--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most of the people in the South Bronx are…" description: "\"Most of the people in the South Bronx are practical rather than ideological. Their concerns are bread and butter, health and housing, schools and jobs...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/741/ritchie-torres-6334_bread_most-of-the-people-in-the-south-bronx-ar_1655345.jpg" --- # Most of the people in the South Bronx are practical rather… ![“Most of the people in the South Bronx are practical rather than ideological. Their concerns are bread and butter, health and housing, schools and jobs.” quote by Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/741/ritchie-torres-6334_bread_most-of-the-people-in-the-south-bronx-ar_1655345.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/741/ritchie-torres-6334_bread_most-of-the-people-in-the-south-bronx-ar_1655345.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/741/ritchie-torres-6334_bread_most-of-the-people-in-the-south-bronx-ar_1655345.jpg) > “Most of the people in the South Bronx are practical rather than ideological. Their concerns are bread and butter, health and housing, schools and jobs.” [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights that South Bronx residents prioritize practical needs over ideology. **In simple terms:** People focus on basic needs first. Key Takeaway Address essential services before ideological debates. Themes poverty urban issues pragmatism Mood concerned hopeful Type policy community When to use this quote - housing initiatives - healthcare access programs - job training workshops Key Concepts social policy economic inequality community development Questions to Reflect On - What practical solutions can improve daily life? - How can ideology inform better policies? A Different Perspective Focusing only on practicality may ignore systemic change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bread](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bread/) [Bread and butter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bread-and-butter/) [Bronx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bronx/) [Bronx Practical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bronx-practical-699350/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Housing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/housing/) [Ideological Concerns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideological-concerns-699352/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People South](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-south-550026/) [Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rather/) [South Bronx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/south-bronx-699351/) [York](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/york/) ## Related quotes > [The South Bronx has long lacked high-quality park space for recreation and community gathering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/the-south-bronx-has-long-lacked-high-quality-park-space-for/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [Communities of color, like the South Bronx, have long been exposed to elevated levels of air pollution that gravely impact all aspects of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/communities-of-color-like-the-south-bronx-have-long-been-exposed-to/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [The South Bronx has long been ground zero for racially concentrated poverty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/the-south-bronx-has-long-been-ground-zero-for-racially-concentrated/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [I feel like if I'm going to be a congressman who represents the South Bronx, I have to be the most visible and vocal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/i-feel-like-if-i-m-going-to-be-a-congressman-who-represents-the-south/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [Prior to Katrina, the South Bronx and New Orleans' Ninth Ward had a lot in common. Both were largely populated by poor people of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majora-carter/prior-to-katrina-the-south-bronx-and-new-orleans-ninth-ward-had-a-lot/) [Majora Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majora-carter/) > [A lot of the cats I grew up with in the South Bronx found themselves in sticky situations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-snipes/a-lot-of-the-cats-i-grew-up-with-in-the-south-bronx-found-themselves/) [Wesley Snipes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-snipes/) > [Sustainable South Bronx advocates for environmental justice through sustainable environmental and economic development projects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majora-carter/sustainable-south-bronx-advocates-for-environmental-justice-through/) [Majora Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majora-carter/) > [In many of the high schools in the South Bronx, more children will end up in prison than will go to college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/in-many-of-the-high-schools-in-the-south-bronx-more-children-will-end/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [I grew up in the South Bronx in the 1970s. My dad worked in IT, and my mom was a teacher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunny-hostin/i-grew-up-in-the-south-bronx-in-the-1970s-my-dad-worked-in-it-and-my/) [Sunny Hostin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunny-hostin/) > [I was from a poor Jewish family in the South Bronx. My father was a plumber, but when I was 16, he got sick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-susskind/i-was-from-a-poor-jewish-family-in-the-south-bronx-my-father-was-a/) [Leonard Susskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-susskind/) > [I don't need bodyguards. I'm from the South Bronx.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/i-don-t-need-bodyguards-i-m-from-the-south-bronx/) [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) > [I wasn't born to a wealthy or powerful family - mother from Puerto Rico, dad from the South Bronx.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/i-wasn-t-born-to-a-wealthy-or-powerful-family-mother-from-puerto-rico/) [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/) > [If you grow up in the South Bronx today or in south-central Los Angeles or Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, you quickly come to understand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/if-you-grow-up-in-the-south-bronx-today-or-in-south-central-los/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [I grew up in the South Bronx, raised by my grandmother, who scrapped and scraped to make sure I had a roof over my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-bryant/i-grew-up-in-the-south-bronx-raised-by-my-grandmother-who-scrapped/) [Joy Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-bryant/) > [Neither the Destruction of the Ninth Ward Nor the South Bronx Was Inevitable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/majora-carter/neither-the-destruction-of-the-ninth-ward-nor-the-south-bronx-was/) [Majora Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/majora-carter/) ## More by Ritchie Torres > [My younger self could not imagine standing on the floor of Congress as a member of Congress voting on legislation that, if enacted, would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/my-younger-self-could-not-imagine-standing-on-the-floor-of-congress/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [I am both black and Latino - there's no need to artificially barricade one from