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This is the point of my responses on this thread. Everyone is defined by their bloodlines first in NJ, it isn't like that in other parts of the country where people generally just consider themselves American and find their commonality as Americans first.
I'm what Jersey folks would probably call a WASP, but I don't even know what that means anymore. I don't talk about my Anglican bloodlines, and don't even eat crumpets or drink tea. I'm just American.
Is it any surprise that NJ is so divided, socially and politically?
I've lived in Dallas and it's not the utopia you make it seem. I have lived in Northern California, Chicago, and Washington, DC too. These places were all different from each other in many ways, but none of them in the way you are talking about. They all have their neighborhoods where certain ethnicities predominate.
BTW, In Dallas I had to deal with evangelical Christians trying to convert me and telling me I am going to hell if I don't accept Christ. And I didn't live in the far outskirts either. I lived in North Dallas on the Richardson boarder right near JJ Pierce High school, which was an upscale area of Dallas. In the two years I lived there, this happened to me a handful of times. It was very annoying and really left a bad taste in my mouth for the city. You never see that in NJ. In fact, I didn't know people like that were actually REAL until I lived in Dallas.
And today, it's a white Republican-dominated group.
What's your point?
And, as I proved with the website that I posted, The KKK is most definitely alive and well in Texas in 2014.
The KKK are not republicans. They're white socialists who now HQ in the Blue Midwest states and the SW like Arizona. Go to the library and read some political science books.
Last edited by ControlJohnsons; 10-27-2014 at 04:19 PM..
I've lived in Dallas and it's not the utopia you make it seem. I have lived in Northern California, Chicago, and Washington, DC too. These places were all different from each other in many ways, but none of them in the way you are talking about. They all have their neighborhoods where certain ethnicities predominate.
BTW, In Dallas I had to deal with evangelical Christians trying to convert me and telling me I am going to hell if I don't accept Christ. And I didn't live in the far outskirts either. I lived in North Dallas on the Richardson boarder right near JJ Pierce High school, which was an upscale area of Dallas. In the two years I lived there, this happened to me a handful of times. It was very annoying and really left a bad taste in my mouth for the city. You never see that in NJ. In fact, I didn't know people like that were actually REAL until I lived in Dallas.
I didn't claim it was a utopia. Nowhere's perfect. I was just pointing out how after I left Jersey and went to Dallas, where I realized what kind of ethnic/race segregation there was in NJ and how one's bloodlines were your primary classification, American secondary.
If someone asks me where I'm from, I don't say Italy. I'm from the US, New Jersey, Union County, Cranford. I am an American. That goes without saying, does it not? If a fellow American asks me where I'm from, I will say my town but if they ask where my family is from, I will say what countries they migrated from in the last 100 years or so. If I'm out of the country and someone asks where I'm from, I will say America and New Jersey. I don't see the difference between here and Texas in that response. Being proud of our ethnicities and having ties to them doesn't make us less American. That is actually a very American quality to have. Everyone loves to preach about diversity and preserving their families' cultures in this country (we cater to the Spanish speakers now, "press 2 for Spanish"... what's the Hispanic presence and heritage like in TX btw??) does that not apply to white ethnic Americans? So what if my family has fish on Christmas Eve as Italians? Does that make us less American because we don't eat, what, ham and potatoes or turkey, what one may consider a "typical" American holiday meal? That "typical" meal has roots in other countries, too, ironically...
Point is, you can be an American and still be close to your roots. There is nothing wrong with that. That's what NJ is like. This area is still close to its 19th and 20th century immigration boom... what's more American than that time period? Opening Ellis Island to Europe to allow the poor immigrants into our country? Probably nothing, to be honest. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses..." That's engraved on the Statue of Liberty, right in NJ waters.
So you're living your own version of America with a side of Italian whole fish with Marinara. Good for you. I just find it ironic that the same people in Jersey who preach their own cultural pride also cuss out Hispanics or Asians for not being American enough and don't speak the language well. New Jersey, so full of it's own hypocrisy.
I didn't claim it was a utopia. Nowhere's perfect. I was just pointing out how after I left Jersey and went to Dallas, where I realized what kind of ethnic/race segregation there was in NJ and how one's bloodlines were your primary classification, American secondary.
But I think it's pretty obvious that we're all Americans, seeing as you know, we live in America. The second I open my mouth, it's clear I'm from this country. Do I really need to tell someone when they ask, "Oh, I'm from America!" Ahh, no way, never would've guessed, let's talk about our shared culture!
