But what about the black people? (Portland, Springfield: neighborhoods, gated, living)

[swandiver]

I live in western Massachusetts now and believe me, so these complaints about the weather all seem relative. I would kill to have Portland's weather here.

I am 90% sure that I want to make the move to Portland. I've done the research, compared neighborhoods and living expenses and job opportunites (I would be working-class for sure) and love the "alternative", liberal, urban vibe. I hear excellent testimonials from all my friends and aquaintances that have lived and visited.

But in the midst of all this cool funkiness that I want to be a part of there is just one nagging question in the back of my mind: Where are all the black people? In every photo and description of all the places I would want to live, there's nothing but a sea of fleshy pinkness. What's the deal?

[karlsch]

Black population is ~8%.

[Wicked Felina]

Originally Posted by swandiver

I live in western Massachusetts now and believe me, so these complaints about the weather all seem relative. I would kill to have Portland's weather here. Aren't we silly? This is the mildest weaher I've ever lived in!!!

I am 90% sure that I want to make the move to Portland. I've done the research, compared neighborhoods and living expenses and job opportunites (I would be working-class for sure) and love the "alternative", liberal, urban vibe. I hear excellent testimonials from all my friends and aquaintances that have lived and visited.

But in the midst of all this cool funkiness that I want to be a part of there is just one nagging question in the back of my mind: Where are all the black people? In every photo and description of all the places I would want to live, there's nothing but a sea of fleshy pinkness. What's the deal?

Fleshy pinkness? I like to think of myself as having a more marshmallow-colored hue (lots o' sun is not my friend!)...

To your point, if you want racial and cultural diversity, you'll not find it in Oregon, at least not yet. I moved here from back east, and that's the one thing that struck me, the incredible whiteness of this town (Portland).

I've seen the racial makeup change noticeably over the years, but it is still a far cry from where you live. I don't know what the deal is, but prepare yourself for a shocker if diversity is what you're looking for.

I was commiserating awhile back with another CD member who lives clear in Michigan (or Minnesota). We've both been searching in vain for a proper Jewish deli - no such thing out here. (I'm hungry).

So, if you're looking for a social make-up that's more reflective of the rest of the world, you'll not find it so much in Portland.

IMHO -

[Cat_Person]

Phoenix is more diverse. You'll find Black, Hispanic, Native American, and a few Asians. All varying shades of brown. Also Seattle might be better, but I can't speak from experience. I live in Cali and know all 5 black people in my town (!). So much for west-coast racial diversity

[westvillemama]

Yes, it's true. Oregon has less Black people than *Kansas*. Not so shocking, considering that sundowner laws are still on the books in many a small OR town, eh? PDX has a decent sized Asian population, though, and the Hispanic community continues to grow each year, so there is hope for the pasty PNW yet!

[SeattlitefromNC]

Originally Posted by swandiver

I live in western Massachusetts now and believe me, so these complaints about the weather all seem relative. I would kill to have Portland's weather here.

I am 90% sure that I want to make the move to Portland. I've done the research, compared neighborhoods and living expenses and job opportunites (I would be working-class for sure) and love the "alternative", liberal, urban vibe. I hear excellent testimonials from all my friends and aquaintances that have lived and visited.

But in the midst of all this cool funkiness that I want to be a part of there is just one nagging question in the back of my mind: Where are all the black people? In every photo and description of all the places I would want to live, there's nothing but a sea of fleshy pinkness. What's the deal?

I spent six years in Seattle and have just moved to Portland.

Believe it or not, but I've seen more black people in three weeks of living here than I saw in nearly five years in Seattle! I wasn't prepared for that, so it was a bit of a shock.

That having been said, the Pacific NW is a very white part of the world ... if you think Portland has few black people, try leaving Portland! The place just gets whiter and whiter. That, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. But it makes getting hair products more complicated ...

The only "black outpost" in the whole Pacific NW is along the I-5 corridor, starting just south of Seattle and ending at Ft. Lewis. Outside of that corridor, it's hard to find a place just to get your hair done or even just see people that look like you. That takes some getting used to, though it's not a big deal by any means.

If you have any questions, PM me.

[karlsch]

Why are there so few black people in Portland and Oregon? It’s actually quite simple.

It has very little to do with past racism. Sundowner and other racist laws were hardly exclusive to Oregon-they were everywhere in the United States.

Primarily because of the mechanization of agriculture in the first half of the last century, a huge number of blacks migrated from the South to very large northern cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Detroit and especially Chicago. It is often called the Great Migration.

Why did they go to these cities? Because of the many low-skilled jobs available. Jobs that former agricultural workers could do. For instance, in Chicago they could work in the stockyards and steel mills.

Why didn’t they move to Portland? Because Portland was a small city compared to the above and many were only vaguely aware of Portland’s existence. Because Portland was far, far away. But mainly because very few low-skilled jobs were available.

[Miami305Kid]

The west coast simply doesn't have a lot of black people, only around 8% or some low number. The west coast is very diverse its just that the majority of black people live in the south.

[hymalaia]

well I'm from Massachusetts (both Boston and Western MA) and frankly I notice about the same amount of black people here as I did there. While the statistics show far fewer blacks, MA tends to be very segregated. Black people and white people just don't hang out in the same areas, with a few exceptions such as Jamaica Plain and parts of Cambridge. Outside of the Boston area it seems like blacks are largely confined to economically depressed cities like Springfield, where whites live in the wealthier suburbs and rural towns. Of course I'm white so this is what I notice. If you are black and want to be around lots of people who look similar, than Portland is going to be an issue. But if it's just "diversity" that you are after, I really don't think it makes much difference in terms of how many black people you end up seeing, sans a trip to a majority black area (which really don't exist here).

[scone]

The traditional center of African American culture in Portland was the northeast. There has been some disruption due to gentrification. The Vanport flood (long story, google for more info) probably pushed a lot of people out, as well. African Americans do have a voice in Portland politics, and a lot of influence over social and cultural affairs, so there is a strong presence in the city, despite the lower population stats. Out in the country, OTOH, it gets pretty monochromatic. Wikipedia has entries on all the Oregon counties, that will give you the census info.