Rev. John Oda: Uniting the District's Diverse Community

The SF Foundation's Faiths Initiative has recently awarded a grant to a coalition in the Richmond District that will decrease the emerging racial tensions between different ethnic communities in the neighborhood.

The Global Village Seminars will begin in September and will be comprised of six one-day seminars spread across the year. The seminars will include presentations and exercises that will enable people to tell their stories and discuss issues of race. The coalition consists of: Pine United Methodist Church, Richmond Safety Network, Richmond Neighborhood Safety Partnership and the Richmond District Interfaith-Neighborhood Agency Coalition.

Even though it is obvious to those who live in the Richmond, most people in the Bay Area do not realize that the district is one of the most ethnically diverse areas in San Francisco.

Although 2000 census data is not available, it has been estimated that more than half of the population of the Richmond is of various Asian origins. Chinese, Koreans, Cambodians, Vietnamese and Japanese make up the bulk of the Asian population, but within each of those groups there is still greater diversity.

The Richmond also has a large eastern-European and Russian-speaking population; likewise, there is more diversity within each of these groups. Additionally, there are various acculturation and assimilation rates that vary within each family, making things even more complex. African-Americans and Latinos make up a smaller, yet notable, segment of the population in this diverse area.

Despite its diversity, there are few activities or programs (outside of the public schools) in the district that are geared toward enhancing relationships between ethnic groups.

One of the proposals of the Richmond District Youth Agenda, created in March 2001, is to "develop cross-cultural programs to help youth and families in transition." To date, nothing has been done to realize this proposal.

There is an urgent need for dialogue among various ethnic groups on the issue of race relations. Different racial groups need to hear each other's stories more clearly in order to understand and value them.

The Global Village Seminars will primarily be serving ethnic youth. It is our aim to empower youth and enhance their ability to voice their power and passion around the issue of race relations. Secondarily, Global Village will serve adults.

The seminars will be held at different churches and temples. Each seminar plans to have about 30 to 40 youth and adults in attendance.

At the end of each seminar, proposed action steps will be developed. These steps will strive to build trust, increase racial understanding and enhance relations between ethnic communities. A final document will be published.

Global Village Seminars plans to hire a youth to coordinate the project. If you know someone interested in this part-time position, call me at 387-1800 or Alan Oliver at 668-5998.

Reverend John Oda is the pastor at the Pine United Methodist Church.