Darien Mayor Seeks Views On Diversity

DARIEN, IL — Darien Mayor Joseph Marchese said Thursday he would reach out to groups representing local African American, Asian and Hispanic communities, among others, for their perspectives. He said he wanted their feedback on how Darien should work to acknowledge its diversity while also seeking an inclusive living environment.

Marchese also said he has asked aldermen to meet with him individually to share their thoughts on the issue.

"I hope that with this information, we can work to ensure that Darien is responding to the needs of all of its residents," Marchese said in a statement. "Our goal is to truly work toward understanding how all of our residents view our city with respect to meeting and acknowledging their needs"

The mayor said that while people may feel they understand the plight of others, no one can truly do so until as "To Kill a Mockingbird" character Atticus Finch states, "...you climb into his skin and walk around in it."

"One thing that I do know is that instead of trying to change people to fit into our idea of what the City of Darien is, we must focus on transforming the City of Darien to fit the needs of all its residents," Marchese said in his statement.

Darien is 77 percent white, 12 percent Asian, 6 percent Hispanic and 4 percent African American, according to the U.S. Census.