For blacks or other visible minorities: How do you feel if you live in a town that has less than 1% of your race? (to live in, military)
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For better or worse, white suburbs and neighborhoods in the United States usually have much less crime and riff raff, better schools and other amenities and are cleaner than those dominated by ethnic minorities.
So, those might be reasons for a minority to prefer living in a white area. However, other factors could certainly come into play as well.
All white suburbs are usually the product of institutional segregation and racism, so its no surprise they would be rolling in the apartheid wealth.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by goat314
All white suburbs are usually the product of institutional segregation and racism, so its no surprise they would be rolling in the apartheid wealth.
My OP really didn't talk about though, say a place that's all white but the major city close to it or right around the corner is a mix of races or whatever. I meant where the major city, has a black population of less than 1%
Forgot that Albany and Corvallis is another Oregon Metro area, even though it's not even 1/2 an hour from Salem. Taking out OSU there, the black population is most likely not even 1%.
I don't know. Corvallis High is about 3-4% Black, along with being 14% Hispanic, 3% Asian and 6-7% mixed. This can give you an idea of the school demographics in other cities in the state, though it is a few years old: Search For Schools, Colleges and Libraries
Just wondering, since, I do think of moving to this one town in particular out west where the black and asian population barely total 1% of the city's population. There's an ok latino population, but that's about it.
Some people tell me that I have unfounded fears, other's tell me that there's nothing wrong with being weirded out by going 2 days or more, without seeing one other black person.
I don't live in this town, but the last time I was there, counting the street, I went 72 hours without seeing 1 and it's not a small city and is a Metro (not Micropolitan or less) area.
Thoughts, please no trolls.
I feel fine. You are you no matter where you are. Find out for yourself.
Sadly, some of the responses in this thread were more narrow than I had hoped.
I've lived in white majority cities my whole life so it doesn't bother me. Less than 1% is a little daunting. But I could live. Your race rarely has anything to do with the reasons why people would like or not like you. And if it does, those people are usually apart of a small ignorant minority. I don't live my life with a race based mentality. I see everyone as humans and equals. And I have been treated accordingly.
Speaking from the point of someone who has lived in military towns (really diverse), to predominately white areas and even in all black areas I have found that since I have been married it is easier to live in a more diverse neighborhood (30/70, 50/50, 60/40) especially if you have teenage children. I had no probelm living in a predominately white community simply because I'm an older adult who is married to a black woman. I know to some of you who might think that that statement is irrevelant, but think about this. Many racist white men get bent out of shape (read threatened) by blackmen associating with whitewomen then anything else outside of a work environment. Whenever I walk with my wife down the street I guess that it gives the impression of non-threatening stability and no one gives us a second look.
My other thoughts is that if there is not enough of the "bad element" in that town/neighborhood to be threatening the majority would more than likely leave you alone. Of course there is always that A-holes who always wants to start trouble and those who follow them
I'm of Asian descent and I've always lived in places with extremely low Asian populations and I have never felt uncomfortable or had trouble fitting in. Now perhaps because of the places I've lived, I am very American culturally and don't really need special Asian products, foods, etc aside from what you can get from the local Chinese restaurant (there are a few in EVERY town regardless of where you are) or the international foods section at Walmart. Most of America has very low Asian populations, though there is always that Chinese restaurant where you can find a few.
When I lived in Louisiana and Maryland there were large black as well as white populations, while my town now in West Virginia is almost entirely white. The only other minorities I've seen are a few Asians, including the ones that own the Chinese restaurant. I have seen one or two Hispanics and have not seen a black person yet since moving here in August but there are blacks in downtown Charleston about 10 miles away. They mostly live in one black ghetto, but when I lived in the Baltimore area it was also very segregated. A lot of smaller towns are actually quite integrated.
To be dead honest, people in West Virginia are much less race conscious and rarely do racial issues come up. I have had no trouble being accepted despite being a minority and moving from out of state. I am culturally very American and am an evangelical Christian as well as a conservative Republican so aside from my skin color and the fact that I don't hunt (YET!!!) there really isn't much that distinguishes me from everyone else around here. I speak English with a slight Southern accent. While some Asians who are less assimilated have been asked where they were "From" and take offense to that, I'm only ever asked what my ancestry is and where my parents were from.
I've noticed that the Baltimore region was a LOT more polarized than West Virginia. It was near Baltimore that I heard the N word used by white people the most and heard the most "racist" comments. But then people there have to deal with the ghetto nearby and ghetto people moving to the suburbs and causing problems. In a town with a small minority population there is typically LESS conflict as long as you fit in. I've found large urban areas to be more racially polarized in general because people actually have to personally deal with ghetto people and illegal immigrants. People in Baltimore had a much more palpable open "dislike" of blacks and Mexicans than West Virginia.
I'm Asian. It really depends on where and what the proportion of the other races are. I'd shy away from any city that's 90%+ of any one race. There's usually something screwy with a town if the demographics are that lopsided. It also depends on what direction the racial demographics are trending. I'd be fine with a 1% Asian city if I was confident more would be moving in over the next decade. Also, as alluded to earlier in the thread, race relations and segregation varies from city to city. Diversity is only nice if most people get along.
I'm of Asian descent and I've always lived in places with extremely low Asian populations and I have never felt uncomfortable or had trouble fitting in. Now perhaps because of the places I've lived, I am very American culturally and don't really need special Asian products, foods, etc aside from what you can get from the local Chinese restaurant (there are a few in EVERY town regardless of where you are) or the international foods section at Walmart. Most of America has very low Asian populations, though there is always that Chinese restaurant where you can find a few.
When I lived in Louisiana and Maryland there were large black as well as white populations, while my town now in West Virginia is almost entirely white. The only other minorities I've seen are a few Asians, including the ones that own the Chinese restaurant. I have seen one or two Hispanics and have not seen a black person yet since moving here in August but there are blacks in downtown Charleston about 10 miles away. They mostly live in one black ghetto, but when I lived in the Baltimore area it was also very segregated. A lot of smaller towns are actually quite integrated.
To be dead honest, people in West Virginia are much less race conscious and rarely do racial issues come up. I have had no trouble being accepted despite being a minority and moving from out of state. I am culturally very American and am an evangelical Christian as well as a conservative Republican so aside from my skin color and the fact that I don't hunt (YET!!!) there really isn't much that distinguishes me from everyone else around here. I speak English with a slight Southern accent. While some Asians who are less assimilated have been asked where they were "From" and take offense to that, I'm only ever asked what my ancestry is and where my parents were from.
I've noticed that the Baltimore region was a LOT more polarized than West Virginia. It was near Baltimore that I heard the N word used by white people the most and heard the most "racist" comments. But then people there have to deal with the ghetto nearby and ghetto people moving to the suburbs and causing problems. In a town with a small minority population there is typically LESS conflict as long as you fit in. I've found large urban areas to be more racially polarized in general because people actually have to personally deal with ghetto people and illegal immigrants. People in Baltimore had a much more palpable open "dislike" of blacks and Mexicans than West Virginia.
Dunbar, St. Albans, Montgomery, Nitro, South Charleston, Institute, Handley, Pratt, Smithers and some other small communities in that area of WV have at least a couple of Black folks in terms of percentage.
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