When visiting new cities, many people just focus on the physical things. They look at the architecture of the buildings, go to different monuments and taste the food, and truly believe that they are part of the culture while they are on the trip. But what people fail to realize is that the people make the place. Sure, all these material things might have influence from the people of the city or place but actually communicating and learning from the people can serve us much better if we are trying to immerse ourselves. This was my intention from the beginning while I am staying in Detroit. Many people talk about what Detroit looks like from the outside, but never take the chance to talk to the people.
While I was here, whenever I had a question about something concerning Detroit, I would always ask a random person I saw in the city. Most times, I would get a very nice, polite answer and sometimes they would even go farther and tell me something else that never occurred to me. This willingness to talk to strangers is a common trait found in many Detroit people, and it has helped me learn the culture so much. I usually go into different coffee shops around the city, and I really got to know the employees who work there. Many of them are so nice and have huge pride for Detroit despite any negative comments that come out from it. They are dedicated to their city and want to make anyone who visits leave with a smile on their face.
I also believe a big part of Detroit’s culture is its African American population. Sure, there are people who are less fortunate than others, but this factor does not take away from their sincerity and politeness. I have had many opportunities to talk to random people I saw on the streets about what life is like in Detroit and how they feel about where the city is going. One constant answer that I received from most people is that the collective black people of Detroit try to support each other in every way so that the city can become better again, especially the suburbs and outside the downtown area.
Talking to different people was my best effort to get immersed in the city. I think I learned more from talking to people than I would have eating any food, reading any plaque on a monument or reading any book about the city.
While I was here, whenever I had a question about something concerning Detroit, I would always ask a random person I saw in the city. Most times, I would get a very nice, polite answer and sometimes they would even go farther and tell me something else that never occurred to me. This willingness to talk to strangers is a common trait found in many Detroit people, and it has helped me learn the culture so much. I usually go into different coffee shops around the city, and I really got to know the employees who work there. Many of them are so nice and have huge pride for Detroit despite any negative comments that come out from it. They are dedicated to their city and want to make anyone who visits leave with a smile on their face.
I also believe a big part of Detroit’s culture is its African American population. Sure, there are people who are less fortunate than others, but this factor does not take away from their sincerity and politeness. I have had many opportunities to talk to random people I saw on the streets about what life is like in Detroit and how they feel about where the city is going. One constant answer that I received from most people is that the collective black people of Detroit try to support each other in every way so that the city can become better again, especially the suburbs and outside the downtown area.
Talking to different people was my best effort to get immersed in the city. I think I learned more from talking to people than I would have eating any food, reading any plaque on a monument or reading any book about the city.
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