The parallels between American black ghettos and European no-go zones are obvious.

Bill Ponton | March 27, 2026

In a relatively short period from 1940–1960, over 2.5 million blacks migrated to Northern cities from the predominately agrarian South. Their assimilation into mainstream society was arduous. It became a visible problem by the 1960s with unrest and rioting commonplace in black neighborhoods during summer months. 

It was against this backdrop of urban unrest and Vietnam war protest that the Canadian rock band, Guess Who, created the 1970 hit American Woman. The song’s iconic lyrics express the band’s rejection of the great temptress, America, with her seductive allure but seemingly intractable problems (“I don’t need your war machines, I don’t need your ghetto scenes. Coloured lights can hypnotize, sparkle someone else’s eyes….”).

It was not just Canadians, but also Europeans who harbored a moral disdain for a perceived failure by America to assimilate blacks. Ironically, Europeans are now grappling with the same assimilation problems, and they are not doing much better; arguably, they are doing worse. A new report from the conservative New Direction Foundation for European Reform think tank entitled “No-Go Zones, Immigration and the Rise of Parallel Societies,” reveals the scale of Europe’s inability to assimilate migrants from the “Global South.” The report estimates the existence of 1,000 urban areas deemed “no-go zones,” in which there are elevated levels of crime, social fragmentation, and weakened state authority.

The parallels between American black ghettos and European no-go zones are obvious. The most menacing dimension is the rise of political Islam in Europe. America had its Black Panther movement in the 70s, but it does not compare to the radical Islamists whose future impact on an acquiescent Europe is yet to be fully felt. A spokesperson for the think tank wisely stated, “The first step is to raise awareness of the scale of the problem in order to act on the root causes of the problem. To achieve this, it is necessary to put an end to mass migration flows.”

In America during the 60s and 70s, whites retreated to the seclusion of suburbia to isolate themselves from urban problems in a phenomenon labeled “white flight.” A similar phenomenon is remaking the European landscape, but it is worth remembering that white flight took place in America during the baby boom. In contrast, native Europeans are facing the same pressure while experiencing a demographic collapse in their numbers. There is a name for that too: it’s called invasion.

American Thinker