Does anyone else find the original Dorchester holiday greeting message racist? (apartments, renters)

[mco65]

Originally Posted by iAMtheVVALRUS

I’m not assuming anything! What else could “I’m dreaming of a white Dorchester” mean? And how could you possibly make it sound more like a white supremacist wrote it?

I guess “I’m dreaming of a white, non-Jewish Dorchester” would be a bit more on the nose, but I don’t think the original is particularly subtle either.



Where in the card does it mention “wishing it would snow”?



Also sounds a little low to me, but I don’t have the time to look it up rn.

Right under the section that says"

Wishing Dorchester was all white (people)...

Oh wait, it doesn't say that either..

Nevermind, your right.. when in doubt call it racist.

my bad.

[CaseyB]

Originally Posted by stanley-88888888

yes; unintended, tone-deaf mistakes is racism. i am black and i am even more offended this wasnt purposeful (they simply dont care to consider non-caucasion persons point of view).

and who is this for ? most of dorchester is haitian. haitian immagrants do not stay up on bing crosby (i didnt even know he wrote the song until i read the article and i was born here). this was not designed to be inclusive for all of dorchester. whoever wrote this had their caucasion friends in mind.

The song was written by Irving Berlin, who also wrote Easter Parade, God Bless America and hundreds of others. It was performed by Bing Crosby.

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by missionhill

Without reading through the whole thread of responses to miu's dog-whistle original post, I salute Stanley's spot-on answers here.

Wouldn't be complete without a "dog whistle" reference.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by GeePee

Listen man. I hear you. but if you go through life getting offended at some old lady wishing it snows on Christmas.........
maybe not as many people hate you as you think.
it's going to come to a point where maybe straight whites should never refer to, call out, identify, or even speak of anyone that is sensitive to it.
What a damn world you built.

I don't see it as taking offense, but of pointing out an issue in language use so that we learn not to propagate it.


I used, like so many of my generation in the Boston area, the R word for cognitively disabled individuals as an insult super often. I just wasn't aware it was an issue and it became habit. I was called out on it, became more aware, learned that I was just flat out wrong to use it, and trained myself out of using it.


That's what's happening. People are pointing out poor form and lack of awareness in the hopes that people improve their use of language. Language can and does hurt, it always has been capable of doing so.

[GeePee]

Right, so should we come up with a new name for what everyone in the damn world calls the color that snow is
I'm dreaming of a heavy precipitation under the freezing point to fall and accumulate on Dorchester in the season that some but not all of us celebrate Christmas doesn't really have a ring to it

[timberline742]

I think you're really missing the point. Phrasing and language matters. This was sloppy, at best, malicious at worst. I don't think it was malicious, just sloppy and culturally unaware. I would hope we would all want to work on being neither of those things.

[GeePee]

Originally Posted by timberline742

That's what's happening. People are pointing out poor form and lack of awareness in the hopes that people improve their use of language. Language can and does hurt, it always has been capable of doing so.

I understand. i really do. But come on. Maybe cut a little slack and try to read into the intent of something.
I agree the ad was sloppy. But should this woman or man be fired. Should this be news?

[Boston Shudra]

Originally Posted by mco65

Right under the section that says"
Wishing Dorchester was all white (people)...
Oh wait, it doesn't say that either..
Nevermind, your right.. when in doubt call it racist.
my bad.

When using a color to describe a city à la “Atlanta is really black” or “Portland is really white” the color is always meant to be a stand in for the race of the people. Maybe that common terminology is problematic, but that’s a conversation for another thread. The point is that if someone describes a place as white, 9 times out of 10 they mean that there are a lot of white people who live there. That’s just the way things are.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by GeePee

I understand. i really do. But come on. Maybe cut a little slack and try to read into the intent of something.
I agree the ad was sloppy. But should this woman or man be fired. Should this be news?

I don't think its news (but I don't think a lot of things in the news are newsworthy... but the 24/7 corporate profit driven media has to have its content) and I don't think anyone should be fired for something like this (unless they're like a communications professional who does this for a career for a PR firm).


I have no idea why the OP is making it news here. I have guesses considering, but meh.

[stanley-88888888]

Originally Posted by GeePee

Listen man. I hear you. but if you go through life getting offended at some old lady wishing it snows on Christmas.........
maybe not as many people hate you as you think.
it's going to come to a point where maybe straight whites should never refer to, call out, identify, or even speak of anyone that is sensitive to it.
What a damn world you built.

thanks for the feedback, i get your point too. i think including women and minorities into positions of power will lessen these awkward mis-statements in the future so i doubt straight whites will have to dance around eggshells all the time. e.g.- eventhough mike capuano has done a great job, voters elected ayanna pressley (she will likely vote exactly the same as the rep.) because she has sensitivity to women and minority issues and will likely put more pressure on congress and the prez. for certain issues. similar for liz miranda and rachael rollins.