Diversity (Pittsburgh, McKeesport, Washington: homes, school district, gated)

[guylocke]

My understanding of diversity is just recognizing the fact that people who come from other countries and cultures are different and basically just let them be different. They generally form their own social groups and do not correspond with people outside their race or ethnicity with exception of at work or for work-related reasons.

Oh I see what you mean. In that cause, I understand. You're right. People are free to do what they want. I have no problem at all if a certain group of people want to stay together and keep part of their culture alive, I think it's great and makes really interesting parts of town. As long as they aren't staying together out of fear or oppression, likewise, aren't being forced to stay together. It is certainly not illegal or wrong for them to want to assimilate into mainstream American culture, and I think it's really admirable when they do that, too. Just like it wouldn't be wrong or illegal for me to move into a China town, either, if I so chose.

You can't force people to be diversify, and you shouldn't. At the same time, of course, you can't force people to segregate, either.

I think it simply comes down to "birds of a feather flock together." Nothing wrong with that.

The reason why I said "orientals" instead of "Asians" is because, at least from what I understand, Asians can be from anywhere in the continent of Asia

This is true. Eastern Asians, then. Maybe, "those from the land of the orient." ?? ROFL. That might work.

[jeffselan]

There are lots of different types of folks in Pittsbugh, I'm sure there is even some Eagles fans ( shudder the thought ) If you really feel the need to be around other races to be complete, ( I just think the whole idea of excluding areas due to there lack of a minority is about as biased as the bigots you are attempting to avoid.

Try Coraopolis, great little town with a good mix where everyone seems to get along.
Heck, when I lived there, I even saw some Hispanics!

[guylocke]

I just think the whole idea of excluding areas due to there lack of a minority is about as biased as the bigots you are attempting to avoid.

Very interesting observation, I'll have to think on that!

There are lots of different types of folks in Pittsbugh

That really is true. Pittsburgh, in many ways, is actually extremely diverse, like we had said, in terms of European cultures and richness, etc. When most people say "diverse" I immediately think they are talking about Hispanics and African Americans and Asians. I'm not sure, I guess we've been bred to think that way. Pittsburgh isn't overflowing with any of those peoples.

Diverse could actually mean a lot of things. Some people would include gays and heterosexuals. Some would include socio-economic class. Some would include religion (which we are also diverse in).

In fact, I think Pittsburgh is probably fairly rich in almost all diversity except race, which, unfortunately, is what I think of when I hear diversity.

[zip95]

When I say diversity I mean black and white. There are many other equally valid definitions, but I feel that definition is the most relevent to Pittsburgh.

With that being said...This thread confuses me???

IMO The only places that seem non-diverse are ghetto areas (Homewood, Hill District, parts of the North Side, etc) and traditionally exclusionary areas (for example parts of the South Hills).

In the North Hills, while the residents are predominately white, there is still diversity in the commercial areas. The wealthiest areas (Fox Chapel and Sewickley Heights) have somewhat diverse school districts. I see diversity in Shadyside...even Bloomfield (little Italy) has diversity. And of course, the Eastern suburbs and the suburbs along the Monongahala and Ohio rivers are pretty diverse.

I must be missing something.

It seems to me that while Pittsburgh may have a smaller number of minorities (as a percentage of the total population), it is not that terribly segregated....you should go to Philly or Chicago.

[Maaz]

Homewood, Hill District, etc. is equivalent to the eastern portion of Washington D.C. All major cities have so-called ghettos.

Zip95, I think the point of this thread is to indicate the Pittsburgh lacks a lot of people from other races and ethnicities other than white or black. This is mainly because immigration is largely limited to more educated people where in D.C., you get all kinds of immigrants.

In Pittsburgh, it seems as if it is more common for someone from another ethnicity try to blend in with the people who are here, where in D.C., these people are largely segregated and stick with their own kind. Do you understand?

Maaz

[Agbor]

Some observations,Pittsburgh is strange when it comes to diversity,it has missed out on the national immigration trends of the last 20 years in terms of masses of hispanics coming the the city...BUT it is diverse in the East End areas due to the hospitals and universities with lots of Asians and other foreign nationalities...

What I noticed in central Florida (Orlando area) is lots of Hispanics and lots of NEW Eastern European immigration in the service industries along with some southern American-Africans..

