Political/Off-Topic sticky chat thread (Scranton, Clarks Summit: maintenance, jobs, housing)

[CHS89]

but the with rising Hispanic population in South Side I'm sure it might not be long until the Electric City becomes the same "barrio" that Hazleton has eroded into.

I'm white and live in South Side. Even I thought that was a pretty xenophobic thing to say.

[FightinPhils]

Originally Posted by CHS89

but the with rising Hispanic population in South Side I'm sure it might not be long until the Electric City becomes the same "barrio" that Hazleton has eroded into.

I'm white and live in South Side. Even I thought that was a pretty xenophobic thing to say.

South Side is becoming the "barrio" whether you like it or not. Hispanic businesses are popping up all over Pittston Ave, and they all seem to be flocking to South Side.

I just hope all this "revitalization of South Side" we're hearing about from the mayor doesn't drive the bad elements from South Side to another part of town, namely West Side. Remember, the criminal element scattered from the Hill to South Side when they got on a kick of revitalizing the Hill. I'm just bracing myself for the ghetto to scatter to this side of town.

[CHS89]

So? The Upper Hill has a lot of Jewish residents. Doesn't make it a kibbutz, does it?

"Diverse" would have been a better word than "barrio". Barrio presumes ghetto, except a different color.

[FightinPhils]

Barrio is Spanish for "neighborhood." Typically a neighborhood with a lot of Hispanic residents. It doesn't necessarily mean ghetto.

[FightinPhils]

Originally Posted by CHS89

"Diverse" would have been a better word than "barrio". Barrio presumes ghetto, except a different color.

"Diverse" could be used to describe any neighborhood in Scranton. I may not have any racial minorities for immediate neighbors, but I'm Irish, and I have neighbors who are Welsh, Italian, Polish, German, etc. That's diversity...you don't need different skin tones to be diverse.

[CHS89]

So Paul was implying that Hazleton has "eroded" into a "neighborhood"?

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by CHS89

So? The Upper Hill has a lot of Jewish residents. Doesn't make it a kibbutz, does it?

"Diverse" would have been a better word than "barrio". Barrio presumes ghetto, except a different color.

"Barrio" is the Spanish word for neighborhood, and I meant it as such. I meant to imply that South Side Scranton could potentially become the same "Hispanic-dominated neighborhood" that much of the city of Hazleton has now become. I've been immersed in Spanish classes for five years now. Trust me, the last thing I'd want to appear as would be anti-Hispanic. On the other hand I am anti-illegal immigration purely based upon the financial strains the influx places upon host communities.

Most of those residing in South Side are probably LEGAL Hispanic transplants to the city, but illegal aliens...errr..."undocumented residents"...tend to flock to areas where a solid base of people from their own race reside. Why do you think many Jewish families flocked to the Upper Hill in the early-20th Century? Why do you think so many gays/lesbians flock to Greenwich Village or San Francisco? Why do you think punk/emo kids trying to start fringe bands flock to Seattle? Why do you think outdoor recreational enthusiasts flock to Denver? Why do you think younger families flock to the suburbs and yuppies flock to downtowns? People in general like to cluster themselves amongst those with similar backgrounds so that they have a wider support network to rely upon in their neighborhoods as they try to transition into their new environments. Like it or not South Side may very well become a "barrio" (not meant to have a negative connotation, so perhaps I'll use "Hispanic-oriented neighborhood") within the next decade, and the Lower Hill would ultimately be the prime candidate to become Scranton's "gayborhood" given its proximity to downtown and the University, based upon where gay-friendly neighborhoods emerge in comparable cities.

[CHS89]

I'm not really taking issue with his overall point, just the context in which he used the quoted phrase.

[CHS89]

I understand what you're saying, and I completely understand "clustering." I just fail to see how a large Hispanic presence in South Side would constitute an erosion.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by CHS89

So Paul was implying that Hazleton has "eroded" into a "neighborhood"?

I'll agree that it was a poor choice of words. Unlike Dan I'll admit when I'm wrong. Two things have coincided with Hazleton:

1.) Its Hispanic population (legal and illegal) has mushroomed since 1990. (FACT)
2.) Its overall quality-of-life has declined sharply since 1990. (OPINIONS I've heard from many native residents of the city).

I should have separated "eroded" and "barrio" into two separate statements. The city of Hazleton's quality-of-life has eroded as it has gradually become a "barrio" might have been a better and/or more politically-correct way to phrase things, as I know that there is not necessarily a causal relationship between Hazleton's surging Hispanic population and its reduction in quality-of-life.