Racism in Georgia (Atlanta, Savannah, Duluth: fit in, neighborhood, school)

[Te amo no puedo pararme]

Ive heard a lot of bad things about the south as far as racism and having spent some time down in texas i know i would NEVER live there ever. How would Georgia (especially more small townish georgia) be as far as racism? I am an asian male

[LLD]

Hola,

There is a thread called Racism/Georgia on page two of this forum and the thread itself is six pages long. You can find it here: http://www.city-data.com/forum/georg...m-georgia.html

As someone who grew up in Texas, I know the racism there well, but I also know many people that are not racist. I can say the same for the DC area that I lived in for more than 10 years and I can say the same for Albuquerque where I live now. I'm contemplating a move to Atlanta and I do worry a bit but I really believe that the more open minded people that move to a place the better it can be and it also encourages the open minded people that are already there too.

For me I see the racism as worse in more rural areas and less in more of the urban areas --- that is a generalization but some truth there. Sometimes I think what is perceived as racism is more just not knowing other kinds of groups and cultures rather than having some specific antipathy towards a skin color or a group. Although of course overt nasty racism does indeed still exist in America. We haven't stamped it out yet. But I have hope.

BTW, interesting that you chose an Hispanic handle but say you are an Asian male. :-) (Just teasing.....)

[pjacksone]

Originally Posted by Te amo no puedo pararme

Ive heard a lot of bad things about the south as far as racism and having spent some time down in texas i know i would NEVER live there ever. How would Georgia (especially more small townish georgia) be as far as racism? I am an asian male

1st of all, what does your name mean?
Second, I am an African Amer. female and I've lived here since June and have visited for years before moving and never ran into a problem and neither has my husband. Of course, there might be some backwood areas in Hickville that you might not want to tread (but that's everywhere), but we've never had a problem. My husband was born in a small town in Alabama and he has told me that people are more racist in the North than South because they do it more sneakier. I know people that he lived here for years and no one has ever told me an type of racism stories. The people are generally nicer than up north. They talk to you in the supermarket line and speak when passing which is something not seen in the North.

[georgiadawg]

I am from a small town in Georgia and have lived in several and while I am a white male and may not be the best person to answer this question, I think all of Georgia is a very accepting place. My neighborhood is very diverse and everyone gets along great. My brother in-law is Asian and I asked him about racism and he said he catching more a lot more greif over having graduated from the University of Alabama than anything else and that it has never been an issue. I wouldn't worry about racism if plannning to move here whether it be to a major city such as Atlanta or a small town. You will run into racists but they are everywhere and on the whole people in Georgia are very accepting of everyone.

[LLD]

People talking to you in the supermarket line is not the same thing as racism etc - that is more a regional difference in places you live. In Texas and in many places in the South and some in the West, people are just generally more talkative and open wih strangers, in my experience. I think Southern hospitality is alive and well and that is a very nice thing.

In the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, people are just a bit more formal and don't generally open up to you until they get to know you a little more -- that does not equate to racism -- just a regional difference. But I found people to be just as nice in most areas of the country.

But make no mistake that there are some bad racists in the South and the West, sometimes in pockets. I don't think people in the North are sneakier about racism at all so I don't really get that comment whatsoever. What I've see in the North and Northeast and upper Midwest and the mid-Atlantic is that there are lots of groups and each one of them have no problem identifying things about each of the groups and they even razz each other about it but still all get along and have no problem with cultural differences and appreciate them. That seems fine to me. What I've seen in the South in the West is that once people get to know groups different than their own, they are pretty much accepting.

But I do have to be honest here and say that there are some terribly racist people in Texas and Alabama and Mississippi and Georgia. I've met them and I don't care for them. In most of the South and the West I've seen the prejudice against blacks and Latinos but in the DC area I saw a lot of prejudice from blacks against whites. In New Mexico, I've seen the prejudice of Latinos against whites. So frankly, racism does exist everywhere and unfortuantely I think once in a while you'll run across a town or city or even region in a state that seems to have a strong streak of racism.

[jxu66]

Personally, I wouldn't live in small town Georgia, outside of Atlanta, Savannah or Athens.

1) Very conservative, south baptist and white. If one does not fit one or more criteria, you will have some difficulties to fit in.

2) Economic backward. It is not economic strongly area. Besides atlanta, savannah and athens, the area is still mostly agriculture based.

3) Education system is very inferior compared to suburbs. I went to a school in Georgia for undergraduate study. Most of students came from small town can not compete with students came from suburbs.

4) Drug problem. Meth problem is big deal in rural Georgia.

I would recommend small suburbs near Atlanta, like Duluth, Suwanee, Alpharatta and John's Creek.

[LLD]

As an aside, I was told that Atlanta, Athens and Savannah are basically the most liberal parts of Georgia and visiting Atlanta and Athens seems to support that. I haven't been to Savananah.

[Te amo no puedo pararme]

[quote=pjacksone;231511]1st of all, what does your name mean?

Its roughly "I love you I cant help myself" yes im a sensititve guy

[I_Brennus]

Originally Posted by LLD

in the DC area I saw a lot of prejudice from blacks against whites. In New Mexico, I've seen the prejudice of Latinos against whites.

Thank you for stating this fact.

[backfist]

Originally Posted by Te amo no puedo pararme

Ive heard a lot of bad things about the south as far as racism and having spent some time down in texas i know i would NEVER live there ever. How would Georgia (especially more small townish georgia) be as far as racism? I am an asian male

I think your chances of encountering the "old style" of racism is less and less, especially in and around metro Atlanta. Don't get me wrong; there's still isolated incidents of it, but, by and large you won't find much. Yes, you'll see the occasional Black person holding forth as a "community leader" when someone's shot and killed by the police, and you'll read posts by White persons who need a shoulder to cry on because they're now victims of racism too.

My advice is to pay much closer attention to efforts by people who have taken flight from (mostly Black) Atlanta; relocated to a then (mostly White) enclave; and are now trying to create their own county and/or city. It's all done with a smile, and with a voice of calm and reason. But it has the same net racial affect today as it did 50 or 60 years ago.

Unfortunately, the folks who are hurt the worst by this phenomenon don't even feel the knife going in.