Outcasts United: Community Analysis

Clarkson, Georgia is a small town which could have been described as a neighborly, and old fashioned southern town. It’s a place where kid’s played baseball, everybody knew their neighbors, and everyone spoke English. This was before the mid-1980’s became a large resettlement location for refugees, because of affordable housing, and access to jobs in Atlanta. By the year 2000, the census showed that one third of Clarkson’s resident were foreign born officially classifying it a super diverse community. Clarkston is now looked at for examples of the struggles and successes of a super diverse community trying to come together. This hardship is mainly outlined in the book “Outcasts United” in which Warren St. John writes about Luma Muffleh. Luma …show more content…
Warren St. John writes about Steven Vertovec, a British researcher, who talks about super diversity. Vertovec talks about how for a community to flourish, it is through a process called recategorization. Through recategorization, a community look past the obvious categories people belong to, such as race, religion, or language. Instead, people will see each other in different categories they may have in common, such as: mothers, soccer players, students, and more. People will start looking past their visual barriers, and see people as more than just their skin or language. This isn’t just a theory as there are examples of this in Clarkston. The fugee boys recategorize throughout the season as they bond and don’t see each other as kids from different languages, but see what they have in common, which is soccer. They are also evident in the Baptist Church, which creates many international services to bring people together who are Christians even as they might not speak the same language. It is shown again and again within Luma’s life with Tracey Ediger and the parents of her players. They are not from the same place, or the same native language, but they can all categorize themselves as people who care about the refugees, and the children. This recategorization is something everybody can do even in non-superdiverse communities. Just take some active thoughts to look past what you see, and …show more content…
The examples and answers can be found throughout the book, whether looking at Luma, or the community, or even a British researcher. Luma will show how to bring people together who are all living in a foreign place. The community can show how to survive if you’re living in a place that is constantly changing. A British researcher may also know the key of living in a functioning super diverse community. Humans may never know the complete answer on how to help people of such different upbringings work and live together, but Clarkston is the beginning of the solution. Let the story of Clarkston be a guide, and be a first step for all community members, from around the