Cultural Pluralism in Buffalo

1. Cultural Pluralism in
Buffalo
Alexandria Miller
Community Studies
Photowalk Slideshow

2. What is Cultural Pluralism?
 Cultural Pluralism replaced the melting pot theory in the 1970’s
 The melting pot theory suggested that immigrants would
assimilate/integrate into America’s culture
 Cultural pluralism suggests that immigrant cultures would create a
“salad bowl” in America
 All cultures would come together to create a new culture

3. How Does Buffalo Show Cultural
Pluralism?
 “According to the Census Bureau, 12,196 people from other countries
moved to Erie County between 2010 and 2014”1
 Niagara Falls Mayor Paul A. Dyster stated, “Our doors are open,” he said.
“This is not just what’s happening in Buffalo now; it’s how our country
was built. It’s a good all-American way of building communities that has
worked for the long term.” 1
 The city of Buffalo is home to many immigrants who have intertwined
their culture into American culture.
1. Zremski, Jerry. "Immigrants End the Decline in Erie County Population." The Buffalo News. The Buffalo News, 26 Mar. 2015. Web. 01 May 2017.

4. Buffalo’s Rich Culture
 With so many immigrants coming to the Buffalo area throughout
history, Buffalo has developed a rich culture in food.
 The Walden Galleria Mall exemplifies Buffalo’s cultural pluralism in
cuisine
 Evidence from the 2nd, 3rd and current wave of immigrants’ influence
on our culture is visible while standing in the parking lot.

5. The Restaurants
Located Within the
Galleria Mall
The Cheesecake Factory
P.F. Chang’s (Asian)
The Melting Pot
Five Guys
Bravo! (Italian)
Bar Louie
Gordon Biersch (German)
Texas De Brazil (Hispanic)

6. P.F. Chang’s
Serves food with Asian
influences
“Asians are the fastest
growing ethnic group”1
New Wave immigrants
1. Palen, J. John. The Urban World. New York, NY: Oxford
U, 2015. Print.

7. Oyishi Japan
 Japanese restaurant
within the food court

8. Bravo!
 Serves food with
Italian influences
 The 3rd wave of
immigrants to
America were mostly
from eastern and
southern Europe,
including Italy

9. Souvlaki Brothers
 Greek food
offered in the
food court

10. Texas De Brazil
 Serves Brazilian food with an American twist
 The man who opened the restaurant said:
“combining the culture and feast of Brazil with the service and class
of the states, Texas de Brazil Brazilian Steakhouse emerged”1
 Latino’s are the 2nd fastest growing ethnic group during the current wave
of immigration
"Our Story." Texas de Brazil - Brazilian Steakhouse. Texas De Brazil. 21 Feb. 2015. Web. 24 Apr. 2017

11. Salsarita’s
 Hispanic influenced restaurant
located in the food court

12. Gordon Biersch
 A German influences
brewery/restaurant
 The 2nd wave of
immigrants were
largely German,
Irish, and
Scandinavian

13. Insight
 The Walden Galleria was ranked
#18 in a list of America’s most
visited malls1
 nearly 18 million visitors yearly1
 Millions of culturally diverse
people visit the mall,
restaurants and food court
yearly
 With the large size of the mall,
it does not feel as busy as you
would think somewhere millions
of people a year visit.
1. Yogerst, Joe. "No. 18 Walden Galleria, Cheektowaga, NY." Travel + Leisure. Time Inc.,
n.d. Web. 01 May 2017

14. Applying Cultural Pluralism to the
Community
 Visiting the Galleria Mall, helped me to see that we live in a culturally
diverse world, and we never think twice about it
 The various cuisines that we offer within the city exemplify the theory
that our cultures would blend as a result of immigration
 There is evidence of the 2nd, 3rd, and current waves of immigrants in the
parking lot of the Galleria Mall