Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
About a year ago, I posted an open question as to how a mixed-race marriage would be received in mid-coast, as it has been 20 years since I moved away and wanted to get a feel for the existing mind-set. I received nothing but postive replys except for one from a person who resides in Alabama. I tried to convince my African-American stepdaughter to attend my alma-mater in Maine (so I could have an excuse to visit frequently) and her reply was something akin to not having enough diversity in general throughout the state, and this from a teenager who is not heavily identified with her race.
Interesting fact: Howard University, a traditional black university, was founded by a Maine native.
About a year ago, I posted an open question as to how a mixed-race marriage would be received in mid-coast, as it has been 20 years since I moved away and wanted to get a feel for the existing mind-set. I received nothing but postive replys except for one from a person who resides in Alabama. I tried to convince my African-American stepdaughter to attend my alma-mater in Maine (so I could have an excuse to visit frequently) and her reply was something akin to not having enough diversity in general throughout the state, and this from a teenager who is not heavily identified with her race.
Interesting fact: Howard University, a traditional black university, was founded by a Maine native.
The college campuses here are plenty "diverse". Your daughter should have no problem within the college community. If she's looking for a place where she will find a number of blacks outside of the campuses to make her feel more comfortable then obviously she is correct about Maine's lack of minorities. I hope she finds a college she likes....it can be a challenge! I just went through it with my youngest. Good luck!
There is a thriving population of Somali and Sudanese immigrants especially in Portland and Lewiston. I have lived there for 2 years and it is such a great place with excellent hospitality!
My mother retired in Maine, and she's biracial white/black, foreign born. She's also now converted her new West Indian (black non-mixed) husband. We summer at Sebago, when I was a kid I saw almost no other dark skinned people, minus a cousin of mine. I just got home from ME and I saw lots of black people! Not to mention a good number of Asians. I brought a friend (white and from the deep south) for 2 weeks to the cottage and while touring she was like, I thought their were no black people in Maine! Climbing Mt. Douglas one morning we saw and chatted with a black american male with friends, and the same morning white parents with children the adopted from Ethiopia. Also saw several black people at Hannfords in Standish. And around Portland and Cape Elizabeth we saw a number of black people too. Of course, thats not a lot, but it's sure more than I used to see.
One thing I have noticed though is most of the black people I've met and befriended in Maine are either adopted, mixed or not born in America. Black Americans don't seem to be keen on Maine and I'm not sure why. I hate to stereotype but when in comes to summering in Maine but most of the black Americans I meet don't have a strong affinity for summers spent fishing, kayaking/canoeing and tanning on the beach with a beer or laying on the dock with a glass of wine. ALL of my black friends simply think of me fishing and kayaking and hiking with my dog and ending the day with neighbors at the beach with a glass of wine or some beer and bonfire as odd and "white".
My mother came the states for Boarding School outside of Boston while there was still segregation in the South, so her opinion of living below NJ is not favorable. She loved Maine at first visit in her teens, and she's never had much of a problem living in practically all white areas of Mass and Maine. She feels Maine is mush less concerned about race that when she got transferred to the DC suburbs for her job just before she retired.
When I was younger I had a good friend and her family wouldn't let her come with us for the summer because her parents told my mom that they didn't want their daughter to have a hard time with other kids because she was black. Which of course is wicked ridiculous since we are black too and I had the best summers ever. And to top it all off these people had never even been to Maine.
People tend to do what they know and are familiar with, no matter their color.
That said, I have some family in northern Maine in a very insulated working class area, and I did feel uncomfortable visiting, but my family assured me it was only because they are very suspect of people outside of their small town and most of them had never even meet a black person!
My mother retired in Maine, and she's biracial white/black, foreign born. She's also now converted her new West Indian (black non-mixed) husband. We summer at Sebago, when I was a kid I saw almost no other dark skinned people, minus a cousin of mine. I just got home from ME and I saw lots of black people! Not to mention a good number of Asians. I brought a friend (white and from the deep south) for 2 weeks to the cottage and while touring she was like, I thought their were no black people in Maine! Climbing Mt. Douglas one morning we saw and chatted with a black american male with friends, and the same morning white parents with children the adopted from Ethiopia. Also saw several black people at Hannfords in Standish. And around Portland and Cape Elizabeth we saw a number of black people too. Of course, thats not a lot, but it's sure more than I used to see.
