The Balch Institute Collections, The Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Vera Viditz-Ward

For youngsters born in Africa, life in America comes with restrictions and advantages. Parents who fear violence and peer pressure sometimes restrict their children's movements. They no longer enjoy the freedom they had in their neighborhoods -- where everyone knows everyone else and the crime rate is generally low, compared to that of many American cities. But some see advantages in the American urban environment, where they are no longer subjected to scrutiny by family and neighbors.