Austin Racism??? (Houston, Portland: restaurants, wealthiest, friendly)

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by The_Fairfaxian

Oh, trust me when I say I believe that Texas has progressed, even compared to the 90s. It's just that the reason I was so cynical to begin with is because I feel so trapped here in the Northeast/East Coast with its multiple problems, including covert racist people. Note that I live in the area with possibly the best job market in the country, but I still notice the racial strife from all ends. This is why I'm looking to relocate in certain parts of the country, including Austin and Houston, the two places that appears very racially progressive (esp. compared to the DC area).

I personally think it's Texas's no-BS policy to the current ghetto culture that has allowed it to differentiate normal blacks from stereotypical blacks. Here on the East Coast, the thuggish and poverty lifestyle is tolerated in the name of diversity, tolerance, and political correctness, but in the end has backfired and now everyone else sees all blacks as part of the ghetto or thuggish culture. The latter is what I'm beyond tired of dealing with on the East Coast and am looking for a place where people have enough sense to decipher between assimilated blacks and ghetto blacks, welcoming the assimilated ones as a part of their society. And from what it looks like, the urban metropolitan parts of Texas tend to be a few of the places that has that aspect.

That is a really interesting comment. A friend of mine was down here visiting from New England a few moths ago and she noted how many middle class blacks there were here. I thought it was interesting because on the whole Austin doesn't have much of a black population. I suppose she was alluding to the same thing you are and I didn't understand what she meant at the time.

[humanprideworldwide]

In general, people in Austin are pretty chill and laid back. They don't see color as much as an issue however, like anywhere, you have your exceptions. The downtown area are full of folks with open minds. Austin has a large muslim/middle eastern decent population as well. They also have a large gay community. With so much diversity, Austin is different from most cities in Texas. You will see people wearing shirts that say "Keep Austin Wierd" which is a sign of how they pride themselves in tolerance and open minds. I'm gay and live close to Austin, I don't think you will be disappointed in what the area has to offer.

[mr_buddy008]

I'm not from Austin although thinking of moving there soon and happened to find this video that's relevant to the discussion. "Austin, Texas underground rap video that gives you a peek into the mind of Agg Assault from Hood Soul Records. This song is screwed and chopped and it has a political twist explaining the struggles that black people have to experience growing up in a city like Austin, Tx"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKDUW60-EFU

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by mr_buddy008

I'm not from Austin although thinking of moving there soon and happened to find this video that's relevant to the discussion. "Austin, Texas underground rap video that gives you a peek into the mind of Agg Assault from Hood Soul Records. This song is screwed and chopped and it has a political twist explaining the struggles that black people have to experience growing up in a city like Austin, Tx"


YouTube - I'm Out That Texas, Hood Soul Records

that was funny to see dumb a$$ george bush give "the finger" to the camera.

[another_hot-day]

Originally Posted by mr_buddy008

I'm not from Austin although thinking of moving there soon and happened to find this video that's relevant to the discussion. "Austin, Texas underground rap video that gives you a peek into the mind of Agg Assault from Hood Soul Records. This song is screwed and chopped and it has a political twist explaining the struggles that black people have to experience growing up in a city like Austin, Tx"


YouTube - I'm Out That Texas, Hood Soul Records

What a bunch of BS

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by another_hot-day

What a bunch of BS

They should talk to my buddy who's in management with a tech company here. She could set them straight on how opportunity goes hand in hand with education and hard work. They were probably the same kind of people who accused her of "acting white" when she strove for something better.

[another_hot-day]

Exactly. I'm glad you saw through that 'poor us' cr@p.

[mr_buddy008]

Well I'm moving to Austin and I'll find out what people think of me when I get there but honestly I don't really care. A lot of people are able to associate with other people who are the same as them but not everyone has that option. When you're half black, half white which group do you choose to associate with? Here in Aurora there's a decent number of bi-racial people but even still we give new meaning to the word minority. I can't lie, there have been times when I wished I just fit in with one group but most of the time I'm glad I don't. Although it does bother me when I'm told that I act more white. It's really ridiculous to think some people try and define skin color by the music you listen to, clothes you wear, or slang you use. Now matter how you act your skin color doesn't change. Too many people in society are too determined to fit in with a certain culture and and not just be human. So ****ing what if your great grandma was from Italy, that doesn't make you Italian-American, just plain American like most all of the people you refer to as African-American. My dad's black with an Irish last name(Farrell), know what that makes me? American, born and raised in CO for 24 years and looking to try something different in TX.

[theloneranger]

Most mulattoes I know typically identify as "black," and this is how the government identifies them. But they typically tend to have more in common with the white culture than the black culture.

[Do a Barrel Roll]

Originally Posted by mr_buddy008

I'm not from Austin although thinking of moving there soon and happened to find this video that's relevant to the discussion. "Austin, Texas underground rap video that gives you a peek into the mind of Agg Assault from Hood Soul Records. This song is screwed and chopped and it has a political twist explaining the struggles that black people have to experience growing up in a city like Austin, Tx"


YouTube - I'm Out That Texas, Hood Soul Records

Even though I'm not trying to argue the point in this vid, when he mentions "n*ggas," does he mean "all blacks" in general, blacks who were in the lower-socioeconomic standing in Austin, or blacks who put on the "gangsta front" and would trash me for not being black enough just because I have a college degree and have "white interests." Because honestly, if he is talking about the third segment of people, this is encouraging me to move to Austin even more. In the state I'm in, stereotypical "gangsta-fronting/anti-intellectual" blacks have plentiful of job opportunities and/or social programs for them. It's seems harder to find a job as a black person who are actually wants to be a contribution to society (even though I just graduated from college and we're in a recession, but still!).