Dear Matt, I am writing to your from our friend Emily’s hometown, Edison Park, IL. I am defiantly not in Oahu anymore. It’s a small community made up of immigrants and city workers. The only thing really like Oahu is the fact that this community comes together to work towards a brighter future and everyone is really friendly. The people here really love their heritage! It doesn’t seem to matter if they are immigrants or if their great (x 8) grandparents were I don’t think that I’ve gone past a house that didn’t have at least two flags hanging out side it. One is the American flag, of course and the other is a flag of some European country, the most popular one seems to be Ireland. What’s great though is the fact that all these people with their different backgrounds can come together and help each other out. All the kids play together in the alleys and parks, and in true European fashion, soccer seems to be the preferred sport. Also, besides being a hub for immigrants, Edison Park also attracts lots of city workers. It is located on the northwest side of Chicago and is of the furthest places away from the city were city workers can live. Therefore, many firefighters and police people raise their families here. However, there seems to be a slight rivalry between the two groups. According to Emily, whose dad is a firefighter she was not friends with any police peoples children, nor does she know any now. A few other people were able to tell me the same thing. How bizarre is that? Another strange thing I’ve noticed in this community is that the children who attend the two different middle schools do not interact with each other. They could live on the same block but never speak one word to the other. One of the schools is a private Catholic school and the other is a public school, they are maybe four or five blocks apart. There doesn’t seem to be any reason for the students to have this rivalry. The schools do not compete in the same division. So neither is a threat to the other. Ahh, well what are you going to do right? After all its not the “main land” its the “mad land”.Even though there are differences with in this community, there is no real strife. All of the people, if they are willing, are able to gather at the community’s end of the summer fest. They are also able to put aside their differences and help each other out when it matters most.
