Diversity in noVA/DC/MD (Fairfax: neighborhood, restaurants, legally)

[Fern435]

Another side to the much touted diversity here in the DC Metro:

Fairfax Times (http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/news/2009/jul/07/exploited-every-turn/ - broken link)

It seems diversity here is only mentioned to promote this area as being more sophisticated than other parts of the country. When situations like these come up, many people pretend they don't see it.

[jbird82]

Originally Posted by Fern435

Another side to the much touted diversity here in the DC Metro:

Fairfax Times (http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/news/2009/jul/07/exploited-every-turn/ - broken link)

It seems diversity here is only mentioned to promote this area as being more sophisticated than other parts of the country. When situations like these come up, many people pretend they don't see it.

I don't understand what this has to do with diversity. Looks to me like someone took advantage of some immigrants and a few of the families might have known what was going on.

[JEB77]

Originally Posted by jbird82

I don't understand what this has to do with diversity. Looks to me like someone took advantage of some immigrants and a few of the families might have known what was going on.

I think the point is that people in the NoVa/DC area are happy to point out that the area is viewed around the country (or even the world) as an area of economic opportunity, but for the unfortunate ones, far from their native lands, it can be an area of economic exploitation or worse. See Joseph Steiglitz ("Globalization and Its Discontents").

And, since this is a service-driven economy, the exploitation may be even less obvious or acknowledged than in a manufacturing-driven economy where it's well-known that illegal immigrants are working in sweatshops.

The phenomenon is hardly unique to the DC area - there are, for example, plenty of exploited Bolivians in Sao Paulo, Brazil or Moldavians in Prague. But it doesn't make it right. Nor does it necessarily mean that the benefits that the diversity bring to our region don't still outweigh the costs. There's a reason why this story ran in the Fairfax Times rather than the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

[Skatergirl]

Did you post the right story? Your lead in with diversity was not an accurate depiction. The story did reveal foreigners being brought into the country illegally and then being taken advantage of by wealthy, greedy individuals throughout the area. That happens all over the map--not just D.C.

[Legs1357]

A very unfortunate story, but has nothing to do with diversity. Stuff like that happens in homogeneous populations too.

[Denton56]

Originally Posted by Fern435

Another side to the much touted diversity here in the DC Metro:

Fairfax Times (http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/news/2009/jul/07/exploited-every-turn/ - broken link)

It seems diversity here is only mentioned to promote this area as being more sophisticated than other parts of the country. When situations like these come up, many people pretend they don't see it.

Huh? Who pretends that slavery, using illegal immigrants, is ok? And what on earth does it have to do with diversity?

[Fern435]

Thank you, JEB77. You understand the point and explained things much better than me.

The *diversity* in the DC region is frequently mentioned here as something glamorous in this area. But when something terrible and sad like this happens, it usually gets less attention or concern.

There are more complex issues to the diversity here than just bragging rights, 20 different ethnic restaurants in a trendy neighborhood, or domestic help/nannies from other countries.

My intention was not to criticize diversity--just to point out issues that some people seem to ignore.

So sorry it was not clear to some.

[GreenGene]

Originally Posted by Legs1357

A very unfortunate story, but has nothing to do with diversity.

Agreed - a totally misleading thread title. The story has nothing to do with diversity - the word "diversity" doesn't even appear in the article. The news report itself is horrific, and correctly features words like forced labor, indentured servitude, and exploitation, and certainly is material worth serious discussion ... but not under the guise of "diversity."

[Fern435]

Originally Posted by GreenGene

Agreed - a totally misleading thread title. The story has nothing to do with diversity - the word "diversity" doesn't even appear in the article. The news report itself is horrific, and correctly features words like forced labor, indentured servitude, and exploitation, and certainly is material worth serious discussion ... but not under the guise of "diversity."

Thank you, GreenGene! Very, very classy!

Many people enjoy bragging about cultures here and the restaurants they start (in other words, diversity), yet rarely address other issues that come along with immigration.

Did you read JEB's post?

[GreenGene]

Originally Posted by Fern435

Thank you, GreenGene! Very, very classy!

Very, very classy? Somehow - much like the thread title - your words just don't ring true.

Originally Posted by Fern435

Many people enjoy bragging about cultures here and the restaurants they start (in other words, diversity), yet rarely address other issues that come along with immigration.

Okay.

Originally Posted by Fern435

Did you read JEB's post?

Yes.

You saw the article in one way - I saw it in another way. Apparently - and I'm going only by the words the author used in the article - the author didn't write about diversity. He wrote about the exploitation of Indonesian women.

Originally Posted by Fern435

My intention was not to criticize diversity--just to point out issues that some people seem to ignore.

Fine, but if pointing out the issue addressed in the article was, as you say, your intention, why use the misleading thread title? Wasn't the truth - modern-day slavery in Northern Virgina - sensational enough for you?