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Hi... I am having an issue. My husband has a job in Chicago and it is simply a job that we can't pass up. I have a 3 year old and I am pregnant with my second child and I wanted to find out any information on Kenilworth and the rest of the North Shore area.
I am African American and my husband is Caucasian. Will we be discriminated against in Kenilworth? Will our children be accepted at Sears? I have looked on the different posts and it seems that quite a few people talk about the lack of diversity (which is fine with us), but will we be accepted.
A little back story, we currently live in the East Coast in a community similar to Kenilworth. We are both professional with terminal degrees. We have both been raised with great affluence and attended top 25 undergraduate and graduate institutions. We belong to country clubs, city clubs, and are very active in volunteerism. We do have a nanny, but my job has afforded me the luxury of a flexible schedule and I work 25-30 hours a week. I am not worried about "fitting in" per se, but I am concerned about my race in particular (along with our religion, we are both very active in the Catholic Church). I have read that people "don't want blacks next door" and I have also heard about several covenants.
I am terribly sorry for sounding so lost, but I have no experience with Chicago or the Midwest for that matter and I would like to get a little perspective. We don't have any relatives or friends within 500 miles so their advice has proven to be lacking, at best.
Can someone please help us? We are looking to purchase homes in the 60043 zip code and I just wanted to see if this is a huge mistake.
Thank you in advance.
Last edited by portiamills; 11-30-2010 at 10:10 PM..
Reason: .
Kenilworth itself is very white blue blood. Neighboring suburbs that share New Trier High School are Glencoe, Wilmette, and Winnetka. Winnetka is similar to Kenilworth. Glencoe and Wilmette have heavily Jewish populations.
The housing covenants are no longer enforced. They were declared illegal by the Supreme Court. They were unoficially enforced until the late 1960s. Just to give you an idea. Glencoe had a housing covenant against Jews and blacks. One neighborhood association even purchased a house to prevent a Jewish family from moving there. Now, Glencoe is heavily Jewish. This occurred with Italians in DuPage County as well.
The country clubs in that area are all waspy. I have heard that they still do discriminate, but there are country clubs in other areas that will take you. A lot of former pro sports athletes are country club members, but they tend to belong to the Jewish country clubs as opposed to the waspy ones.
Most people will not ask or care about your religious beliefs. Chicago is a very ethnic community and ethnicity, including race, matters far more than religion. In Chicago, openly discussing religion is usually frowned upon. While I make mention of the Jewish community, it is more ethnic than religious.
Most of the African American population resides on the south side and in the south suburbs. Some on the west side and west suburbs, and very few in the north/northwest suburbs except for Evanston. Most of the other black residents on the "North Shore" where you want to live are former pro athletes or other professionals.
Chicago is very diverse, but very segregated. Most of the Jewish and Greek community lives in the north suburbs (including the north shore), most of the African Americans south side/west side/ south suburbs. Hispanics largely on the NW and SW sides and NW suburbs. Italians west suburbs. Irish, almost everywhere but north suburbs.
Since this is 2010, you will not have a problem having a white husband in Kenilworth. Your socioeconomic status matters most. Maybe you will hear a few comments, but it's not going to be like the Deep South. The only thing that may present an issue is the country club.
The Jewish clubs will admit you, but I don't know any on the north shore off the top of my head, there might be one in Glencoe. They tend to be located in the Northbrook, Glenview, Highland Park areas just north of you and a few in the NW suburbs. Therefore, your Kenilworth neighbors may not attend those.
If you are concerned more about your neighbors but want New Trier High School, check out Glencoe and Wilmette.
Your other option is Evanston which is the one north/northwest suburb with a sizeable African American population. Evanston also has some magnificant homes and the schools are decent, but not New Trier level. Evanston is also really diverse ethnically. One of the few suburbs that is actually diverse.
Thank you so much for the response. Like I said before, I have never really been in an ethnically diverse area and that is not a priority. I like the Sears school and I thought that it would be nice to live in that particular district for that school.
My parents, grandparents, and now my siblings have all been graduate school educated and have come from professional backgrounds (very unsimilar to pro athletes) and (sorry for speaking so candidly) yet have maintained that level of wealth.
