Is a Black Man welcomed in Austin? (Houston, Dallas: real estate, insurance)

[artsyguy]

In my experience. I am generally kind-natured to everyone that includes the obese, minorities, special ed, Whites etc.

Since people treated me with disregard on first notice or first meeting. It made me instantly think of discrimination and feel negatively about that while I lived in Austin.

I'm not trying to deter anybody from moving there. I'm saying my experiences and hoping that no other minority will experience disharmony as I did; however, I doubt that will happen. I've had plenty of people DM me and tell me their negative experiences.

People have absolutely no clue how embedded their prejudices are and how automatic their ways are.

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

No, it doesn't mean that the town folk should gang up on someone. It can mean that they each, individually, might not want to, say, date someone who treats "most everyone with disregard or disrespect", or socialize with them in other ways, and they can't really be blamed for that. It can also mean that the person who is treating everyone in this way is suffering the consequences of their own actions (something we're not terribly good at accepting in this culture, I'm afraid - it's always got to be someone else's fault, not our own).

[carolinajack]

Ready made, you are correct--in actuality california according to the data of HateWatch by the Southern Poverty Law Center, California, NJ and Pa rank higher on the list of Hate Crimes than Texas and especially the Austin area. and diversity doesnt mean that people get along, it just means there are people of many cultures, backgrounds, colors in one given place.

acceptance, openness means that these differences are openly accepted adn celebrated, that people get along and willing to live with one another, not segregated from each other.

now segregation can work both ways, many people segregate themselves only hanging with the same sort of people while others are forced to live in areas of a city based on their race, ethnicity etc.

Austin like most places isnt liberal in reality maybe just in its mood (people want to believe they are more openminded) but in practice they are act as any other city--usually based on Economic Status as much as it is race and ethnicity. College students usually are more accepting and will live together in student ghetto areas where the rent is cheap, but once people start purchasing homes they tend to find people in their same backgrounds and status to feel safe and protect their families and investments. so you will see middle class and upper middle class blacks, asians and hispanics scattered all over a city , and not marginalized in the ghettos and barrios like the larger community of color.

my only issue is that people not Mislead others into thinking a place is MORE Open minded than it really is, just because it has "weird" acting folk, or cool and hip things--the reality is most people in that city arent like the downtown culture and one gets a false impression about a place based on what tourists see

[Mdlx]

Originally Posted by artsyguy

I was in a culture shock when I resided in Austin.

What kind of culture shock? Where were you coming from?

[TexasHorseLady]

artsyguy, I'm speaking generally. When someone, to use your words, generally treats people with disregard and disrespect, they're not likely to be able to have much of a social life, and that's a natural consequence of their actions.

As to why people seemed to treat you with disregard or disrespect, consistently, by your description, upon first meeting, when other gay men who live in Austin have reported that that was not their experience, I have no idea. It's just that it might not be discrimination; it might be your own negativity or expectation of being treated that way that was communicated to them, perhaps, or something else that had nothing to do with your sexual orientation (especially if it was on first meeting or first notice, since they presumably would not know that about you, unless you were making a point of it, and in that case it might be that "in your face" attitude rather than the fact itself that would be offputting - they might feel the same about a straight man or woman who was emphasizing their sexuality to people on first meeting or first notice).

This is far afield of the topic, though, I fear.

[nativeaustinite]

I'll be blunt right back, I wouldn't move to Circle C if I were black. The schools are 77% white as is reflective of the area. I think all other parts of Austin would be fine, most people value diversity here.

[txhawk36]

You could be purple and be welcome in Austin, heck some people have so much ink on their bodies they are purple! You will be fine!

[carolinajack]

whats wrong with 77% white schools? i am black, lived in mostly 85% white areas, schools etc, and nothing happened to me, and it was in Texas


so i dont know whats necessarily wrong with that, its not how many there are its how people treat one another.

[Popoagie]

Yes, in Austin, you would find cultural diversity and open minds, but be careful about going to the smaller towns around Austin. There are many blacks and whites who have great, respectful friendships and don't want segregation or the things that came with it to ever come back. But, there are also subconscious and unspoken prejudices that keep blacks from really receiving the same education and employment opportunities. That is not helped by what the kids would call "ghetto behavior" by many of the disadvantaged kids. That promotes stereotypes in small towns, unfortunately.

I hope you meet people who see you as a unique person who happens to be black rather than as a black period. I think you will.

[houstoner]

Originally Posted by StephanieRN

You point is very valid!!! I am white, grew up in Ohio and moved to CA because I wanted diversity. After 10yrs, I left CA because I couldn't afford a home there. We moved to Austin last June because we heard that it was culturally diverse and our friends loved it. Well, let me tell ya, I have been in culture shock since. Diversity? Maybe when you compare it to the rest of Texas, but not in comparison to Los Angeles. It may not be the "in your face" discrimination, but its there.

No, not even close. Compared to the rest of the major Texas cities, Austin is relatively lily white.

[jobert]

Yes, Austin is the whitest major town in Texas. I don't have stats on hand, but I would bet my left *** that's true. Everyone in Austin discriminates against each other for a myriad of reasons. People west of Mopac discriminate against everyone east of Mopac, and everyone west of 35 discriminates against everyone east 35 and so on.. Rich people on lake Travis with yachts discriminate against those who only have small boats. alot of people in Austin discriminates against those whose moved here after them. The white collar newcomers discriminate against the indigenous people (homo slackus Austinius) and regard them as garbage but won't admit it. It goes beyond just racism, but is rather a mindset.