Your Mom ‘N Them
Deborah Grey quantifies the difference between New Orleanians and other typical Americans quite accurately. Perhaps this small window into these cultural differeces will help those of you not here towards a better understanding of the impact the Storm has had upon us..
Depression – Missing New Orleans: How Can We Support Individuals with Depression When Our Networks Have Washed Away?: “Many of us have grown up with family living far apart, often separated by thousands of miles. We usually build up our networks from scratch wherever we happen to land. Many New Orleanians, however, have never known anything but close, constant contact with extended family, friends and neighbors. Residents can often trace their ancestry back several generations in the same neighborhood or even the same block. If two native New Orleanians who are strangers start talking about family, chances are pretty good that they are related somewhere down the line, or at the very least, know someone in each other’s neighborhood.
When the Superdome was full of evacuees, Nadine found that she often was not able to give housing away to the public housing residents. Family and friends of residents could not be part of the new household unless they themselves qualified. The residents who qualified often refused to take the new housing if it meant leaving others behind. They preferred to be homeless and together rather than housed and apart.”
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