Blacks in PDX (Portland, Gresham, Beaverton: high schools, gated, live in)

[greenlite]

Is there any African American influx to the Portland area? or black people who wanna move to Pacific NW typically choose Seattle? Seems like black pop. is shrinking in Portland?

[oldtintype]

Picking Seattle or most other west coast cities for the most part won't be that much different. The west coast has a small black population period. Portland is 6.3%, Seattle 7.9%.

[urbanlife78]

This is just a guess, but I would say the population of Black Americans in Portland has gone up even though the percentage hasn't really changed because the population of Portland itself has also increased.

Finding a part of the city that is dominate African American doesn't really exist anymore, the city has moved past it's once segregated days.

[VTHokieFan]

I feel like people just really can't stand that Portland is a majority white city, and that the people here are indifferent to it.

[greenlite]

Originally Posted by VTHokieFan

I feel like people just really can't stand that Portland is a majority white city, and that the people here are indifferent to it.

u mean blacks cant stand it?

[VTHokieFan]

Originally Posted by greenlite

u mean blacks cant stand it?

Yes, it seems that way. I don't see many Asians or Hispanics or any other minority group talking about it.

[greenlite]

Originally Posted by VTHokieFan

Yes, it seems that way. I don't see many Asians or Hispanics or any other minority group talking about it.

Theres more Hispanics in Portland tho. Asians tend to assimilate with whites and never complain.

[oldtintype]

What I don't understand is why such a big deal is made out of the black population being small in Portland when it's a non issue in San Francisco and Seattle, both cities who have very similar small populations. I think people are convinced that minorities will be burned at a stake here and that's why there's a small population. Not so. There are historical reasons why the west coast tended to have a smaller black population than the south or NE and it was WWII that brought an increase in the population that we have now (jobs) as prior to that the population was even smaller. Portland has always been a small city so there wasn't the same migration of people here that other larger cities saw.

Much is made about Portland being 72.2 white (as of the 2010 census--that number excludes Hispanics counted as white) but that number also counts a lot of the population as white that don't fit the stereotype of white American--ethnic white minorities from eastern Europe, people who are from the middle east, etc. It's not all 100% white bread. Close in Portland, which tends to be the trendy stereotype of Portland is much more stereotypically white than the outlaying areas of Portland where there's a lot more diversity. I think people envision Leave it to Beaver white when they look the numbers. I also see people throw out 78 percent white but they don't realize that data also includes the percentage of the Latino population who are counted as white by the census.

As Portland grows more and more diversity is occurring. For example, much of the Vietnamese population in San Francisco exists because some people were settled there as refugees during the war and they in turn sent for their families and so on. Since Portland really wasn't a destination until the last maybe 20 years, there wasn't a lot of that happening. And some cultures traditionally stay close to family. As more people move here, more extended families move here and that encourages the population to grow. It's not a simple thing. Fact is that Portland just has not been a place where there's been a big draw for minority populations though compared to places like San Francisco or Seattle who have much larger populations in general. However, that's changed a lot recently with the COL in nearby states pushing people out.

I'd be really curious to see what the demographics are now four years after the last census as so many people have moved here I don't think it's accurate anymore.

[freemkt]

Originally Posted by greenlite

Is there any African American influx to the Portland area? or black people who wanna move to Pacific NW typically choose Seattle? Seems like black pop. is shrinking in Portland?

Blacks in PDX: We're Number Four! We're Number Four! (Numerically behind whites, Hispanics, and Asians.)

[ckhthankgod]

Blacks are still in relatively large numbers in Northeast Portland, with some in North and Southeast Portland. Some has moved to Gresham and correct me if I'm wrong, but I think many live in the Powellhurst/Centennial area. You have a couple(percent) in Beaverton. Some live in Vancouver WA as in notable/decent numbers. For evidence, look at demographics at high schools like Benson Poly, Grant, Roosevelt, Jefferson, Madison and even Parkrose or David Douglas for examples of schools with decent to high Black student populations.

I think it is an issue in San Francisco due to the Black population/percentage shrinking. Seattle gets it a little bit too. What is different is that the communities with higher Black percentages in those areas are certain suburbs. In Seattle, the communities south of Seattle and up to Tacoma have decent to even high percentages. In the Bay Area, the East Bay in and around Oakland have communities with higher percentages, with some exceptions in other parts of the area.