Why is Boston a "white" city? (section 8, living)

[1Milehigh]

I just left Boston last Friday - it's one of my favorite places to visit (and perhaps one day live) in this country. I currently reside in Denver - which is 10% black. Previously, I lived in Atlanta, which is over 50% black. A lot of Boston's stereotype derives from the region itself. Boston is uber colorful! Latinos, Asians, Blacks, Europeans, and Caribbeans are all over. But the NE region outside of Boston metro is nothing remotely close to diverse. Therefore, people think of cities, a lot of times they think of states. Oregon doesn't have much diversity, nor does Massachusetts, but when you think of Georgia - ohhh ... you think, The South. It's all about perception and geographic location. Boston won't shake the image and neither will the region. Let's face it, you have a black governor in one of the most liberal states in the country (I live in another one with a black mayor), and it doesn't dispel notions of not being diverse so I don't think anything else will either.

[Boston_Burbs]

I lived in Boston for 6 years.. went to Northeastern, lived on Mission Hill, and worked for an engineering firm in Cambridge.

I can't remember meeting any black people. I saw a decent amount, on Columbus Ave, by Mission Main, or on the Orange line. But in terms of who I interacted with in my daily work/school/social life, I can't recall any.

[JacksonPanther]

Originally Posted by green_mariner

With Seattle and Portland, that has to do with the fact that both cities have Black populations under 10%. Same thing with Salt Lake City.

I would expect to see Blacks in central Philadelphia, Baltimore, Atlanta, and Chicago. All of these are majority Black cities(albeit Chicago and Philadephia have a very slim Black majority). Black populations from 32% to 63%.

http://www.city-data.com/city/Chicago-Illinois.html
http://www.city-data.com/city/Philad...nsylvania.html
http://www.city-data.com/city/Atlanta-Georgia.html
http://www.city-data.com/city/Atlanta-Georgia.html

Chicago(32% Black)
Philadephia(42% Black)
Atlanta(53% Black)
Baltimore(63% Black)

Take Seattle(7.7% Black) and Portland(6.6% Black).

I might argue that San Francisco has Oakland across the way, which has a much larger Black population.

But C-D says Boston is 22.4% Black. That should be high enough to see Black people walking around and working "downtown" or the central business district. But we don't see them.

And I don't follow your "San Fran/Oakland" analogy. If you're saying I will see Black folks in SF because Oakland is close by, then why don't I see Black folks in downtown Boston, since Rox/Dot/Pan are so close? It's easier to get to downtown Boston from Mattapan than it is to get to downtown SF from Oakland.

[JacksonPanther]

Originally Posted by Morris Wanchuk

I lived in Boston for 6 years.. went to Northeastern, lived on Mission Hill, and worked for an engineering firm in Cambridge.

I can't remember meeting any black people. I saw a decent amount, on Columbus Ave, by Mission Main, or on the Orange line. But in terms of who I interacted with in my daily work/school/social life, I can't recall any.

That's really sad. How you went to a major univesity, earned a 4-year degree, lived in an integrated area (Mission Hill), yet never met or interacted with a single Black person, is really sad. You had to go out of your way to NOT meet any Black people, I would think.

But, if your story is true, it just aligns with what we're saying here - Boston is a really white city.

[Boston_Burbs]

Originally Posted by JacksonPanther

That's really sad. How you went to a major univesity, earned a 4-year degree, lived in an integrated area (Mission Hill), yet never met or interacted with a single Black person, is really sad. You had to go out of your way to NOT meet any Black people, I would think.

But, if your story is true, it just aligns with what we're saying here - Boston is a really white city.

Now being 3 year out of college in the civil/environmental engineering industry, I have still yet to work with any black people.

At Northeastern, most of my engineering class was from the big catholic high schools of the North Shore or came from New Jersey. We had a lot of Indian and Arab grad students, but not really any black people.

I grew up near Springfield, went to a private school with a lot of black kids, either local or boarding. But when I came to Boston and started getting a niche within my industry, the amount of black people (not diversity) went down to pretty much zero.

[miu]

Originally Posted by JacksonPanther

That's really sad. How you went to a major univesity, earned a 4-year degree, lived in an integrated area (Mission Hill), yet never met or interacted with a single Black person, is really sad. You had to go out of your way to NOT meet any Black people, I would think.

But, if your story is true, it just aligns with what we're saying here - Boston is a really white city.

Why is that "sad"? And are you sad for the poster Morris Wanchuk or black people?

