Race and My Community
Nicole Petitta
ETH/125
April 1, 2012
Jade Pumphrey

Abstract
In order to understand race and how it relates to my community, I must first identify my community. Through identifying characteristics of the people of my community as well as my personal experiences, I can analyze race within my community.

In order to understand race and how it relates to my community, I must first identify and provide background information on my community. I live in a small suburban town named Oaklyn. My town is located in Camden County of South Jersey. Oaklyn is approximately 1.61 square miles, with White Horse Pike, or Route 30, as the main road running through the middle of town (Advameg, Inc. 2011). Oaklyn’s middle school is called Oaklyn Public, and when I attended this elementary school, my classmates and kids in higher leveled grades discriminated against people based on their race and physical appearance. The jokes, making fun of, and prejudice towards these minorities would force people of the same or similar physical features, like skin color, into a group or alliance. I believe this was a direct result of how they were raised by their parents. Racial prejudice can be strong strongly passed down from generation to generation. According to Schaefer (2006), “Race is a social construction and this process benefits the oppressor, who defines who is priviledged and who is not (Chapter One). I think race follows those who instill it in the next generation, and my community’s close location to low-income and poor communities, some older adults may have the feeling of superiority to minorities; hence, instilling racism in later generations like my own. The groups and alliances formed in my elementary school created barriers and all around separation between my peers.
My community is a lot different now than how I remember it when I was younger. The Advameg, Inc. (2011) website lists Oaklyn’s race population to be 94% White; 3.3% Hispanic; 1.1% Black; 1.1% Asian and 0.2% of “Other” single raced. Comparing now and then, Whites are still the primary race while Hispanics and other subordinate groups are minorities; however, as I recall, the safety aspect of the community was different. For instance, when I was ten years old, I could safely walk down the street at night with little to worry about. In more recent years, I have heard, in local media, more assaults and burglaries than ever before. I believe the crime rate has increased due to the location of Oaklyn. Camden and Woodlynne are very close. These areas are low-income, high poverty and crime rate. With the increased law enforcement in these urban areas, the people have been forced to take their activity elsewhere; directly influencing the increasing criminal activities in suburban towns like my community. I remember when housing state assistance like Section 8 could not be found anywhere in my community. Now, there are more than one apartment complexes that accept it. This, too, has a ripple effect in that there are more low-income families in my community. As mentioned above, low-income areas tend to be corrupt with drugs, violence, and gangs. This malicious activity has made its way to my community and I think a lot of leaders and members within my community are aware of this. For instance, I have seen more times than not a Black male, walking down the main road that connects the urban towns to my town, stopped by three or four police cars. In other areas, I do not think four officers need to tend to one person on foot, unless of course there was a problem. However, when I do see this, the Black male being stopped does not seem to be acting irrationally, intoxicated, or any other reason there would be more than one or two law enforcement necessary. I think this is a prime example of how people in my community view ethnic people; no good, trouble, or suspicious. In contrast to how race is related to my community, I cannot predict if my community will ever experience a pluralistic atmosphere. Pluralism consists of minority groups co-existing, without racism or prejudice (Schaefer, 2006, Chapter One). In order to reach such an environment, point of views and teachings to younger generations must become open minded to different ways of life, and hopefully someday my community, as well as others, can learn to co-exist with all groups living in the same area while accepting each other as individuals.

References Advameg, Inc.. (2011). Oaklyn, New Jersey. Retrieved from http://www.city-data.com/city/Oaklyn-New-Jersey.html
Schaefer, R.T. (2006). Racial and Ethic Groups (10th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection.