WHAT PART DO YOU LIVE IN?

Two friends of mine are talking. One says he just returned from Hong Kong. The other replies,"Did you go to Chinatown?"

Yes, I guess you could say I have some friends with weird senses of humor.

Chinatown in San Fran is of course the best known. And lots of cities have Little Italy. But until yesterday I hadn't heard of Japantown. I think it, too, is in SF.

In a post from a few days ago I mentioned some of my neighbors from my old 19th St. neighborhood. I had never made the connection that so many were of German descent. I know Germantown is not too far away. But so is Shawneetown. We didn't have any Indians in our 'hood. So who could know?

I know; I know--it's Native Americans. But why do we have to distinguish anymore? If we're citizens of the US, then we're all Americans aren't we? And if we truly want equality then why separate, compartmentalize into Blacks/African Americans; White/European Americans?; Oriental Americans/Asian Americans, etc., etc., ad infinitum?

Did it make any difference to me that my neighborhood was mostly German? Heck, I didn't even know until about a week ago.

To paraphrase Rodney King, "Can't we all just belong?"