When I go antiquing, I never see any black people. Well there is one long time black worker at the large antique shop in Cambridge. But he is just a floor walker giving breaks to the other floor people. He is never on the register and he also knows nothing of antiques and doesn't collect them. And even when I did the Scott's antique show in Atlanta, there weren't any black dealers or customers. And no black antique collectors at the high end shows in Miami and NYC, except for one sighting of Whoopi Goldberg. I do know one black couple from California that deals in antique silver. And I've heard that Oprah Winfrey collects black memorabilia. And while I was in Atlanta at that antique show, when I had to drive further down the road the show was on trying to find a post office, there were a lot of black people in the convenience store where I stopped to ask for directions... and none of the black people in that shop knew where a post office was. Later on, it turned out that the biggest post office in the area was located only two miles from that shop. I thought that odd and... sad. Sad for those black people that never needed to use a post office.

But I digress. If I am not at work, I can go for many hours without seeing or directly interacting with blacks, Hispanics or Asians (including Indians). But that never makes me feel sad. And I don't see why it should or would. I don't go around looking for people of specific races, cultures or religions just to spice my day up with diversity. I just take people as they come. After all, aren't all humans supposed to be the same on the inside?

[miu]

Originally Posted by JacksonPanther

That's really sad. How you went to a major univesity, earned a 4-year degree, lived in an integrated area (Mission Hill), yet never met or interacted with a single Black person, is really sad. You had to go out of your way to NOT meet any Black people, I would think.

But, if your story is true, it just aligns with what we're saying here - Boston is a really white city.

And also, if I posted the above.... and replaced "black" with "Chinese" or any other race or culture or religion... I would never feel "sad" about someone experiencing a similar lack. And there have been times while traveling across the US in my car where I was in some remote state like Wyoming or Montana and being the only Chinese person for many miles, but not once did I feel sadness that those locals were not experiencing the company of other Asians. I consider it rather conceited of Jackson_Panther to think that every needs the company of blacks in their lives. As if they are experiencing some terrible void. Geesh.

And in Georgiaa and also in the state of Tennessee, right in the middle of the Bible Belt, there is a definite christian majority thing going on there with every conversation peppered with "god bless" this and "god bless" that... and I didn't feel sad for them that they weren't experiencing the company of Jewish, Muslim or atheists in their daily lives.

Let diversity happen on its own and naturally. Don't artificially try or push for an even mix of races, cultures and religions within every square mile of the US.

[McSyddy]

Originally Posted by miu

But I digress. If I am not at work, I can go for many hours without seeing or directly interacting with blacks, Hispanics or Asians (including Indians)...

and just where do you live? because it sounds like you are providing an example of why people say Boston is a 'white' city

[miu]

Originally Posted by McSyddy

and just where do you live? because it sounds like you are providing an example of why people say Boston is a 'white' city

I was just making the point to Jackson_Panther that it's not a tragedy if someone doesn't encounter a lot of black people in their daily routine. The race of a person isn't important, it's how they function and behave. So there was no reason to tell Morris_Wanchuk that he should feel sad about not encountering an black people while at school and still not encounter black people in his engineering job.

Otherwise, while I don't consider Boston a "white city", I would agree that it's not a black majority city. Boston is just a city to me, and MA is a state that I very much enjoy living and working in.

And of course, since I am a Chinese person, I would NOT be interested in living in a city where it is considered a black or minority area. African American culture just doesn't appeal to me.

[McSyddy]

Originally Posted by miu

I was just making the point to Jackson_Panther that it's not a tragedy if someone doesn't encounter a lot of black people in their daily routine. The race of a person isn't important, it's how they function and behave. So there was no reason to tell Morris_Wanchuk that he should feel sad about not encountering an black people while at school and still not encounter black people in his engineering job.

Otherwise, while I don't consider Boston a "white city", I would agree that it's not a black majority city. Boston is just a city to me, and MA is a state that I very much enjoy living and working in.

And of course, since I am a Chinese person, I would NOT be interested in living in a city where it is considered a black or minority area. African American culture just doesn't appeal to me.

first of all, jacksonpanther did NOT say the poster should feel sad, he said it is sad, there's a difference.

from your posts, you sound like a privileged person and life is bright and fluffy, where color doesnt matter and people are all the same....ahhh wrong and only a certain kind of person would say that. i almost would rather deal with a person who blatantly hates minorities than with a person who is like "people are all the same....but i dont deal with other races and AA culture doesnt appeal to me..." im sorry to me it just seems like you dont even admit to yourself that you look down on other races