Plenty of diversity, lack of mixing? (Hope: how much, teachers, areas)

[LiveChick]

Yeah man, I have to agree. I've lived here all my life and yes you'll meet people of different races and ethnic backgrounds, but not much mixing between them.

The only mixing I see a lot is between Blacks and Puerto-ricans, especially in Coney Island. I cant say much about anywhere else.
It also depends whether its racial mixing or ethnic mixing.

[SuperMario]

Most common mixes are Dominicans, Puerto Ricans and Blacks. Usually all the "hoods" have blacks with some type of hispanic group.

[Bluesbabe]

That is how it is. I grew up in an agricultural community that was surprisingly diverse. In school the rich farm kids glued together, the blacks glued together, the Mexicans glued together, and the PWTs glued together. There were a lot of European immigrants at the time, and they all glued together, too. That was in the 60's, and do you know what? Those "groups" STILL glue together. It's all a sense of common ground.

I prefer to be in a mix of different races because of the culture they add to our lives ~ plus it's more interesting. However, I can sure understand the comment someone made in another thread about diversity being over-rated. I'll still take it, tho.

[Joe Bama!]

Originally Posted by LiveChick

Yeah man, I have to agree. I've lived here all my life and yes you'll meet people of different races and ethnic backgrounds, but not much mixing between them.

The only mixing I see a lot is between Blacks and Puerto-ricans, especially in Coney Island. I cant say much about anywhere else.
It also depends whether its racial mixing or ethnic mixing.

Coney Island actually seems to be growing in diversity with a growing Russian population growing deep in Coney Island.

This thread reminds me of my Lincoln High School lunchroom in Brighton Beach.
The lunchroom was split up like the United Nations. There was an unofficial separate table for each ethnicity.

There was an Indian table,
a Russian table,
a Ukrainian table,
a Pakistani table,
a Bengali table,
an East New York African American table,
a Coney Island African American table,
a Puerto Rican table,
a Chinese table,
a Korean table,
an Italian table,
a Mexican table,
and a Philipino table.
Little if no interaction went on between the tables. For some reason i decided to bounce around the lunch room and sat at all the tables at one point or another.

[N.Y.Traveler]

In a bar, it is better to separate them! After a few drinks, there will be a fight for sure. The general policy is that working together is OK, socializing together is prohibited.

[crisp444]

Originally Posted by SobroGuy

hehe I never say "Hispanics of Color"..I just say Hispanics as the "of color" is assumed. But yes I agree...TODAY it is about class, whereas before it was about race..the game has changed...and as a result neighborhoods are changing and becoming diversified not JUST on race, but moreso on class (people of color are doing the "gentrifying" in many neighborhoods).

LOL the problem with this is that to you, anyone who isn't a white Anglo Saxon Protestant is a "person of color." I will respond by saying what I love to say to people who think only mestizo or mulatto people are Latin: "Aunque me falta el color, me sobra el sabor" (Though I may be lacking in color, I more than make up for it in flavor)!! The way you use "person of color" is confusing because you would describe millions of white people in this country as "colored" when you just mean to say "ethnic." However, there isn't anyone who is going to mistake what you are - when you go into a bar full of white people everyone knows that there's some color in the house! SobroGuy - diversifying "whitebread Manhattan" (rolls eyes sarcastically) since 19XX!!!

In all seriousness though, I think the diversity here in NY is great. I have been to many restaurants or bars in Miami where there are literally NO black or Asian people in a crowd of 50-100 people. Same goes with when I lived in Madrid. I think that the crowd in the East Village (where I go a lot for bars and restaurants) is extremely diverse, as you see people from all origins socializing and having a good time together. I see a lot of diversity near where I live when I go out in Cobble Hill / Boerum Hill as well. Lots of white male, black female couples - that is one combination that I had never really seen until living here!

[SobroGuy]

Lets not use high school lunch tables as an example for anything other than High school! If anyone believes in NYC that there is not, or little, "mixing" is either selecting to see what they want, is going to the wrong places, or is not able to identify all the mixing occuring unless it is blatant and obvious color extremes. If you spend all your time going out in Harlem..there is no doubt you will believe there is no mixing!

[TunaBoy]

Well among the americans, I see mixing, alot more than in LA where theres alot of racial tension between everybody. Its natural though to see some division, especially among immigrants cause they tend to steer towards people they can relate to and communicate with.

[Moderate Guy]

Originally Posted by TunaBoy

Well among the americans, I see mixing, alot more than in LA where theres alot of racial tension between everybody. Its natural though to see some division, especially among immigrants cause they tend to steer towards people they can relate to and communicate with.

Agreed. It's only natural for newcomers to gravitate toward people who share a common experience, customs, language, etc. This has been the history of America and is nothing new.

Usually, it's the children and subsequent generations who, via school, job, sharing the American lifestyle, etc., assimilate and socialise more rapidly, intermarry sometimes, and move up and beyond racial or ethnic clusters, even while retaining some cultural identification with their foreparents' customs, etc., to the extent that it can be compromised to be compatible with the mainstream.

[vitalove]

Originally Posted by crisp444

LOL the problem with this is that to you, anyone who isn't a white Anglo Saxon Protestant is a "person of color." I will respond by saying what I love to say to people who think only mestizo or mulatto people are Latin: "Aunque me falta el color, me sobra el sabor" (Though I may be lacking in color, I more than make up for it in flavor)!! The way you use "person of color" is confusing because you would describe millions of white people in this country as "colored" when you just mean to say "ethnic." However, there isn't anyone who is going to mistake what you are - when you go into a bar full of white people everyone knows that there's some color in the house! SobroGuy - diversifying "whitebread Manhattan" (rolls eyes sarcastically) since 19XX!!!

I hate to break it to you but most of America feels this way, especially outside of major cities like NYC/Chi/Miami/LA. It may not be right but that is what this country has been founded on. Remember the whole "one drop" rule.