United States Census Bureau, n.d. Web. 6 Mar. 2015.
Warshawer, Gabby. "Signs Denote Changing Times in Bensonhurst." WSJ. Wall Street Journal,
27 June 2014. Web. 06 Mar. 2015.
Savarese 2
Why These Eight Sources?
I approached my research with the intent of finding information that would
provide a solid basis for what I hope the group decides to focus on: the changing
demographics of the neighborhood of Bensonhurst and the strife this has created. For
these purposes, I decided that it would be best to check first-hand accounts located in
articles and journals that can shed light on the neighborhood’s ever-changing population.
The sources I chose are reputable sources, which vary on the scale of “scholarly
vs. popular” that Mr. Franceour had shown us. My sources include newspaper articles,
journal articles, Encyclopedia entries and statistical data released by the Federal
government. Together, these sources cover the history of Bensonhurst, the current
demographical statistics, and the racial issues that have left an indelible scar on the
neighborhood.
Source 1: Berger, Joseph. "Well, the Ices Are Still Italian; Immigration Patterns Shift, Altering
the Old Neighborhood." The New York Times. The New York Times, 16 Sept. 2002.
Web. 06 Mar. 2015.
Reason for Choice: This New York Times article provides a first-hand insight into the minds
of long-term residents of the neighborhood while their home environment changes. The
article opens with long term resident Sal Calabrese discussing how Bensonhurst
resembles the intimacies of a small Italian village. He has been forced to adapt to the
times by hiring people who speak Chinese and Russian, as has Salvatore Alba who’s
extremely popular bakery has been around since his parents opened it in 1932. This
article is unique in that it goes directly to the people who can testify to the changes
around. It is also worth noting that it was written in 2002, when the neighborhood’s
demographics had only changed at a fraction of its current total. The article comes from a
Savarese 3
reliable source, and touches upon racial issues in the neighborhood. On the scale of
“scholarly vs. popular,” it is on the popular spectrum.
Source 2: Brooks, Charles. "Little Has Changed in Bensonhurst Since Hawkins Murder." New
York Amsterdam News 11 June 1998, 24th ed.: 3. Print.
Reason for Choice: The New York Amsterdam News is the country’s oldest all black
newspaper. Over a century old, it is a reliable source, but an extremely biased source. The
article discusses the murder of black teen Yusef Hawkins a decade after his murder, and
how the black community should be disgraced by the lack of action that has come to the
suspected murderers. The effects of the murder are looked at through the eyes of black
people, and it vehemently supports Al Sharpton’s efforts. The article can only be used for
a different perspective due to its heavy bias, but offers an interesting glimpse into racial
strife in Bensonhurst. On the scale of “scholarly vs. popular,” it is on the popular
spectrum.
Source 3: Jackson, Kenneth T. "Bensonhurst." Encyclopedia of New York City. 2nd ed. 2010.
Print.
Reason for Choice: The Encyclopedia of New York City is an extremely useful source for
finding historical information. The section labeled “Bensonhurst” on page 117, provides
a summarized overview of the neighborhood’s history and even gives a short history on
the formation of 22nd avenue, or Bay Parkway. The information has been compiled by
experts in their fields, and is therefore a reliable source. On the scale of “scholarly vs.
popular,” it is on the scholarly spectrum.
Savarese 4
Source 4: Scharfenberg, David. "An Old Neighborhood Grows Up Again." The New York
Times. The New York Times, 19 Aug. 2006. Web. 06 Mar. 2015.
Reason for Choice: This article is from the New York Times real estate section, where a
neighborhood is chosen once a week and is given an overview so that outsiders who may
want to move there can learn about their potential new home. In this 2006 article,
Bensonhurst is portrayed as a neighborhood that has remained the same. When New York
City built upwards in the early 20th century, the neighborhood kept its characteristic twostory housing units. The condo craze that swept over Brooklyn in the later 20th century
did not touch Bensonhurst. In 2006, the first glimpses of the neighborhood changing in
terms of real estate are noted in this New York Times article. It comes from a reliable
source and lies on the popular spectrum of the scale.
Source 5: Sullivan, Andrew. "The Two Faces of Bensonhurst." New Republic 203.1 (1990): 1316. EBSCO Host. Web. 6 Mar. 2015.
Reason for Choice: This journal article was written in 1990, when the protests led by Al
Sharpton over the death of Yusuf Hawkins in Bensonhurst were at their height. The
article directly contradicts the beliefs portrayed in my Source 2. Through interviews with
members of the African-American population of Bensonhurst, the author shows a
neighborhood accepting of blacks. African-Americans blame Al Sharpton in this article
for blowing things out of proportion and go on to say that they have never experienced
discrimination of any kind in Bensonhurst. The article touches upon race issues, is from a
reliable publication and lies on the scholarly spectrum of the scale.
Source 6: United States. U.S. Department of Commerce. United States Census Bureau. ACS
Demographic and Housing Estimates. United States Census Bureau, n.d. Web. 6 Mar.
2015.
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Reason for Choice: When looking at any neighborhood, census data provides insights into its
composition that mere observation fails to. The demographic information located in the
census is the greatest statistical representation of my focus on the changing population. It
is a reliable source released by government agencies and lies on the scholarly side of the
spectrum.
Source 7: United States. U.S. Department of Commerce. United States Census
Bureau. Selected Housing Characteristics. United States Census Bureau, n.d. Web. 6
Mar. 2015.
Reason for Choice: This is an interesting insight into the real estate of the neighborhood. It
provides insights into the average size of a housing unit, average occupants per unit, the
value of property and the date property was built. It is worth noting from this document
that nearly 2/3 of Bensonhurst property was constructed prior to 1939, and nearly 4/5 was
constructed prior to 1960. It is a reliable source released by government agencies and lies
on the scholarly side of the spectrum.
Source 8: Warshawer, Gabby. "Signs Denote Changing Times in Bensonhurst." WSJ. Wall
Street Journal, 27 June 2014. Web. 06 Mar. 2015.
Reason for Choice: This article touches upon major aspects of demographics and real estate. It
discusses the movement of Asians into the neighborhood “with the population identifying
themselves as Asian growing 57% between 2000 and 2010 according to the Census.”
Real estate prices as compared to the rest of Brooklyn are discussed, and quotes from
local politicians portray Bensonhurst as constantly in flux and a desirable place to live.
The article is a reliable source (the Wall Street Journal) and lies in the middle of scholarly
and popular, as it uses scholarly statistics and presents them in a way that can be easily
understood.