Entry #4: Raros – Detroit Community-Engaged Research Program

Entry #4: Raros

I recently heard that scientists have estimated the probability of one’s existence, or the chances of you being you.  From the odds of you being a boy or a girl to the likelihood of your ancestors getting knocked up, these scientists took everything into account and came up with what I like to call the “fraction of fate.” What is the “fraction of fate?” 1 in 400 trillion. Those are the chances of you being you today, and I find that to be incredible.

A 1 in 400 trillion chance resulted in me being born in the year 1995 as a white male to a middle-class Catholic family who lived in the suburbs of Detroit.  These products of the “fraction of fate” would set the stage for my entire life, playing a huge role in shaping my identity. Growing up, I never thought about my identity too much because my 1 in 400 trillion chance placed me in an environment where I never was often forced to juxtapose my identity against somebody else’s. My city was predominantly white like me. I almost exclusively hung out with gents like me. My peers wore similar clothes and had pretty cool toys like me. Many in my city held a Christian faith like me. Everyone I knew lived in the suburbs like me. Now living and working in Detroit, I can see that not everyone is like me. For the first time in my life, I’m different.

While there are a multitude of qualities separating me from those I now share the city with, I would like to focus on the following two.

***

Reason #1: I am a man.

Though not particularly relevant as to why I differ from the people of Detroit, the question of sex is significant to the makeup of the Detroit Community Based Program and my workplace at the Michigan Suburbs Alliance. In the program, there are 15 ladies and 4 men; hence, I have certainly taken more notice of my errm manhood, if you will. Our hall in the dorm has a completely different vibe, or culture, than I believe it would otherwise if the number of guys and girls was reversed. Furthermore, this awareness-provoking vibe exists within my workplace as well.

With the exception of one other person who is not often present, I am the only man working at the Michigan Suburbs Alliance. Thus, work has been an interesting, and most thought-provoking experience as well. Having worked in a few restaurants’ kitchens, all heavily dominated by men, I will say that working with men is much different than working with women. Conversations are much rowdier, the music played is louder, and the extracurriculars that go on during the shift are much, much more ridiculous (no potato baseball here). Now mind you, a restaurant’s kitchen differs greatly from an office; however, I did not think the environment would be so dissimilar to what I have experienced previously. I have learned that it is difficult to jump in and talk about experiences pertaining to women’s rights when I have no experience as a woman, and even more difficult to talk about how awesome the urinal in the men’s bathroom is with my female coworkers (though I think everyone should hold the capacity to appreciate its regal charm and functional excellency). In all seriousness though, being a man in this program certainly makes you more aware of well, being a man.

Reason #2: I am a white kid born and raised in the suburbs.

While I could explain this qualitatively, I believe quantifying items is sometimes much more eye-opening; therefore, I went through some old work I did and found these percentages from the 2010 U.S. census that will demonstrate how dissimilar my experience of race is in Detroit versus in my hometown of Sterling Heights:

85.1%= Population of Sterling Heights that is white

10.6%= Population of Detroit that is white

I went from being within a huge majority, to a lackluster minority after moving only 40 minutes away –and I can definitely feel it. Not so much on campus, but walking downtown I sometimes catch people glancing at me with curious looks on their faces. Expressions such as these make me feel like I am an outsider, which in all fairness I am. It is just a very strange feeling that I never have had before. This feeling was most prevalent yesterday when a few of us utilized the bus system. While waiting at bus-stops and the transit center downtown, many people looked at us like we were aliens. As one would expect, it was somewhat uncomfortable, but certainly understandable. We simply did not look like we belonged, and the bus-driver noticed. Before he began driving, he turned around, looked at us, and asked us if we were trying to get to Canada, or if we were seriously going to southwest Detroit, where his route mandated he go. We politely told him no and that we really were headed to southwest Detroit, and this seemed to surprise him, hence surprising me. What was so astonishing about us not going to Canada? Why were we the only ones he asked? I figured it’s because we looked like outsiders to this urban community. This suspicion would be confirmed later that evening.

We took the bus to get dinner and visit one of Chris’s coworkers. As we walked down the streets, I was becoming more self-aware of my race and background, as I could not read the Spanish signs posted on many buildings we passed. It felt strange to be unable to read the signs of some basic establishments, such as gas stations and convenience stores. I have never experienced that before in Michigan. As we walked into the neighborhood, people outside gave us the same looks the people at the transit center did, thus bringing self-awareness to the forefront of my mind. We quickly made it to Chris’s coworker’s home and knocked on the door. Soon enough Anna, his coworker, invited us inside to sit and talk. We had a pleasant conversation and it was incredibly interesting to gain insight from someone who has lived her entire life in the city; however, one conversation point stood out to me in particular. She spoke of how her neighbors all look out for one another and report news to each other of any strange looking people who show up on the street. She said her neighbors would probably call soon asking who the outlandish people were that she just let into her home. “Raros” she said they would call us, Spanish for “strange people” or something along those lines. Hearing that term really shot self-awareness throughout my entire body like an adrenaline shot. I recognized instantly that I was a complete outsider, a surreal feeling that I never have experienced to that degree before. Her phone rang soon after.

***

While it is disconcerting to be a foreigner, I am grateful for the experience. I believe that to fully empathize with others, one must have experienced the emotions felt by whoever is receiving empathy; thus, I feel that living and working in Detroit will open up an empathy channel within me that never existed before. Soon, I will develop an understanding of what it means to be a stranger to the Motor City and the emotions linked to the endeavor; subsequently, I then will be able to extrapolate this understanding and empathize with the innumerable amount of people who have left their homes to live in foreign lands, all of whom were outsiders as I am now. Learning through doing is said to be the finest method for cultivating understanding, and I am dedicated to living by this mantra as I enjoy my 1 in 4oo trillion chance.

3 thoughts on “Entry #4: Raros”

  1. Yessss, I have been waiting for the comment box to come up on this for days. This is a great post, Ryan! The experience you had on the bus was really interesting to read about. It makes a good point about the preconceptions that a lot of people have about the younger people moving into the city. There’s nothing wrong with being a foreigner, I think it’s just new for a lot of people that have been living in Detroit for years to see so many young kids around from the suburbs. I think it is a change for everybody in and around metro Detroit, but overall it is a very positive one!
    I’m glad you guys made it to Mexicantown too. I have been thinking about Mi Pueblo since you mentioned it to me yesteday…. mmm

  2. This is a great, great, great blog post. I loved this so much. It is so important to be aware of your surroundings, privilege and role in society and I feel as if you are really growing up being here in a new and unique environment. We have a lot of the same thoughts and feelings and it feels really good to be able to talk to you more about these ideas and issues in person during our lunch breaks. Very open-minded and insightful. Proud of you, man. 🙂

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