“Starting in the late 1960s and accelerating in the 1970s, many descendants of European immigrants, particularly Italians, Jews, Poles, and other Eastern Europeans, began more strongly and openly identifying with their ethnic background, after decades when assimilation had been the largely unquestioned expectation. ” (p. 315)

Freeman argues that the Black Power that resulted in the Civil Rights movement inspired spark in ethnic revival. Ethnic festivals began to take place in many cities with emphasis on food and international cuisine. New York was very diverse already at that time and it became even more diverse today. The result of that ethnic spark was development of taste for international food. The restaurants with cuisines from countries like Japan, Thailand, Ukraine, Bangladesh, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Russia and many others are easy to find anywhere in New York City today.

Freeman tells that the reason that spurred New Ethnicity was that whites started feeling increased competition in the work force and school combined with declining economy. So it was easier to navigate the social roads by belonging to some organized society.