We often talk of the diversity of Baltimore County — this diversity is what makes Baltimore County so great in my opinion. But our diversity is constrained by our history.
Originally composed of immigrants, Baltimore County had enclaves of white European immigrants who married within their cultures ... for a time. Then those of English German, Irish, Italian, Polish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Scandinavians, Greek, Japanese, Scottish, Welsh, Korean (and all white or nearly white nations) started to marry.
In the 21st century, citizens for the first time in larger numbers (even in Baltimore County) are marrying regardless of ethnic or racial roots. Despite this fact, Baltimore County is constrained in its diversity by its neighborhood cultures which were once primarily white, but are slowly changing.
To this day, while neighborhoods assimilate the nearly white Asian cultures, such as, Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean, they seem to have a harder time assimilating brown and black skinned people into their neighborhood cultures. So we still have neighborhoods of primarily brown and black people.
I am not being critical. I think that assimilation happens "slowly, but surely." Our children believed what we told them ... "all men are created equal." They experienced real diversity growing up (especially if they attended public school). Our children are color and culture blind.
It is good to retain our Baltimore County small towns. It's good to have a sense of the smaller community within the 800,000+ strong Baltimore County population.
What seems to set communties apart now more than ever is economic diversity. We as Baltimore County citizens have a responsibility to the well-being of the whole of Baltimore County not just our own neighborhood.
6:17pm on Tuesday, July 19, 2011 Humanity is the point. All races and economic diverse community members are loosing their homes and jobs. The larger issue here should be neighborhood stability is no more. We all need to see that jobs are created and we help our neighbors. If you know someone foreclosed on or about to be fund raise. We fund raise for the environment, Chesapeake and tributaries etc. Why not help everyone? I sure could use a community well-being. Where are the community leaders checking in on all residents who are struggling? Don't close a blind eye.
Why would Asians (or anyone for that manner), that have a culture with a very strong sense of work, family unity, pride and honor want to assimilate with the current Black culture which seems to promote the degradation of their women, having children out of wed-lock and jailhouse fashion? I've known plenty of Asian people in my time and they would NEVER want to assimilate with that kind of culture. It's not who they are.