Chicago Segregation Worries Mixed Race (Oak Park: transfer, schools, restaurant)

[RonnieJonez]

They are both overgrown cities in the middle of culturally insignificant (and still very slow to advance) regions, so you have to expect more segregation. This means you mainly draw people from the surrounding states and cities. Both have large international populations, yet nowhere near LA or NY.

[eevee]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

Jargon.

A Black man from Chicago is now president, I don't want to hear anyone crying about racism anymore. Few who signify give a damn about race anymore, even those disposed to be racists don't much care anymore, there are bigger fish to fry. If someone is a loser they better look to themselves.

right, so b/c one black guy got elected president, that means racism has vanished into thin air? highly doubt it. just b/c Obama succeeded doesn't mean racism isn't a thing of the past (nor does it mean white vs. black racism is the only issue this city and other faces today)

OP: I would maybe stick w/ areas popular w/ college aged kids and young professionals. I remember when I first moved to Chicago and, not knowing any better, looked at a couple of rooms to rent in Edison Park and some other area far out there in the NW side. needless to say, I stuck out just a bit (I'm a black female w/ a good head of dreadlocks). stuff like that never bothered my that much, having lived a few years in one of the whitest suburbs Boston had to offer and I tend to look beyond race when picking an area (I'd have no issues w/ moving to the North side or Bridgeport, other than money and commute issues), but I would prefer to stick w/ a younger, more understanding crowd, JMHO

[RonnieJonez]

Originally Posted by eevee

right, so b/c one black guy got elected president, that means racism has vanished into thin air? highly doubt it. just b/c Obama succeeded doesn't mean racism isn't a thing of the pass (nor does it mean white vs. black racism is the only issue this city and other faces today)

you're ahead of most people if you admit it, I noticed in Chicago the largely popular midwest ideology of "Racism doesn't exist this day in age" was still overwhelmingly common, and this was just last year.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by eevee

right, so b/c one black guy got elected president, that means racism has vanished into thin air? highly doubt it. just b/c Obama succeeded doesn't mean racism isn't a thing of the past (nor does it mean white vs. black racism is the only issue this city and other faces today)

Racism exists, yeah. It obviously isn't holding back motivated and hard working people, you know, like the President. That's what matters. I don't care what people think as long as their actions don't harm someone, people have racist feelings without acting on them you know. In fact a great many people who have racist feelings voted FOR Obama because they realize practical matters are more important than emotion.

Personally I'm more trusting of a racist who puts racism aside for practical reasons than of someone who claims to not be racist.

If you're looking for the perfection of mankind you're in for a long wait, I'm content with practical results. That's the old-school New Deal Liberalism in me.

Regards

[cxdurden]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

Racism exists, yeah, so what? It obviously isn't holding back motivated and hard working people, you know, like the President. That's what matters. I don't care what people think as long as their actions don't harm someone, people have racist feelings without acting on them you know. In fact a great many people who have racist feelings voted FOR Obama because they realize practical matters are more important than emotion.

Personally I'm more trusting of a racist who puts racism aside for practical reasons than of someone who claims to not be racist.

If you're looking for the perfection of mankind you're in for a long wait. I'm content with practical results.

Regards

Given that your handle is Irishtom, I am then going to assume you are non-Black. With that being said, even though you say racism still might exist, your argument is so blatantly simple and ignorant, that one might think that you are racist. In this day in age when Blacks and Hispanics make over half of the US prison population, more hate crimes are committed against Blacks than other minority, institutional racism in the public educational system (as witnessed through the massive disparities in funding and investment), workplace discrimination, etc - it makes me wonder white people like you are so quick to nullify the impact of racism and racial discrimination.

Chicago is KNOWN for being one of the most segregated and racist BIG cities in North America. I am not saying that we are still live in Daley Sr's 1968 Chicago, nor am I saying that Chicago is Jackson, Mississippi -- but let's cut the bull**** out and stop trying to live in some mythic fantasyland where now that Obama is President, a magical wand was waved and suddenly hundreds of years racial prejudice is gone.

But then again -- I don't want to make Chicago seem that bad. Chicago is probably one of the better cities for well off, educated professional Black professionals to live in.

[NYrules]

Originally Posted by EEstudent

HI I currently live in Houston and out of curiosity i wanted to put this question out there.

How often do people see inter-racial friends hanging out and partying together?

Over in Houston; although it is diverse there is a type of demographic that people stick with. Literally, all you see around is Asian People with other Asian People, Indean People with Indean people, White folks with other White Folks and so on.

To me this doesn't count as diversity.


And in case I ever move to Chicago(which i really want to) is there a same type of atmosphere as there is in HoustoN?

Chicago is still extremely segregated. One side of a street will be all white; usually old school Polish or Lithuanians, while the other will be pretty much all black or mexican and the blacks and mexicans usually hate eachother from what I've seen so where theres a large number of Latinos, blacks are no where to be found and vice versa. Don't ask me why, but it just seems to be the case here.

[skipcromer]

Originally Posted by NYrules

from what I've seen so where theres a large number of Latinos, blacks are no where to be found and vice versa. Don't ask me why, but it just seems to be the case here.

I can think of several neighborhoods where this is simply incorrect.

[NYrules]

Originally Posted by skipcromer

I can think of several neighborhoods where this is simply incorrect.

And I can think of LOTS of neighborhoods where its VERY correct. I'm including the burbs in this arguement too so you know... They're just as guilty of this racism and segregation crap too. But, you're right in some neighborhoods its not.

[Chicagoland60426]

Originally Posted by NYrules

And I can think of LOTS of neighborhoods where its VERY correct. I'm including the burbs in this arguement too so you know... They're just as guilty of this racism and segregation crap too. But, you're right in some neighborhoods its not.

And what suburb is that, beside maybe Cicero(which is like an extension to Little Village). Blue Island and Chicago Heights have a large Mexican population too, but it's racially/ethnic diverse.

[luckypete]

My wife and I are looking to relocate to Chicago on a job transfer in the next 6 months. I was told to look at this forum. After reading posts on this forum for a couple of weeks, there seems to very knowledgable and brutally honest opinions on topics of the segregated neighborhoods, white flight and biases based on ethnicity.

I will be working in the downtown area and I would like to keep the price around $350k - 400kfor a single family detached.

I am a white male and my wife is African American. I'm really tired of the blatent discrimination. I'd love to be in a neighborhood where we can go for a walk to the neighborhood restaurant without getting the evil stare.

Any thoughts?