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Old 09-19-2007, 12:01 PM
 
Location: Naperville
20 posts, read 100,431 times
Reputation: 30

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We bought a house last year in Naperville.My son is 4 years old and I bought into the much-hyped school system and the glorious place it can be for kids and families.I am beginning to wonder if all that applies only if you are NOT a minority.Maybe I am on the wrong part of the town,I dont know,it is 90% caucasian in this subdivision. But what I initally perceived as subtle racism has become sometimes more glaring.I was just wondering if that is not localized to Naperville, but possibly all over,so maybe I should just change my expectations, after all the suburbs came into being as an effort to flee way from the minorities.I dont know if it is coincidence, but lately my mailbox has been broken. I parked my car outside and there were two incidents over last 2 months. The passenger side door was ajar, and it appeared that somebody went thro' the contents of the dashboard drawer but nothing appered to be taken even though everything was strewn on the passenger side seat.Another time,the trunk was open, once again nothing was taken, nothing valuable was there.This is an area of decent houses(450k).Am I just connecting unrelated dots here or somedoy really doesnt like us here? If I move does it mean I am a coward ? I dont want to come back home or stay home worrying what is going to happen next though.
Also, I am worried what my son would have to go through in a school within this subdivision.Thoughts welcome...
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Old 09-19-2007, 12:36 PM
 
Location: Chicago
2,467 posts, read 12,230,282 times
Reputation: 897
I obviously can't address what is really going on in your personal neighborhood because I don't know, but I can tell you that my boyfriend and his family are Indian. They moved from another suburb where they experienced racism to Naperville. My boyfriend says this was the best move his parents made and he loved growing up there...... Just one families experiences though! What school district is your child in?
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Old 09-19-2007, 01:04 PM
 
Location: Naperville
20 posts, read 100,431 times
Reputation: 30
District 204. BTW, did they move to the 203 / 204 district? Also, maybe it may not happen in amore diversified subdivision,I dont know...
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Old 09-19-2007, 01:15 PM
 
8 posts, read 22,446 times
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We just bought a house in District 204 in July. If you don't mind sharing it, what subdivision do you live in?
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Old 09-19-2007, 01:27 PM
 
Location: Naperville
20 posts, read 100,431 times
Reputation: 30
I guess I sort of do mind, I dont want to prejudice anyone,but I can say its sort of between to 95th/111th...
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Old 09-19-2007, 01:52 PM
 
5,652 posts, read 19,318,274 times
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Vandalism does not disappear in the burbs. It gets worse in my opinion. Lots of bored teens looking to raise he**. Make sure you file reports to the police with any incident such as these. It may be part of a larger pattern and they can make an arrest easier that way.
And keep your cars locked at all times and the alarm set. Even when in your own driveways! No one is immune. The burbs lull people into a false sense of security.
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Old 09-19-2007, 06:56 PM
 
Location: Chicago
2,467 posts, read 12,230,282 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by syman View Post
District 204. BTW, did they move to the 203 / 204 district? Also, maybe it may not happen in amore diversified subdivision,I dont know...
They were 203. I hope that these are isolated incidents that are not related to race.
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Old 09-19-2007, 07:11 PM
 
8 posts, read 22,446 times
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I agree with gardner34's post--that's part of the reason I was wondering which subdivison you live in. I live in Ashbury, and while we have not had any trouble since I've lived here that I know of, my neighbors have mentioned that such vandalism has happened in our neighborhood. (It actually made me feel better about my habit of locking the doors to my vehicles because I was wondering if I was being paranoid--everything seems so Leave It To Beaver sometimes!)

Not to minimize the subtle/not so subtle racism you've experienced, but I wonder if part of what you have been feeling is the sort of isolation that comes from being, forgive the pun, the new kid on the block. I have found it a bit difficult to "break into" the neighborhood scene. My neighbors are friendly and have gone out of their way to meet us, but there does seem to be a bit of a clique here. However, I think that's only natural since they've all been neighbors for several years now, their kids have grown up together, etc. In fact, it is one of the things I most look forward to about living here--knowing and having long-term neighbors.

As far as diversity and the school system goes, the elementary school my kids attend, like the subdivision, is mostly white I guess. However, I exchange hellos every day with parents of different races, ethnicities, cultures, and even sexual orientation. My oldest child's "best" friends are Indian, Korean, and Russian. What is really cool is that it never occurred to him to differentiate their race or ethnicity. Sometimes it's the grown-ups who complicate everything.

IMO, I think it is important to feel safe and happy where you live. If you aren't feeling that way about your current situation, maybe it is time to evaluate the situation and make changes. Doing what is best for your family is never cowardly. I'm not certain that you won't have the same experiences in other 'burbs, but I hope that you find a home and neighborhood that you love. Good luck!
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Old 09-22-2007, 06:46 AM
 
2,300 posts, read 6,167,376 times
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I am puzzled as to how this equates to racism. It may be. On the other hand, if you look at the police blotter in the suburban papers, petty vandalism is by far the most common offense. Personally, I'm inclined to not think it's racism, if it were, it would be a lot more direct. I live next to Mt. Greenwood, which is overwhelmingly white, and the last neighborhood on the southwest side that is. A few years ago, some black families moved in. They had graffiti spray painted on their house, rocks tossed through their windows, their kids were harrased walking to school. That was clearly racism. Unless their is something else going on, this just sounds like the petty vandalism bored suburban kids engage in. Have you talked to your neighbors to see if any of them have had problems?
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Old 09-24-2007, 09:41 AM
 
Location: Naperville
20 posts, read 100,431 times
Reputation: 30
Quote:
Originally Posted by prairiestate View Post
I am puzzled as to how this equates to racism. It may be. On the other hand, if you look at the police blotter in the suburban papers, petty vandalism is by far the most common offense. Personally, I'm inclined to not think it's racism, if it were, it would be a lot more direct. I live next to Mt. Greenwood, which is overwhelmingly white, and the last neighborhood on the southwest side that is. A few years ago, some black families moved in. They had graffiti spray painted on their house, rocks tossed through their windows, their kids were harrased walking to school. That was clearly racism. Unless their is something else going on, this just sounds like the petty vandalism bored suburban kids engage in. Have you talked to your neighbors to see if any of them have had problems?
You may be right,actually I hope you are right. I did check with 3 other neighbors and everybody swears that this subdivision is very safe and they havent heard of any such incidents.That fact kind of led me to feel "targeted".I just feel singled out because of the multiple incidents within a short period of time(within a year. As mentioned, it maybe becuase we are new on the block,I dont know.I wanted to get several people's opinions on this. In a palce like this. I dont visualize blatant tansgressions such as rocks being thrown or graffiti.But even subtle/not so subtle thigns, such as smashed mailbox etc do give me a feeling of discomfort that makes you weary when you come back home rather than happy...
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