Race and My Community

Race and My Community
Rachel Owens
ETH 125
July 23, 2010

Race and My Community
    I live in Lima, Ohio. Lima is located exactly halfway between Dayton and Toledo, Ohio; two considerably larger cities and more notable Ohio cities at that. Lima has a population of nearly 40,000 people. Our population consists of mainly Whites and Blacks.   Asians, Mexicans, and Arab Americans make up a very small percentage. Whites are still the majority. Blacks account for nearly 30% of the population. I myself am biracial being that my Mother is White and my Father is Black. There are a high number of biracial people (like myself), here in Lima. Although I share many physical characteristics of African American notability I am very light-skinned, so to many I appear to be White, but am most often presumed to be Puerto Rican or of Hispanic descent. Lima does have a diverse culture however there is a slight form of segregation when it comes to the different communities that make up Lima.
    For instance there is the South side of Lima which is by all means the most poverty ridden location in Lima. There are many government subsidized housing units and unfortunately there is a lot of crime. Growing up here since I move from Cincinnati at age 5 I have learned that the south side of Lima is referred to even by inhabitants as the “snake pit”, or “dirty south”. The population on Lima’s south side is comprised of Whites, Blacks, and a few Mexicans. But the majority belongs to African Americans.
    The East side of Lima is made up of Mainly Blacks, and Whites, with a higher percentage of Blacks; however the poverty levels are slightly lower in comparison to Lima’s South side. Lima’s west side of town is comprised of mainly middle income, White and Black people. Lima’s north side or “Northland’, as many refer to it much like the west side of Lima , On Lima’s North side there are many middle, and upper income level families and residents on Lima’s North side. I live on the North... [continues]

Read full essay