I am glad to hear that the comments won't be direct like in the south, or in my Boston suburb. I was concerned because I have heard that Chicago is very similar to Boston. Boston is not the most welcoming place for an interracial family (to say the least). But in Boston, I have never been discriminated against by my peers (grocery stores, restaurants, boutiques... forget about it). I attended a University in the Boston area and returned after my graduate degree and I grew up in a suburb outside of Philly. We currently belong to a waspy country club (one of the most exclusive in the country) and have never had a problem, this could be due to the fact that we could pay the six figure initiation fee.
I really want our children to have the best school options, I have only attended prep school and I am just unsure as to handle the public school situation, but I have heard rave reviews and thought that I would look into it at the very least. If we found that Kenilworth would not be accepting, then we would look into North Shore Country Day, Lake Forest Country Day, Francis Parker, or Latin.
The reason why ethnic diversity in our neighborhood in not a true priority is because I am very involved with my sorority (historically african american) and I am sure many of the women will have children and we can set up play dates. Also, I was a Jack and Jill legacy, as was my mother, and our children will be involved once they move so, I can be creative to expose my children.
Again your response was so well thought out and informative. Thank you so much. I guess we still have our work cut out for us!!
Thank you so much for the response. Like I said before, I have never really been in an ethnically diverse area and that is not a priority. I like the Sears school and I thought that it would be nice to live in that particular district for that school.
My parents, grandparents, and now my siblings have all been graduate school educated and have come from professional backgrounds (very unsimilar to pro athletes) and (sorry for speaking so candidly) yet have maintained that level of wealth.
I am glad to hear that the comments won't be direct like in the south, or in my Boston suburb. I was concerned because I have heard that Chicago is very similar to Boston. Boston is not the most welcoming place for an interracial family (to say the least). But in Boston, I have never been discriminated against by my peers (grocery stores, restaurants, boutiques... forget about it). I attended a University in the Boston area and returned after my graduate degree and I grew up in a suburb outside of Philly. We currently belong to a waspy country club (one of the most exclusive in the country) and have never had a problem, this could be due to the fact that we could pay the six figure initiation fee.
I really want our children to have the best school options, I have only attended prep school and I am just unsure as to handle the public school situation, but I have heard rave reviews and thought that I would look into it at the very least. If we found that Kenilworth would not be accepting, then we would look into North Shore Country Day, Lake Forest Country Day, Francis Parker, or Latin.
The reason why ethnic diversity in our neighborhood in not a true priority is because I am very involved with my sorority (historically african american) and I am sure many of the women will have children and we can set up play dates. Also, I was a Jack and Jill legacy, as was my mother, and our children will be involved once they move so, I can be creative to expose my children.
Again your response was so well thought out and informative. Thank you so much. I guess we still have our work cut out for us!!
I understand more now what you are looking for. You are not so much concerned with meeting people since you have your network already, but more:
1. Your interaction with neighbors so it is not awkward, and
2. Your children's acceptance in school
In that case, Kenilworth would be fine. Very few people are going to comment on a racially mixed marriage in this day and age. Although I concede I do not often see white/black couples, there are plenty of white/hispanic and white/asian and asian/hispanic. I wouldn't think this to be a problem. You may get a few snide comments, but in the realm of things, you won't. I think people my generation (20s and 30s) are way more open to it and it sounds like you are in your 30s anyway.
Public education in Illinois is funded mostly through property taxes. This is especially true in the north suburbs. Those public schools are top notch. It would be hard to find a private school that can match the level of education in those school districts (unless you wanted the parochial school component). Your kids won't have a problem fitting in.
The reason there isn't a lot of private schools in the suburbs is because people are paying high property taxes to fund schools. So most people do not send their kids to private school, since it's kind of like double taxation.
There are a substantial number of Jewish and Asian students and some Greek in the New Trier school system so it is not exclusively 100% white protestant.
Parker and Latin are in the city and would be awful commutes for your kids (and you) each day to take them to school. If you are serious about sending your kids there, live in the city.
We are an interracial family (I am white - my husband is black) who live in a higher end suburb of the Northwest suburbs, yet send our children to Lake Forest Country Day school.
