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I dont get this whole obsessionwith going out of ones way to seek out diversity. I actually live in a pretty diverse area not by choice so much as bc of home prices but I do enjoy having good ethnic restaurants thats about the only plus I see.
Not pc to say but the more diverse an area in my experience the more crime the worse the schools and the less people take care of and upkeep their property.
Put me in a white bubble like new lennox or naperville anyday. I can travel to the city or a surrounding burb when im feeling diverse.
In response to ur question tho bolingbrook is a decent area super cheap home prices and schools arent terrible. In my exp tho again the diversity of bbrook means u have a lot of sec 8 more crime and this admiration for gang/street culture in attitude and styles. Just dribe by lilly cache when school is letting out at bhs and see what I mean.
Im sure someine will call me a racist or sumthing crazy but thats just how I see it and this is comming from someone with a blck n hispanic roomate so I dnt hate anyone bc color if skin religion etc.
One oher thing I kno I generalized obviouslyhere are slobs of every color but the generalizatiins I madeout propertyupkeep n so frth are true ore often than not in my exp of living inseveral diverse vs non diverse locations
How your kids turn out and how tolerant they are is going to be based on the wxample you set for them, how they see you treat people and the values you instill in them.
That is what will make them good people NOT the fact that a kid in their kindergarden class has two moms or that you have a black neighbor.
Though it may help your white guilt to live in a diverse area just for the sake of living in a diverse area your kids are going to be the ones who may suffer from going to a subpar school or dealing with gang problems as they get into their teens.
Obviously do what you want but just some things to think about. Also I lived in a "lilly white" area growing up but my mom made a point of having me experience diff things, diff people, diff areas etc so I would appreciate other people as well as the opportunities and priveleges I had
Yes, parents CAN be the biggest influence on their kids, but a lot of the time they are not because they are absent in a lot of ways, and the context their kids grow up in becomes a major factor in the kids personal world view, despite what you'd like to believe.
Funny how you equate a "diverse" area with "subpar schools" and "gang problems"... Maybe you didn't get out of your "lilly white" area as much as you like to think you did. Maybe your upbringing in your "lilly white" area (despite your mom's efforts to show you the outside world) constructed this delusional belief that non-whites equal gang members and slackers.
It has nothing to do with "white guilt"... you sound rather defensive on this point, but that doesn't mean everyone has a chip on their shoulder. Some people don't want to live in a place where everyone is the same color, the same sexual orientation, the same economic standing... some people appreciate differences, so you're comments are more a reflection of YOU than the people that want "diversity".
Yes, parents CAN be the biggest influence on their kids, but a lot of the time they are not because they are absent in a lot of ways, and the context their kids grow up in becomes a major factor in the kids personal world view, despite what you'd like to believe.
Funny how you equate a "diverse" area with "subpar schools" and "gang problems"... Maybe you didn't get out of your "lilly white" area as much as you like to think you did. Maybe your upbringing in your "lilly white" area (despite your mom's efforts to show you the outside world) constructed this delusional belief that non-whites equal gang members and slackers.
It has nothing to do with "white guilt"... you sound rather defensive on this point, but that doesn't mean everyone has a chip on their shoulder. Some people don't want to live in a place where everyone is the same color, the same sexual orientation, the same economic standing... some people appreciate differences, so you're comments are more a reflection of YOU than the people that want "diversity".
You are right some people do like diversity but studies show that overall all races tend to be more comfortable around people like them. Just because your more comfortable around your own race doesnt make you racist.
I travel to jamaica several times a year and its a lityle uncomfortable being in the minority of any race religion sex etc.
As 4 race not equal ing to crime or poor schools you are correct. there are many areas with all blacks they have great im comes and great schools. statistically speaking however white have a higher income as a whole. areas with higher incomes have better schooling systems generally. and neighborhoods with higher incomes are generally neighborhoods were people take better care of their property.
all of the lillywhite areas I have lived in majority of people's property are immaculate out mowing the grass every weekend fertilizing the lawn doing nice landscaping. all the diverse areas I have lived people bring their garbage in 3 days after garbage day. your id are covered in weeds etc. just my experience
You are right some people do like diversity but studies show that overall all races tend to be more comfortable around people like them. Just because your more comfortable around your own race doesnt make you racist.
I travel to jamaica several times a year and its a lityle uncomfortable being in the minority of any race religion sex etc.
As 4 race not equal ing to crime or poor schools you are correct. there are many areas with all blacks they have great im comes and great schools. statistically speaking however white have a higher income as a whole. areas with higher incomes have better schooling systems generally. and neighborhoods with higher incomes are generally neighborhoods were people take better care of their property.
all of the lillywhite areas I have lived in majority of people's property are immaculate out mowing the grass every weekend fertilizing the lawn doing nice landscaping. all the diverse areas I have lived people bring their garbage in 3 days after garbage day. your id are covered in weeds etc. just my experience
So what are these "studies"? Care to provide some sources? You'll see that I never called anyone a racist for being "comfortable" around their own race... more presumptions. But I would say that you're a racist because of the types of racial comparisons and ignorant generalizations you are making.
Here you are equating "diversity" with blacks. That's not the definition of diversity. If you want to talk about low income black areas in Chicago, that's one thing, but this is a very different discussion. Again, that fact that you talk about "diversity" and blacks speaks volumes of your experience, or lack there of.
