One and Other: #EcuadorLeeds | the CULTURE VULTURE

Do you ever wonder who the Other people are? The people who languish at the bottom of lists – in the catch all category for the unremarkable. The people outsiders call outsiders. The people who don’t quite fit in? … Jon Beech (@_jonb) did and decided to do something about it …

The Leeds 2011 Census says that less than 1% – close on 4500 people in Leeds are neither black nor, white; not Asian, nor Chinese; not Arab or of multiple heritage, but “Other.”

And of these people, one person said they were from Ecuador. Just the one. A single solitary Ecuadorian, living in in Leeds.

And this got me thinking – I wonder how they are doing? What do they make of Leeds? Do they know how special they are? Do their friends and neighbours know how special they are? And are they one of the 79 people who described their religion as Heavy Metal (p52)?*

What if I could meet up with them?

I wonder, I thought, if I could persuade the famous hive mind that is twitter to put me within one degree of separation from the person from the country that is neither Colombia nor Peru, but somewhere in between.

So I tweeted, saying I’d be willing to give £200 to charity if I could meet them.

I wonder if you can help me? So far there have been several near misses – but not a single positive ID.

Goodness knows what I’ll talk about with them, if I meet them. Like most people, the only thing I knew about Ecuador before was Ecuador by Sash! That said, a cursory Google uncovered a recent unsuccessful attempt to lure away local sporting talent Chris Makin, and a more successful relocation of an entire class from Allerton High. So it turns out, Leeds already has an Ecuadorian connection.

Can you help me make another?

@_jonb #ecuadorleeds

*Did there used to be more? And if so – what did Leeds do to them? (I grew up in York. It’s easy to forget how unpleasant some towns can be to “outsiders”)