“New Orleans has a unique history as a great melting pot of all kinds of cultures, and that manifests itself now through the food, the music, and the kinds of people who live there.”
Scott Bakula
How do you experience a melting pot in your daily life? I saw this editorial of Easy Street in Vogue US September 2019 and was brought back to my experiences with New Orleans. I first visited in middle school (soooo long ago!) since our school choir would be performing at a jazz festival. We also had scheduled performances at malls and schools (which was okay, but a little weird). I next visited many years later with my bestie. As budding foodies, we took a cooking class and learned the difference between cajun and creole cuisines. I also appreciated the gorgeous architecture and gardens much more. New Orleans was a melting pot, but a different one from the one which I was accustomed.
I actually grew up in a neighborhood with a lot of Dominicans, Mexicans, and Italians. Spanish style chicken and rice was one of my favorite dishes growing up. I encountered even more cultures when I went to high school. I tried sushi, pho, and Brussel sprouts for the first time and eventually liked all three dishes. But I wasn’t just exposed to new foods. I met my first Muslim friend, Irish friend, and Punjabi friend. My friends invited me to their houses all over New York City so I got to explore much more of New York as well. The melting pot I was part of was just a natural part of life.
These days, it is even easier to become exposed to different cultures. Food courts are full of different cuisines. People of all ethnicities watch Korean dramas. We celebrate Diwali / Deepavali with friends. Of course food and shows are only a starting point. While we may live in melting pots, not everything is harmonious. But we can still make our way there some day.
Have a lovely week!
I also grew up in such diverse communities and areas in the world. My father’s family is irish and we have west african and asian family so I love all of those cusines, amongst others. I think it’s always great to expand our palates with food cultures.
That’s so cool you got to go to New Orleans as a kid! I’ve never been but would love to one day!
I agree – we can experience so much but it isn’t all harmony – trying to teach my children that being different isn’t a bad thing and it’s good to learn from others who are different! 🙂 I’m lucky their daycare does a lot of focusing on other cultures and foods so they get exposed to probably more than I did as a kid, ha!
Hope that your week is going well 🙂