Culture...Diversity...and Cafeterias

"I can't see white or black people. I only see Americans." — Stephen Colbert

I've been curious about society's apparent "need" to have an underdog to pick on. Deanna and I have be watching a PBS DVD series about Chicago. Back in the 1800s it sucked to be Irish. No Irish allowed...no Irish need apply. All that stuff. Germans had it slightly better, because they weren't Irish. After the civil war, African-Americans went from VERY bad (slaves) to slightly better (viewed as 'slaves' by racists).

I mention all of this because there is a major separation in Chicago. Northside, where I live, is predominately white. Southside, where I was today, is predominately black. We went to a show for a church's summer camp...almost all African-American with one or two Hispanic children. It was great! A blast! After the show, Mary took us to what she said was the first cafeteria. The first!

This place was great...and the people we saw in the neighborhood were mostly African-American. When we were sitting down, an older gentleman came up and asked us where we were from. I said "Wrigleyville". He said, "Oh! I thought you were foreigners!"

Earlier in the year...and I may have posted about this...I was on a gig where I had 3 hours to kill, and I was on the southside. I ate at an Applebees and then went to a mall. I was the only white guy in the mall. I got looks from a few people...not mean looks or anything, just looks like "huh?"

We're all people. Sometimes we're just stupid about each other...LIKE THOSE FRENCH!...stupid French.

(I don't feel that way about the French...they just seem to be the ones that are ok to make fun of nowadays)