Is Metro Philadelphia - N.J. Racist? (Pittsburgh, California: house, neighborhood)

[Just1Lion]

i really think that racism, whether it is outspoken or kept inside, exists EVERYWHERE. east coast, west coast, where ever. its here...its there...

[carolinajack]

Data from the Southern Poverty Law Center's Hatewatch finds Eastern and Southeast PA and South Jersey having a large hate crimes and hate groups. perhaps it is do to the working class nature of the area and people are not raised to be kind or caring for others, i dont know

check out SPLC.org

[AvidGamer]

To ask a different question - are there parts of MontCo that people would consider racist? I worked in Ambler for 6 months and I found it to be a very diverse and open town (of course, that was almost 15 years ago), and I've heard good things about North Wales and Landsdale. Can that also be said about places like East Norriton, Blue Bell, Abington and Plymouth Meeting?

[Tone509]

Originally Posted by AvidGamer

To ask a different question - are there parts of MontCo that people would consider racist? I worked in Ambler for 6 months and I found it to be a very diverse and open town (of course, that was almost 15 years ago), and I've heard good things about North Wales and Landsdale. Can that also be said about places like East Norriton, Blue Bell, Abington and Plymouth Meeting?

Speaking from personal experience, I would say that Abington is definitely diverse and is as open as its ever been. There may still be some minor pushback from lower-middle class communities but nothing that would paint a broad brush over the town. I can't speak to East Norriton but I believe the both Blue Bell and Plymouth Meeting would be equally welcoming.

[AvidGamer]

Thanks, Tone.

[NJMar]

Originally Posted by sleeepy2

I live in the 'burbs, around 3 miles outside the city. There are mixed race coubles on my block, nobody cares.

I work in all neighborhoods of the city and mixed race couples are not uncommon anywhere (except maybe Society Hill).

What town do you live in? What are the taxes like? I am considering moving to south jersey from north jersey and I am looking for a town like this.

[sixersfan]

Originally Posted by carolinajack

Data from the Southern Poverty Law Center's Hatewatch finds Eastern and Southeast PA and South Jersey having a large hate crimes and hate groups. perhaps it is do to the working class nature of the area and people are not raised to be kind or caring for others, i dont know

check out SPLC.org

So you are speculating that being raised in the "working class" means that you are not raised to be kind and caring for others?

Really? I was raised in the working class and my neighbors and friends were very caring and kind. I grew up in a very diverse area as well and generally found that there were/are kind and caring people of all races and ethnicities (who all happened to work and have class)! What exactly are you assuming? I didn't realize being in the leisure class led a person to be more kind and caring.

[pttp]

people say places like philly,new jersey is racist,but i say everywhere you have ignorant(sorry for my spelling)uneducated people who have no education of other cultures,and so quickly to make judgements of people.but i just wanna say that when i visit places like new jersey,delaware,and philly i feel accepted by the whites.now new york, everyone says how racism don't exist there but it does.it seems like white people have no respect for you if you are black or any other non-white race, but then again i could be wrong it could be a new york thing where people have no respect for each other. just sad.

[Joe84323]

I really can't speak for Jersey so much, but I can tell you that yes, there is a quiet racism in Philadelphia. Whereas, in the south, I've seen people throw the n word around like nobody's business, you won't find it in Philadelphia.

I've snuck into a few Philadelphia cliques either through work, or at an ethnic bar, or living in a homogenous neighborhood like Fishtown, and it is present. It took me about 8 months working at my job until they felt they knew me enough to start throwing around the n word. I finally found out from a local in Fishtown (drunk,) one night, that they don't talk to black people in their neighborhood. I also was around some South Philly people who were pretty damned racist once they got drunk.

It goes the other way too. Having a ton of black friends, I've been in cliques, or parties, or bars in West and North Philly, and I could cut through their racism with a knife it was so prominent in the air. I got damned close to being beat up/jumped.

It is present all over Philly, and the suburbs, but it is a repressed, quiet racism, and If I didn't analyze it I might have missed it. At first, it seems like everything is Kosher, but once you dig deeper, it is there. It's just not as forward as you'll see in the south, where they'll use the n word as easily as they'd say the word "pie."

I think, though, it is everywhere, to some extent, it's either well repressed, and shielded, or it's plain, blatant, out in the open hate.

Over all, if I was a minority (I am technically Hispanic, but 100% European,) the Philadelphia area WOULD be a preferable place to live. You won't be bashed, but you could be excluded from certain social circles, which you probably would anyway, being that Philly is very closed circle to begin with in most of the parochial neighborhoods outside CC, UC, and Old City.

One thing I would remind you: The city of Philadelphia IS a very black city, so being black would make you a plurality in the city, and NOT a minority. This ain't Salt Lake City

[twista6002]

It's not like Dixie but yea there is some intolerance in Philly. You'll probably find more in parts of SoJers but Philly has a lot of biggots (white on black and vice-versa).