Dana Barbieri
Prof. Boyko
English 101
12/07/2011
Where’s The Diversity? “But people love it. Make no mistake - we are increasing our happiness by segmenting off so rigorously. We are finding places where we are comfortable and where we feel we can flourish,” David Brooks wrote in People Like Us. (307) Think about it? It’s so true and rather sad that people like to conform to places and people alike. Where’s the diversity? And in People Like Us Brooks addresses America’s diversity, well actually the lack of diversity within our diverse culture. And through experience I agree entirely with Mr. Brooks on what he has to say about our country’s problem with lack of diversity. David Brooks proclaims that America boasts for being an extremely diverse society; but he disproves this by giving many examples of how America is still segregated by choice, by habits, and other categories. He proclaims that people of the same race and income level tend to flock together and in the same communities. Some examples of this is Black people tend to live in the same neighborhoods by class, being low income, middle class, upper middle. Brooks also says people move to areas that are known for certain characteristics. He feels that these tendencies and trends make America less diversified. There is no such thing as diversity where I live, just a town full of white rich people. My town is a perfect example of what David Brooks has to say about the social distinctions people create:“...what I have seen all around the country is people making strenuous efforts to group themselves with people who are basically like themselves.” (306-307) If one was to take a stroll down my neighborhood they would see nothing but five thousand square foot homes, six acres of land, and three car garages. I live in a small, stuck up, white, rural area, where everyone knows everyone’s business, and are generally all about the same thing. But this is what these people want and this is what I’m stuck in. I can’t imagine how they could desire such a secluded, unrealistic world. They’re raising their children to be sheltered from what the world is actually like. This is what I was raised in, what my parent’s work so hard for. I feel like living in such a place is only hurting someone because it drains the opportunity to grow from