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Old 10-03-2008, 01:51 PM
 
Location: Road Warrior
2,016 posts, read 5,564,988 times
Reputation: 836

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Desperadostl, great analysis, however I find a irony to your story, as we speak of how segregation/racism/crime isn't bad enough, we Americans, not just you but also aragx6, myself and everyone else naturally then goes about and compare which city is more segregated and which city is more "racist". That is the American Paradox. Btw I think STL may be a whole lot better than KC, the other city across state lines, in terms of social scene and race relations.
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Old 10-03-2008, 01:55 PM
 
Location: Shaw, St. Louis/West Ridge, Chicago/WuDaoKou, Beijing
292 posts, read 868,981 times
Reputation: 152
that is pretty nasty...
My main argument is with the city core...the areas immediately in downtown and surrounding downtown were completely revitalized and definitely doesn't have that "dead" feeling that our city core has...The progressive leadership in Chicago brought major industry to the city and made a complete 360 with the core and surrounding areas...
Progressive blacks in the south side and areas of north chicago completely turned their neighborhoods around as well...I don't know anything about the west side I admit...
They have made some leaps and bounds where we still crawl.
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Old 10-03-2008, 01:58 PM
 
Location: Shaw, St. Louis/West Ridge, Chicago/WuDaoKou, Beijing
292 posts, read 868,981 times
Reputation: 152
Quote:
Originally Posted by RangerDuke08 View Post
Desperadostl, great analysis, however I find a irony to your story, as we speak of how segregation/racism/crime isn't bad enough, we Americans, not just you but also aragx6, myself and everyone else naturally then goes about and compare which city is more segregated and which city is more "racist". That is the American Paradox. Btw I think STL may be a whole lot better than KC, the other city across state lines, in terms of social scene and race relations.
this whole thing is a bit overblown!
It started as how i am just frustrated that people are afraid of mixing here.
The name of the thread is St. Louis isn't that Racist...but does suck hard culturally

Chicago is a place I feel comfortable everywhere because I have tons more people like me around and a whole lot of brown people lol...
Ill stick to the point.
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Old 10-03-2008, 02:05 PM
 
Location: Tower Grove East, St. Louis, MO
12,063 posts, read 31,485,827 times
Reputation: 3798
^^The mixing thing is such a good point. It was something I was really looking forward to about Chicago, but the neighborhood that I live in (Wicker Park, which you mentioned earlier), that I simply adore, is not particularly diverse at all. I really wish it was more so racially integrated.

I plan on moving back to St. Louis at some point and love the idea that when I send my kid to a magnet it will provide them a far more racially integrated social scene than the one in which I grew up. This is something that is very important to me. And, luckily, to my SO as well.
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Old 10-03-2008, 02:27 PM
 
Location: Shaw, St. Louis/West Ridge, Chicago/WuDaoKou, Beijing
292 posts, read 868,981 times
Reputation: 152
so yeah in a nutshell...
I'm very unusual in St. Louis
I'm tired of police about once a month stopping me when I'm walking or when I'm borrowing a car when I'm in my own neighborhood...
Tired of not being able to get a job (and mentioned Me since i am so spiteful had my white buddies do test runs for me everywhere I applied and they were all offered jobs quick and dont have any experience in that field)
Tired of being looked at like an alien everywhere I go...people look at me like i'm lost...I always stand out like a sore thumb and pretty much have no one to relate to.
These are my points
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Old 10-03-2008, 02:46 PM
 
Location: Tower Grove East, St. Louis, MO
12,063 posts, read 31,485,827 times
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How are you unusual in a city that is 51.2% black?

You seem to be constantly comparing Chicago (or similar) city to St. Louis' suburbs. That's weird.
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Old 10-03-2008, 02:56 PM
 
Location: Shaw, St. Louis/West Ridge, Chicago/WuDaoKou, Beijing
292 posts, read 868,981 times
Reputation: 152
i dont hang out in the suburbs...

Im half black half mexican...you can't look at me and tell that im either...arabs think i am arab, mexicans dont even try speaking spanish to me and blacks dont know what to think and having to prove that i'm half black is really annoying lol...

I dont think i've ever gone out drinking in the suburbs.

