Racial Diversity?? (Denver, Aurora, Center: home, neighborhoods, living in)

[James9283]

Spent the past week in the "Mile High City" and was shocked to see a lack of racial diversity. I am used to more African-Americans I only saw three, is there a reasoning behind this or did I not just look hard enough. Not to sound like I have a preference but it was very different than were I am from in the Michigan. Any insight?....

[McGowdog]

Racial diversity? Keep looking, I guess. I've never heard of Denver not being diverse.

Thank God you didn't go to Cheyenne Wells or Cheyenne Wyoming.

[19Caroline72]

Denver is not as racially diverse as say Detroit, but it's more diverse than you may realize. Alot of it depends on where you are in the city. Most of the African Americans in the metro area live in either Denver or Aurora. Five Points, Park Hill and areas eastward are home to a large percentage of our African American population. Don't quote me but I want to say that the black population in the metro area is somewhere around 12%? There is also a large hispanic presence here. If you're seeking diversity, I highly recommend living IN the city. The suburbs are largely white, and have very little in the way of racial diversity.

Here is some information that I found on the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau web site:
LINK: http://www.denver.org/StaticPage.aspx?PN=multi

Quaint neighborhoods offer ethnic bakeries, cafes and shops. Art and history can be explored at the Museo de las Americas on Santa Fe Boulevard, a neighborhood filled with Latino art galleries and restaurants.

In the Five Points neighborhood, the history of African Americans in the West can be studied at the Black American West Museum & Heritage Center and the exciting Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library, while the surrounding shops and restaurants offer everything from soul food to jazz.

Asian fusion can be found on South Federal Boulevard, where there are many Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese shops, restaurants and markets. Travel north on Federal, and there are Mexican and South American restaurants, stores, bakeries and even supermarkets that specialize in Latino products and foods.

[tfox]

It's a matter of perspective. We're have a lot fewer African-Americans here than most eastern cities, and certainly a smaller Asian population than cities on the west coast, but I think if you spend some time around here you'll find we do have a relatively sizable minority population and small immigrant communities from any country you'd care to name. Since Denver is fairly integrated, and becoming more so, there are few if any neighborhoods which would be exclusively African American.

[James9283]

This is very interesting becuase I spent most of my time in the west-suburbs and also inside the actual city of Denver. Perhaps the east metro area does has different demographics? In the Detroit area we have a smiluar but different concept becuase African-Americans are very spread out throughout all of the suburbs and the city of Detroit itself is almost completely African-American. I think that I need to spend more time in the entire Denver metro area before any more making judgements, different is good and I am looking forward to my move, thanks!

[Tess20]

My partner is in Denver right now for the Microsoft conference, and he couldn't agree more with you - the only minorities in the city seem to be working only as cleaners. Coming from Australia, he found this most disconcerting. Especially when he went to Cirque du soleil and the woman behind him made a racial slur against a Japanese couple in the audience who the clown was leading all around the tent. So far from the interactions he's had with the people of Denver, they seem very ignorant and arrogant - displaying no desire to learn about anything that they don't know or isn't American made. Whether this is a Denver trait or an American trait, he's not sure, but it does not make him ever want to go back to America for anything other than the most fleeting, necessary visits.

[Katiana]

Well, apparently your partner could agree more with James as he said: I think that I need to spend more time in the entire Denver metro area before any more making judgements, different is good

I honestly don't know where your partner has been besides this conference. Denver has a large hispanic population, not all of whom work as cleaners, which is a very demeaning statement.

And I do not understand this comment at all: displaying no desire to learn about anything that they don't know or isn't American made. Has he looked around at the cars in Denver? It seems to be the foreign car capital of the country. My father who worked for US Steel would roll over in his grave if he saw all the Japanese and European cars here, including those in my garage. Your partner bases his opinions of Denver on one comment by a woman at Cirque Du Soleil? I would not base my opinion of Australia on one person's comment.

[kwk722]

Coming from Colorado and currently living in Florida, for the second time. I have noticed how few racist comments I heard in CO compared to hearing them nearly everyday in FL. There definately isnt as much diversity in CO, but I have witnessed much more racism in FL. I wouldnt judge Denver so quickly on someones visit and a comment. No desire to learn???

[Katiana]

I think the "partner" saw what he wanted to see.

[livecontent]

I have been in the Denver Area for 28 years. I am originally from Cheektowaga, the eastern suburbs of Buffalo. Where I came from it was a terribly racist area with Cheektowaga mainly of Polish extraction and they looked down on anybody who were not them and despised any racial mixing. The city of Buffalo had distinct neighborhoods which were terrible ghettos. It was not a very tolerant area to be.

But Denver is a open and very tolerant place. I would not consider any area of this city as a ghetto like the cities in the east. However there are many African Americans who enjoy great respect and are all along the social economic ladder. There are the decedent of migrants from Europe and many new arrivals from Asia and many Hispanics. There is a large influx of Russians with many shops in my area. In my neighborhood, there are Asians, African Americans, Russians, Hispanics and me--a decendent of Sicilian Immigrants to New York. Acrossed the street from me are Russians living next to immigrants from South America and down the street is a Japanese Methodist Church.

Denver has had a popular Black mayor (Webb), an Hispanic mayor(Pena) and this in a city which is by far predominately white. They both served until they had to leave because of term limits. Now we have a white mayor, Hickenlooper, who is extremely popular with all ethnic groups. Read about him in Today's Denver Post: The Denver Post - The magic of Mayor Hickenlooper

Colorado is a wonderful place to be and welcomes all groups. However do not come here if you carry the prejudices from other areas. Learn a new way of living.

I LOVE COLORADO and I am very grateful for the diversity and toleration of difference which exist.