[Bruce81]

When you go to a Walmart and Whites are 95% of the clientele, then there is no diversity, sorry. I met good people in Omaha and had great Mexican food in South Omaha, but it seems as soon as you step off that area then thats it, and it did make me feel a bit odd, maybe i am sure people didnt care about me, but thats just how i felt. I want my kids to grow up in a place where we can all live together in diversity in 1 neighbourhood and not have to drive to a different section of town just to get a glimpse of someone different. I will say that I think the city is very clean, and nice with very attractive areas. I guess Nebraska is just not for me, but I am sure for people seeking tranquility and peace of mind, well go for it..

[Bosco55David]

Originally Posted by Bruce81

When you go to a Walmart and Whites are 95% of the clientele, then there is no diversity, sorry. I met good people in Omaha and had great Mexican food in South Omaha, but it seems as soon as you step off that area then thats it, and it did make me feel a bit odd, maybe i am sure people didnt care about me, but thats just how i felt. I want my kids to grow up in a place where we can all live together in diversity in 1 neighbourhood and not have to drive to a different section of town just to get a glimpse of someone different.

Diversity does not equality tolerance.

[mattpoulsen]

Bruce,

Look up the stats! Omaha has nearly the EXACT same diversity as the country as whole! In other words, Omaha has the same propportion of minorities as the they exist in whole of the United States.

To say that level is NOT diverse is simply dishonest. IT IS JUST AS DIVERSE AS THE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE!!

As far as tolerance, I do NOT for the life of me where these posts claiming the racism and intolerance in Omaha come from. Sure intolerant people exist in Omaha. But i have traveled the world and all of the U.S. many times and DO NOT notice a difference!

Maybe the problem is you! Maybe the problem is you are used to living in a place with a higher proportion of minorities and when you see a place that has less than that level you assume the place to be racist?! My point is I think the problem is YOUR perception of the situation. Maybe it is you who is being small minded and intolerant.

Furthermore, I could walk into ANY Wal-mart in Omaha and guarantee with absolute certainty that it is NOT filled with 95% whites.

[FunkyMonk]

Omaha is not diverse for a city in the US.

The reason why it is as diverse as the US as a whole is because of all the small towns in the US that are almost all white. These bring the percentage of white people in the US up.

But compared to other CITIES. Omaha is not very diverse all.

Not just racially, but culturally, it is not diverse. It's just an all-American city. Compared to lots of other places, it has a very old school vibe. There is nothing really wrong with that. A lot of people would like that too, it is what it is.

It's a middle-American city in the bible belt. That's what you get.

[Go Ne]

Correction, the bible belt is in the South

And I never got the big deal about diversity, ohhh we have black people in my neighborhood we're so progressive? Don't get me wrong, I have Black, Chinese, Cambodian and Hispanic friends, but just because they have a different color skin does that mean I'm incredibly progressive?

[Stacy From Cali]

Originally Posted by Go Ne

Correction, the bible belt is in the South

And I never got the big deal about diversity, ohhh we have black people in my neighborhood we're so progressive? Don't get me wrong, I have Black, Chinese, Cambodian and Hispanic friends, but just because they have a different color skin does that mean I'm incredibly progressive?

Well what it does mean is that you are exposed to the POV of many cultures other than your own. This is a huge benefit in my eyes because it tends to result in a less rigid mindset about "how things are" or "how things are supposed to be."

[laserdisque]

I think that the big problem with the city is not lack of diversity, but how segregated it is. You have west Omaha for the white people, north Omaha for the blacks, and south Omaha for the Mexicans and Guatemalans. Midtown is the one part of the city that has a bit of integration happening.

[thatguy1]

I don't know about anyone else, but I wouldn't be overly excited to have the North Omaha culture of crime spill over into my neighborhood.

[OhioUberAlles]

Originally Posted by Stacy From Cali

Well what it does mean is that you are exposed to the POV of many cultures other than your own. This is a huge benefit in my eyes because it tends to result in a less rigid mindset about "how things are" or "how things are supposed to be."

Don't you think it is sort of insulting to think that just because somebody has a different skin color, they automatically have a different perspective and necessarily a different culture?

There are probably some blacks who live within a mile of me, who share more views with me, and have a perspective closer to my own, than White folks from the Caucus mountains.

To assume that you need a different skin color to get a different perspective, is really insulting and borders on offensive.

[Stacy From Cali]

Originally Posted by OhioUberAlles

Don't you think it is sort of insulting to think that just because somebody has a different skin color, they automatically have a different perspective and necessarily a different culture?

There are probably some blacks who live within a mile of me, who share more views with me, and have a perspective closer to my own, than White folks from the Caucus mountains.

To assume that you need a different skin color to get a different perspective, is really insulting and borders on offensive.

Perhaps your experience is different than mine, but I have personally never run into a Chinese, Philippino, Mexican, Black, Russian, Indian, Egyptian, Guatemalan...ect ect family who did not have different life experiences/cultural traditions than my own. That is the power of diversity IMO. Sure everyone is the same in some ways, but the interesting dialogue begins when we learn about our differences. Obviously not all white folks are the same either (where/how one is raised makes for HUGE cultural differences) but less white folks have insight to share about how the world treats them because of the color of their skin.

Example: My Chinese cousin (adoped and raised by my aunt) is not going to have many cultural differences than me (being raised in the same family) but she is still going to have interesting (and sometimes disturbing) experiences to share about how she is treated differently (or different assumptions are made about her) because of what she looks like. These experiences certainly color her POV, and I certainly think I can learn from her.