Our Multicultural Society

Ethnic minority groups are growing more than seven times as fast as the majority population. Are you embracing diversity in your community?

Opposite: Taken by resident Carol Ricker, this photo was the winner of The Waukegan Park District's June is Parks Month 1996 photo contest. The photo was featured on the district's spring '97 magazine.

Nuestras comunidades estau cambiando drasricamente para nuestro propio beneficio. Estamos convirtiendonos en sociedades multiculturales.

(The components of our communities are changing dramatically to our own benefit. We are becoming multicultural societies.)

The Latino community of Waukegan, for example, is rapidly growing. African-Americans form a large segment of the population and as well as increasing Asian-American and Latino groups, among other minorities.

Waukegan, however, isn't the only park district experiencing this wonderful change. Park districts and cities throughout the country are evolving into more diverse communities.

According to American Demographics, a Dow Jones & Company, Inc. publication, the total population is growing slowly in most metropolitan areas, however, their surroundings continue to expand, especially minority groups.

The 1990 census, for example, shows that racial and ethnic groups are growing more than seven times as fast as the majority. The chicagoland area is home to 1.3 million blacks, while three-quarters of the nation's 22.4 million Hispanics live in California, Texas, New York, Florida or Illinois.

Consequently, there is a need to change the traditional approach of various park districts in order to appeal to these diverse groups. Rather than focusing on the "average" resident, we need to concentrate on the individuals and their demands.

In an effort to do so, the Waukegan Park District has initiated a process to incorporate the diverse segments of the community.

For the past few months, we have been advertising our programs, activities and special events in diverse local publications, such as Semana, a Spanish biweekly; What's Happening, an African-American magazine; the News-Sun, a newspaper of general circulation, and The Review, a school district publication. Typically, minority-owned publications tend to have reasonable ad rates.

According to a study by Exito, a Spanish weekly, Latinos who are bilingual are more likely to read Spanish, despite their English proficiency.

The first time we translated our magazine into Spanish we received a lot of feedback from the Spanish speaking community. Especially mesmerizing was learning that many Latinos weren't familiar with

"America is not like a blanket-one piece of unbroken cloth, the same color, the same texture, the same size. America is more like a quilt-many colors, many sizes, all woven together and held together by a common thread."
— Jesse Jackson

the park district. They didn't even know about programs offered until they read the translations. The district has continued these efforts and even established a Spanish-speaking contact in case residents need assistance with registration or have questions regarding programs.

Now flyers, ads and additional informational pieces, including registration forms, are translated into Spanish.

Something to keep in mind is that current software packages that are available to perform translations are not very accurate for longer documents. The one we tried translated each word, changing or confusing the reader about the meaning of the document. For example, some Spanish verbs were picked up as nouns, adjectives as adverbs, etc. The end result was an incomprehensive text.

The most accurate translations come from people who are proficient in both languages. Some of the best translation services are available in the Waukegan area. The services can be found in the classified sections of bilingual publications.

Since Waukegan started with this process six months ago, the district has experienced a tremendous increase of Latinos participating in its programs. Spanish-speaking families are calling and inquiring about the programs.

The results of advertising in a diverse pool of media outlets and going the extra mile to translate park district literature have been proven to be successful. This success was noticeable at last year's Halloween Fest with participants reflecting a true representation of our multicultural community.

Another success story was Waukegan's "Santa Calling" program last December. It is offered in Spanish and participation has doubled with the addition of Spanish-speaking children.

It is crucial to mention, however, that the district has been proactive in going out to visit events organized by minority communities—such as Chicago's Mexican Consulates visit to Waukegan— to spread word of our existence and distribute literature on programs and activities.

Churches and community leaders are very receptive to our message. They have embraced the district's efforts to incorporate all segments of the community, and have offered to participate in our efforts through volunteering or assistance with events and programs.

Churches are good places to start a source list. For many ethnic groups, churches become a community center as well as a source of information. In addition, church leaders know the members of their congregations and can tell you who to address for particular issues.

The advantages of addressing the needs, interests and background of the individual rather than the average person are numerous. Programs, special events and other activities that appeal to all of the segments of the population bring the community together.

These opportunities allow residents to celebrate their differences and learn from one another. This type of social bonding is positive and increases community involvement and reduces alienation. It also develops pride for the uniqueness of the community, as well as understanding and tolerance for differences.

If park districts provide programs that will incorporate the different cultures, we are taking a step in the right direction. For example, offer a program that will promote ethnic cuisine, whether it is Latino, African or Asian.

What about arts and craft of other cultures, such as pinata making? Many children are familiar with pinatas, especially on birthday parties. However, it would be nice if they would know the significance of pinatas among Mexicans, as well as the tedious and elaborate process of making one.

What about teaching a North African dance class? There are unlimited opportunities that have gone unnoticed throughout the years.

In an effort to promote diversity, the Waukegan Park District decided that the theme of its annual American Independence parade will be "Celebrating Our Diversity." We will also carry on our theme into the post-parade festival, which was renamed the "Waukegan Heritage Festival." The local organizations, businesses and agencies will come together at Bowen Park to offer family and children's activities, ethnic cuisine, dancing, music, crafts and more.

Jesse Jackson once said, "America is not like a blanket—one piece of unbroken doth, the same color, the same texture, the same size. America is more like a quilt—many colors, many sizes, all woven together and held together by a common thread."

The benefits of a multicultural society are truly endless. The responsibility of the park district is to recognize those benefits and implement a process that will allow the community to recognize those advantages. We should be the facilitators of these benefits.

The process of becoming a catalyst doesn't happen overnight. It is lengthy and has many hurdles, but it is worth it.

KARIN B. QASAWA
Is the public relations and promotions coordinator for the Waukegan Park District.. Born and raised in Lima, Peru, she is fluent in Spanish, German and English. Qasawa has a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University.