Does anyone consider the greater LA region as segregated? (Los Angeles: middle-class, neighborhoods)

[Jaded]

I haven't lived in LA for years...moved out in 2001. When I lived there, I didn't feel it was really "segregated" at least by ethnic groups (unless they were self-segregated). Was I wearing rose colored glasses?

I know the black population is less than 10%; so not seeing many blacks in a lot of the nice areas didn't surprise me, but; now that I live in the DC area (Maryland) and have come into contact with more Southerners, I really realize how diverse SoCal is.

So my question for general discussion and light conversation is:

As a southern Californian, do you believe that LA is truly diverse and that neighborhoods are more defined by one's income and not necessarily his/her race? I realize that there will undoubtedly be larger minorities, perhaps, in concentrated areas that are "low-income", so that's not what I'm referring to. I'm referring to the overall landscape of Los Angeles now...are most neighborhoods...let's call them "average middle-class" pretty diverse and tolerant?

Thanks for your opinions!

[californio sur]

Originally Posted by Jaded

I haven't lived in LA for years...moved out in 2001. When I lived there, I didn't feel it was really "segregated" at least by ethnic groups (unless they were self-segregated). Was I wearing rose colored glasses?

I know the black population is less than 10%; so not seeing many blacks in a lot of the nice areas didn't surprise me, but; now that I live in the DC area (Maryland) and have come into contact with more Southerners, I really realize how diverse SoCal is.

So my question for general discussion and light conversation is:

As a southern Californian, do you believe that LA is truly diverse and that neighborhoods are more defined by one's income and not necessarily his/her race? I realize that there will undoubtedly be larger minorities, perhaps, in concentrated areas that are "low-income", so that's not what I'm referring to. I'm referring to the overall landscape of Los Angeles now...are most neighborhoods...let's call them "average middle-class" pretty diverse and tolerant?

Thanks for your opinions!

I agree that segregation is mostly economical. An example is South LA\ Compton. Both regions were heavily Black neighborhoods until 20 yrs ago when huge numbers of Latinos moved in. Now those old Afro-American neighborhoods are mostly Hispanic. Otherwise, all racial\ethnic groups live wherever they can afford. There are Asians\ Latinos concentrated in certain areas [Little Tokyo\ Monterey Park\ Eagle Rock\ East LA\ Gardena, etc] but that is more of a cultural focus than segregation. Even Glendale has a very large Armenian population primarily as a hub for that nationality.

[BRinSM]

i think LA is diverse and fairly intergrated, but birds of a feather still flock together. wealthy mexicans still tend to live in hispanic neighborhoods and poor persians still try to live around the rich persians in and around beverly hills. also, asians still tend to live in the san gabriel valley and younger white people still flock to the coast and hipster areas like silver lake and downtown. i've never been anywhere in the world where all races and economic levels live together in harmony, but LA gets just as close to this as anywhere else i've been, even if only because poor and rich neighborhoods are scattered across the city like red and black squares on a checkerboard.

[Jaded]

Exactly! Californio Sur and BRinSM. Thanks for your comments. I hope others chime in. I totally agree that people still may want to self-segregate; this is the segregation I was used to while living on the West Coast.

[bhcompy]

self-segregated

[UB50]

LA is segregated by economics, not by race. The "self-segregation" that does go on is mostly due to the "cultural centers" mentioned above -- and even those areas are diverse. Look at Thai Town and Little Armenia or Koreatown and Little Bangladesh.

How is it in Maryland, Jaded?

[vegaspilgrim]

LA is an extremely ethnically segregated city. There are huge sectors of the greater metro area that are all Asian, all black, all hispanic, all Armenian. Some places are mixed black/hispanic, white/Asian, even white/Asian/Hispanic but no black people. The region has representation from every ethnicity in the world, but integration? I certainly don't think so.

[hsw]

Self-socio-economic segregation exists in every major region in world

Palisades/Brentwood tend to be more educated, heavily white; less Jewish and Iranian than BH

Many well-educated people feel far more comfortable on Westside (N of Sunset) than in allegedly affluent NewportCoast/Calabasas corridors, which generally have far lower education levels than Pali/Brentwood

SanMarino is largely an upscale Chinese ghetto w/many residents of dubious education levels, often owning businesses of dubious tax status

Similar stuff is seen in NYC or SF regions...upscale residents in any region often reflect demographics of owners/top execs/professionals in nearby offices and industries, legit or not legit, educated or not educated...

[KnoxTown]

Originally Posted by BRinSM

i think LA is diverse and fairly intergrated, but birds of a feather still flock together. wealthy mexicans still tend to live in hispanic neighborhoods and poor persians still try to live around the rich persians in and around beverly hills. also, asians still tend to live in the san gabriel valley and younger white people still flock to the coast and hipster areas like silver lake and downtown. i've never been anywhere in the world where all races and economic levels live together in harmony, but LA gets just as close to this as anywhere else i've been, even if only because poor and rich neighborhoods are scattered across the city like red and black squares on a checkerboard.

Took the words right out of my mouth. That pretty much nails it.

[californio sur]

Here are a few more: Russian neighborhoods in Hollywood, "Little India" in Artesia, Japanese in Gardena\ Torrance, Samoans in Wilmington, Greeks in San Pedro, Filipinos in Eagle Rock. Anymore?