Wisconsin Couple an Example of Americans' Anxieties, Hopes

Kelly and Mike Schmitt worried about economy but optimistic about future.

ByABC News via logo
April 29, 2009, 2:54 PM

April 29, 2009 -- In some ways, Kelly and Mike Schmitt's Waukesha, Wis., neighborhood is a cross-section of America.

The area is home to a mix of white, African-American and Hispanic residents across the socio-economic spectrum. The mix may reflect the town's history as a stop on the Underground Railroad.

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This diversity is one of the things Kelly Schmitt said she loves most about her home in an e-mail to "Good Morning America" explaining why the show should visit Waukesha, Wis., as part of its "At Your House" series.

"Our community is special because we come from diverse backgrounds. We are like a small picture of America, some college professors, blue collar workers, industrial workers, single mothers, small families, some are on disability; we are all Americans trying each day to make a good living and a good community," she wrote.

Kelly, who teaches music to elementary school students and gives private piano lessons at her home, hoped a visit from "GMA" would improve neighborhood relations by getting residents to cross the street and become closer.

"What is unique is the street that divides us, on our side, mostly Caucasian families and homeowners, and on the other side a very large mix of Hispanic, African-American and Caucasian families some who rent HUD housing and some who own. Everyone seems to get along, but since we moved here three years ago, we have wanted to do something that would help integrate the street and break down some language and cultural barriers that seem to stop us from comfortably communicating and really learning about each other," Kelly Schmitt wrote.