WEST VALLEY CITY — Amadou Niang, president of United Africans of Utah, says it has taken years for his now 13-year-old son to be accepted by the kids in his mostly white neighborhood.
"The only way to break down barriers and get over stereotypes is by giving people a chance," Niang said. "Approach that person with a blank slate. Let them show you what they can do."
Launching a dialogue with about 25 ethnic leaders from along the Wasatch Front was the goal of West Valley City Mayor Mike Winder's summit at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center on Wednesday.
After the three-hour conference, Winder told the Deseret News he would like to see more diversity in community leadership.
"As we involve the ethnic groups in our neighborhood associations, city boards and commissions, it sets the example for the one-on-one and neighborhood relationships," Winder said. "When people see diversity in their volunteer groups and government groups, it will help people within the neighborhood not be afraid of diversity."
West Valley City is the most culturally and ethnically diverse city in Utah. According to recent population sample surveys, the city demographic breakdown is 61.2 percent white; 26.6 percent Hispanic or Latino; 4.6 percent Asian; 4.2 percent Pacific Islander; 2.4 percent American Indian; .5 percent black or African American; and .7 percent other race.
Niang said he feels the summit was a good start but now that the dialogue is over he wants to see action. "If community leaders are committed, we can moved forward, chipping away from the brick one piece at a time, changing mind-sets one person at a time," he said.
City officials gave presentations on the Cultural Celebration Center, the soon-to-be-built Jordan River International Marketplace, Neighborhood Watch Program and city ordinances.
An overview of the Neighborhood Watch Program launched summit participants into a discussion about homeland security. Residents fear local government – and even well-meaning volunteers – since many immigrants have dealt with corrupt governments in their homelands, participants said.
Juan Ruiz, president of the Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Utah, said many people of color fear harassment by the government and are wary of laws such as those being proposed in other states such as Arizona.
"There is a high sensitivity with ethnicity," Ruiz said. "To you, Homeland Security is a just an agency. To many of us, it's an agency that rips families apart, deports people, sometimes incarcerating people."
Winder said many issues addressed during the summit are worth exploring and deserve future work. "Today is just the beginning," he said.
Cuong Nguyen, a Vietnamese resident of West Valley City, said the summit was "a great way to discuss the needs of the community."
This is the second of three summits scheduled by Winder. The first was a meeting of religious leaders in April. A conference of education leaders is set for August. The annual summit series is one of many goals Winder has set for his term as mayor.
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