2006年VOA标准英语-Original Ethnic Neighborhoods Disappearing

By Jeff Swicord
Baltimore, Maryland
27 April 2006
 
watch Ethnic¹ Neighborhoods

As the immigration debate rages in the United States, Jeff Swicord takes a look at one of the original immigrant neighborhoods in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. It is a reminder² that the U.S. always has been a nation of Immigrants. 

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They came in the early part of the 19th century in search of a better life.  America's first major wave of immigrants was of Europeans.  Seventy five-year-old Roberto Marsili's family came from Italy. 

He was born and raised in the neighborhood known as "Little Italy" in the East Coast port city of Baltimore, Maryland.  

 
Roberto Marsili
  
"America was the land of prosperity and to look forward to a good future," said Roberto as he showed off some popular restaurants in his neighborhood.

They settled in major cities along the U.S. East Coast, like Boston, New York, and Baltimore.  And, entire neighborhoods soon took on the feel and character of the countries the people had come from.

"When I was a child,” Roberto told us, “the character of the neighborhood was nothing but happiness, a lot of activity, parties, festivals, a lot of work, a lot of good times."

Audrey Singer is the immigration fellow at The Brookings Institution, a policy group in Washington D.C.

Audrey Singer  
  
"These were really important anchor communities for groups, so if we want to talk about Italians, there were lots of Little Italy's around the country.  Important ones in the Northeast around Philadelphia, New York, and Baltimore, all had them,” said Singer. “And so these communities were places where people economically were anchored and socially were anchored.  And they were very integral to people's way of life."

Today, in cities across the U.S., many of these original ethnic neighborhoods are disappearing.  Baltimore's Little Italy is about half the size it once was.  New development and urban sprawl³ now surround it. 

Seventy-year-old Gene⁴ Raynor was the administrator⁵ of elections for the State of Maryland for almost 50 years.  He also grew up in Little Italy, and is saddened by its decline, which he says was accompanied by a decline in the quality of education in inner city schools.

 
Gene Raynor
  
Raynor told us: "As the people got married and had children, they wanted them to go to better schools.  And so they moved out in the country for the school system."

Baltimore's ethnic neighborhoods were affected⁶ by specific economic factors as well. 

"Well, Baltimore was a really important port and so there were a lot of industries that grew up around that,” says Brooking’s Singer. “Like most Northeastern cities it had important manufacturing and the industries that we saw build cities in the early period, those jobs have all gone away.  And they haven't necessarily been replaced by new jobs in the city."

Immigration patterns have also changed.  The older immigrant groups: the Italians, the Germans, and the Poles, have not been replaced.  But, some individuals who grew up in Little Italy, and left as young adults, are returning in later life.  

 
John Guerriero
  
Driven by childhood memories, John Guerriero returned after living in other parts of Baltimore for over 30 years. "It is the atmosphere.  You have the people you see every day, there is so much action going on, the restaurants," says John.

Baltimore's Little Italy is now primarily a tourist area full of restaurants.  Its heritage is largely preserved through the memories of an older generation.  But in cities across the U.S., as these original ethnic enclaves disappear, new ones form: some cities now have a Little India, or a little Cambodia.

1 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

2 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

3 sprawl   

vi.躺卧，扩张，蔓延；vt.使蔓延；n.躺卧，蔓延

参考例句：

• In our garden,bushes are allowed to sprawl as they will.在我们园子里，灌木丛爱怎么蔓延就怎么蔓延。
• He is lying in a sprawl on the bed.他伸开四肢躺在床上。

4 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

5 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。