Is Elmwood Park next to experience a Hispanic takeover? (Chicago: section 8, apartment)

[potter]

[quote=BigTed;5993363]I live in EP though I live in the south part of town which is supposed to be the better side so I haven't really experienced any problems and I haven't
really seen many gangbangers or gangbanger-types until the other day. It was a nice day out so I decided to go for a run as I like to do every so often and ended up on the north side of the tracks running down 75th Ave. About 1 block north of Grand Ave. I ran past 4-5 Puerto Rican and black kids sitting on a porch and received a "What are you looking at, keep running" remark from one though I just glanced over for maybe 1 or 2 seconds. That was the first questionable experience that I've had in my several years of living here and it made me think about what I read here so I decided to post my experience.
`Those gangbanger types, whether spanish, black, or maybe even white are in almost every neighborhood throughout this country- unless you live in an exclusive subdivision in an upper class area. This is the governments plan- 2 spread the problems throughout all areas and to mix races everywhere. All you can do as a concerned citizen, is report these thugs to the police and do not let them intimidate you. A bully will only succeed when he knows that he has put fear into you. Elmwood Park is going through the same thing that much of this country is- no need to panic- stay put and fight for your area by using your head- E.P. will be fine as long as white flight can stop now.

[crbcrbrgv]

Originally Posted by GentilePatriot

I do realize all blacks are not criminals, TB4000. But I'm curious, can you cite a single community in the Chicago metropolitan area that is majority black and also has a violent crime rate below the national average? Indeed, can you name a single community in the entire country that fits this description?

Inquiring minds want to know!

Damn, I've been away from the EP area for 7 years and now I have a question. Can you cite a single white community in the Chicago area where people aren't still stuck in 50's Stepford type racism?

[potter]

Originally Posted by crbcrbrgv

Damn, I've been away from the EP area for 7 years and now I have a question. Can you cite a single white community in the Chicago area where people aren't still stuck in 50's Stepford type racism?

Statistics are reality, not racism. You must see the difference.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by crbcrbrgv

Damn, I've been away from the EP area for 7 years and now I have a question. Can you cite a single white community in the Chicago area where people aren't still stuck in 50's Stepford type racism?

Oak Park? Evanston? I don't think it's racist to ask if there's a majority black community in the Chicago metropolitan area that has a violent (index?) crime rate below the national average. It's just a question. Seriously, can someone name one? Not trying to be coy or sarcastic, I'm just curious.

[potter]

Originally Posted by BigTed

I posed this question because I've been noticing more and more Mexican and Puerto Rican people around town in the past couple of years. I've also noticed that places like the hot dog stand formerly known as Grand Dog on Grand Ave now have signs in Spanish and another Hispanic business is supposedly going to take the space a little further west down the street formerly occupied by Armanetti's liquor store. Do any residents see a Hispanic takeover in the near future with EP being so close to Chicago? Hispanic people in general don't bother me but I just worry about the trouble like gangs that tend to infiltrate neighborhoods as the Hispanic population in an area increases.

Hispanics will be in virtually every city and outer ring suburb , if they are not already. They are the fastest growing race in this country and we must deal with this and not panic. There are good and bad in every race and hispanics are well known for their work habits. Unfortunately, they are also known for their gang affiliations as youngsters- stay involved with your community and local authorities. Every concerned residents voice must be heard and white flight is no longer the answer- because pretty soon there will be nowhere left to run and hide.

[vandre]

Originally Posted by potter

Hispanics will be in virtually every city and outer ring suburb , if they are not already. They are the fastest growing race in this country and we must deal with this and not panic. There are good and bad in every race and hispanics are well known for their work habits. Unfortunately, they are also known for their gang affiliations as youngsters- stay involved with your community and local authorities. Every concerned residents voice must be heard and white flight is no longer the answer- because pretty soon there will be nowhere left to run and hide.

'Hispanic' is not a race

[potter]

Originally Posted by vandre

'Hispanic' is not a race

Is that all you have to offer on this thread?

[lovinlife22207]

wow! I live on harlem and fullerton and I have seen the change in the past two years that I have lived here but I had no idea how heated this topic could be! I also didnt realize it had gotten so bad..I'm not at all surprised...but didn't fully realize it either. I walk home alone in my neighborhood at night and just in the past year I have been feeling uneasy about it, and now I never do it. I live in the so called "apartment cluster," and I think people are crazy if they think the cost of living is low because I pay $925 a month and I am a single mother!! No sec.8 for me! I dont even know where to begin..I read almost all 19 pages of the past post on Elmwood park and all I wanted to do was hunt ndfmnlf down and smack the s#i# out of him..what an ignorant, stupid, negative angry, small, little man..How dare you talk so un-kindly about everyone who actually lives in EP...I mean really who spends there time scanning posts to only quote areas you dont like and argue about it??? Doesn't it strike you odd that 40 people were against you? Do you still actually think that you were right? I mean come on!!!!!!!!!! ok..I feel better!! I am moving out of state in January 09 and I am glad...Elmwood Park is so very close to the infamous west side and it is becoming more and more like it everyday. I dont feel safe with my small son. I can almost guarantee that when I come back to visit in a few years this will no longer be a desirable place to live...and whoever thinks that the comments being made are racist needs to learn the difference between facts and racism....PERIOD.

and PS- the previous poster is right..The people in question in regards to Elmwood Park and other "ghettos" of the city want to cry when people have something negative to say, but for the most part they happily dwell and wallow in their own stereotypes.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by vandre

'Hispanic' is not a race

It is according to the Census Bureau. But it's kind of hard to define what Hispanic really means, since it tends to just describe people from Latin America who speak Spanish, regardless of their European, Indiginous, or African heritage (or mix thereof).

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by lovinlife22207

wow! I live on harlem and fullerton and I have seen the change in the past two years that I have lived here but I had no idea how heated this topic could be! I also didnt realize it had gotten so bad..I'm not at all surprised...but didn't fully realize it either. I walk home alone in my neighborhood at night and just in the past year I have been feeling uneasy about it, and now I never do it. I live in the so called "apartment cluster," and I think people are crazy if they think the cost of living is low because I pay $925 a month and I am a single mother!! No sec.8 for me! I dont even know where to begin..I read almost all 19 pages of the past post on Elmwood park and all I wanted to do was hunt ndfmnlf down and smack the s#i# out of him..what an ignorant, stupid, negative angry, small, little man..How dare you talk so un-kindly about everyone who actually lives in EP...I mean really who spends there time scanning posts to only quote areas you dont like and argue about it??? Doesn't it strike you odd that 40 people were against you? Do you still actually think that you were right? I mean come on!!!!!!!!!! ok..I feel better!! I am moving out of state in January 09 and I am glad...Elmwood Park is so very close to the infamous west side and it is becoming more and more like it everyday. I dont feel safe with my small son. I can almost guarantee that when I come back to visit in a few years this will no longer be a desirable place to live...and whoever thinks that the comments being made are racist needs to learn the difference between facts and racism....PERIOD.

and PS- the previous poster is right..The people in question in regards to Elmwood Park and other "ghettos" of the city want to cry when people have something negative to say, but for the most part they happily dwell and wallow in their own stereotypes.

Thanks for sharing.

As an Elmwood Park resident, the future of the community is in your hands. I do think that affordable apartments near the West Side are likely to attract trouble in the future, but the single-family homes should remain viable as long as the schools don't get overrun with thugs.