PASSYUNK SQUARE TRIANGLE

Maybe I am wrong but I hear it all the time ........

okay ... its from ME!


Joely

__________________

I think, for one thing, they have a much lower financial stake in the community since a lot of them are renting, and the ones that own paid much less than you did for their properties. They also probably resent - or are at least very uncomfortable with - the influx of white faces into their community. In a way, keeping the community down is actually in their interest.

I wonder if there's a cracker amoung us that can speak Spanish or Vietnamese
and pass out a flyer about the monthy meetings. I doubt many are on the
email mailing list. Or maybe start with a survey to see how many have heard
of the CA's. Or maybe we all like the makeup just the way it is? I dont know,
one of the big reasons I love this neighborhood is becuase its diverse.

I have a wonderful Vietnamese family across the street from me and I don't think they could be a better example of the exact opposite. They are clean, respectful, friendly, just generally great neighbors who definitely see value in the well being of the neighborhood. I've had conversations with the father about the state of the neighborhood when they moved in in the '90's and what a contrast he's seeing to the current state -- he's clearly happy about the positive change. He and his wife were among the first to welcome me (white, yuppie, I guess, whatever that really is...)to the block when i moved in a year ago, and by contrast, the very first time I spoke to one of the white couples across the street was last weekend during the tree planting. Lee actually looks out for me. For example, recently he noticed some guys/kids hanging out on my front step around 2am and he made it a point to stop over and make me aware. Basically, what I'm saying is that you can't possibly generalize that way. I'm sure there are many Vietnamese, Asians, and Spanish who value their neighborhoods and there are probably several white people who could give a crap, too.

Good idea. Recently at a subcommitee meeting someone suggested that we place the newsletter/information about the CA in some of the markets along 6th & 11th St., etc.

No doubt there are some that do. And of course it's always a good thing when a neighborhood cleans up. But if everyone thought like us, they wouldn't have organized protest groups against "gentrification" in neighborhoods like Brewerytown and Old Kensington.

that may help, since the family next door to us, barely speaks any english and a few others on the street I've seen, seem to speak broken english at best. But then i guess I'm in that yuppie class, at least my other neighbors gave me that impression, when in their best old south philly slang said, "yous young yuppies is good fer da hood", i took it as a compliment, (I think) never really considered myself a yuppie.......kind of like the first time some one call me sir, kinda looked behind me to see who they were talking too.

__________________
http://dgoakill.zenfolio.com

The "Tongs" were a real historical Asian gang. And if they hung out at laundromats, they could be doing the drying or ...... doing the was .............

Well, its not a bad thing to simply quote fact. This is not prejudice, its not anti-anti, it is just what is. It does not cast the millions upon millions of hard-working minorities in a bad light .... it just is.

Its like mentioning vertically-challenged people ....... its not a slur .... it just describes a large segment of the population.





Joel

__________________

Maybe some of you missed the Celebrating Diveristy Festival that was organized by:
Passyunk Square Civic Association
Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia
Greater Philadelphia Chinese Overseas Association
Congreso de Latinos Unidos and Emmanuel Lutheran Church


We originated this festival and then got the other organizations involved.
________________________________________

Also, we have been cooperating with Ricardo Diaz of Congresso to help with issues relating to Sachs Playground. We stood with the latin population that wanted to donate a new playground at Sachs and dedicate it to a latin leader. The Mexican/Latin population uses Sachs heavily and wanted to give something back. (Others were protesting this... since they didn't want a Latin-American name in the park... even though the man the spot was being dedicated to is a native-born American that marched for civil rights with Martin Luther King...)

____________________________

If you come to meetings, you will see that we do have regular attendance by a small number of Mexican/Latin American, Asian, etc community members. This is something that we are actively working on building.

____________________________

As Reds knows, we handed out shirts on the day of the tree planting that said, "Celebrating Diversity" in multiple languages and then ended with "Passyunk Square, South Philadelphia."

_____________________________

The coolest thing about South Philadelphia, and in particular Passyunk Square, is that it is so culturally diverse... and in general, this diversity is celebrated.
_____________________________

My Asian neighbor gave me a hug when I told her I would help her get a tree. She is super-sweet.

____________________________

It is Passyunk Square... I proposed the name of the neighborhood because of the former name of the park at 12th and Reed. I like that the name has history and that it does not favor one ethnic group over the other. Being Italian-American, I always found the name Italian Market to be exculsionary and not truly representative of the neighborhood.

The name was intentionally picked because it did not exclude... and in fact celebrates the native american history of the area. The word Passyunk having been derived from a native american word... also, highlighting the fact that South Philadelphia is older than Philadelphia in some ways...
_____________________________


This was the announcement for the Celebrating Diveristy Fest. If you missed it... it was an incredible day of sharing...



The Passyunk Square Civic Association presents:

the CELEBRATING DIVERSITY Festival
Performers * Food * Games

September 10 from 1 PM to 7 PM (Rain or Shine)

Goldstar Park (7th and Wharton)

Performers:
Tonantzin Coatlicue Dancers
Timoney Irish Step Dancers
Blue Sinatra Band
Great Wall Chinese School Dancers
Chinese Overseas Association Dancers
Sammy J as Elvis
St. Maron’s Lebanese Dancers
Cunad Dance Group
Cambodian Cultural Performing Arts Troupe
Wings of an Eagle Praise and Worship Dancers of the Emanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church

Food Vendors:
Bitar’s
Taqueria La Veracruzana
O Sandwiches
Emily’s Tortillas
Alma’s Mango Flowers
Tomato Pie

Games:
Bite the Carp
Piñata
I Madonnari Sidewalk Chalk Activity
Bocce
Truyen-Truyen
Jump Rope

Guest MCs:
Lynn Abraham
Sam Lapera (Dept of Rec.)
Ricardo Diaz
Councilman James Kenney
Councilman Frank Diccico
Brad Bodia
Inspector Steven Johnson
Captain Weaver
Ace Delgado
Captain Zaffino
Paul Bonfanti (PA Horticultural Society)

Organized by:
Passyunk Square Civic Association
Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia
Greater Philadelphia Chinese Overseas Association
Congreso de Latinos Unidos and Emmanuel Lutheran Church


____________________________


p.s. i am an artist. i believe we get excluded from the yuppie thing... especially since i bought my house as a shell from another artist. i was just keeping the artist ratio intact with my home purchase.

Thanks Geoff.

Yes your organization is the best. By the way, how is
La Sandwich doing ... I mean El Sandwich? ((O-Sandwich)).

Joely

__________________