"Cracks in the Pavement" Memo

How does a mom-pop shop achieve neighborhood institutional status and why does it play a pivotal role in the neighborhoods in the study?

According to the article a mom-pop shop achieves institutional status and integrates itself into the subculture of the neighborhood by meeting certain criteria. There are three things that must be present, the history of the store ownership, the reinforcement of ethnic groups’ taste in food products, and social interaction that facilitate the creation of a status system. The mom-pop shops are pivotal to the community because they support ethnic cultures and facilitate networking for the lower class social class of these ethnic groups.