This study demonstrates the internal controversy of the white ethnic revival toward the affirmative action policy – white ethnic groups both wished to be included in the categories of this policy and vigorously opposed it. Subsequently, they failed to be proclaimed a designated minority. The study also shows that striving to gain social and economic stability, white ethnic groups used to conform to the Anglo-Saxon standards; however, beginning in the 1970s, ethnic association with whites was perceived hindward. Despite the overall failure of the white ethnic movement, two groups were able to succeed and gain recognition of a designated minority – namely, Italian Americans in CUNY and Hasidic Jews in the MBDA. Both of these cases present examples of religious bigotry excluding groups from enjoying the social benefits. These are unique cases, as traditionally religious discrimination was pushed off the civil rights agenda. For this reason, in their attempts to pursue the “minority” status, both Italian Americans and Hasidic Jews did not emphasize their religion as the main reason for their disadvantaged position. On the contrary, they stressed still-existing prejudice and stereotypes about their ethnicity (Italian Americans) and non-traditional way of life (Hasidic Jews) that served the main reason of their deprived and “socially disadvantaged” status. Moreover, these cases present the irony of the white ethnic revival: while the major current of Italian American and Jewish American civil rights activists argued against affirmative action, Italian American faculty at CUNY and Hasidic Jews did otherwise.

La communauté juive hassidique de Williamsburg a formé progressivement dans l’après-guerre uneenclave religieuse fondamentaliste dans le sud du quartier. Ce projet d’appropriation du territoire aété menacé par la gentrification et le redéveloppement du quartier depuis les années 80. Il s’agitd’abord de montrer les enjeux soulevés par ces transformations et les stratégies mises en place par lesrésidents et les autres acteurs intervenant dans le quartier. Les juifs hassidiques ont eu une positionambivalente puisque les mutations représentaient pour eux aussi bien une contrainte que desopportunités. Les entrepreneurs de la communauté ont investi massivement dans l’immobilier duquartier, capturant une partie de la rente foncière. Dans le même temps, les fidèles peu éduqués etmal intégrés au marché de l’emploi ont peiné à trouver des logements abordables pour héberger leursfamilles nombreuses. Nous verrons ensuite comment cette communauté qui a une attache trèsparticulière au territoire est parvenue à se préserver mieux que les autres enclaves d’immigrés duquartier grâce à des stratégies immobilières et politiques. L’entraide a permis de limiter la montée duprix des loyers et la communauté a construit des milliers de nouveaux logements pour les fidèles surd’anciens terrains industriels grâce aux capitaux de quelques entrepreneurs hassidiques fortunés etd’une petite classe de propriétaires. L’isolement des fidèles et la croissance résidentielle de l’enclaveont été facilités par la très bonne intégration de la communauté à la vie politique municipale. / The Hasidic Jewish community in Williamsburg forms a fundamentalist religious enclave in the southsince the Second World War. Gentrification and redevelopment have been threatening this spatialproject since the 80’s. We will discuss first the issues raised by the recent changes for the localcommunity and the strategies of all the stakeholders involved or affected by those changes. HasidicJews had an ambivalent position and change became an opportunity as much as a pressure for them.Hasidic entrepreneurs have been active in real estate all over the neighborhood and they were able tocollect a rent gap. In the meantime, most members are poor because they lack education and skills.Due to this, they have a very hard time finding affordable housing for their large families. We will thenshow how this community with strong ties to its territory has managed to preserve itself better thanthe other immigrant enclaves in the area, using real estate and political strategies. Solidarity hashelped to maintain fair rent for the neediest and the community has developed thousands of new unitson former industrial lots with the help of wealthy entrepreneurs and a small owner class. The deeppolitical integration of the Hasidic community in the local governance has facilitated their isolation andresidential growth.