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[jianantonic]

Anyone from AHS remember Weisend's lecture on whether the US was a melting pot or a tossed salad? I was thinking about that this morning and from my observations in the Shenandoah Valley, I've decided that, at least my little portion of the world, is neither. It is more like a patchwork quilt, where everything fits into the big picture, but things are divided by color. These are going to sound like gross stereotypes, but it truly is what I observe here in the valley and I do think it's unfortunate...but this is the basic makeup of Rockingham County:
All the Vietnamese own/work for nail salons.
All the Mexicans either work in the backs of restaurants or somewhere along the food processing chain - like picking apples or working in the chicken plants.
All the black people, wait a minute, there are no black people.
All of the best jobs are held by white men, and all of their wives have lovely jewelry and lots of leisure time and I know this because many of them spend hours a day buying diamonds and such from me.
About 90% of the white women either work in retail or teach school.
The Russians have their own churches.
The Mexicans have their own churches.
The Koreans have their own churches.
There is one tiny synogague but I don't know anyone who attends it and I've never seen anyone there.
The other churches are predominantly white.
The very few Chinese or Japanese people that I've ever seen in the valley are owners of ethnic restaurants.
The only Koreans I know operate a dry cleaning shop.
The vast majority of these ethnic groups speak very little if any English and tend to maintain their traditions within tight circles of other immigrants from the same places.
There are probably exceptions to these gross generalizations, but I've been living in the valley for three plus years now and I've yet to witness a single one. I'm not saying I resent any other groups, but I do think it's sad that kids go to school and learn about America: The Great Melting Pot, and then go home and only interact with people the same color as themselves, and can only look ahead to jobs that are already predetermined for them because their parents own the restaurant or some such thing and can't afford to send them to college because they spent what savings they had on their overseas move to strive for the American dream...

I'm not so pessimistic normally, but damn, I got to thinking all this and it got my panties in a real twist. I mean, all of what I just listed are really unfortunate stereotypes - but stereotypes exist because enough people fit the mold (or at least are perceived to fit the mold) that they are believable...

Comments

[flamingophoenix.livejournal.com]

It's more gross generalizations, but I would bet that in the restaurant families (e.g.) the second generation will DEFINITELY go to college, if the first doesn't. My grandparents moved here when they were children; my dad and aunt are first-generation Americans. My grandparents worked their butts off and left the Jersey/PA area (where everyone they ever knew lived) so that they could afford to send their children to college. People don't just come to America to earn money, though it usually starts out that way. My great-grandfather moved here in 1923 (or thereabouts), and I'm almost sure he meant to go back home, eventually. But it turned out it was better if his family came over, so in 1930 my great-grandmother and my seven-year-old grandmother came over. Great Depression, woot, but Great-Grandaddy had one job or another for the duration. They were incredibly lucky.

Point being, if the earlier generations know poverty, they will work so that their children can get better jobs, etc. Or that's just my observation.

[jianantonic.livejournal.com]

Hopefully that is true (although if you look at a lot of the people here in the valley, it certainly doesn't look like that will happen...anyway my main point was that in my immediate observations, it's not a melting pot, not a tossed salad, and there are no trends to indicate that it will evolve into such a thing.