african americans (Portland, Bend, Burns: transfer, school, university)

[Nell Plotts]

Yes but Washington was/is the terminus for major rail roads, for example. The inland cities have/had aluminum smelters and Hanford. They have always had more heavy industry so there were more employment opportunities for immigrants, including African-Americans.

[victoriaG]

[quote=lifeatbest;17014829]I am currently interviewing for a position in Bend, Ore. And I will go with confidence. BUT I know they will think I'm not as qualified for the position because I'm a black female. quote]

I would be very surprised if what you say is true, and very disheartened. I've lived in the PNW my whole life, and currently now live in Bend, OR. The friends I have from Arkansas, Oklahoma, etc. have told me stories about the racial prejudices that exist there, that are shocking to hear as a person from the PNW area. I would not live in Bend if I felt it had a racist mentality, and laws dating back to the 1800s are not a good way to judge (as much of the US was the same!) If you come here for your interview, maybe you'll have time to take a stroll downtown and explore the area and see what you think. It's beautiful, the people are very friendly, it's got a liberal/progressive vibe, there are plenty of outdoor activities and artistic endeavors to take part in.

[Hawk J]

I grew up as an Army brat living in Forts all across our great country, & some foreign countries. I've made beloved friends who have many hues of skin color. What is most important is having a warm, good heart.

[O-Ducky]

You'd be fine in Oregon. The question is the culture thing. There's racist people everywhere so of course you'll find it there (I can't remember finding it there).

[Nell Plotts]

The fact that they are bringing you in from another community for interview is indicative that they are very interested in your skills. The most important part of the interview is the exploration on both of your parts as to whether or not you are a good fit for their organization. Your race will not be a factor against you.

The advise I gave a SIL is that the interview is the courtship, the job is akin to a marriage. If you do not get good vibes at this stage it is not likely to improve. (FYI she is a white female health care provider so race was not in play.)

If after the interview you want the job I wish you the best in the selection process.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by O-Ducky

You'd be fine in Oregon. The question is the culture thing. There's racist people everywhere so of course you'll find it there (I can't remember finding it there).

What do you mean specifically by culture?

[EnricoV]

Originally Posted by bluebird39

Outside of a few neighborhoods in Portland, Oregon is lilly white. I moved there from New Orleans, and it was a culture shock for me, and I'm white!

You know, that's funny. One of my biggest culture shocks was in New Orleans, when by the end of my visit I realized that every restaurant we ate in had either all black or all white servers. Never a mixture. I found that a huge, sad, shock.

[Purple_neck]

My two cents? We are currently looking for small ranch property in rural Oregon. I have traveled in rural Oregon before, and have garnered 2nd looks, but the only hostility seemed to be the fact that I was from California and was looking for a house. The attitude magically would change when I mentioned I was looking for an existing older ranch property and I would get a smile and a handshake. Then, I was one of the guys because we enjoyed a similar culture.

Therefore, I believe as someone mentioned before me, the culture may have a lot to do with it in Oregon and, well how you fit in anywhere. If I seemed to be a person who walked around with a beenie, saggy jeans and yo's, (which I don't) I would probably fit in better in Portland. But since I like to hunt and raise livestock, I may be more accepted east of the cascades.

And If I'm not accepted, well I really don't care! It is a free country and people can think what they want as long as they don't vocalize it with a torch on my acreage because well, that would be bad.

Now for my gripe: can some one tell me what is with this diversity thing I keep hearing about on these threads? I am very comfortable in my own skin, whether it be in the worst parts of so called diversified So Cal, or completely pale eastern Canada. Without offending the entire thread, am I only suppose to be comfortable around "my own kind"? If so, then changing these old jim crowe style laws so long ago means nothing if everybody, including, as it was described on the blog, as the more liberal and progressive folks, believe I will be more comfortable where the area is "more diversified." Sorry, but diversity to me means raising cattle, sheep, alfalfa, soy beans and corn within close proximity!

Jrdn hopefully your move went well, and I am sure mine will go well also.

[Larry Caldwell]

Originally Posted by Purple_neck

Now for my gripe: can some one tell me what is with this diversity thing I keep hearing about on these threads? I am very comfortable in my own skin, whether it be in the worst parts of so called diversified So Cal, or completely pale eastern Canada. Without offending the entire thread, am I only suppose to be comfortable around "my own kind"? If so, then changing these old jim crowe style laws so long ago means nothing if everybody, including, as it was described on the blog, as the more liberal and progressive folks, believe I will be more comfortable where the area is "more diversified." Sorry, but diversity to me means raising cattle, sheep, alfalfa, soy beans and corn within close proximity!

I grew up on an Oregon farm of Scot/Irish and German stock. Oregon was so white back then I never knew there was supposed to be something different about people. High school was the farmer's kids, the logger's kids and the Indians. We all played on the same teams and didn't think much of it. I dated one of the Indian girls for a while, and AFAIK, nobody ever said anything about it.

In college I got my first introduction to racial politics. My roommate my sophomore year was from Zambia, and it seemed like half the Foreign Students Union hung out in our room. Race had nothing do do with my choice of roommate, we were both engineering majors and took a lot of the same classes. My best friend was a black Mexican who grew up in Juarez. Once again, that had nothing to do with our friendship. We both played the guitar, had an interest in folk music, and liked to sing together. This was in the late '60s, and I had trouble getting my head around some of the things they were telling me. I also started to form my first prejudices. I preferred not to associate with fundamentalists Muslims. There were some Iranian Shiites that walked around with an ice pick up their butts, but the others were OK. Hindus were fun to hang with, but I could do without milk and sugar in tea. To this day, I still prefer Japanese green tea.

In the intervening 40+ years, I have changed a lot and so has the world. I now have black and Asian cousins. One of my Asian cousins almost married an Italian, but the engagement broke off. We all breathed a sigh of relief. You can carry this diversity thing too far. Yes, my black cousins live in California. There is a diplomat, an MD, and a civil engineer. So much for stereotypes. I am proud of my family. Not a dud in the bunch, some of them are brilliant, and all of them are good people.

I think everyone is happier with "their own kind," it's just complicated figuring out what "kind" that is. You sure can't tell based on skin color, language or where you grew up.

[Purple_neck]

Larry that is exactly my point, and our college experiences were too similar. In my late 80's university, I saw that I got along much better with people who were like me as opposed to the others who just looked like me. This has continued in my workplace, church, family... Because of this, it matters not to me if my I look like the people in my community and I am comfortable if they do, or not.

I think it is sad that people believe they can't be happy unless their city is racially or whatever diverse. It also angers me, that some assume because an area isn't "Diverse", the area will be xeno, homo, or whatever other type of phobic they can think of. This is the same argument I just had with an adoption social worker, who in class claimed in two different statements (paraphrasing), "All of Idaho, and all of the mid-west are do not accept people of color or people who are different." Wow! It actually angered me more that I, a person of color, was the only one in class to challenge her on that ridiculous statement. Her statements perpetuate stereotypes about Idahoans, mid-westerners, and well Caucasians in general and it is a sad day when I am the only one who would deny her ignorant statements. I believe we should all find where it will make us happy, no matter what it "looks like".

And side bar, you are really missing the boat on the milk and sugar in hot tea! Try can milk and stevia- as learned from my uk fiancee.