No criticism in anyway, just an observation that always hits me any time it is mentioned. That being "lack of diversity" as a negative in a town. Any time I read a "Top Places to Live" article many will mention the lack of diversity as a negative for the town, despite it being a good place to live. Of course if it is an important part of an individuals decision to locate at if it is a negative. But the articles that write this as a negative always strikes me as a little presumptuous that it is bad thing for everyone, as some may prefer that, or that some could care less either way. Then again maybe I am just skewed from living in small rural towns my whole life (mostly by accident, not design) or just the only oddball that has actually thought about it.
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OK, I have to insert my personal experience into this. I've lived and taught in small towns, university towns, and big cities. In the small towns that I have lived, the lack of diversity also reflects a lack of interest and respect for those who are different, not just in ethnicity or race, but in anyway whatsoever. If you are not willing to assimilate to the way that "they" think you should live, then you will not be accepted. In the larger, more diverse communities, there seems to be a willingness to celebrate these differences.
I moved into one small town to teach physics and the principal and school district did everything right to keep me there. But the community never accepted us. We lived there five years and never once received an invitation to join in a social activity. We hosted our Christmas Open House, invited co-workers over, everything, but were never reciprocated. When I finally left, I was told that when I was hired, a betting pool was created on how long I would last. This is how a community accepts newcomers? Why weren't we accepted? To this day I have no idea. I was white, just like everyone else in the town. But my interests weren't their interests. Perhaps because we didn't hunt, had no cable television, built an observatory in the backyard? I wish I had a clue.
Similarly, my family still lives in the community where I grew up. None of my siblings are interested in anything except those who are like them. They have no interest or respect for people with different interests, different tastes, let alone different skin color.
I am sure that there are small towns that are not full of close-minded people, but I wouldn't bet my retirement on finding one.
I realize that I have a small sample size but, in my experience, the presence of outward diversity stands as a pretty good proxy for finding people who are willing to accept and understand differences. Of course, there are communities with very diverse populations that have problems with mutual understanding, also.
Sorry if I come off bitter, but DW still refers to our five years in that community as a black hole in our life.
There are many things that I love about the Midwest, but if I went back it could only be to a university town.
