In 2011, Elijah Anderson went out into various regions of Philadelphia in order to draw conclusions about modern race relations in an urban environment. He set out to confirm the existence of cosmopolitan canopies, “settings that offer a respite from the lingering tensions of urban life and an opportunity for diverse peoples to come together” (Anderson xiv). While his experience of Philadelphia as a black man is different than mine as a white woman, I believe cosmopolitan canopies can be identified by any person if they are looking for one. Anderson 's definition of a cosmopolitan canopy is broad enough that nearly all of the heavily populated areas of Philadelphia can be classified as such. Despite the fact that cosmopolitan canopies are widespread
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As the essence of the cosmopolitan canopy is positive, the first chapter of Anderson’s piece is incredibly optimistic in tone. Anderson talks about the Macy’s in Center city as “a high time for the holiday expression of “goodwill toward men”” (12). While he also makes points of vendors and retailers exhibiting quiet hostility towards people of another race, (Anderson 9), Anderson largely focuses on areas that have a more uplifting attitude. Not only this, he takes observations that could be argued as racial microaggressions and describes them in positive ways.
At lunchtime on weekdays, small groups of white corporate types walk around, apparently on their way to a restaurant or back to their offices, often with a lone black person among them. This phenomenon is common, but not the reverse; I have never observed a group of black professionals with a lone white one...When I pass by a black man alone among his white colleagues, he gives me a knowing look, or even greets me; the others are unaware that we 've just had a privileged ethnic communication. (Anderson …show more content…
I however, took my observations indoors, and found that cosmopolitan canopies can exist just as well, even if it harder to classify the space as exclusively public. My observations took place inside of Berry Sweet Yogurt on South Street, an area not covered by Anderson in his first chapter. South Street is known for having a wide variety of shops and restaurants, which accounts for the diversity in people, both on the street and in the shop that I observed. Berry Sweet displayed photographs of people of all different races, ages, and ethnicities, and the customers represented that well. There was very little interaction between strangers, none at all except for customers ordering and paying for their frozen yogurt. However, people did not feel the need to be ashamed of their race or ethnicity. All customers sat and minded their own business while enjoying their yogurt. People spoke, sometimes loudly, in various languages, and no one was made to feel lesser if they were not speaking English. If any person felt a certain disdain to a member of a race that was represented in the various customers, it was never vocalized or even shown through body language. Whether this was due to lack of racial bias in the individuals there, lack of concern or recognition for other customers, or conscious politeness enforced by the cosmopolitan canopy
As the essence of the cosmopolitan canopy is positive, the first chapter of Anderson’s piece is incredibly optimistic in tone. Anderson talks about the Macy’s in Center city as “a high time for the holiday expression of “goodwill toward men”” (12). While he also makes points of vendors and retailers exhibiting quiet hostility towards people of another race, (Anderson 9), Anderson largely focuses on areas that have a more uplifting attitude. Not only this, he takes observations that could be argued as racial microaggressions and describes them in positive ways.
At lunchtime on weekdays, small groups of white corporate types walk around, apparently on their way to a restaurant or back to their offices, often with a lone black person among them. This phenomenon is common, but not the reverse; I have never observed a group of black professionals with a lone white one...When I pass by a black man alone among his white colleagues, he gives me a knowing look, or even greets me; the others are unaware that we 've just had a privileged ethnic communication. (Anderson …show more content…
I however, took my observations indoors, and found that cosmopolitan canopies can exist just as well, even if it harder to classify the space as exclusively public. My observations took place inside of Berry Sweet Yogurt on South Street, an area not covered by Anderson in his first chapter. South Street is known for having a wide variety of shops and restaurants, which accounts for the diversity in people, both on the street and in the shop that I observed. Berry Sweet displayed photographs of people of all different races, ages, and ethnicities, and the customers represented that well. There was very little interaction between strangers, none at all except for customers ordering and paying for their frozen yogurt. However, people did not feel the need to be ashamed of their race or ethnicity. All customers sat and minded their own business while enjoying their yogurt. People spoke, sometimes loudly, in various languages, and no one was made to feel lesser if they were not speaking English. If any person felt a certain disdain to a member of a race that was represented in the various customers, it was never vocalized or even shown through body language. Whether this was due to lack of racial bias in the individuals there, lack of concern or recognition for other customers, or conscious politeness enforced by the cosmopolitan canopy