When i compare im comparing talking about going out and mixing, im talking about the cities.

if you read what i said about there is basically the white pole and the black pole in STL...if you dont fit into either, then good luck
at least in NYC people think im dominican or puerto rican which would make sense haha.
I am an unknown species in STL.
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Old 10-03-2008, 03:06 PM
 
Location: Tower Grove East, St. Louis, MO
12,063 posts, read 31,485,827 times
Reputation: 3798
^I understand that. My SS is Filipino and people think he's Mexican (even Mexicans!), Middle Eastern, Asian, everything...

The thing is, even in Chicago there aren't a lot of half-black half-hispanics ... There is a very real, very unspoken black/brown issue in Chicago.
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Old 10-03-2008, 03:09 PM
 
Location: Shaw, St. Louis/West Ridge, Chicago/WuDaoKou, Beijing
292 posts, read 868,981 times
Reputation: 152
Quote:
Originally Posted by desperad0stl View Post
I can say honestly...My mother lived in chicago for 6 years i am very familiar with chicago and I visit NYC about once a month I know these 2 places very well...and new york is much more "segregated" in terms of where people live.

What I'm trying to get at is diversity is lacking...everything is the same. Everything seems to only have 2 poles which are black and white with nothing else to offer. You get a guy like me who is half black and half latino who is already confused lol...what im trying to get at is that it does not offer what a lot of other cities would...I lack an identity as I am not classified as either black or mexican black people in STL say im not black and Mexicans well forget about it.

It is way too exclusive in this town...and what makes it worse is that mixing is still looked at like woah son thats mighty dangerous...we best slow down with that.

Like I said...you can go anywhere....Anyyyywheerree in Chicago and find everyone mixing...I dont care if there is racism going on everyone is being progressive and mixing together...I love how in a place with a lot of "diversity" you will see every walk of life in the city's core. Outside of the city you still have your very segregated neighborhoods, fine whatever...

The thing that really sucks is that there is a potential for really hip places that promote diversity in this town, but no one wants to do it because they know that say an establishment like a nightclub...they know if they play top 40 hits and z107.7 and pop and pop hip hop theyre going to have a full house fine you cant blame them...everywhere you go every place is the same...same ol crap.

Every major city has its cliques and places to go if you want to participate in that...but whats lacking is if you dont want to take part in that bs. I'm always the guy that stands out like a sore thumb like woah what is that guy doing in here...did he get lost on his way to mowing my lawn lol. (Would you want to be the only white guy in the club everywhere you went consistently on a weekly basis?)
Im not insecure about it...it just really sucks. I might get some easy attention from some open minded girls since I do stand out....wish they were all like that
When it comes to cultural diversity the smallest stuff annoys the hell out of me...like a place like Chevy's or Nacho Mama's consistently winning "best Mexican food" which mexicans themselves just laugh at because its not mexican...(same goes for every kind of ethnic food i can imagine besides bosnian or vietnamese)

I hear the same thing from all the confused people like me...those that dont fit into the white pole or the black pole. N' thats pretty much all there is.
No one wants to have a progressive mindset...everyone wants this place to stay the way it is...fine thats your right.
I grew up here in a great community and everyone in my community is fascinated of the fact that an educated blaxican exists "wow you go to college ey?!" ...constantly having to prove to the police that I live where I do...my speech and the way I dress should be a dead giveaway that I am a product of west county.
you get to a point where enough is enough.
All I was saying is if you're like me...or basically if you are young and dont fit into either pole then STL is not for you.

I've been taken seriously in Chicago and NYC and even Beijing (international cities) because they have seen guys like me before, but when it comes to STL being a college student and not wanting to mow lawns run a dishwasher or be a cook in the kitchen, then I cant get a job (which I havent since returning to USA in january 08 after mounds of resumes and interviews (i've been told that I kill interviews)...hell in china i got paid $20/hr to give private english lessons to doctors and execs even though they all thought i was from india lol...)

I'm bitter as hell...can't you tell?
no one wants to take any steps backwards...and because of that I have to move on!

theres that big thing again!
more so on a professional level than a social one I have a problem with STL...that comes from both whites and blacks who hold positions of authority.
Just the whole damn place annoys the hell out of me.

Can't wait to leave son!
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Old 10-04-2008, 10:02 PM
 
Location: Silver Springs, FL
23,410 posts, read 36,838,810 times
Reputation: 15560
so your definition of "culture" in the Lou is going to clubs and such? -sigh-

Last edited by kshe95girl; 10-04-2008 at 11:20 PM..
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