Queens, New York

Queens ... what a change from our former small rural town in Nebraska. The world is here, not just a few ethnic strains from Western Europe. My first barber here was a woman from Kazakhstan; now it's an Uzbek man. Our neighbors are Korean, Chinese, Israeli, Salvadoran, Polish, Russian, ... on and on. When I walk down the street I have fun trying to identify the languages being spoken as I pass by. There are many people from former Balkan states, so sometimes all I can do is guess the region.

I've heard that Queens is the most ethnically diverse region in the world. It's not just a city of neighborhoods, (although there are those too), but it is all mixed up house by house. Everyone here is a guest, including me, a life-long American-born wasp. It makes me feel like I'm traveling internationally just to be here. You don't see signs of ethnic confrontation .. I think most people here truly revel in the diversity.

If only the rest of America could delight in ethnic and religious differences – what a difference it would make. Viva La Difference!