We do all get along, mostly

by Esther J. Cepeda

"Pregunta del Dia" translates to Question of the Day and today’s comes from R.M., a Chicago reader who emailed to "ha-ha."

Q. Did you hear about the brawl between the blacks and the Hispanics in L.A.? Aren’t you the one always talking about how there’s no problems between the two?

A. Yes. R.M. was referring to the Associated Press story from last Friday – at around noon 600 students at a high school in Los Angeles got into a huge fight, leaving several injured and three arrested. The fight had been planned between members of rival Hispanic and Black graffiti gangs.

The media loves to report on these things. I’m sure there is some poor Californian soul whose entire reporting job is to find blacks and Hispanics who hate each other. Why not keep a person in Boston to report on the tensions between the Irish and everyone else who lives there? Because it’s not really a story, that’s why.

First off, rival gangs hate each other regardless of skin color – that’s why they come up with convoluted dress and communication codes to transcend race and gender. Second, give it a rest – no monolithic group of any persuasion gets along in complete harmony with any other, that’s just human nature.

If the energy put into pointing out tensions between ethnic groups – a dialogue on Japanese-Chinese relations, anyone? – went into observing the millions of ways in which all of us get along and work together everyday, the world would be a better place.

Esther J. Cepeda writes the “600 Words” & “Pregunta del Dia” columns, and is also a Director at the Chicago-based United Neighborhood Organization. Her reporting and opinions do not necessarily reflect those of UNO. “600 words” is a registered trademark of EeJayCee, Inc., Copyright 2008. May be reprinted with permission, contact eejaycee@600words.com