Honestly: What are race relations REALLY like in the metro area? (neighborhoods, high school)

[Trabbz]

The title says it all.... What are race relations honestly like in the metro area? Does it depend on area? I might move there and this is one thing I am curious about.

[Sharolu3]

Originally Posted by Trabbz

The title says it all.... What are race relations honestly like in the metro area? Does it depend on area? I might move there and this is one thing I am curious about.

Minnesota has always been one of the most liberal of states. In the North area of Mpls where I live I have African Americans on one side, Hmong on the other, Latinos behind on the alley. Our block is made up of a multitude of cultures. On the other hand, if you talk to people who have moved here to take advantage of our system, they feel "picked upon" that we are not the land of milk and honey they thought. In other words it depends upon your point of view and where you choose to live. The greater Twin Cities metro area is about 65 miles wide. So how could this question really be answered

[even]

This may be a different perspective than you're asking for but my neighborhood is almost 70% non-white and, for the most part, it's a pretty friendly place. I don't catch any flack for being White and my kids favorite thing to do on snowy days is to go the global market and mix it up with the immigrants' kids. So, if you were wondering if it's easy to make friends with non-Whites in the area - I'd say it's very easy. Minnesota nice seems to cross the color line.

[JenLee]

Best way to answer your question is to come up here for a visit and check it out yourself.

Once again, I don't get it. I have many multi-racial and multi-cultural friends. I'm 60 yrs old and white; but I don't judge a person by their color or clothing or spiritual or political beliefs. My kids have an experssion: YMMV (Your mileage may vary); so I'd advise you to check it out yourself.

[Haver]

Keep in mind there is the traditional Minnesota reserve and how people say how hard it is to make lasting friendships if you didn't grow up here. That is because most Minnesotans form their friendships in High School and for various cultural and economic reasons tend to stay in the same area for most of their life (The economy has always been mixed and strong so there's been no need to leave, while the immigrant settler pattern had entire villages and urban neighborhoods transplant themselves - preserving the older social patterns based upon the village or town square. Upside: stable society. Downside: some social inflexibility). So, if people are standoffish and don't invite you to do things, it almost always won't be about race - and when it is, it would be more along the lines of people's nervousness over not knowing the particular social graces than any sense of racism.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by even

This may be a different perspective than you're asking for but my neighborhood is almost 70% non-white and, for the most part, it's a pretty friendly place. I don't catch any flack for being White and my kids favorite thing to do on snowy days is to go the global market and mix it up with the immigrants' kids. So, if you were wondering if it's easy to make friends with non-Whites in the area - I'd say it's very easy. Minnesota nice seems to cross the color line.

I would say the reverse is also true. Our neighborhood is probably 70% white but the Asian, Indian and black families in our neighborhood hang out are just as much a part of the neighborhood as anyone. There are no issues at all. The kids at school are also well integrated and there aren't any problems because of race.

I disagree that the "typical" Minnesotan hangs out with their high school friends. I would say that the typical Minnesotan hangs out with people who are at a similar point in their life. If your best friend is single and childless and you are married with 3 young kids chances are you aren't going to get together as much as you once did and will probably drift apart. I see most people hanging out with people from work or their neighborhoods or family more so then high school friends.

[kuan]

I notice that Black Jews don't seem to hold the same standing in the Jewish community as Ashkenazi or Sephardic Jews. Other than that race relations seem normal and unstrained.

I mean, everytime I read this kind of question I just scratch my head. Why would someone even ask this kind of question? Are people asking if there are racial riots? Are black folk making less money than their peers in comparable positions? Are Asians more prone to being stopped by the police than Hispanics? What?

[Trabbz]

Originally Posted by kuan

I mean, everytime I read this kind of question I just scratch my head. Why would someone even ask this kind of question? Are people asking if there are racial riots? Are black folk making less money than their peers in comparable positions? Are Asians more prone to being stopped by the police than Hispanics? What?

I never asked if there are race riots. Yes black folk are making less money in comparable positions. And yes some races are more prone to being stopped by police than others.

[kuan]

Originally Posted by Trabbz

I never asked if there are race riots. Yes black folk are making less money in comparable positions. And yes some races are more prone to being stopped by police than others.

Exactly. So why do you ask? It's pretty much the same everywhere. People like it to look all hunky dory on the surface when in fact subtle racism occurs everywhere. "They" whoever they are, social psychologists I suppose, call it microaggression.

[Trabbz]

Originally Posted by kuan

Exactly. So why do you ask? It's pretty much the same everywhere. People like it to look all hunky dory on the surface when in fact subtle racism occurs everywhere. "They" whoever they are, social psychologists I suppose, call it microaggression.

I ask because I live in the Tampa area now and it is much more diverse than it is there. The races seem to get along here very well and interracial couples are common. I have seen first hand that it is not like this everywhere. Milwaukee and Chicago are some of the most segregated cities in america and I see lots of racist posts from people who live there on this site. I realize that this site isn't going to give an accurate picture of an area. I know that the Twin Cities are generally very progressive but are they somewhat segregated? Are there lots of problems with race and the police? Is it common to see interracial couples?