Again - please tell me about Texas's Hispanic roots. I really want to know how American it is to be fairly rooted in a Hispanic influenced culture, either as individuals or a region... what's the difference between this and NJ? You guys have Tex-Mex (Mex as in MEXICO), we have Italian. TX has a lot of Hispanics, we have a lot of Italians. Texas has a lot of Spanish speakers, besides English and Spanish, NJ has a lot of Italian speakers...
If someone asks me where I'm from, I don't say Italy. I'm from the US, New Jersey, Union County, Cranford. I am an American. That goes without saying, does it not? If a fellow American asks me where I'm from, I will say my town but if they ask where my family is from, I will say what countries they migrated from in the last 100 years or so. If I'm out of the country and someone asks where I'm from, I will say America and New Jersey. I don't see the difference between here and Texas in that response. Being proud of our ethnicities and having ties to them doesn't make us less American. That is actually a very American quality to have. Everyone loves to preach about diversity and preserving their families' cultures in this country (we cater to the Spanish speakers now, "press 2 for Spanish"... what's the Hispanic presence and heritage like in TX btw??) does that not apply to white ethnic Americans? So what if my family has fish on Christmas Eve as Italians? Does that make us less American because we don't eat, what, ham and potatoes or turkey, what one may consider a "typical" American holiday meal? That "typical" meal has roots in other countries, too, ironically...
I'd beg to differ on cultural pride. NJ was once a very different state, and European immigrants were originally targets of racism. I believe the adherence to old traditional cultural roots have much more to do with a history of racism in the state, and people closing off to protect themselves, thereby keeping within an insular existence. = Enclaves. It still exists, and now a generational projection exists where those who were once prejudiced upon, are now administering the same prejudice onto a new set of immigrants.
But I think it's pretty obvious that we're all Americans, seeing as you know, we live in America. The second I open my mouth, it's clear I'm from this country. Do I really need to tell someone when they ask, "Oh, I'm from America!" Ahh, no way, never would've guessed, let's talk about our shared culture!
Again - please tell me about Texas's Hispanic roots. I really want to know how American it is to be fairly rooted in a Hispanic influenced culture, either as individuals or a region... what's the difference between this and NJ? You guys have Tex-Mex (Mex as in MEXICO), we have Italian. TX has a lot of Hispanics, we have a lot of Italians. Texas has a lot of Spanish speakers, besides English and Spanish, NJ has a lot of Italian speakers...
There's a big difference. In Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston, San Antonio, Hispanics become very much part of Texan culture and the Hispanics in TX embrace the American way much quicker than those in the Northeast. I attribute this to Texans actually making efforts to integrate them. I've posted this on several of my replies to you. Texans don't have that subverted segregation attitude that folks in Jersey tend to have which comes off as a kind of subverted SAFE TOLERANCE typified by Liberal states. The kind of tolerance where people just live with it but nothing beyond that.. Also, Texans view Mexicans as hard working labor and respect their value to society as opposed to places like Jersey where they're generally viewed as competition labor.
After just 1 generation in Texas, Mexican immigrants are Americanized. After 2, they don't speak Spanish anymore. That's the difference.
I see other minority groups in Jersey, Asians are a good example. Where no matter that they were born right in Jersey, went to college in Jersey, they're always looked at as Asians first, American MAYBE regardless of how well they speak. I see this even today and believe it's part of that Jersey segregation thing that you'll find in all the 5 boroughs as well.
Texas is very different in that aspect.
Last edited by ControlJohnsons; 10-27-2014 at 04:52 PM..
There's a big difference. In Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston, San Antonio, Hispanics become very much part of Texan culture and the Hispanics in TX embrace the American way much quicker than those in the Northeast. I attribute this to Texans actually making efforts to integrate them. I've posted this on several of my replies to you. Texans don't have that subverted segregation attitude that folks in Jersey tend to have which comes off as a kind of subverted SAFE TOLERANCE typified by Liberal states. The kind of tolerance where people just live with it but nothing beyond that.. Also, Texans view Mexicans as hard working labor and respect their value to society as opposed to places like Jersey where they're generally viewed as competition labor.
After just 1 generation in Texas, Mexican immigrants are Americanized. After 2, they don't speak Spanish anymore. That's the difference.
I see other minority groups in Jersey, Asians are a good example. Where no matter that they were born right in Jersey, went to college in Jersey, they're always looked at as Asians first, American MAYBE regardless of how well they speak. I see this even today and believe it's part of that Jersey segregation thing that you'll find in all the 5 boroughs as well.
