How Environmental Racism Prevails: A Case Study Of Asthma Alley

Abstract

Abstract

Asthma Alley may sound like a fictional setting in apocalyptic literature, yet it is the unofficial name of a neighborhood in the Bronx, New York. This essay examines the history of environmental racism in Mott Haven, Bronx, and the emergence of South Bronx Unite– a climate justice movement formed in response to the polluted air of Asthma Alley. For almost a century, the South Bronx has been systematically neglected, exploited, and tarnished. The legacies of redlining, urban planning and rapid industrialization continue to perpetuate the  environmental health crisis in the present. This essay contributes to literatures on environmental justice which address systemic racism and its intersections with public health. By focusing on the hyper-localized case study of Mott Haven through empirical evidence and an analysis of grassroots advocacy, I argue, we can better understand how systems contribute to maintaining environmental injustice. The work of South Bronx Unite in challenging existing policy frameworks which perpetuate the Asthma Alley crisis illuminates that environmental racism is not a modern phenomenon, but rather is a result of systemic racism and neglect embedded into our institutions.  Lastly, it aims to bridge the gap between academic theory, public policy, and community action within current environmental justice literature.