The Cosmopolitan Canopy written by Elijah Anderson actively describes how various groups of people are able to come together in public spaces, interacting in a positive way despite their differences. Not only is it a way to create a sense of community, but also allows for the reduction of social and racial tensions. By doing so, the concept of the cosmopolitan canopy works by creating a space where regardless of one’s identity and background, people feel welcomed. This can be achieved through outreach such as shared cultural events, community programs, and other initiatives created to promote inclusivity and diversity. A particular setting often mentioned in Philadelphia is the Reading Terminal Market, where people from all walks of life are able to come together to shop, eat, and socialize. Despite their differences, people are able to interact and get along in this public space. One of the pros of The Cosmopolitan Canopy is it has the ability to promote a greater understanding and reduce social tensions between multiple groups of people. However, it may not always be effective, as …show more content…
The book argues that by promoting inclusivity and diversity, social differences cannot stand in the way of ethnic groups interacting in positive ways. Some other key themes in The Cosmopolitan Canopy include the importance of diversity and inclusivity; the role of public spaces in promoting social cohesion; the challenges of creating a cosmopolitan canopy in different urban settings; and the need for people to interact with those who are different from themselves in order to reduce social tensions and promote understanding. In addition, Anderson utilizes folk ethnography to explore the dynamics of public spaces in different urban settings, and to understand how people from different backgrounds interact with each other in these
In the first chapter, Mayorga-Gallo examines multicultural neighborhoods and their experiences, “This book unpacks the meanings white and non-white residents attach to this multiethnic space and their experiences within it” (Mayorga-Gallo 4). She unpacks interracial relationships in multiethnic neighborhoods by studying an annual picnic in a typical multiethnic neighborhood in North Carolina called Creekridge Park. She guides us (the readers) through the experiences of Black, White, and Latino/a residents. She also includes racial, gender, and age demographic charts to inform the reader. She included demographics to make a point that although neighborhoods are integrated, it does not necessarily mean that that will increase positive interracial relations.
Our twenty-first-century metaphor, in a much more racially and ethnically diverse nation, is “mosaic.” Each piece contributes to a whole, but not by losing its distinctiveness.” This is a great representation of what this country is now
Vertovec’s theories about super diversity, specifically, space/contact, and transnationalism can be applied to the town of Clarkston and the events showcased in Outcasts United with the struggles of the refugees and the struggles of the original citizens of the town. The problem of space/contact can be solved by looking at settling patterns of immigrants in cities around the country. Transnationalism issues can be solved by by taking into account immigrants’ cultures when making policies.
There are cities, like Philadelphia, that as time passes they start to grow in size and population as a result they have to create recreational places. As years go by, people start to interact more in recreational places until they become a cosmopolitan canopy. According to the book “The Cosmopolitan Canopy: Race and Civility in Everyday Life” by Elijah Anderson, a cosmopolitan canopy is a place that provides opportunities for new relationships to develop and where people come together to socialize and practice getting along with others. In this reading, Anderson also explains that a cosmopolitan canopy is not just created by the place itself or by the diversity of ethnicity, gender, and social class in and around it but also by the “goodwill that is expressed and experienced by most who enter these premises” (Anderson 11). Personally, I agree with Anderson because in order for something to become a cosmopolitan canopy, there has to be difference on the people in it.
Not only do they reinforce relationships among each other in the community, but they implement relationships with nature everyday in their lives as
Toronto is regarded as one the most multicultural city in the world. The city caters around 200 ethnic groups with over 140 different languages. The city is growing every day as more and more people visit, work and live in this beautiful city. Eglinton, a densely populated neighborhood in Toronto, is a good example of this
A place filled with difference and diversity around every corner has become the identity of America. A home of immigrants; a place of culture mixing with culture and color mixing with color; anything can and will happen here. Sometimes, my little town may appear to lack culture and color, but it does not lack pride. Here flags fly high on almost every block, and the “‘Merica” themed dress-up days have the most participation amongst students in school.
The richness of El Paso, Texas relies on the vast diversity observed in each one of its citizens, which has opened the way for El Paso to develop as a multicultural city. Emigration has been one of the main factors that has diversified El Paso’s cultural background, citizens from all over the world have landed a foot over American territory and have made it theirs, several nationalities, several races, one community, one El Paso. Emigration has also caused the expansion of a plethora of traditions across the area, which has made El Paso’s culture an indispensable resource of the state of Texas. A diverse country, state or city is the one that values the difference in people and therefore recognizes that people with different backgrounds,
In the novel Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson the author uses the ‘Tree’ motif to show that Melinda’s growth though the whole book because In the first quote, Melinda is using the tree to represent how she feels as if nobody can see her. In the second quote she shows how she feels out of place. In the third quote she talks about how with some improvement, the tree could be better. Just like how with some improvement she could be better. In the beginning of the novel, the motif of Tree represents how Melinda is develops as a human, deals with her rape and all its aftermath, and discovers who she is without other people to identify her, her trees also become more complex.
This is shown especially by New York with the very different cities such as Little Italy, Chinatown, The Bronx, etc. The enclaves keep ethnicities separated from each other, which leads to huge disagreements between people who they don’t know and don’t understand due to a difference in culture and not understanding their own customs. Since these people don’t understand each other once being stuck in these ethnic enclaves for years; and going out into the real world is a real challenge for them because some cultures have different ways of operating than others, and this can lead to horrible disagreements. For example, if a Chinese enclave such as Chinatown disagreed with some towns of Italians per say over their customs and how to treat each other, it could lead to a huge fight between the neighborhoods. This creates discrimination because when people don’t meet new people with different cultures, they begin to think that their own culture is superior to others; and they don’t want to leave their own little cities.
Government agencies have taken profound steps to incorporate all cultures equally into society. A noteworthy illustration of this is their expansion of affirmative action, a policy that services those who were historically segregated. Anderson recognizes the increase in “visible diversity in American institutional and cultural life” (Anderson, xiv) due to the extension of the policy. Admittedly, the inclusion of all ethnicities in public spaces has enabled public domains to be
Society is fooled into believing in the applied connection among people. Benedict Anderson’s idea of imagined communities emphasizes that, “… the members of even the smallest nation will never know most of their fellow-members, meet them, or even hear of them, yet in the minds of each lives the image of their communion” (5). Members of neighborhoods, cities, states, or countries feel a sense of unity with other members for living in the same place or maybe having the same basic values, but true unity comes from understanding the similarities among each other, considering the impact a person can have on another, and caring about lives. Recognizing the importance of lives being socially intertwined is necessary to sustain a considerate society.
Trees have been used throughout the years to symbolize many different things. A popular one is that trees represent life overall. This meaning has been around for many years and goes across many different cultures. However, trees have had many other meanings. In Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak, she uses trees to represent different life traits that the main character, Melinda, learns throughout the book.
But, living in a multicultural city is by itself a very beneficial exercise not only on a personal level but also in terms of cultural exchange, economic exchange and generating new ideas. One experiences what is called cultural variety when living in a diverse area. He is somehow introduced to new kinds of foods, architectures, arts, music, festivals, religions, mythologies, writings and more of general day-to-day life. These new things would easily open one’s heart and mind to new places, new ideas and new people. According to (Wolfstone, 2010) nowadays all people around the world happily go out and eat Chinese food, use Japanese technology, drive German
Living in a diverse world it’s distinction and similarities. The village is a small area with a small population. Life in the village is very basic and traditional while life in the city is full of luxury and modernity. Cities have a large population and it is often noisy and crowded. On the other hand, the lifestyles in villages and urban areas are totally different, but you can hardly find any similarities.