Need Diversity - Suggestions?? (Houston, Dallas: transfer, neighborhood, YMCA)

[Exiled Texan]

We live in Central Austin (North Tarrytown) and there isn't a single non-white kid in my daughter's elementary school class. None in our neighborhood. No hispanics, no asians, etc. I worry about raising my kids in such an environment. I was raised overseas in an extremely diverse environment. Any suggestions?

My husband made the comment the other day that Austin is like a black and white cookie we used to get up east, I35 is the dividing line. Wish there was more blending. Not sure how to fix this as I like our neighborhood, school and proximity to work.

[atlanta hope]

The GreatSchools site has a breakdown of percentage of ethnicities so if you wanted to move your daughter to a more diverse school that would help you pick one out. Seems like that would be the easiest way to accomplish your goal.

Our neighborhood isn't very diverse but my daughter's preschool is -- so we're happy for the time being.

[another_hot-day]

Why do you worry about raising your kid in "such an environment"?

[blakesq]

It's too bad people are still so focused on race in 2009.

Originally Posted by Exiled Texan

We live in Central Austin (North Tarrytown) and there isn't a single non-white kid in my daughter's elementary school class. None in our neighborhood. No hispanics, no asians, etc. I worry about raising my kids in such an environment. I was raised overseas in an extremely diverse environment. Any suggestions?

My husband made the comment the other day that Austin is like a black and white cookie we used to get up east, I35 is the dividing line. Wish there was more blending. Not sure how to fix this as I like our neighborhood, school and proximity to work.

[Exiled Texan]

Why do I worry about raising my kid in such an environment?

Do you think it is okay to raise your kids in a 100% white environment? I've lived in Houston, various cities on the East Coast and overseas. Austin is the most segregated, white city I have been in. Although, Dallas is very similar, but I've never lived there. For being a self professed liberal city, it is a little shocking.

My daughter says random things about darker people. Things that seem to be rooted in ignorance and elitism. She doesn't get it from us. We immediately correct her. I worry that sending her to an ALL WHITE school is only going to promote these issues.

It just kind of struck me the other day at elementary school birthday parties that there wasn't a kid of color at any of them. Yes, it is sad we still worry about race. We should be a more blended society if race weren't an issue.

[ATX Wahine]

Originally Posted by Exiled Texan

Austin is the most segregated, white city I have been in.

I respectfully disagree. Here's the data on Austin's diversity, right from City-Data's stats for Austin:

Races in Austin:

• White Non-Hispanic (52.9%)
• Hispanic (30.5%)
• Other race (16.2%)
• Black (10.0%)
• Two or more races (3.0%)
• Chinese (1.2%)
• Asian Indian (1.2%)
• American Indian (1.1%)
• Vietnamese (0.9%)
• Korean (0.5%)

Read more: //www.city-data.com/city/Austin-Texas.html#ixzz0X2ILhmpo

While it certainly isn't as diverse as many other large cities in the U.S., there are more Blacks, Hispanics, and "other race" residents than there are White people. White people comprise just over half of the population here.

If you do not feel that your child is exposed to enough culture you can certainly move to a more diverse setting, or you can take it upon yourself to expose your child to more culture yourself. Attend festivals, museums, read books together, etc. Perhaps you can choose a culture each month, and prepare foods that celebrate that culture, etc. There are more ways to promote diversity than simply throwing everyone in a bag and shaking it.

[centralaustinite]

Yes, our irony is that we ended up going the private school route in part to get more diversity! And the school is diverse. Had we transferred our kids to an exemplary public school, it would have been into an all-white, all-upper class environment and we didn't want that!

We found a private school that offers economic, ethnic, and religious diversity.

But not everyone goes that route. Have you read Nuture Shock? Research done by a UT prof (and that involved some Austin schools) shows that "diverse" schools tend to have the greatest amount of self-segregation and that just putting kids in environments with folks who are different from them is not enough. You have to talk about race with your kids.

So . . . you could attend church where you are the ethnic minority, you could volunteer for organizations that share your values, you could take your kids to march in the MLK Day parade, have them help you deliver food for meals on wheels . . . but then you have to talk to kids directly and openly about race, about history, about our country, about poverty and about what your values are.

good luck!

ca

[ATX Wahine]

Self-segregation is an unpopular topic, the "elephant in the room" as it were, that nobody seems to much want to discuss. As hard as we as a society work to erase the lines that divide us, others work just as hard to keep those lines clearly marked. Not all the reasons for this are bad, either. It may be important to some to fade away all of our differences in favor of a society that is all the same, but for others, those differences are the spice of life that make us all interesting human beings.

[another_hot-day]

Originally Posted by Exiled Texan

Why do I worry about raising my kid in such an environment?

Do you think it is okay to raise your kids in a 100% white environment?

You were talking about schools, so we'll stick with that topic.

Sure, why not? Although the schools my kid has been to have never been 100% white and, in fact, he was the minorty in the school he attended in San Francisco. The schools here it's been a mix of all races.
But I would hardly stand in disgust if he did happen to enter an all white school.

Diversity can be learned outside the school grounds.

[sanmiguel]

Originally Posted by another_hot-day

Although the schools my kid has been to have never been 100% white and, in fact, he was the minorty in the school he attended in San Francisco.

Diversity can be learned outside the school grounds.

Using SF as an example, Lowell High School is extraordinary and requires an entry exam. The alumni list reads like a Who's Who of high American achievers. There used to be a lot of Jewish and Irish kids but now it is predominately Chinese. Despite the lack of diversity, I would send my kid there in a heartbeat to take advantage of the academic environment. You are correct that an appreciation for diversity can be acquired in other places than school. Churches, YMCA, bilingual after school activities at libraries such as the one in Saint John's neighborhood are a good start.