Summary Of False Connections By Alex Kotlowitz

In the article “False Connections” the author, Alex Kotlowitz, discusses the lifestyles of people who live in Chicago on Madison Street. Kotlowitz specifically focuses on how these people’s lives appear to others from the outside and how there is a big disconnect when interpreting how their lives are in reality. He describes the Madison street part of the city in miles. The first mile being downtown, which is called the “loop” (p.253), the next mile, which seems to be the artistic area and full of restaurants, and then the description moves west, where Kotlowitz vividly describes to readers how many of the buildings are abandoned, gangs takeover the streets in the night, and prostitutes readily line up on corners. Kotlowitz calls this a version

The west side of Chicago’s Madison Street is predominately black and isolated from all things that surround it. As a result of this isolation, the author brings up the children he knew from there who have never seen the Art Institute of Chicago, the countryside, or even showers. The only mainstream connection that people from west side of Chicago have is as consumers. The article talks about these inner city kids have fashion statements that they make and embrace as their own, which gives them a connection, then white America sees these statements and takes them, reinvents them in order to look hip. The author refers to this as “they (inner city kids) mimic white America, while white America mimics them” (p.254). All this shows that suburban whites tend to associate the trends of inner city poor with fashion, and that the marketing is the biggest link between the two groups. Next, Kotlowitz talks about the advertisement of name brands in these communities. He discusses how people in these impoverished communities are captivated into buying designer Coach wallets, Tommy Hilfiger shirts, and Calvin Klein sunglasses when they see their favorite rappers on magazines and music videos in a Ralph Lauren hat or an