Cultural Diversity In Our Community

Cultural Diversity in Our Community

NAME

Axia College of University of Phoenix

Cultural Diversity

I was walking down the street the other day when I stopped and took a hard look at all the different people, businesses, and cultures that surrounded me. My first thought was "wow, we really live in a world that is held together by a wide variety of ethnic groups." Without all the different cultures and influences that I have experienced, I would not be the person I am today. Ethnicity plays an amazing role in whom we are today; from how we are treated and how we are raised, all plays into account when we take a look at different ethnic groups. This paper touches upon that very fact.

Demographics

I live in a State that has many different cities. Several of the cities stick out in my mind when I think about racial influences and the different ethnic groups. Denver, where I live, is influenced by one particular race. According to the US census in 2000, 24,722 people live in Denver; of that number, 23,138 are white, 1,697 are Hispanic American, 143 are African American, 104 are Native American, 448 are Asian-American and 429 are from other types of races. However, I work and spend the majority of my time in Denver. According to the USS census in 2000, 554,336 people live in Denver. 65% of people are white, 31% are Hispanic, 11% are African-American and 15% make up other types of ethnic groups. With such a large variety of ethnic groups it is easy to become influenced by all of the different cultures.

In the 5 points community there is not unity among the ethnic groups. There is hatred and fear. This may not be true for everyone, or every group but that is what I have seen. Certain parts of towns are primarily white; the same is true for African Americans and Hispanics. Neighborhoods have unwritten guide lines for the types of people can move in. Now, none of this information is written down, this has all just been witnessed. East Denver is made up of mostly African Americans and lower class individuals. While some White Americans do reside there, the percentage is very small. The unwritten rule for those neighborhoods is this, if it is dark, then a white person has no business being on the East side of town unless they live there or are up to something that they should not be doing. I am happy to report, however, that because of the recent interest in purchasing houses in this area of town, the crime rate is down and more affluent individuals of all ethnic backgrounds are moving into the neighborhood and cleaning up the community. D. Strube, stated that the unwritten rules for different areas of the city were not always like that. She continued to tell about a time when the south side of Denver was a place for families and upper class citizens. The south end was where they went to spend time with friends and "cruise Main Street" (personal communication, 2007).

The west side of Denver and the surrounding western suburbs is a completely different setting. Houses are kept up nicely, schools are better equipped with technology, and most of the community is primarily white. There are other cultures and ethnic groups who live on the west side, but most are upstanding citizens. Life is of a better quality for these people. I believe that it has to do with money and not so much with race. I live on the west side of town, what I see is that people are better educated and take better care of their homes. I do think that this is one of the major differences in the different races. According to S. Fowler, she conveyed the thought, I am white therefore I think that I am treated better then other people, people do not see me as threatening (personal communication, 2007). To me is has always seemed that black people stick with black people and white with whites, same for Hispanics and Asians. S. Fowler stated "it is socially expected for different races to stay with their own race, people have been like this for years" (personal communication, 2007).

When you drive from one part of town to the next it is very easy to spot all the diversity the community offers. Many of the grocery stores that are owned by Hispanics or Asians are located in the poorer sections of town. There has always been this type of racial divide within the community.

Leaders

Leaders in the community are of all different races and origins. Our city council members are old and young, black, white, Asian, and Hispanic. Each group seems to be represented. But there is still inequality found everywhere. Community leaders try to unite people. There are public events, rallies, community walks, but the segregation still exists. Even in our media there is a predominant display of White Americans over other ethnicities.

I do not believe anyone person will be able to change this; it will take a whole community of people who want to change. I have not even begun to understand why people do not want better for themselves. Hispanics and Asians came into this country seeking a better life, for themselves and their families. They strive to make businesses successful even in the face of adversity.

Hispanic Community

According to the US Census in 2000, "the number of Hispanics in Illinois skyrocketed by 69 percent during the past decade, from about 904,000 in 1990 to 1.5 million in 2000" (Colindres, 2001, p.1). With the dramatic increase in this population, it has forced the local government to re-draw congressional and legislative city boundaries. According to the Hispanic population, having the boundaries redrawn will make sure that elected officials can support their needs as well as the other races.

In my community there are many Hispanic families. They are from all parts of South America. The one thing that most of them have in common is the segregation from the rest of the community. Most of our Hispanic population resides in a city called Aurora. I believe this is largely due to the fact that a majority of these people do not speak English and their culture is different then ours. To communicate with someone who does not speak the same language or can be very difficult. I believe that it is too easy to forget about these people. They seem to get lost in the shuffle.

State Agency

I have a close friend that works for the state health department; she sees many different nationalities come through the door. I called her to ask her for an example and she said that just today, she has spoken with someone who spoke Swahili, Thai,

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