Moving to Denver ....?'s on Racism (La Jara, Victor: crimes, neighborhoods, high school)

[nancyw0812]

Now I want to hear more about the "racism" against Californian's moving to CO, since we're moving there in August. Right now there's a BIG CO tourism campaign going on here in CA--all show and no go? Don't want to be where people aren't welcoming...

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by nancyw0812

Now I want to hear more about the "racism" against Californian's moving to CO, since we're moving there in August. Right now there's a BIG CO tourism campaign going on here in CA--all show and no go? Don't want to be where people aren't welcoming...

We beat this topic to death months ago...at which time most agreed its mostly urban myth at this point...leftover jokes from 20+ years ago. Most folks here are from elsewhere. The "Californian" thing is the same as the Texan thing, basically that old-time locals found the newcombers obnoxious, it wasn't really racism per se, just locals vs newbies "who try to change everything to match where they're from" and those sort of gripes. Old news. Come on over. Its fine. Everyplace is the same now, MacArches, Home Despot, Taco Bozo, Swell Gas, Starblogs Coffee, big green highway signs and glass-walled office towers downtown.

[nancyw0812]

Sorry, I wasn't on these boards until recently, so missed those posts. Glad to know it's "urban myth".

[Katiana]

The anti-outsider stuff has quieted down a bit in recent years. However, I know several newcomers and they assure me it's still there.

[BillRadio]

Racism is in the eye of the beholder. Before enrolling our son into the school where his mother teaches, we sent him to a public school in a very good school system (Cherry Creek). This particular school had 44 identifiable ethnic groups represented.

Our son was one of only 2 white boys in the kindergarten class. We thought it was a great introduction to a "diverse" school setting. It turns out the black students were very discriminatory on the playground ("kids like you can't play basketball", etc.). So there we were, a minority family...white.

I can now better sympathize with the position of any minority, since, for the first time, we were in that group. While our child wasn't a victim of racial slurs, he was a victim of racial discrimination. My observation is that kids are cruel, and will take advantage of any situation that lets them say "I'm better than you", whether real or imagined. Looks like you can't escape it.

[lorrwill]

Originally Posted by BillRadio

Our son was one of only 2 white boys in the kindergarten class. We thought it was a great introduction to a "diverse" school setting. It turns out the black students were very discriminatory on the playground ("kids like you can't play basketball", etc.). So there we were, a minority family...white.

WOW!!!!!!!!

I am shocked and appalled.

Shocked because when my family moved to Lakewood in '71 we were one of four non-white families in the ENTIRE CITY. There was some racism/discrimination but it was far worse for my parents than for my brother and I. (Ironically, I got beat up a lot in DC for being not "black enough", but never had to fight in CO).

I am appalled to hear that this has turned around this way. Yes, I learned racial slurs on the playground too. I hope parents (as mine did) are correcting their kids.

This thread is of great interest to me because one of my reasons for relocating out of CA is racism, blatant, rampant racism. I remember CO and being better in the '70's than where I am in CA is today.

[Nancy Cronk]

I am white and I grew up in the Detroit area. Then, I lived in Ann Arbor. I never liked Detroit much because the racism is horrible, and everything is very segregated there. Denver is much, much more tolerant, friendly and casual. I have lived in the Aurora area for 15 years, and my neighborhood looks like a model UN. It is very integrated, and people are friendly to everyone. Practically no one was born here, so everyone is "new in town". I love it!

The politics in CO is a lot more conservative than in Detroit, and tremendously more so than Ann Arbor. That was kind of hard to get used to, at first.

But in terms of race relations, Denver is great. Denver was voted #3 by Ebony magazine a few years back for great places to live if you are a young, black professional (I think Atlanta was number one. I heard this on the View, and I was proud of Denver for ranking so high). There were a fair number of black cowboys and the museums here honor them. That may have something to do with it. There is also a "leave me alone" atmosphere that people respect. Not sure that is always a good thing, but it is part of the legacy of the wild west.

I think people of color could be very happy here. It is 100 times better than Detroit, that is all I know. I will never go back. I love it in CO.

[James9283]

Originally Posted by LisaCACO

as a black woman, I'm moving my family there. we suspect it's becoming more diverse as time passes and are happy to see the increasing numbers of latinos in CO. we'll be there for a few years and see what it's like. we're looking for a place to raise children. if it's not, we'll move .

There is a small population of black people in the Denver metro area, and a rather large hispanic population within the inner city of Denver. The racial makeup of Denver was not what I excepted for such a large city. Of course this was probably becuase I came from the Detroit area, which has a very different story. I myself am bi-racial/black-white and have not experienced any form of racism in Denver. I am sure that is is very prevelant outside of the metro area where many whites have no real expsosure to other blacks besides television. If I were you I would check out the Aurora area if you need the diversity, this is where I am headed!

[James9283]

Originally Posted by Nancy Cronk

I think people of color could be very happy here. It is 100 times better than Detroit, that is all I know. I will never go back. I love it in CO.

Although I wish there were more minorites in Denver, I still have to agree with this statement it is much better than Detroit or other racist cities in Michigan such as Flint, Saginaw, Benton Harbor, etc.

[Rou]

Originally Posted by pittnurse70

TinajaCO:

What I was referring to was jokes that make fun of hispanics, ridicule hispanics and attitudes such as hispanic teen girls are "loose", the "drunk Mexican" stereotype, and the like.

Although I am not in Denver, I south in Colordo Springs. I listen to the things my 16 year old says as he comes home from school and threaten every day to wash his mouth out with soap for the words he chooses to be acceptable.And then he gets the lecture about believing thigs he hears

As a mixed child, he has had his share of the racial language and treatment, as have I...even being scolded for bring him into our society

His public/ military school is as diverse as any public school out there and also has the chidren of deployed families If you were to be able to hear the conversations that go on with these kids, AND their teachers, you may be shocked that intolernace rather than tolerance is being taught....

Let me add though, that Carlos Mencia is a staple with alot of these teens, and some of his comedy fits into the hurting words listed above.