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Human Geography Essay

Decent Essays

Bright lights, colorful signs, and delicious smells, all are things that may be found in an ethnic neighborhood. An ethnic neighborhood is a neighborhood, where the majority, if not all the population is of the same belief, and follows the same religion. One of the most well-known neighborhoods in Chicago is Chinatown. Chinatown has many cultural traits that set it apart from neighboring areas; however there is always a looming threat of internal and external threats to its culture. China town possess many cultural traditions and customs. One major cultural trait is the color red. In Chinese culture, red signifies happiness, prosperity, and luck. Many buildings have a very generous use of red. Doorways, walls, and even windows covers …show more content…

Although many of those stores had signs in Chinese, it doesn’t change the effect the stores had on the neighborhoods. While external threats are a looming danger, they are not the only threat. Internal threats also can compromise the established local structure.
There are many internal threats prevalent as well. As people live life in the U.S, or experience other culture, they may want to integrate the new culture into their own. One such example is with kids. When kids go to school, they meet people of other cultures, and beliefs. Over time, they may think that an aspect of their beliefs is better than their own. This can cause a recession in the local culture of an area. Another internal threat is that of movement. As kids grow older they may get bored of their surroundings and decide to move out. When people move, buildings generally become open for sale, and often for low prices. These vacancies are enticing to many people who are seeking a home. This can greatly disrupt a neighborhood, as suddenly what was previously a Chinese neighborhood, is now half polish. One last example is with oriental Chinese food. Asian dishes are generally spicy, with many herbs. People often change recipe to fit the American palette. Over time Chinese-American may come to enjoy the new Americanized flavor more.
Chinatown has many cultural traits that set it apart from neighboring areas; however there is

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