Can you imagine a place where you might run into a gay/lesbian individual eating at a kosher restaurant with a Jewish Orthodox family sitting across the way? Just outside the restaurant you might run into a homeless man digging through the trash with the hope of finding something to eat. An African American owned hair salon is on the corner and an Indian spice store is on the next block. This might seem like an odd or highly unlikely scenario to a family who lived in the Midwest; however, in Los Angeles, west side area of Pico and Fairfax this is exactly what one might encounter.
I can not count how many times I have driven down Fairfax, in between Pico and LaCienega, with the assumption that it was simply a highly populated Jewish Community where I had no business being. The congested traffic and dirty sidewalks also made it a place I never had a desire to experience. All of my feelings changed after 20 minutes of emerging myself in the community, and meeting an array of amazing people from many different cultural backgrounds.
I began my immersion at a Jewish Synagogue that had a congregation of gay/lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals. As a person who practices Christianity, I will be the first to admit that I was sceptical of what I was about to hear. It was important for me to go in with an open mind and willingness to experience something new. Once I let my guard down, I was not only shocked at how comfortable I felt in the situation but I was elated to be in the company of an organization with such high values, morals, and courage.
As I continued my journey, I had the opportunity to meet a young Indian man who worked at his uncles restaurant, which served Indian cuisine. He spoke highly of the area and said, "I feel safe when I am here. We have never run into any problems with trouble. The area is great and so is our clientele."
The same block possessed a Deli that served Kosher food. I entered with one of my classmates, to find two men dressed in white shirts, black pants, and a round piece of cloth attached to their head. When I approached them and explained where I was from and what I was doing, I reached my hand out to introduce myself, with the goal of making the situation less awkward. The two men looked at me and smiled as they both avoided shaking my hand. I would later find out the reason why. At that moment, I knew I had offended them or done something wrong and they would no longer want to engage in conversation. That could not have been further from the truth. My classmate and I conversed with these men for about 20 minutes, learning about them, the area, and the Jewish Community. They were truly honest, genuine, friendly, and willing to answer any questions we had.
These are just a few of the experiences I had the opportunity to encounter. I am grateful for this experience as it taught me the true meaning of, "never judge a book by its cover." The same community that never stood out to me, and appeared to be dirty and congested, ended up being so full of personality, life, culture, and history. Now every time I go to that area I will posses an inner piece of knowledge that would have never came about, had I not took the time to open my eyes and my mind.
I can not count how many times I have driven down Fairfax, in between Pico and LaCienega, with the assumption that it was simply a highly populated Jewish Community where I had no business being. The congested traffic and dirty sidewalks also made it a place I never had a desire to experience. All of my feelings changed after 20 minutes of emerging myself in the community, and meeting an array of amazing people from many different cultural backgrounds.
I began my immersion at a Jewish Synagogue that had a congregation of gay/lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals. As a person who practices Christianity, I will be the first to admit that I was sceptical of what I was about to hear. It was important for me to go in with an open mind and willingness to experience something new. Once I let my guard down, I was not only shocked at how comfortable I felt in the situation but I was elated to be in the company of an organization with such high values, morals, and courage.
As I continued my journey, I had the opportunity to meet a young Indian man who worked at his uncles restaurant, which served Indian cuisine. He spoke highly of the area and said, "I feel safe when I am here. We have never run into any problems with trouble. The area is great and so is our clientele."
The same block possessed a Deli that served Kosher food. I entered with one of my classmates, to find two men dressed in white shirts, black pants, and a round piece of cloth attached to their head. When I approached them and explained where I was from and what I was doing, I reached my hand out to introduce myself, with the goal of making the situation less awkward. The two men looked at me and smiled as they both avoided shaking my hand. I would later find out the reason why. At that moment, I knew I had offended them or done something wrong and they would no longer want to engage in conversation. That could not have been further from the truth. My classmate and I conversed with these men for about 20 minutes, learning about them, the area, and the Jewish Community. They were truly honest, genuine, friendly, and willing to answer any questions we had.
These are just a few of the experiences I had the opportunity to encounter. I am grateful for this experience as it taught me the true meaning of, "never judge a book by its cover." The same community that never stood out to me, and appeared to be dirty and congested, ended up being so full of personality, life, culture, and history. Now every time I go to that area I will posses an inner piece of knowledge that would have never came about, had I not took the time to open my eyes and my mind.
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