Original Meaning of Ghetto
A ghetto is a Latin word for a factory that makes weapons The whole area where the factory was located came to be known as the ghetto. This just happened to be the area chosen to put the Jews.
Calling it a ghetto had nothing to do with the Jews being Jews. Neither was it called a ghetto because they were low-class, poor, criminals or the area was rundown.
Basic Meaning of Ghetto Today
Based on the original meaning of the word ghetto, if you currently live in a place where there's a factory that makes weapons, then you live in a ghetto.
For us today, a usable definition of ghetto is:
A defined geographical area where people who share a similar characteristic are separated. This separation can be either forced or by choice.Do I Live In A Ghetto?
Probably. Can you identify any common characteristic you share with the people where you live? If so, you live in a ghetto.
Many of the poor, middle class and rich live in ghettos. College towns have a ghetto component. Some gays live in ghettos. Martha's Vineyard is a ghetto. The Jews today live in ghettos by choice. Many church goers and parishioners live in ghettos. The Kennedy complex is a ghetto. The Quakers and Mormons live in ghettos. Gated communities are ghettos. Beverly Hills is a ghetto. Monks live in ghettos for three different reasons: ethnicity, religion and gender. People who perform similar work and live in the same area are in a ghetto. Some people live in intellectual ghettos. When Americans go to other countries and work, they often live in a common area – ghetto. This list can go on and on.
To say, “That's ghetto!” is not saying much unless you identify what characteristic makes it so. Even at that, how useful is the word ghetto anyway. It only tells us people in an area are similar. Why not let the characteristic speak for itself and ghettover the word ghetto? Related: Ghetto by India.ArieReferences:
http://www.answers.com/topic/ghetto
http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005059
