Driving the streets of Los Angeles, one cannot help but realize what the term melting pot really means. The inadequate, but popular conception of America as black and white does not even exist here, because the city is undeniably and unapologetically flavored with culture. The antiquated diversity model of antebellum America has been replaced with one that reflects the growing effects of globalization, and one of its epicenters is right here in Los Angeles. There are pockets of it everywhere. Little Armenia, Little China and Little Ethiopia are just a few of the niche neighborhoods in the city that serve as cultural enclaves in the larger community; and throughout the city, one observes cross-cultural interaction that many in this country will never experience. The multitude of languages spoken, wide array of customs and beliefs, and the various amounts of melanin in the skin of the people makes for a cultural experiment with varying results from day to day.
While at times, the cultures may come together and evolve willingly into a part of the proverbial melting pot, at others, they will resist any form of assimilation – often with detrimental effects on the larger community. A perfect example of the second is exhibited in the tension between Blacks and Mexicans that has increasingly erupted into deadly violence over the past several years. Xenophobia, the threat of competition, and ignorance all contribute to forced isolation and inter-cultural tension that makes Los Angeles a frustrating place to live at times. This frustration, however, is not a product of impatience or insensitivity, but because you see the utopian image of Los Angeles as a model of tolerance and positive cultural fusion, instead of the proof of the inability of everyone to get along that it seems like at times. The multitude of cultures that one can experience here is what makes Los Angeles unique, and its beauty can only be fully observed when there is a larger culture of acceptance, understanding and cooperation.