(Opinion) The map was created by Yale junior Meera Rothman. She can be reached at [email protected].
This countermap, entitled “The Yale Bubble,” depicts the interactions and disparities between Yale and New Haven.
It was inspired by Rebecca Solnit’s countermaps, and traditions of countercartography that challenge dominant power structures and subvert traditional notions of what a map should be. Among other things, this map highlights Yale’s tax exemptions, unfulfilled hiring promises, and gentrification of New Haven communities.
Click here to download a higher resolution version of the map.
The text of the map reads, starting with the title and then moving counterclockwise from the top left:
Countermapping
Mapping that fundamentally questions the assumptions or biases of cartographic conventions, that challenges predominant power relations of mapping, or that engages in mapping in ways that upset power relations.
Inspired by Rebecca Solnit’s Unfathomable City: A New Orleans Atlas and Queen Mary University’s “The Countermap”.
90% of students leave New Haven
Of the small number of students who stayed, only 4% had a job working for a non Yale affiliated position.
$30.3 Billion
During the last fiscal year, Yale’s endowment earned 5.7% returns and reached $30.3 billion. Chief Investment Officer David Swenson continues to invest in both the fossil fuel industry and Puerto Rican debt.
Gentrification
The Homebuyer Program, started in 1994, offers incentives to Yale employees who buy homes in New Haven. Areas that require economic development are titled “empowerment zones” and employees are considered “ambassadors” of Yale. Some areas include East Rock, Dixwell, and Dwight. Residents who can’t afford rising rents are pushed out.
Service or Saviorism
Community service efforts are steeped with rhetoric about Yale students being uniquely capable of helping underprivileged communities in New Haven. In an article in The Politic by Elizabeth Hopkinson, New Haven activists say that nonprofits are often infected by a savior mindset. While there are some examples of inclusive activists, others “descend on New Haven and treat communities as guinea pigs,” said Kica Matos.
Hiring
In 2015, Yale promised to hire 1,000 New Haven residents (500+ from “neighborhoods of need”) for permanent full time jobs. A hearing in February 2019 revealed Yale had hired only 876 residents and only 273 were from neighborhoods of need. Residents said they applied to Yale jobs again and again and were rejected.
Tax exempt
An amendment to the university charter in 1834 stated that all Yale property (excluding property generating >$6,000/yr) would be tax exempt. As of 2014, Yale paid taxes on only $108 million of its property. It didn’t pay taxes on $2.5 billion of property. Yale pays a voluntary annual contribution to New Haven but this amounts to only $11.5 million/year.
Influx of wealth
69% of Yale students come from the top 20% of society and 19% come from the top 1% of society, according to 2017 data. Only 2% come from the bottom 20%. The median family income of Yale students is $192,600, over four times the average household income in New Haven, $39,191.
The Shops at Yale
Since the 1990s, neighborhood stores on Broadway have been shut down. Yale University Properties has bought and accumulated over 100 retail tenants and 500 residential holdings. Broadway shops are “The Shops at Yale” and include J. Crew, Fatface, and Urban Outfitters.
