Street Corner Society Quotes

“The club had a dual purpose: the social betterment of the members and the improvement of Cornerville. There seemed to be no necessary conflict between these aims when the club was organized, but it proved impossible to pursue both at the same time. Consequently, almost every issue implied a decision as to which aim was to be emphasized. When new men were admitted and when new activities were planned, the members were deciding in effect what kind of club they were to have; and, while they did not express it in these terms, they knew what was involved.”
― William Foote Whyte, Street Corner Society: The Social Structure of an Italian Slum

“Chick’s entrance into Ivy University Law School constituted an important step forward in his social and professional career. There was still a hard struggle ahead of him. The next few years would be decisive in determining his position in society. Against that background we can understand what the Italian Community Club meant to Chick Morelli.”
― William Foote Whyte, Street Corner Society: The Social Structure of an Italian Slum

“In grammar school we were all Italians. In high school [in Welport] the races were mixed. At St. Patrick’s College there were only about a hundred Italians out of 1,400 students. About 1,200 were Irish, and the other hundred were different races. I noticed the difference when I got in college. We felt discriminated against. In the beginning I was very timid. Sometimes even when I knew the right answer I wouldn’t raise my hand because I was afraid people would laugh at the way I expressed myself.”
― William Foote Whyte, Street Corner Society: The Social Structure of an Italian Slum

“One evening in October, 1937, Doc scheduled a bowling match against the Italian Community Club, which was composed largely of college men who held their meetings every two weeks in the Norton Street Settlement House.”
― William Foote Whyte, Street Corner Society: The Social Structure of an Italian Slum

“SINCE Chick Morelli and some of his Italian Community Club members have appeared in the story of the Nortons, they require no special introduction. However, so far they have been seen only as they affected a group of corner boys. In order to understand who the men were and where they were going, it is necessary to step inside the club, observe their actions, and listen to the accounts they give of themselves.”
― William Foote Whyte, Street Corner Society: The Social Structure of an Italian Slum

“You know, the Nortons were a finer bunch. We were the best street in Cornerville.”
― William Foote Whyte, Street Corner Society: The Social Structure of an Italian Slum