Racism and discrimination? (Dallas, Austin, Taylor: apartments, homes, law school)

[adelita]

Hey all.....

We moved recently to the Bastrop area, and I've read a bit about discrimination around here. In particular, Taylor and its restaurants in which the blacks sit on one side and the whites sit on the other.

Is this prevalent around here? What about discrimination against gays, democrats, women, etc? Is it all a "good ole boys" club?

I'm not talking about Austin downtown, etc.....I know there's a huge liberal movement in Austin. I am specifically concerned about my area, out East of Austin.

Any experiences you'd care to share?

Thanks!

[austin-steve]

I'd have to say you are grossly misinformed. What is it you are trying to learn?

If you already live in Bastrop, what is it you have personally observed? Why don't you go eat lunch in Taylor and see for yourself if there is anything happening there? Austin is NOT as liberal as people want to believe.

[Trainwreck20]

Taylor has a reputation for racial 'issues'. I do not live there, and don't know anything first-hand (at least not since the mid 80s), but there is no other place that I know of that has that reputation.

[gjt3rd]

All of Texas is run by the "good ol' boys" club from what I have experienced and heard.

Austin, as another poster stated, is not nearly as liberal as it seems. Gays are welcomed with open arms much of the time whereas ethnic minorities such as African Americans are not. Educated bilingual Hispanics are welcomed and paid more, but African Americans are not.

If blacks sit on one side in a restaurant and not on another in Taylor and Bastrop, it is likely personal preference because people know one another. The entire state of Texas is in the deep south and is racist in the true meaning of the word, not just a springboard for a discrimination lawsuit.

All that being said, I think that Texas is rough on most outsiders who do not know the customs and traditions of the small towns. Small towns are as hard on Anglo newcommers as they are on other ethnic groups. When there is an ethnic minority involved, all these towns including Austin assumes the worst. I can pass either way so I see the racism a bit clearer than most. People treat me one way when they think I am one race and another way when think I am other races. The small towns are better today than they were 6 years ago when I moved here. I moved to Austin and was absolutely shocked at the racism thrown at me since Austin had such a liberal reputation. If you like racism and the "Good Ol' Boy" network, move anywhere in Austin where homes are above $115,000 or apartments nearby.

If you do not like racism and the "Good Ol' boy" network and you must move to the area as I did, then brace yourself. Personally, I like the smaller towns because at least there, you know where you stand because the people will tell you where they stand. You just might find you like honesty in the small towns better than deceit of the cities.

[LastDallasNative]

UT used to discriminate against white students who wanted to attend the law school. Non-white students who had lower test scores than the white students got admitted instead.

So a lawsuit was filed, and a decision was handled down, stopping the school from discriminating on the basis of skin color.

[i am just me]

Originally Posted by LastDallasNative

UT used to discriminate against white students who wanted to attend the law school. Non-white students who had lower test scores than the white students got admitted instead.

So a lawsuit was filed, and a decision was handled down, stopping the school from discriminating on the basis of skin color.

Are you serious?

So what you're implying is that all the minorities admitted to the law school had lower test scores than their white counter parts? Show me some proof...

Furthermore, if your discrimination story is referring to affirmative action, it helps ALL minorities or under-represented people...not just "non-whites".

[TXboomerang]

Having spent 6 years in TX before recently moving, I'm still not sure what all the fuss is about with racism. I swear I think people assume racism is there, then once the assumption is made, its easy for it to materialized when you are looking through a dirty window.

I'm white and from south MS and I didn't feel all that welcome when I got there. A lot of the mentalities I see on this board leave me to believe that if I were black I could have just assumed this was what racism was.


I wonder what would happen if I grew a mullet, let my southern accent be heard, and moved to Detroit? Do you think I would experience bias? From the rich white people? From the rich black people? From the low and middle class people of all races? Your damn right I would. I wouldn't have to do anything wrong, the mullet with a southern accent would be curse enough in a large northern city, and most smaller ones.

I don't understand why those from the outside of the south come here with such a judgemental attitude when the same thing happens up north and out west. I can say so just from my travels to the north and west WITHOUT a mullet, just a southern accent. I could only imagine the amount of extra scrutiny, ridicule, and weird looks I would get if I added a mullet to the accent.

I guess I still get puzzled why people act like only white people in the south are sometimes far less than nice or welcoming to those from other places.

[Dazed]

Originally Posted by LastDallasNative

UT used to discriminate against white students who wanted to attend the law school. Non-white students who had lower test scores than the white students got admitted instead.

So a lawsuit was filed, and a decision was handled down, stopping the school from discriminating on the basis of skin color.

Info about the case: http://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/hopwood/98-50506.html (broken link)

http://www.cir-usa.org/cases/hopwood.html

[LastDallasNative]

Originally Posted by i am just me

Are you serious?

So what you're implying is that all the minorities admitted to the law school had lower test scores than their white counter parts? Show me some proof...

Furthermore, if your discrimination story is referring to affirmative action, it helps ALL minorities or under-represented people...not just "non-whites".

Yes, I am serious. Whites were discriminated against.

I am not implying; I am stating the facts.

People are judged on the basis of their character now, not their skin color, thank goodness!

[i am just me]

Originally Posted by LastDallasNative

Yes, I am serious. Whites were discriminated against.

I am not implying; I am stating the facts.

People are judged on the basis of their character now, not their skin color, thank goodness!

I was not asking about whether there were any whites discriminated against.

You said...

"...Non-white students who had lower test scores than the white students got admitted instead..."

My question was...

Are you trying to say that all the minorites admitted had lower test scores than the whites who were not admitted?

I glanced at the Hopwood case (didn't thoroughly read it though because I'm not hip to legalese) but I'm willing to bet that it doesn't prove that every single "non-white" admitted to the UT law school wasn't as smart as the white students who applied.