Race and your Community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Race and your Community - Essay Example In short they came in search of a better and more profound life both for themselves as well as their children. They came looking for a life style more enhanced and improved than they had previously been living in their original country of heritage. With the passage of time, my ancestors came to settle in St. Louis, Mo. Whenever one discusses the notion of race, it is essential to discuss the concept of community as well. One cannot exist without the other and both are essential for the survival of any society. Therefore, in the same dictionary, the definition of community is given as, "a group of people living together in one place such that they have the same religion, race etc.; and the people of an area or country considered as a group." It is true that communities originally started off with people of a certain background, a specific guild living together such that they either had their professions, color or ethnicity as a common denominator. Such communities have existed in most parts of USA, until recently. With the advent of globalization, immigration of people to the New World from all over the planet and enhanced awareness of other cultures among the local population, all communities have had to undergo drastic changes. My community is also a part of this modern global society. It is dive rse from the past ones in the sense that people of all racial backgrounds coexist in it. However, it is not to say that communities no longer exist and that groups of people no longer tend to segregate together. They do but in a very different set-up. This is because the common denominators that previously made-up a community, have changed. In my opinion the two basic factors that makes up a community now a days is the monetary resources as well as the age group of people. People with high-income levels usually tend to segregate in a certain area of a city whereas those with less income tend to live in separate neighborhoods or areas of their own. The same may be said for people of different ages groups. The elderly of course live in retirement homes or neighborhoods specifically designed for them. Whereas the young people prefer to live in an area with hip nightclubs and a lot of hustle n' bustle, families with small children will instead try to find a safe and peaceful neighborhoo d with low crime rates. Thus communities still exist but they have taken on a new face that is quite different from any previous one. For a moment, picture the community that I live in. Around where I live there are five churches; each belongs to a different Christian denomination, two synagogues, a Muslim mosque and a Hindu temple. The Buddhists of the area gather together at a member's house to pray. This sufficiently shows that people of all religions have come to dwell and live together in a single community and that religion is no longer a denominator for a community. I personally have friends from all of the aforementioned religious groups. Consider the various ceremonies that these different groups follow, "decorating the hands of the bride with Hennna (Arabian), spreading of rose petals (English), jumping the broom (African), bride wearing numerous robes (Japanese), Bride carrying lump of sugar to signify sweet life (Greek) etc. (http://www.slpl.org/slpl/interests/article240109217.asp) Thus, when one goes to a wedding in our community you can be