"OVERTOWN": Hegemony and Expressive Entrepreneurship in Immigrant Communities

Abstract

Art and expression is used by immigrants to communicate ideas about identity and representation. Control of street level art has the ability to foster community solidarity or tear it apart. This study analyzes variations in this relationship between hegemony and expressive entrepreneurship at three different field sites – Princeton, Trenton and Wynwood. I utilized two major strategies in this study by embedding myself within these communities to conduct extensive ethnographic research and supplementing this with the qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with street artists, entrepreneurs and the general public. By analyzing power and expression for individuals and groups in the three places, my study offers an insight into the tensions that correlate with immigrant identity, education and awareness.