Minorities living in Idaho, How is it??? (Sandpoint: crime, movies)

[Sage of Sagle]

Originally Posted by stingraynm

Oh... I should clarify what I said in the haste of the evening. I enjoy Sage's posts for healthy perspective, and am not saying he's got his own trip like me. So, Sage, I'm not pulling you into my self-deprecating humor.

No worries. I read it as I believe you meant it. No offense was taken.

[norcalmom101]

Originally Posted by Dwatted Wabbit

She lived there over 40 years. Maybe you're just lucky.

If you imply that Asians have no power in SF, you're far off base.

Thanks for the lecture, though.

I wouldn't state that "Asians have no power in SF" any more than I would state that "whites have no power in SF." I personally have an aversion to generalizations, and to making conclusions without inadequate premises, because I dislike error.

S**t happens. Attributing what happens between people to race is easy. But absent evidence of a concerted and substantiated effort, it is a fast track to a whole mess of errors.

And thanks, but I've been anything but lucky

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by Sandpointian

There are so many more institutional dimensions to racism in areas with histories of race politics that date back many decades. The race issue in Idaho is really one involving Native Americans, but these populations are not so obvious to the average daily life. Mexican issues has shallow roots and owes its presence in conversation mainly to the media and to he baggage carried by transplants. African-American debates are even more distant. But we are susceptible to media's cartoonish image of race relations.

Up here, we are more likely to have the guard up owing to the existence of our tourist identity. This means many unfamiliar faces come and go...The inner warmth is reserved for those who become familiar and therefore more trusting. Of course, that does not mean we are not friendly, cordial, or polite. We are...sometimes effusively so...

Folks coming from big city environs or from politically correct areas tend to assume an upfront courtesy that we here won't give until it is earned. This presumption can sometimes be interpreted as a less than overflowing accomodation, i.e. as anti-whatever-you-are, when this is often not at all the case at all.

Now, I am not saying that we are devoid of racism and racists. It and they are here. But more than anything else where, we are protective of our personal space and our freedoms from "social obligation." The idea is this, "I'll be kind and welcoming, but don't you dare mandate this!!"


Because our population here is pretty modest (roughly 1/4 million in the four northern counties), not everyone sees people from different ethnicities or hears foreign accents that often. Curiosity and novelty does not racism make. I once lives in upstate NY. I saw some nasty instances of racism there...Sheer ignorance from deeply ignorant people...Ugly...

Finally, it may sound bizarre, but I actually "appreciate" our form of racism. It lacks violence and is not so overt. As such, it provides us with rather innocuous reminders--without great threats to life or limb-- that these things do exist in the world. Utopian ideals, while attractive sounding, always seem to generate strange and false senses of security which IMHO do more harm than good.

We all, each and every one, have racial biases and do racial "pre-judging." It is what you choose to do with those feelings that defines the humanity within us. And I would like to think that here in SP, we have a great slice of that humanity...

Where in Upstate NY?

[ckhthankgod]

I think when people bring this up, they mean institutionally, which seems to still be an issue. Yes, there are individuals, but people can eventually get over that quickly. I've heard about Hayden Lake too. Now, are there issues in places that might have higher concentrations of say Mexicans, Native Americans, Asians or for Blacks in Mountain Home or possibly sections of cities like Boise or Pocatello? I know there are quite few Basque people as well in Idaho too. I've heard it is a beautiful state and might think about visiting one day. It sure would be different from Upstate NY, which is also generally nice by the way.

[ckhthankgod]

Here's some organizations and other items across the state that might interest the OP:Idaho Public Television Outreach - Directory of Organizations by City

Idaho Black History Museum @ Boise Online Mall

and some unfortunate stuff too:Teen: Blacks targeted by 2 men in N. Idaho - Examiner.com (broken link)

and some positive stuff too:NEWS from Idaho Human Rights Organizations

Take this however you like(for the OP).

[Sandpointian]

ckhTG,
Lake Placid, although the incident I ws referring to was instigated by people from all over the NE (Mass, NY State, etc.). More small town than Syracuse...

Hayden Lake: FYI, the compound there was started by two Southern Californians...Like Vermont, Idaho gets it share of nutty transplants who want to remake this into some bizzaro Nirvana of their own!! NID is Nirvana enough on its own, thank you...

Higher concentrations: I'll turn that over to Boise types. Most like it will be a function of the economy. For example, the Bay Area. The legacy of institutionalized racism was seen with large concentrations of blacks effectively herded into a few areas: Hunters Point, Richmond, Oakland, Sunnyside, the Tenderloin, East Palo Alto. Only EPA and parts of the Tenderloin has gentrified. Many of them worked the shipyards during the war and stayed. These areas are tough, poor, crime-ridden and really abandoned by most public policy makers. Sad. No efforts to put in place true affirmative action...only the kind that got big headliens and made some people quite well off while the poor got poorer I was worked in Oakland for an outfit that was supposed to be an agent of positive change. Yeah right!! I was the only person there from working class roots and there for work to be done. The rest were cozying up to lobbyists and foundation $ and making pretty big $$. In any event, you can buy houses in the Richmond for <$100K. I am not joking. You'll risk life and limb, but the deals are out there!

... Note that out side of those areas, the numbers of blacks drop precipitously--perhaps less than 2% (overall I think it is 8%--down from post war high of about 17%). In those 2% areas, it is all about economics and education. These are the blacks that for one reasons or another escaped the "zones." Today, the 2% seem to have all options open to them. In fact, I would argue it is their golden age. But for the populations that remain in the tough areas---it is as bad as ever.

In NID, no such zone ever developed. We were never big enough. But enquire about similar post-war settlement patterns in the big cities like Portland, Denver, etc and of course in California...and contrast these areas with black #s in other areas. If you do not, you'll get a false sense of what is up.

[stingraynm]

Originally Posted by Sandpointian

ckhTG,
NID is Nirvana enough on its own, thank you...

Nice... x2... and Namaste (for what it's worth from my overly constructed, pollution ridden metropolis of a mind). I think we're in an understood context that bigger is not me boosting my ego. I'd like it if my mind could be described like the Clearwater range on a moderate winter day.

Good defense of the citizenry, too. Bad things happen, but Idaho can't be singled out just because it's obscurity in the news makes it easier to label than places that have dozens of reputations. That obscurity can be a good thing in a world with negative bias in media coverage.

[esselcue]

Originally Posted by norcalmom101

This isn't about racial issues but here goes:

There is a club rumored to be opening in Idaho Falls which will feature a G/L night. What is most interesting is that the debate ensuing in the forum where I read about it centered on the types of music, dress code, and cover charge, with only a handful of snide remarks denigrating G/L persons for identifying themselves or having an exclusive night (along the lines of how about we have a "heterosexual" night? Well, from what I can see, just about every day and night around here is a hetero one). I don't really care, I am hetero, but I will definitely be going to the G/L night to lend my support and because it will probably be a lot more fun and I don't have to worry about getting hit on. And just think of the rumors! I'll be famous.

If I were already living up there I would go with you!!!

[Idaho born]

Originally Posted by associationhater

Wondering how minorities are treated in Idaho? Considering it being a 92% white population.

Hi everyone. I was raised in Lewiston but have been gone many years. I now reside in Houston Texas but am considering moving back to Lewiston. My concern is that my long time girlfriend is black and she is very worried about being subjected to racism. I wonder about our safety as a bi racial couple, hopefully just stares. I miss the small town life and my family all lives in Lewiston.

[Yellowfin240]

There is way more racial strife here in Hawaii than you will find in most places in Idaho.And Hawaii is touted as a true melting pot.It's not.