l with, while alsotelling them they are not worthy of living among the wealthierpopulation.Environmental factors are involved in the problems arising inthe South Bronx. Pollution, forexample, could be the biggest source of the high number ofchildren in the community who have asthma.Asthma is a condition in which one has trouble breathing. Without clean air, breathing for an asthmatic is almostimpossible. A waste burner in the middle of the SouthBronx causes a lot of pollution and makes the air the peoplebreath, below safe levels of cleanliness. Anotherenvironmental factor that affects the resident's healths has todo with how most of the buildings in these neighborhoodsare run down and infested with rats. Many of the buildingshave no working elevators. This causes people to have towalk several flights of stairs each time they want to leavetheir apartments. This is very time consuming and tiresome. Then, when they find that there is so much violence anddrugs in the street, that it is not safe to be out there anyway,they usually end up staying in their apartments for most oftheir free time. The cultural differences between these people and others ofhigher income communities is also areason why they may have problems. Racism is veryobvious to the people of the South Bronx, especiallywhen they go outside of their district. If a woman from thisarea goes to a hospital outside of herdistrict, a hospital that is more than likely wealthier andcleaner, she is usually turned away and told to go to ahospital in her own district. Others, who are admitted intothese hospitals, are put on a special floor, mainly for thelower income or Medicaid patients. (Amazing Grace, p.176) Another way the government discriminates against them ishow they are housed. Most of theresidents are living in government housing where thegovernment pays their rent. When the governmenthelped the people to get off the streets and out of homelessshelters and then put...
