Irene De La Cruz: Let’s update our ‘Welcome’ signs

If you’ve heard of “welcome wagon,” you know this refers to a group of individuals that welcomes newcomers to a city, town, organization or neighborhood.

Here in Merced County there may not be one major group or organization identified as “the” group that welcomes new residents, city officials, department heads or businesses to our communities, but there are people who take the time to hold semiprivate gatherings for new arrivals.

Back in the day, this concept was an important one and part of a community’s civic protocol. The group was called the Welcome Wagon. The idea of having a gathering to welcome or introduce someone, especially a local official, is a great way to let that individual know people care and want him or her to be part of their community. It’s a gesture of gratitude for selecting a community as the place to liveand work.

Sometimes coming to a new community one might feel welcome merely by the attitude of local residents. If there’s anything I’ve learned about Merced County it’s the six cities and about nine unincorporated areas are made up of people who make newcomers feel welcome.

Another way we welcome people to our communities is by erecting signs along the roadways leading into our communities. Usually brown in color and made out of wood, the signs simply say “Welcome to ...” and list the different organizations that are part of the community. You see these welcome signs in Los Banos, Dos Palos, Gustine, Livingston, Atwater and even the unincorporated areas of Planada and Delhi.

I believe they were intended to make newcomers, potential residents and passers-by feel welcome and give them a general idea of what the town has to offer. For example, you usually see the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Kiwanis Club, Rotary Club and Elks Lodge listed on these signs. Every once in a while you might see the local chamber of commerce listed, as well. It tells me the community is active and alive with civic and social activities.

But what do these signs signify? Do they make everyone feel welcome? Who decides what organizations should be listed? What does it say about the community as a whole?

Some of the signs are visibly old and tattered and haven’t been updated. But I still believe they are important. I also believe they should include as many organizations and clubs as possible and even list them in different languages that represent the diversity of a place. In that way it does say something about a community and creates a perception about the residents, including what to expect.

Consider, for example, a young migrant student going from town to town and how he or she might feel seeing these signs upon entering an unknown community, realizing it will be another new and different school to attend, another new and different community to live in. Is there anything he or she can relate to? What do the signs tell them about the makeup of the city? Do they make the student feel welcome?

No matter what, these welcome signs were a good idea. But in today’s world of so much diversity and rich culture it would be nice to see signs representing more of a city’s makeup for those entering it for the first time.

Livingston is a good example of how to do that. Its two signs are in strategically placed locations, list different organizations and provide information in more than one language.

Los Banos is another example of a community with a welcome sign that speaks to the digital age we are in. Its digital sign rotates displays of activities and other useful information.

All in all, it’s the right thing to do as a community to make people feel welcome. But it’s time to upgrade some of the older welcome signs and consider being more inclusive. It’s important to let everyone know, especially newcomers, that Merced County is a great place to live.

This story was originally published March 20, 2015 at 6:26 PM with the headline "Irene De La Cruz: Let’s update our ‘Welcome’ signs."