Re: How committed is your group to diversity?
From: Dahako (Dahakoaol.com)
Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2005 04:33:29 -0700 (PDT)
Hi-
 
Our group, Eastern Village, is located in a diverse corner of the DC  
metropolitan area and our population. though it still leans majority culture, 
is  
pretty diverse for cohousing.  Last time I did a go-around in a meeting and  
asked people to state their country of origin, we had more than 10 countries  
represented.  We have a member in a wheelchair and another one who is  deaf.  
We 
have several members who are African or African-American and  another few who 
are Asian-American or Hispanic.  We have a rabbi and a  minister and other 
members who are Buddhist or involved with the Ethical Culture  Society.  About 
a 
quarter of our households have kids, or have one on the  way (this is a very 
high concentration of kids for a condo development in the DC  area). Our age 
diversity runs from folks in their 80's to babies on the  way.
 
I think a lot of this diversity is driven by picking the right location for  
it to happen naturally. I don't think we did anything special in marketing  
beyond emphasizing what is required in the law by way of equal  opportunity.  
However, I think we do represent an example of one of Mr.  Sandelin's marketing 
laws.  To wit, like tends to have an easier time  marketing to like.  For 
example, our core group of 16 households included a  person in a wheelchair and 
an 
African-American realtor. 
 
Because most of us are from a similar socio-economic strata, we have been  
able to find ways to begin to bridge some of our cultural issues and head off 
in 
 the direction of a peaceful, cohesive community.  I think we will always  
need regular training and conscious (re-)connection to each other to keep the  
community healthy.  But what community doesn't need that?
 
-Jessie Handforth Kome
Eastern Village Cohousing
Silver Spring, Maryland

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