We/I have never felt overt discrimination, racial insensitivity, bias, etc towards us as a couple or towards our children on the North Shore (now if you talk about board participation, membership at Ontwensia golf in LF, etc...might run into COVERT challenges, but that's a whole other story). We spend a LOT of time up that way (and in fact if you want a house in the NW suburbs, send me a message and I can probably arrange for one in a community that has a private country club!).
There are a myriad of reasons why we have chosen private educaction for our children, rather than public, not the least of which is our children's acceptance into their current academic environment.
As the previous poster indicated, Francis Parker, Latin, U of C are out of reach for sending your children to school if you are up on the North Shore. Commute time would be astronomical, both ways.
LFCDS has a preschool program for 3 year olds, as well as a program for 4 year olds prior to formal kindergarten.
Good luck with your search. In my opinion, as the previous poster alluded to, your socioeconomic status trumps, for all intents and purposes, the color of your skin in this area.
Good luck with your search. In my opinion, as the previous poster alluded to, your socioeconomic status trumps, for all intents and purposes, the color of your skin in this area
Was coming to say the exact same thing. I really don't think most people will take issue with a bi-racial couple or their children. Residents in wealthier towns are more concerned with socioeconomic status than race. It sounds to me like you will fit right in, coming from a similar background of privilege and wealth. I know another bi-racial couple (white woman, black husband) who live in Hinsdale (similar town to Kenilworth but located in the Western suburbs), and they have never encountered any racism nor have their school-aged children. They are both professionals and come from affluent families. People would much rather have neighbors with similar values and backgrounds and I'm willing to bet that people in Kenilworth would much prefer a bi-racial couple of affluence to a hillbilly white couple that just won the lottery and has some cash to spend.
Kenilworth itself is very white blue blood. Neighboring suburbs that share New Trier High School are Glencoe, Wilmette, and Winnetka. Winnetka is similar to Kenilworth. Glencoe and Wilmette have heavily Jewish populations.
Winnetka is not at all like Kenilworth. Winnetka has 4800 households, Kenilworth under 800. Most people in Winnetka are not at all going to be concerned with skin color. Your educations, professions and lifestyles are going to be much more important and interesting to most in Winnetka.
Very true, and believe me it works the other way too...
I have a friend that is a college professor and choose to lives in an area that can charitably be called "a bit back water" in a state, overall, has an awful repuatation for economic disparity. The guy found a lovely old hoise for a crazy cheap piece and fixed it up. The grief he gets from the locals over everything from the way he maintains his house (immaculately) to the effeorts he has put into living frugally really just seems like an excuse for the socio-economic have-nots to be critical.
I have said many, many times on this board that in the desirable suburbs the incidence of racism is so rare as to be like a hunt for a unicorn...
Quote:
Originally Posted by whatyousay
Was coming to say the exact same thing. I really don't think most people will take issue with a bi-racial couple or their children. Residents in wealthier towns are more concerned with socioeconomic status than race. It sounds to me like you will fit right in, coming from a similar background of privilege and wealth. I know another bi-racial couple (white woman, black husband) who live in Hinsdale (similar town to Kenilworth but located in the Western suburbs), and they have never encountered any racism nor have their school-aged children. They are both professionals and come from affluent families. People would much rather have neighbors with similar values and backgrounds and I'm willing to bet that people in Kenilworth would much prefer a bi-racial couple of affluence to a hillbilly white couple that just won the lottery and has some cash to spend.
I have said many, many times on this board that in the desirable suburbs the incidence of racism is so rare as to be like a hunt for a unicorn...
I think it depends on what you mean by "incidence of racism". If you think there isn't a discernible current of at least suspicion and stereotyping of blacks in pretty much any white neighborhood in this country then I'm pretty surprised. It might not be an overt episode of anything, but the country didn't do a 180 in a half generation either. A lot of those attitudes linger, they just tend to be invisible to white people who aren't looking for them. Granted, being a white dude I'm not really qualified to say with certainty, and I guess it depends also on the perspective and level of tolerance of the person on the receiving end, but you see and hear a lot of inappropriate stuff when you're hanging out very closely day to day with a black or Mexican. Even speaking spanish I get weird looks. I know it's hard to believe but it's true. I'm not sensitive and don't have a victim personality.
Not saying the north shore is any worse than anyplace else, just think the unicorn statement is pretty exaggerated, at least in chicago.
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Very true, and believe me it works the other way too...