What I did notice in D.C.,New York and Chicago was this,these cities have a much larger
American-African population than Pittsburgh...but the parts I was in I didn't see that many until I went to Brooklyn on Atlantic ave...Evidently the black areas are so big..they are self-contained and not that many blacks come to or thru downtown like
they do here...the streets of Pittsburgh seem to be more intergrated in general than the
streets in much larger cities..but then I have only been downtown in these larger cities..

[zip95]

Originally Posted by Maaz

I think the point of this thread is to indicate the Pittsburgh lacks a lot of people from other races and ethnicities other than white or black.

Of that there can be little doubt. That is why I limited my discussion to the "Pittsburgh-version" of diversity (black and white).

[zip95]

Originally Posted by Agbor

...Evidently the black areas are so big..they are self-contained and not that many blacks come to or thru downtown like
they do here...the streets of Pittsburgh seem to be more intergrated in general than the
streets in much larger cities..but then I have only been downtown in these larger cities..

This somewhat explains Maaz's comment of:

Originally Posted by Maaz

In Pittsburgh, it seems as if it is more common for someone from another ethnicity try to blend in with the people who are here, where in D.C., these people are largely segregated and stick with their own kind.

[Maaz]

Someone made the comment that Pittsburgh is 27% black. This is actually small in comparison to other cities like Washington D.C. or Philadelphia. The thing is that most blacks live in the city and this is pretty much the same at any major cities. Whites tend to choose the suburbs while blacks choose the city. If you look at Allegheny county as a whole, I believe the figure is around 12%. In the entire Pittsburgh region, it's probably below the national average of 10%.

[beth ann]

Originally Posted by Maaz

In Pittsburgh, it seems as if it is more common for someone from another ethnicity try to blend in with the people who are here, where in D.C., these people are largely segregated and stick with their own kind. Do you understand?

Maaz

It may be very critical to clarify the differnce between DC and DC metro area (suburban No Va and Md)....they are two differnt balls of wax.

In the city and closer-in suburs there are many more Hispanics and Latinos...probably the largest and fastest-growing immigrant population. A great deal of this population is not educated and may not even speak English, and therefore leading to primarily minimun-wage jobs (McDonalds, housekeepking, plus a lot of "day laborers").

In these communities, not unlike the communities in Pgh during the industrial revolution, people came from their country and gravitated towards their family members and friends in local neighborhoods here. Many live in muilti-family situations.

The no va and suburban md areas are completely different...they are filled with many international folks, not segregated at all. Like I mentioned before, in my suburban neighborhood about 18 miles outside DC (a "far out" suburb compared to Alexandria and Arlington,btw), we have a Chinese, Pakistani, Korean, Nigerian and Filipino families and one family with an African American husband and a Puerto Rican wife.....all within a three block area.Our public school system (Fairfax county) publishes all materials in five different languages. Alot of people from differnt countries, living together, all from similar SES.

Most of the international folks in my neighborhood have advanced degrees...the average income is over 100K....these folks are not segregated to any extent.

From my research on Pgh thus far, there is not a significant number of international folks or minorities, other than blacks. People's great-grandparents coming from Poland/Ireland/Ukraine/Itayl through Ellis Island is not what I'm talking about....I'm talking about the new wave of immigrants. Not something that happened 100 years ago.

Btw, alot of the European immigrants to the US during the industiral revolution were definitly not exactly treated equally. Try talking to some decendents of an Irish or Italian Catholic family to see what I mean.

Btw, there are "class" differnces, so to speak, amongst some cultures and races migrating to the US currently. I have two differnt friends that are Chilean and they seem to feel superior to othe Hispanics (Mexicans and central Americans), due mostly to their European decent. They both have married Americans and have families and live in the no va suburbs, so again , they are not segregated.

Btw....I don't need to feel "complete" as one poster insinuated, by living in an internationally and racially diverse area....I think it will be a positive influence on my kids and give them more of a global perspective, which is a more realistic perspective of the world.

I also have traveled internationally quite a bit and appreciate other cultures, because of it. I would prefer not to live in a 95%-99% white community, which of the Pgh suburbs I researched, seem to mostly be comprised of....that's why I started the post..Pgh is a city and I was wondering where all the international folks live.

Besides....I also love Indian, Thai and Afghan restaurants and would hate to think I have to travel to the downtonw Pgh in order to get my "fix".