The 57 Bus Lesson Plan

Discuss the demographics of Oakland. How do Sasha and Richard help exemplify the segregation in Oakland? Do you see these types of contrasts in your hometown?

Slater describes Oakland as a large city with a small-town feel. It is one of the most diverse cities in the country - Asian, Latino, black, white, African, Arab, Indian, Iranian, Native American, and Pacific Islander people cohabit the 78 square miles that comprise Oakland. No one group holds the majority. It also has one of the largest proportions of gay and lesbian-headed households. It is a city that prides itself on its "open-mindedness, its lack of pretension, and its homegrown slang."

Although it may be...