Texas is very different in that aspect.
I don't believe much of what you've said, especially about Hispanics integrating into American culture. If that was true, Spanish would not be on the rise here as a whole and we would not need to worry about accommodating to those who do not, or will not speak English, in public or in schools. For many children in this country, Spanish is their primary language at home if they have Hispanic parents who are immigrants. It is spoken over English, easily. By your logic, that is not very American. The idea that TX has a notable population of Hispanics at all, who speak the language and have their own food brought into Texan culture (again - TexMex), that is not very American. But that's only not American when we're talking about white ethnics in the northeast right? Diversity is fine if it's people of color, minorities. I think you're trolling, and I no longer want to engage.
I don't believe much of what you've said, especially about Hispanics integrating into American culture. If that was true, Spanish would not be on the rise here as a whole and we would not need to worry about accommodating to those who do not, or will not speak English, in public or in schools. For many children in this country, Spanish is their primary language at home if they have Hispanic parents who are immigrants. It is spoken over English, easily. By your logic, that is not very American. The idea that TX has a notable population of Hispanics at all, who speak the language and have their own food brought into Texan culture (again - TexMex), that is not very American. But that's only not American when we're talking about white ethnics in the northeast right? Diversity is fine if it's people of color, minorities. I think you're trolling, and I no longer want to engage.
You don't understand that in liberal states, like CA and NJ/NY, and even worse in the Midwest, society is structured in ENCLAVES where they don't have the opportunity to even talk to English speakers. In Texas, they integrate Mexican immigrants. THERE ARE MEXICAN MAYORS IN TEXAS.
The problem and issue is how liberal government treats Hispanics, it's the old tolerate them, but don't need to do anything more is why many Spanish speakers in Jersey never really get Americanized. Look how slow European immigrants from Ellis Island are still integrating into American culture still in the boroughs.
I think how Texas handles immigrants in general is an example of how things don't need to become "Press 2 for Spanish". 50% of Dallas/Fort Worth population is not even from Texas. 19% is not even from this country this past generation.
Seems you've been brainwashed by the liberal media. I was for a long time until I left and saw it from an outside perspective.
Last edited by ControlJohnsons; 10-27-2014 at 05:45 PM..
There's a big difference. In Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston, San Antonio, Hispanics become very much part of Texan culture and the Hispanics in TX embrace the American way much quicker than those in the Northeast. I attribute this to Texans actually making efforts to integrate them. I've posted this on several of my replies to you. Texans don't have that subverted segregation attitude that folks in Jersey tend to have which comes off as a kind of subverted SAFE TOLERANCE typified by Liberal states. The kind of tolerance where people just live with it but nothing beyond that.. Also, Texans view Mexicans as hard working labor and respect their value to society as opposed to places like Jersey where they're generally viewed as competition labor.
After just 1 generation in Texas, Mexican immigrants are Americanized. After 2, they don't speak Spanish anymore. That's the difference.
I see other minority groups in Jersey, Asians are a good example. Where no matter that they were born right in Jersey, went to college in Jersey, they're always looked at as Asians first, American MAYBE regardless of how well they speak. I see this even today and believe it's part of that Jersey segregation thing that you'll find in all the 5 boroughs as well.
Texas is very different in that aspect.
Yes Asian first but American YES regardless you wouldn't think otherwise when you see the high(er) $ value of their possessions.
BTW: I resided in SE Bergen County NJ for 50 plus years before moving to my current "jail" in SW southern NJ 2 plus years ago but that's a different story.
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I'm from the US, New Jersey, Union County, Cranford. I am an American. That goes without saying, does it not? If a fellow American asks me where I'm from, I will say my town but if they ask where my family is from, I will say what countries they migrated from in the last 100 years or so. If I'm out of the country and someone asks where I'm from, I will say America and New Jersey. I don't see the difference between here and Texas in that response. Being proud of our ethnicities and having ties to them doesn't make us less American. That is actually a very American quality to have. Everyone loves to preach about diversity and preserving their families' cultures in this country (we cater to the Spanish speakers now, "press 2 for Spanish"... what's the Hispanic presence and heritage like in TX btw??) does that not apply to white ethnic Americans? So what if my family has fish on Christmas Eve as Italians? Does that make us less American because we don't eat, what, ham and potatoes or turkey, what one may consider a "typical" American holiday meal? That "typical" meal has roots in other countries, too, ironically... 