One thing I have noticed though is most of the black people I've met and befriended in Maine are either adopted, mixed or not born in America. Black Americans don't seem to be keen on Maine and I'm not sure why. I hate to stereotype but when in comes to summering in Maine but most of the black Americans I meet don't have a strong affinity for summers spent fishing, kayaking/canoeing and tanning on the beach with a beer or laying on the dock with a glass of wine. ALL of my black friends simply think of me fishing and kayaking and hiking with my dog and ending the day with neighbors at the beach with a glass of wine or some beer and bonfire as odd and "white".
My mother came the states for Boarding School outside of Boston while there was still segregation in the South, so her opinion of living below NJ is not favorable. She loved Maine at first visit in her teens, and she's never had much of a problem living in practically all white areas of Mass and Maine. She feels Maine is mush less concerned about race that when she got transferred to the DC suburbs for her job just before she retired.
When I was younger I had a good friend and her family wouldn't let her come with us for the summer because her parents told my mom that they didn't want their daughter to have a hard time with other kids because she was black. Which of course is wicked ridiculous since we are black too and I had the best summers ever. And to top it all off these people had never even been to Maine.
People tend to do what they know and are familiar with, no matter their color.
That said, I have some family in northern Maine in a very insulated working class area, and I did feel uncomfortable visiting, but my family assured me it was only because they are very suspect of people outside of their small town and most of them had never even meet a black person!
Don't feel bad...Everyone from away is suspect, until we get to know you!
To me diversity is not something you force on a people. It either happens naturally or it doesn't. Anyone who has the desire and means can move to Maine no matter what their color. It's certainly not the fault of the citizens of Maine that minorities have, for whatever reason, decided not to settle in Maine. As the OP said he felt like he was the only Black in Bangor. It seemed as though that prospect made him feel uncomfortable. If I was the only white in some town I guess I might feel uncomfortable there too and may not pick it for a place to live??
I do not know why blacks, and other minorities choose not to live here. When I was a kid and asked grownups that question I was told it was too cold in Maine and black people don't like to be cold! Good enough answer for a kid I guess and proves the point that even back then nobody had an answer for that question.
Well put. I am an African-American woman married to a "white" Mainah. I've lived here for 25 years...seen some evidence of predjudice, but nothing like the stuff I've seen in Boston, MA. where I grew up. My heritage is mixed with European and Native bloods and we always had family friends of many colors and nationalities. Some folks feel comfortable around people that look and sound like them and some don't. To me the varity is the spice of life. Living on the coast of Maine we've seen lots of all kinds of people, most of whom will visit here but never consider living here.
As a matter of fact we're thinking of moving farther into the willywags to escape the crush of people moving in. Wild critters make good neighbors, too.
My mother retired in Maine, and she's biracial white/black, foreign born. She's also now converted her new West Indian (black non-mixed) husband. We summer at Sebago, when I was a kid I saw almost no other dark skinned people, minus a cousin of mine. I just got home from ME and I saw lots of black people! Not to mention a good number of Asians. I brought a friend (white and from the deep south) for 2 weeks to the cottage and while touring she was like, I thought their were no black people in Maine! Climbing Mt. Douglas one morning we saw and chatted with a black american male with friends, and the same morning white parents with children the adopted from Ethiopia. Also saw several black people at Hannfords in Standish. And around Portland and Cape Elizabeth we saw a number of black people too. Of course, thats not a lot, but it's sure more than I used to see.
One thing I have noticed though is most of the black people I've met and befriended in Maine are either adopted, mixed or not born in America. Black Americans don't seem to be keen on Maine and I'm not sure why. I hate to stereotype but when in comes to summering in Maine but most of the black Americans I meet don't have a strong affinity for summers spent fishing, kayaking/canoeing and tanning on the beach with a beer or laying on the dock with a glass of wine. ALL of my black friends simply think of me fishing and kayaking and hiking with my dog and ending the day with neighbors at the beach with a glass of wine or some beer and bonfire as odd and "white".
