D Magazine Story About Why Successful African-Americans Are Wary of Moving to Dallas (Houston: lawyer, home)

[DoneWithDallas]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

It's been a while since I heard a black person refer to themselves as 'African American'. I no longer use the term either. I say 'black'.

And yes, it's 2012...but unfortunately race still matters a LOT to some people (of all races). It doesn't matter to me and it may not matter to you, but it matters to enough people that it still matters, if that makes sense...even though it should not matter.

Agreed. It's silly to me and I guess I'll never understand.

[biscuitmom]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

And yes, it's 2012...but unfortunately race still matters a LOT to some people (of all races). It doesn't matter to me and it may not matter to you, but it matters to enough people that it still matters, if that makes sense...even though it should not matter.

I hope, but can't say for sure, that you're wrong.
For my part, I'm way more bothered, when it comes to neighbors, about barking beagles and unattended preschoolers, than about 'race'.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by biscuitmom

I hope, but can't say for sure, that you're wrong.
For my part, I'm way more bothered, when it comes to neighbors, about barking beagles and unattended preschoolers, than about 'race'.

Hope all you like but open the DMN any day of the week and you will see that I'm right. I don't want to be right about this, but I am.

[Spade]

Originally Posted by DoneWithDallas

Why does skin color still matter. It's 2012. Good riddance. And I recall reading an article a while ago stating that African americans didn't want to be called African American anymore.

I don't get the color issue still. We're all American if you're born here regardless of color.

Because honestly, I need to find an area that caters to what I'm interested in and as a Black American, a city must have a large presence for me to consider it. I don't mind living within diverse settings at all. I just want the city or area to have a large presence of Black Americans. I also do not like the term African American. It's two continents. If I knew the nationality of my ancestors, I would proudly say Nigerian American nor Ghanian American or Angolan American.

[stan4]

Originally Posted by RCtennis3811

Interesting read. As an Asian-American, I always found it interesting why people find a need to live in an area with people of the same skin color. I had grown up making friends who associated with things I liked and things I liked to do rather than making friends because they were Asian. I don't mean to incite anything, but I feel like constantly looking for people of the same color to befriend or to find areas with people of the same color in order to feel comfortable seems sort of like reverse racism. That's just my $.02, however.

I agree.
Race has never entered my mind on choosing where to live, etc.
Socioeconomic status has definitely.

Interesting point in this article - real estate agent tell the woman where she'll meet the most people she has stuff in common with and she dumps the agent and finds one who will find her a home in a black community. I mean, really?

[DoneWithDallas]

Originally Posted by Spade

Because honestly, I need to find an area that caters to what I'm interested in and as a Black American, a city must have a large presence for me to consider it. I don't mind living within diverse settings at all. I just want the city or area to have a large presence of Black Americans. I also do not like the term African American. It's two continents. If I knew the nationality of my ancestors, I would proudly say Nigerian American nor Ghanian American or Angolan American.

I'm asking this with curiousity, not in an attacking or malicious manner so please don't take it the wrong way. Why is that an important factor when considering a place to live? Is it just a personal preference? What's catered to Blacks specifically that isn't catered to another race?

[rantanamo]

Originally Posted by DoneWithDallas

I'm asking this with curiousity, not in an attacking or malicious manner so please don't take it the wrong way. Why is that an important factor when considering a place to live? Is it just a personal preference? What's catered to Blacks specifically that isn't catered to another race?

Sorry, Indians, Asians, Latinos, etc come on here and ask if there is a 'community' present. Blacks can't do it too? Everyone likes familiarity, even the white majority. People want to live in a 'conservative' community or a 'liberal community'.

[TrueDat]

I'm not sure it's that hard to understand why some people would want to live in an area where there are at least some people who share the same cultural background. I'm black and that's not the highest priority if I'm looking for a place but many feel differently. And it's not just blacks -- it's implicit on this board all the time when people say they're moving to Dallas and will they fit in if they're gay, Jewish, Muslim, Indian, Latino, liberal, conservative, libertarian, atheist, whatever, and will they be able to replicate some of the things they are used to that make them comfortable.

It can be something as seemingly simple as finding a house of worship, the right hair salon, the foods you want, clubs with the music you like -- without having to drive clear across the Metroplex to do it. (We're also dealing with an assumption, on the part of many of the people who are posting about moving here, that Dallas is some foaming hotbed of bigotry, stuck perpetually in 1965. It's a mistaken assumption, of course, but if I felt that way about a place I was thinking about moving, I would be concerned about the racial makeup of the neighborhood as well.)

[DoneWithDallas]

Did I say blacks can't do it, rantanamo? No.

So why is it racist for me to say I want to live in a white neighborhood?

[Spade]

Originally Posted by DoneWithDallas

I'm asking this with curiousity, not in an attacking or malicious manner so please don't take it the wrong way. Why is that an important factor when considering a place to live? Is it just a personal preference? What's catered to Blacks specifically that isn't catered to another race?

I expected this question. TrueDat basically answered it for me. For example, he brought up the right hair salon. Anybody Black in here knows that nobody can cut our hair the way we like it like a black barber can. I'm sorry, Koreans, Indians, and White barber cannot give me a dark ceaser or 1/8 with the grain. Or can put perfect rows in my hair if I had them. Or even twist my hair if I had them. I can live in Richardson or Lewisville for all I care. But I just need to know if there is a large presence anywhere in the metro area. This is why I would consider cities like Dallas, DC, and Chicago over cities like Seattle, Denver, and Phoenix.