So YOU'RE uncomfortable in Jamaica being white (I think this is what you're saying, but your sentence is partially illegible)? That's YOUR problem, and it's only a reflection of YOUR issues, nobody else's. I have white friends that go to Jamaica and feel very comfortable being who they are.
If you are talking about grades, statistics and "diversity", look around the world and see how the statistics you know for whites stack up, as oppose to whites vs blacks in Chicago or the US.
What are "all the diverse areas" you're talking about? I'm going to guess you are, again, talking about low income black areas, maybe low income Hispanic... Go to some low income white areas around the country, and you know what you'll find? Garbage, weeds, unkept lawns... sound familiar? You are throwing out some huge generalizations here based on your limited exposer.
You obviously have no idea what "diversity" means, especially if you are using "one" race of people as a measuring stick for "one" other race to justify your opinion. Again, maybe just a product of your "lilly white" area upbringing.
Just remember..."Diversity" is one thing..."Integration" is a whole nother ballpark...There are plenty of diverse areas in the Chicago suburbs. However, there are not that many integrated places....As far as race goes, if a town if 25% White, 25% Asian, 25% Black, and 25% Hispanic YET all of the Blacks and Hispanics are low income and live in one apartment complex and all of the Whites live in single-family homes around town, the town may be "diverse" but it would be very segregated and that would be even more worrisome for me. I am Black and grew up in an area that was 90% White, but the other 10% minorities lived all around town, not just in one section...so while it did not appear diverse on paper, it felt more diverse...now the town is about 85% White and all racial groups occupy all economic statuses in town with little disparity.
The town directly north of us is much more diverse, but still pretty segregated. There is more class warfare that gets mixed in with racism as the groups do not live in the same standard or style of housing.
Something to think about.
but as another poster said, diversity comes in many forms at one time...with racial diversity usually comes political, religious, ethnic, sexual, etc. types of diversity...good luck in your search!
Most middle income minorities prefer to live in chicago or in nearby cook county suburbs not too far from chicago. As far as the better diverse neighborhoods and suburbs go. Hyde park in my opinion is one of the top 4 neighborhoods in all of chicago. Oak park, flossmoor, and evanston in my opinion rank among the top 20 suburban neighborhoods. All being in good proximinity to either north, west, or south chicago. There really are only a few middle income cook county suburban areas that are not racially diverse. The middle income areas in the collar counties are not diverse as much. Mainly because fewer middle income minorities want to live that far out. While many middle income whites (not all) put a premium on living further out.
Last edited by allen2323; 11-01-2011 at 05:37 PM..
Most middle income minorities prefer to live in chicago or in nearby cook county suburbs not too far from chicago. As far as the better diverse neighborhoods and suburbs go. Hyde park in my opinion is one of the top 4 neighborhoods in all of chicago. Oak park, flossmoor, and evanston in my opinion rank among the top 20 suburban neighborhoods. All being in good proximinity to either north, west, or south chicago. There really are only a few middle income cook county suburban areas that are not racially diverse. The middle income areas in the collar counties are not diverse as much. Mainly because fewer middle income minorities want to live that far out. While many middle income whites (not all) put a premium on living further out.
Flossmoor isn't really THAT close to the south side of Chicago. Definitely not like Oak Park and Evanston which actually touch Chicago. Flossmoor is south of I-80. Some confused north siders would call it "downstate". Flossmoor is far removed from the city and you know it, Allen. Vollmer Road is 199th street and the city limits don't really extend too far past 119th street. Two towns south of Flossmoor is Park Forest which is partially in Will County. But two towns north of Flossmoor is nothing more or less than being north of 1-80 and still the suburbs. South Holland would be a better example but it's not very diverse.
but as another poster said, diversity comes in many forms at one time...with racial diversity usually comes political, religious, ethnic, sexual, etc. types of diversity...good luck in your search!
Maybe there should be a new word. The meaning of the word "diversity" has been butchered.
How your kids turn out and how tolerant they are is going to be based on the wxample you set for them, how they see you treat people and the values you instill in them.
That is what will make them good people NOT the fact that a kid in their kindergarden class has two moms or that you have a black neighbor.
Though it may help your white guilt to live in a diverse area just for the sake of living in a diverse area your kids are going to be the ones who may suffer from going to a subpar school or dealing with gang problems as they get into their teens.
I don't understand how "diversity" brings gang problems. Englewood has a terrible gang problem but it's not diverse at all. Oh right.. You're ACTUALLY saying it's minorities that bring gang problems. And did you seriously just suggest that the only way to avoid gang problems and poor schools is to live in an area that's close to 100% white? You are wrong.. And it's not hard to find examples that fly in your face right here on this website. I won't waste my energy giving a bunch of examples correcting something you could easily look into and correct yourself..
I was talking about the nicer suburbs that have a high amount of racial diversity. South of chicago there are a number of middle income suburbs closer to chicago that are predominantly black but not nearly as racially diverse as flossmoor. Most people that I know who live in the city (even on the southside), consider flossmoor to be very far out also. Which leads me to my point of talking about the main reason why most of the middle income suburbs in the collar counties have little to no racial diversity. Middle income minorities who choose to move to the suburbs do put a much heavier premium on proximity to chicago. And not just how far the commute takes to get to downtown chicago. As if the rest of chicago doesn't even exist.
Last edited by allen2323; 11-01-2011 at 07:50 PM..
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The meaning of the word "diversity" has been butchered.