My mother came the states for Boarding School outside of Boston while there was still segregation in the South, so her opinion of living below NJ is not favorable. She loved Maine at first visit in her teens, and she's never had much of a problem living in practically all white areas of Mass and Maine. She feels Maine is mush less concerned about race that when she got transferred to the DC suburbs for her job just before she retired.
When I was younger I had a good friend and her family wouldn't let her come with us for the summer because her parents told my mom that they didn't want their daughter to have a hard time with other kids because she was black. Which of course is wicked ridiculous since we are black too and I had the best summers ever. And to top it all off these people had never even been to Maine.
People tend to do what they know and are familiar with, no matter their color.
That said, I have some family in northern Maine in a very insulated working class area, and I did feel uncomfortable visiting, but my family assured me it was only because they are very suspect of people outside of their small town and most of them had never even meet a black person!
Moving from a place that was essentially a DC suburb but more rural, I completely agree with your mother's observation. I have never lived in a more divided place.
About a year ago, I posted an open question as to how a mixed-race marriage would be received in mid-coast, as it has been 20 years since I moved away and wanted to get a feel for the existing mind-set. I received nothing but postive replys except for one from a person who resides in Alabama. I tried to convince my African-American stepdaughter to attend my alma-mater in Maine (so I could have an excuse to visit frequently) and her reply was something akin to not having enough diversity in general throughout the state, and this from a teenager who is not heavily identified with her race.
Interesting fact: Howard University, a traditional black university, was founded by a Maine native.
I would think she would pick a college on how well of an education she would get there.Not on the basis of "Diversity",which is such a stupid word anyway.I think people just like this word because it makes them feel politically correct.
I have noticed quite a few reasons as to why there is such a shortage of varying colors among the culture of maine, and put simply, it is because the cultural preferences of various ethnicities just so happen to clash with the current cultural demands. For many reasons, maine is a state which does not allow much room for change of many kinds. I do not believe that it is due to the people of maine being prejudice, in the formal sense, just that change is not something that the woods seem to take to very well.
At first, upon moving to maine, I was one of those transplants who are of the opinion that "mainers" are, in fact, quite prejudice. But, in truth, the amount of those people who are prejudice, are far outnumbered by the amount of people who are not. Though, in many senses, it is the culture of maine itself which is prejudice, because the main focus it possesses is self-preservation, which in many ways will not allow very much room for a change of heart or mind in such a way to allow adaptation to alternate cultural living. For instance, a major influx of African Americans(sorry if my terminology is out of date) or Korean Americans might not exactly pose well for reasons of economical proportions.
Aside for reasons of a historical nature(the days of slavery, or the korean war, for instance), which I will avoid here due to the overwhelming certainties that people must cling to in order justify our fathers and grandfathers long past, I must, in the end, suppose that it is in fact a result of the spirit of the land on which we live. To support so many various cultures on the same plot of soil, things must change. Firstly, the land must be more properly tilled to support the changes, because quite frankly, there just is not enough room available to support such a diverse culture while still allowing people to live far enough apart to be comfortable with who they are, and how things are changing. Which means that an ungodly amount of trees would need to be cut, hills and farms would need to be flattened, while streams would need to be cut away from whence they came, and ponds would need to be drained and filled in order to "modernize" in such a fashion to be able to accomodate the demands of diversity, and that just is not quite the "America" that Maine is.
So, in order for there to me more black people, or asian people, the things that are known and cherished about this state would need to change. That is truly why you do not see many black people or nearly as many asian or hispanics in the state of Maine. In order to see the beauty of the culture of which you seek, you would have to sacrifice the beauty which already lives and thrives here, because it would be impossible to sustain a new balance without destroying what generations of people have sought to protect.
And this, I have found, is what makes people here prejudice. Not because the skin of a black man opposes the color of the majority, or that it is an issue of the difference in style or preference. It is because though many people would wish to live here, and would do much to appreciate the beauty that is here, it is because there are many more people out there who are too naive to care and attend to what makes Maine such a wonderful place to live, and people are afraid of seeing what they love destroyed. Here, in Maine, it is more in style to appreciate the earth, and what is done with it, than it is to appreciate what sort of clothing you wear, or what you listen to for music or consider fashionable in any of the hollywood senses.
Alright, I think that I am done going on about this now. I hope I have said enough.
Yes. I quite agree that you have said enough. And none of it makes any sense whatsoever.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
