Jack Fu wrote: > > I am one minority who wishes we American would give this minority > or race subject a rest. I hope you don't mean to cut off discussion of a subject and are just strongly voicing an opinion. As another minority, I would like to hear the subject vented. I see no harm in doing so. > > There may be lots of reasons native Americans or black American or > Latino Americans or Asian Americans (or whatever Americans) don't > take to kayaking, but I'm not interested in these endless speculations. I am interested in trying to figure out the reasons why there are so few minorities, especially African Americans in kayaking and other outdoor activities. But, more importantly, in any outreach that can be done. I am not certain what may be wrong with helping others get the enjoyment many of us on this listserve get from our kayaking and hiking, to name just one other outdoor activity. That is the crux of the discussion. > What is clear to me is that in America, more than in any other country > in the world, if you want to do something, you are free to do so. > A native American youngster does not have to stay in the reservation. > If he has the determination to get an education and get into a line > of work, the opportunity and means are there if he looks. A black > American does not have to stay in the ghetto. An Asian American does > not have to stay in a dish-washing job. I say this as a foreigner who > immigrated to America (from China). I find that it is foreign > immigrants like me who realize what a good country this is, whereas > Americans who were born in America like to talk about how unfair > or unequitable or un-diverse or culturally insensitive or > <fill in your own bad word> their country is. I am not certain I agree with your last sentence...we were not talking along those lines. A big reason why minorities don't take advantage of the nature around them on water and on land is a matter of lack of knowledge about it. I will give you a couple of examples. When I was a hotshot VP at an international business consulting/publishing company 20 years ago, I talked my boss into footing the bill for several company hikes on the Appalachian Trail and other trails not far north of Manhattan. I hired a bus, bought cheap daypacks and canteens, etc. for those who did not have them. We got about 20 to 30 employees on each trip about half of whom were Latinos and African Americans who never once before had set foot in the woods. Once I got them over the fear of bears and snakes and wolves, whatever, I showed them how to work with topo maps, explained how trail blazes work and showed how trails are terraced and otherwise constructed and maintained, showed them old carriage roads and talked about the history of the woods we were walking. Some of these minorities later continued to go hike on their own. I know because they asked me where to get the gear, find maps, locate trails and find public transportation to them; and take family members with them. Closer on hand is the 5-year old Downtown Boathouse Public free kayaking program. It draws all colors of people and from all walks of life. Often it is black families and Latino families. Being Latino (I was born here but spoke only Spanish for the first 4 years of my life), I take great delight with the latter; and I am also heartened by the blacks as well. The program gets over fears of the water and water quality. Where else can a black mother with 4 kids in tow be able to entertain them for a few hours free of charge in a healthy outdoor activity? This scene is repeated several times a day on any any weekend at the Boathouse. It is one of the great things about the Boathouse, the melting pot and mixing pot of kids with boom boxes, Dutch tourists, yuppies, Puerto Rican and black families, and even an 88 year old Asian man who bikes up and takes one of the kayaks out for 20 minutes before continuing on on his merry way. I am not sure how much such minority users of the free program later get kayaks and strike off on their own. But one thing I know for certain: if no one makes an effort to help them learn the option they have (that you point out above), they are not likely to find out by themselves via osmosis. > > About 20 years ago I worked with some teenage Vietnamese boat people. > They started with no money. In I think less than 3 years one of them > was in an electical union in the NYC area making good money, and > his brother or fraternal cousin was making decent money in some small > retail shop. Kayaking is something that never would have crossed > their minds because to them the most important thing was to get > work and start moving into the American mainstream. Jack Fu Well what is that saying about "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." As various minorities arrive into the mainstream there is something more to life than work. Every immigrant group has gone through this. I assure you that Jewish immigrants at the turn of the century at first did not think of anything but jobs to support their families. Later they did turn to outdoor activities and now, at least in Manhattan outdoor shops, half the gear is bought by their offspring. It bothers me that more minorities are not benefiting from the natural beauty not too far away from their urban life. I know from my own personal experience and that of people I have helped that they are not adverse to enjoying the outdoors than are the people who current tramp the woods and paddle the waters. It's plain ole lack of knowledge and familiarity with such pursuits that keeps them away. ralph diaz -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Mon Sep 25 2000 - 12:52:07 PDT
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