The strengths of the parts make for the strength of the whole

Santa Fe is an inspiring place, and I was definitely inspired during the week I spent there in mid-October. One of the impressive things about the area is how the cultures both blend and yet remain distinctive. The resulting culture is known as Southwest but the Southwest culture is the result of strong Native American, Hispanic, Latino and Anglo cultures co-existing with traditional and emerging African American, Middle Eastern, Asian, and other ethnic communities. In addition the legacy of the frontier West is a contributor to the Southwest culture.

The result is a tapestry that is beautiful not only for its whole, but for its parts. Indeed a diminishing of any of the contributing cultures would make the whole less impressive. Yet the merging of the cultural heritages produces a unique richness.

One of many examples was found while shopping near the Plaza. I visited with a shop keeper who had emigrated from Afghanistan two years ago. He came to appreciate some of the more complex Native American designs and so has a family in Afghanistan reproducing the Native American design using centuries old Middle Eastern rug making techniques. The resulting wool and silk rugs were both stunning and original.

For the blending, the individual cultures remain distinct and strong, coexisting in what appears to an outsider to be a nearly perfect harmony. Perhaps this is so impressive because I have not seen this occur in other parts of the country. It is certainly impressive because of the value I place on retaining and and building upon the unique cultures and values of individual partners in creating collaborative efforts.

Growing up in Minnesota, I was hard-pressed to see much influence of Native Americans on the dominant Euro-American culture. Serving as foster parents in southern Ohio, it was easy to see the culture clashes between those who moved up from Appalachia, African Americans, and the business and professional classes that typically did not include either.

While DC is an agglomeration of cultures from around the world, the result does not seem to be as much of a mix of those cultures. When The Post Magazine Date Lab asks participants of a variety of ethnic and racial backgrounds in what ways they are and are not ‘DC,’ each seems to identify with a broader DC culture that seems to be less impacted by the component parts than one might hope. DC is certainly unique, influenced more by its proximity to the South than to the North, an international city that is distinctly American, a city where the majority African American culture does not dominate. (I will be interested to see the responses to the John Kelly supported washingtonpost.com contest to define DC.)

Collaborative ventures across the country should look at and learn from the Southwest culture of which Santa Fe and Albuquerque form the hub. Each would benefit from learning to respect and retain the identity of the components while together creating something new.