Berger’s mosaic theory of ethnic integration is an interesting image that aptly describes the Ditmas Park neighborhood.  This image denotes an amalgamation of cultures and ethnic traditions that meld together into one larger whole, while still retaining their own unique and distinctive elements.  Berger describes the Ditmas Park area as one representative of “radical mingling” (19); this phrase sheds light upon the striking nature of the way in which the diverse residents of Ditmas Park live and interact with each other.  Berger reiterates the fact that maintaining cross-cultural relationships in this area has become run-of-the-mill.  The diversity of Ditmas Park residents in interwoven; the residents are not divided by living in their own ethnic enclaves.  In this area, no one group is dominant, a fact that I found particularly interesting.  Susan Miller’s description of the neighborhood as a “majority of many” (23) aptly sums up the essence of the diversity present in Ditmas Park.  Berger attributes this lack of dominance to the geographic placement of this locale.  It seems that, because of the ethnic enclaves in the surrounding areas, namely, Coney Island, Sunset Park, Midwood, and East Flatbush, Ditmas Park has become a mixing place of sorts in which residents from these ethnic enclaves spill over and cross paths.

I also found Berger’s description of Westminster Road to be quite interesting, as I have spent quite some time in this area with family friends.  Westminster Road, with its English name, serene suburban feel, and diverse residents, draws an interesting parallel to the Ditmas Park area as a whole.

Why don’t the cross-cultural friendships in the Ditmas Park area extend over class lines?  I found it interesting that seemingly incompatible people in the area were able to sustain friendships with each other, but class lines tend to separate the same people.  What factors contribute to a tolerance of culture, but not class?