the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/i-am-both-black-and-latino-there-s-no-need-to-artificially-barricade/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [I've had to face housing insecurity and food insecurity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/i-ve-had-to-face-housing-insecurity-and-food-insecurity/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [Exercising dominion over Puerto Rico, as the U.S. has done for more than a century - without granting Puerto Ricans the full franchise in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/exercising-dominion-over-puerto-rico-as-the-u-s-has-done-for-more/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [I don't hire ideologues or zealots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/i-don-t-hire-ideologues-or-zealots/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [Racial identity is chosen and given. It is as much a product of the world's perception of you as it is of your own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/racial-identity-is-chosen-and-given-it-is-as-much-a-product-of-the/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [I lived in public housing and had to struggle with depression and substance abuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/i-lived-in-public-housing-and-had-to-struggle-with-depression-and/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [With a multi-billion dollar market capitalization, crypto is here to stay. It's not going anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/with-a-multi-billion-dollar-market-capitalization-crypto-is-here-to/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [I spent almost all my life in poverty, raised by a single mother who had to raise three children on minimum wage, which in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/i-spent-almost-all-my-life-in-poverty-raised-by-a-single-mother-who/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [I'm grateful for the blessing and burden of public service; I promised my constituents that I would work my heart out for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/i-m-grateful-for-the-blessing-and-burden-of-public-service-i-promised/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [I take an expansive view of infrastructure. For me, infrastructure is more than roads and bridges. It's about the quality of the water we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/i-take-an-expansive-view-of-infrastructure-for-me-infrastructure-is/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [New York City should and must embrace crypto if it is to remain the financial capital of the world. We no longer live in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/new-york-city-should-and-must-embrace-crypto-if-it-is-to-remain-the/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [I feel no shame in admitting that I take an antidepressant every day. That enables me to be a productive public servant who's risen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/i-feel-no-shame-in-admitting-that-i-take-an-antidepressant-every-day/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [There's a sense in which the media narrative diminishes me. I resist the temptation to fit into a preconceived narrative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/there-s-a-sense-in-which-the-media-narrative-diminishes-me-i-resist/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [My openness about depression is rooted in my lived experience as an LGBTQ person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/my-openness-about-depression-is-rooted-in-my-lived-experience-as-an/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) [Explore all 99 Ritchie Torres quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) ## More Bread quotes > [French women don't eat Wonder Bread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mireille-guiliano/french-women-don-t-eat-wonder-bread/) [Mireille Guiliano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mireille-guiliano/) > [In the olden days in England, you could be hung for stealing a sheep or a loaf of bread. However, if a sheep stole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-harding/in-the-olden-days-in-england-you-could-be-hung-for-stealing-a-sheep/) [Mike Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-harding/) > [I don't eat meat - chicken, fish, none of that. I eat a lot of vegetable sandwiches, like lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, cucumbers, whatever I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/i-don-t-eat-meat-chicken-fish-none-of-that-i-eat-a-lot-of-vegetable/) [Gza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gza/) > [“We should remark the grace and fascination that there is even in the incidentals of Nature's processes.. When a loaf of bread,. for instance,.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/we-should-remark-the-grace-and-fascination-that-there-is-even-in-the/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [When I met you you were oh so sweet, now you give me the bread and you take all the meat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-jett/when-i-met-you-you-were-oh-so-sweet-now-you-give-me-the-bread-and-you/) [Joan Jett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-jett/) > [When you fight to give your family bread, that's not passion anymore: that's conviction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoel-romero/when-you-fight-to-give-your-family-bread-that-s-not-passion-anymore/) [Yoel Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoel-romero/) > [I think the best Thanksgiving we ever had was one where we didn't even have a turkey. Mom and Dad sat us kids down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-think-the-best-thanksgiving-we-ever-had-was-one-where-we-didn-t/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Bread is a second cause; the LORD Himself is the first source of our sustenance. He can work without the second cause as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bread-is-a-second-cause-the-lord-himself-is-the-first-source-of-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Even if we have to go without bread, we Albanians do not violate principles. We do not betray Marxism - Leninism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enver-hoxha/even-if-we-have-to-go-without-bread-we-albanians-do-not-violate/) [Enver Hoxha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enver-hoxha/) > [Man preys on man; and you mourn for the idle tapestry that decorated a gothic pillar, and the dronish bell that summoned the fat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft/man-preys-on-man-and-you-mourn-for-the-idle-tapestry-that-decorated-a/) [Mary Wollstonecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft/) > [“Nine times out of ten, people pick the wrong food. No, it’s not the sugar (GI = 68), it’s not the candy bar (GI…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-perlmutter/nine-times-out-of-ten-people-pick-the-wrong-food-no-it-s-not-the/) [David Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-perlmutter/) > [Waffles аrе јust awesome bread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/waffles-r-ust-awesome-bread/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [At my age, I don't buy but a half a loaf of bread, you know?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-haggard/at-my-age-i-don-t-buy-but-a-half-a-loaf-of-bread-you-know/) [Merle Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-haggard/) > [Jesus Christ would have been considered just another long-haired hippie freak if he hadn't been crucified. 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