July 15, 2012 —
I have been living in Detroit for about 6 years. Thus far all I can say is that I have been lucky to come to this vibrant city.
For many people, Detroit is synonymous with decaying and failure. But what many of the critics fail to do is to live in the city for enough time to realize that Detroit still has a lot to offer. Let me start with Detroit’s architecture. Downtown is repleted with mesmerizing buildings subject to very interesting sociological interpretations; when I took Sociology as a dual-enrollment class during high school, the teacher took the class in a field trip throughout Detroit. I discovered not only the splendor of the buildings but also how the designs were based on native american and Aztec facades. Detroit is also home to some of teh most advanced technological buildings, like the Compuware Building.
What many people fail to realize is that Detroit did not go from being the most powerful, wealthy city in the world to one more cosmopolitan failure in the country simply because of racial differences. Detroit failed to maintain its position because it stayed behind technologically. While Detroit “won the Second War” as Stalin said because of its manufacturing of weaponry, the rest of the country moved to the next stage in technology: computers. After the war, buildings with thick structures were no longer needed, nor its heating and cooling infrastructure. New buildings that could fit this new technology were needed, but Detroit failed to stay in the race. This is why I think Detroit became the city that we know today.
However, I think Detroit has not been given a fair chance to get back on its feet because of the bad publicity media has given it regarding the racial tensions of the 60’s. Detroit has been earmarked with a stigma that still many people believe, such as that the racial tensions are still occurring today. I am not saying they don’t, but what I think is that this is simply the work of a few, and this is enough for enitre communities to be discriminated.
One more interesting factor about Detroit is its diversity. I have been to more than one surrounding area of Detroit, but I have not encountered the diversity that exists in Detroit. I am not only referring to cultural diversity, but also to opinions, beliefs, doctrines, religions, political, etc. These are some of the things that make Detroit even more special. While many people from other parts of Michigan are exposed to one single idea, this encompasses many interpretations like religious and political, people from Detroit come across a wide range of perspectives and ideas throughout their lives in the city. They get to value other people’s ideas, and live in harmony with people with different opinions. I am very glad to say that I am one of the persons who likes to hear to both sides of the story, and I won’t affirm that Detroit taught me this, but it has greatly contributed to it.
As a final remark, even though Detroit is a struggling city, it fights to thrive. Its citizens fight twice as hard, and this makes their spirits even stronger. They are chameleons because one day the city could be flourishing with employment, and the next most jobs become bizarrely scarce. Detroit is repleted with people who want to improve; people who have big dreams and who everyday combat to make these a reality; people who simply won’t give up.
These are my thoughts of Detroit; my prediction for the future is that Detroit will once a again blossom as a vibrant city. Perhaps it will be once again due to its automobile industry, or to its computer technology.
Kudos
I have been living in Detroit for about 6 years. Thus far all I can say is that I have been lucky to come to this vibrant city.
For many people, Detroit is synonymous with decaying and failure. But what many of the critics fail to do is to live in the city for enough time to realize that Detroit still has a lot to offer. Let me start with Detroit’s architecture. Downtown is repleted with mesmerizing buildings subject to very interesting sociological interpretations; when I took Sociology as a dual-enrollment class during high school, the teacher took the class in a field trip throughout Detroit. I discovered not only the splendor of the buildings but also how the designs were based on native american and Aztec facades. Detroit is also home to some of teh most advanced technological buildings, like the Compuware Building.
What many people fail to realize is that Detroit did not go from being the most powerful, wealthy city in the world to one more cosmopolitan failure in the country simply because of racial differences. Detroit failed to maintain its position because it stayed behind technologically. While Detroit “won the Second War” as Stalin said because of its manufacturing of weaponry, the rest of the country moved to the next stage in technology: computers. After the war, buildings with thick structures were no longer needed, nor its heating and cooling infrastructure. New buildings that could fit this new technology were needed, but Detroit failed to stay in the race. This is why I think Detroit became the city that we know today.
However, I think Detroit has not been given a fair chance to get back on its feet because of the bad publicity media has given it regarding the racial tensions of the 60’s. Detroit has been earmarked with a stigma that still many people believe, such as that the racial tensions are still occurring today. I am not saying they don’t, but what I think is that this is simply the work of a few, and this is enough for enitre communities to be discriminated.
One more interesting factor about Detroit is its diversity. I have been to more than one surrounding area of Detroit, but I have not encountered the diversity that exists in Detroit. I am not only referring to cultural diversity, but also to opinions, beliefs, doctrines, religions, political, etc. These are some of the things that make Detroit even more special. While many people from other parts of Michigan are exposed to one single idea, this encompasses many interpretations like religious and political, people from Detroit come across a wide range of perspectives and ideas throughout their lives in the city. They get to value other people’s ideas, and live in harmony with people with different opinions. I am very glad to say that I am one of the persons who likes to hear to both sides of the story, and I won’t affirm that Detroit taught me this, but it has greatly contributed to it.
As a final remark, even though Detroit is a struggling city, it fights to thrive. Its citizens fight twice as hard, and this makes their spirits even stronger. They are chameleons because one day the city could be flourishing with employment, and the next most jobs become bizarrely scarce. Detroit is repleted with people who want to improve; people who have big dreams and who everyday combat to make these a reality; people who simply won’t give up.
These are my thoughts of Detroit; my prediction for the future is that Detroit will once a again blossom as a vibrant city. Perhaps it will be once again due to its automobile industry, or to its computer technology.
Kudos