While reading these two sources, I could not help but think of my own recent contemplations regarding the authenticity of ethnicity and the differing perspectives of individuals within modern, urban New York society. For some reason, even though my parents are not immigrants (only one of my grandfathers is an immigrant), I feel like I can relate to the confusions experienced by some of the participants in Butterfield’s study. Perhaps this is due to the structure of New York City more than any other factor. Sure, we all have certain customs in which we participate at home and with family members, but we also have another life outside of our homes where we participate with others, regardless of their ethnic background. In this sense, maybe New Yorkers somehow adopt an additional ethnicity simply from living in this ethnically diverse urban arena. I would not go as far as saying that this is an American addition but just a uniquely New York one.
With the immense diversity bursting forth from our city, I’m also coming to learn that no two people are the same. Granted, that seems silly and simple; however, a different sense of knowledge comes when you actually start to experience something for yourself. In the Butterfield article, the author writes that the members of the West Indian communities in New York that usually come in contact with other West Indians (from different regions) generally categorize themselves through a broader classification lens. Perhaps this is caused by a sense of connection to one’s own ethnicity while participating in the customs of another’s, albeit similar or vastly different. It is interesting, though, because ethnic customs cannot be isolated when categorizing groups of peoples; to forsake the effect of family practices, for example, on ethnicity does not make sense. In light of this, I find it difficult to categorize people. Correction: when I think about categorizing people for classroom purposes, etc., I find it difficult and somewhat inaccurate because there are myriad overlapping aspects of what identifies the people who constitute a particular group.
Whether or not this is relevant, I’m not sure, and this is a difficult reaction to properly articulate. However, the more I learn about the ethnic diversity of the residents of New York City, the more I realize the diversity of the human race and the complexity involved in the makeup of who an individual truly is. Does that make sense?
