Confessions of a White Man in Lakewood, Colorado

In exploring the differences and similarities in my community of Lakewood, Colorado I have found that the issues surrounding race, ethnic groups, and culture as it pertains to minority groups go unaddressed. Inequities that need to be recognized and dealt with are social distance, the normative approach, social class, and middleman minority issues that impact these minorities. These issues affect business, language, status, class, and education in my community. Looking at demographical information, community members, leadership, and representation show the importance of the issues at hand and the importance of presenting solutions to solving inequalities.

Then and Now, Demographics of Lakewood, CO

Lakewood, Colorado was incorporated in 1969 and had a population of approximately 93,000 people (Community Planning And Development, 2002). In 1970 97% of the ethnic make up was White, while the second largest ethnic group was Hispanic, at 3.5% (Community Planning And Development). United States Census Bureau (2000) shows us that in over 30-years, Lakewood's White ethnic population was reported at 78.9% with, again, the second largest group being Hispanic at 14.5%. In 30-years, the population of Lakewood increased about 55% to 144,000 (United States Census Bureau). Besides the change in population with Hispanics, other ethnic groups would see little to no change.

Figure 1. A Demographic Comparison.
Figure omitted from text. Please see attached image.

Note. Data from Community Planning And Development, 2002

Community Members