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The Diversity In Reading : The City Of Reading

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When one states they are from Reading Pennsylvania often times the responses are, “Isn’t that where Taylor Swift grew up?” or “Aren’t the reality stars John and Kate Gosselin from that area?” In addition to being home to both TLC reality stars and a musical pop star, the city of Reading is home to a diverse group of people. According to Areavibes, Reading has a population of about 88,000, representing many different races. Some of the diversity in race includes Caucasian, African American, Asian, American Indian, and some mixed races. Despite having a large percentage of the population as Caucasian, sixty percent of the people within the city have Hispanic or Latino origin, according to Areavibes. During the early 1900s, Reading was …show more content…

Originally when the Pagoda was built, William intended to turn it into a luxury resort located on Mt. Penn. The hotel was never able to become a reality due to a bank foreclosure and the denial of a liquor license. According to “The Pagoda History”, the pagoda was deeded in the year 1910 to local business owners, Jonathon Mould, and his wife. They then “sold” the Pagoda to the City of Reading for the price of one dollar (“The Pagoda History”). The lights from the Pagoda illuminate the mountain a red color that can be seen for miles at night. When I was younger after church on Christmas Eve I would look up at the Pagoda to see the flashing lights, letting me know Santa was coming, which is a tradition the Pagoda has. The Pagoda is a unique historical landmark that is near and dear to many of the Reading residents, and a symbol of the city. Common phrases used by locals to describe the city of Reading is “high crime rates” and “poorest city in America.” In 2015 alone, the overall crime rate within the city was seventy-four percent higher than the average crimes committed within the whole state of Pennsylvania (Areavibes). Despite being a fifteen-minute drive from the city of Reading the percentages of crime are much higher within the city compared to where I live, Sinking Spring. The overall crime rate within Sinking Spring was forty-six percent lower than the average crimes committed within the whole state of Pennsylvania. The difference of a

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