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Olde Forge Junction hosts event to honor neighborhood residents' many cultures Date published: 5/26/2008
BY AMY FLOWERS UMBLE The Rev. Theresie Houghton took the microphone and addressed the nearly 200 people about to enjoy a picnic. "Welcome to the Olde Forge Melting Pot." On either side, two people stood to translate her words into Swahili and Spanish. There was one problem: The translators weren't so sure the target audience would get the idea of a melting pot. "A melting pot? They did not have such things in Africa," said Munira Marlowe, refugee services coordinator for the Catholic Diocese of Arlington's refugee resettlement program. "They would wonder, 'Are we going to melt a pot? And then eat it?'" Greg Smith, who runs LUCHA ministries with his wife, Sue, had a similar concern. He and his staff searched for a good Spanish word to convey the right meaning and finally settled on crisol, which refers to melting metals before forging them, a process which makes the metals stronger. However, most Latinos wouldn't know the seldom-used word and so Smith--as Marlowe did before him--opted to instead translate the idea behind the melting pot, that the cultures of Olde Forge would join together for a few hours and bond. The idea came as Houghton and her staff at Olde Forge Junction, a nonprofit that works with residents in the Stafford County neighborhood, developed after noticing the different ethnic groups stayed to themselves. A diverse group makes up the townhome development off U.S. 17. The group includes whites, blacks, Hispanics and newly arrived African refugees. Race and ethnic groups tend to stick together, said Michelle Carroll, community organizer for Olde Forge Junction. They organized a potluck yesterday where everyone would bring a dish representative of their culture, to slowly break down the barriers. "We can share what we have, whether it's food, whether it's dance, whether it's song, and not be threatened by our differences," Houghton said. Carroll knew going into the event that it would take baby steps. "All I desire is for the residents to smile at one another," she said days before the melting pot. Early into yesterday's event, it looked as if even that would be a stretch.
Date published: 5/26/2008
everywhere in the USA. Last century immigrants had their own neighborhoods and as thet became established moved to the mixing pot and let others fill in behind them. I don't see too much of this process any longer, ethnics tend to want to keep their native language and customs intact. I think that does not bode well for the futire of the USA as one country of "Americans". Fols that want tio import their culture should save themselves the trouble.
everywhere in the USA. Last century immigrants had their own neighborhoods and as thet became established moved to the mixing pot and let others fill in behind them. I don't see too much of this process any longer, ethnics tend to want to keep their native language and customs intact. I think that does not bode well for the futire of the USA as one country of "Americans". Fols that want tio import their culture should save themselves the trouble.
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