Houston rich in diversity
By Tracie OrtmanOct. 22, 2008
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| Photo by Tracie Ortman |
| An African dance group entertained SATW conference attendees. |
The first stop on our tour was to the African dance group Kuumba House. We watched several African dances performed by Jennifer Colvin and Thandi Hicks. Hicks originally is from South Africa. She came to the United States for a better life. However, times have been hard. One of her sons was shot in a drive-by shooting and she buried another in South Africa before she left.
It was amazing to see how fast both dancers moved, the beads of their skirts flying into the air and then slamming back into their thighs. I could have watched them dance all day, but soon we were headed onto the next stop, the Hong Kong City Mall.
The Hong Kong City Mall is the largest Asian market place in Houston. There are over 200,000 Asians living in Houston, 65 percent from Korea. The market serves as a traditional dress shop, an extensive fresh fish and produce market, and a social gathering spot. We even experienced a traditional dim sum lunch, which means “a piece of your heart.” Small dishes are put on a lazy Susan in the center of the table and as it is turned, we took portions of each dish. There were chicken feet, pork ribs, dumplings and about 20 other dishes.
After lunch, we took the bus to the oldest black Baptist church in Houston, Antioch Missionary Baptist Church. There, one of the parishioners took us around the church and explained how Hurricane Ike had damaged very little of the 143-year-old church. The Queen of England even invited herself to a service in 1991 while she was visiting Texas.
After seeing the church, we made our last stop. We went to see the Latino community on the East End. The Latino population accounts for at least 42 percent of Houston’s entire population. Seventy percent are 30 years old or younger.
I never knew that Texas was so diverse. They say here that the only thing more diverse than the people is the food.