Postville
By: Esha & Brynn
Multiculturalism
In Postville, there were many cultures and ethnicities that led to conflict between the "groups."
Germans
Most of the Germans in Postville were Christian. The routine of the church started to change as the Jews and Mexicans moved in.
Hasidic Jews
They moved to the town of Postville and kept to themselves. They didn't interact with the local residents.
Mexicans
When the Mexicans moved in, the whole town was in shock. They were scared of these new people and what they were doing to their town.
Residential Segregation
The residents of Postville did not want the Mexicans in their neighborhoods, so they increased the price of houses. The Mexicans could not afford these houses and were forced to live in trailer parks.
House for Sale
The price for house increased to keep unwanted residents out.
Trailer Park
Since the house prices were raised, the Mexicans were forced to live in places like this.
Sold House
There were not as many houses sold because of the high prices set to keep their neighborhoods immigrant free.
Race
In Postville there are several races, but the main ones noted were the caucasians (the original residents), the Mexicans, and the Jewish (and no, that's not a race, but they are predominately Hebrew).
Jewish Residents
These residents mostly came from larger cities to this smaller Jewish community, which is hard to find so they jumped at the chance. They were some of the first new residents to arrive.
Mexican Residents
Although, some moved from larger cities, others moved in order to find better job wages and opportunities.
Caucasian Residents
Mainly Christians, these German heritage residents were the original occupants of Postville and seem to be resistant to the increase of racial culture to their town
Assimilation
As time went on, the cultures and races started to accept each other more. Though some of the new Postville members didn't participate in the traditions of the town, they fit in a bit more and the original members started to be more accepting. They became less segregated and more one group again, Postville citizens.
Local Culture
The local german residents of Postville were nearly mortified to change their their culture. They wanted to preserve it as much as possible.