Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Illinois > Chicago
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
 
Old 08-23-2011, 12:08 AM
 
4,823 posts, read 4,910,731 times
Reputation: 2162

Advertisements

Quote:
Originally Posted by mjtinmemphis View Post
it's funny that you mention it but many lakeview ers our lincoln park ers are scared to even set foot into hydepark because its on the southside.

When a neighborhood reaches 30 percent black things change with some perceptions White people dont have a problem blending in with hydepark. Its the lakeview/lincolnpark type that will have a problem. (im just using hydepark as an example) (it's not about income either)
Agreed! When a (fill in neighborhood/mall/restaurant etc, here) reaches 30 percent black....
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 08-23-2011, 10:20 AM
 
Location: River North, Chicago, Illinois
4,620 posts, read 8,123,246 times
Reputation: 6321
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kamms View Post
It's a serious point, not so much a question. How many young white professionals complain about having difficulty in trying to fit into black social circles etc?
White professional culture is a competitive culture (that's mainly what differentiates "white professional" from just "white" culture), so trying to fit in to any competitive culture is harder than fitting into a less competitive culture.

With that said, it's been my experience that most types of black social circles are fairly easy to join as a white person as long as you come to them with humility, a basic acknowledgement that racism still exists (if/when the subject comes up), accompanied with the understanding there are aspects of black culture that as a white person you'll probably never be able to fully understand. There are black social circles that don't accept whites, just like there are white social circles that don't accept blacks, but in my experience, black social circles on average tend to be more accepting of individuals than white social circles are.

Perhaps the more obvious reason, though, is that white professionals, being competitive, want to join the social circles that are most likely to further their career. For the most part, the circles that can most help their careers will be majority white even when there are non-whites included.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-23-2011, 10:46 AM
 
4,823 posts, read 4,910,731 times
Reputation: 2162
Quote:
Originally Posted by emathias View Post
White professional culture is a competitive culture (that's mainly what differentiates "white professional" from just "white" culture), so trying to fit in to any competitive culture is harder than fitting into a less competitive culture.

With that said, it's been my experience that most types of black social circles are fairly easy to join as a white person as long as you come to them with humility, a basic acknowledgement that racism still exists (if/when the subject comes up), accompanied with the understanding there are aspects of black culture that as a white person you'll probably never be able to fully understand. There are black social circles that don't accept whites, just like there are white social circles that don't accept blacks, but in my experience, black social circles on average tend to be more accepting of individuals than white social circles are.

Perhaps the more obvious reason, though, is that white professionals, being competitive, want to join the social circles that are most likely to further their career. For the most part, the circles that can most help their careers will be majority white even when there are non-whites included.
Which aspects of black culture would a white person never understand?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-23-2011, 10:48 AM
 
4,823 posts, read 4,910,731 times
Reputation: 2162
Quote:
Originally Posted by emathias View Post
White professional culture is a competitive culture (that's mainly what differentiates "white professional" from just "white" culture), so trying to fit in to any competitive culture is harder than fitting into a less competitive culture.

With that said, it's been my experience that most types of black social circles are fairly easy to join as a white person as long as you come to them with humility, a basic acknowledgement that racism still exists (if/when the subject comes up), accompanied with the understanding there are aspects of black culture that as a white person you'll probably never be able to fully understand. There are black social circles that don't accept whites, just like there are white social circles that don't accept blacks, but in my experience, black social circles on average tend to be more accepting of individuals than white social circles are.

Perhaps the more obvious reason, though, is that white professionals, being competitive, want to join the social circles that are most likely to further their career. For the most part, the circles that can most help their careers will be majority white even when there are non-whites included.
Everyone should be humble at all times; anyone not humble will be disliked by every group.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-23-2011, 10:55 AM
 
Location: Chicago
38,707 posts, read 102,788,337 times
Reputation: 29967
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kamms View Post
Everyone should be humble at all times; anyone not humble will be disliked by every group.
Except white professionals.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-23-2011, 02:39 PM
 
Location: Twilight zone
3,639 posts, read 8,278,182 times
Reputation: 1762
Quote:
Originally Posted by reppin_the_847 View Post
Actually this subculture that you refer to is surprisingly weaker in Chicago compared to California. Perhaps it has to do with a lotta the folks on the north side being slightly older yuppies transplanted from throughout the Midwest. Maybe it just never caught on as much. You might see more of this among the younger white dudes that actually grew up in the south side of Chicago though (ie. Beverly, Bridgeport, etc.). You would think that some of the Michigan transplants would carry the culture over here but it's surprisingly non-existent among the ones that transplant to Chicago. Ironic since a certain rapper from Metro Detroit is the icon for this said subculture lol.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SalingerBananafish View Post
Is there no "whigga" culture in Chicago? They're all over California.
not really (except uptown maybe) but I've seen alot of "wiggas" in the south and SW burbs though.

mas23
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-23-2011, 02:46 PM
 
Location: Twilight zone
3,639 posts, read 8,278,182 times
Reputation: 1762
Quote:
Originally Posted by SalingerBananafish View Post
I've been lurking this forum for a few weeks because I just recently moved to Chi-town and thought this forum was full of useful information. After, reading through this thread, I felt compelled to make a profile and chime in.

I used to live in California, grew up in different parts, and know a decent amount about the cultural make-up of Los Angeles. Here's my two cents on the race/ethnic comparison between LA and Chi.

LA, in general, can be said to be more ethnically integrated than Chicago. I wouldn't say more ethnically DIVERSE because both cities are plenty diverse. I will also say I've noticed more different types of cultures and ethnicities around Chicago, though they exist in smaller groups and are less integrated into the city as a whole.

However, on the issue of integration, there are things that make LA seem more integrated. One major factor is class. There are alot more say, Latinos, in Southern California who are college educated, or of middle-class or higher, and are integrated into the predominant mainstream culture (i.e. aren't culturally rooted). As for African-Americans, there are ALOT less of them in Southern California than Chicago and in general, there isn't the "ghetto" aspect you have in Chicago. South-Central does not even compare to the stories I hear about the South Side and driving here, I made the mistake of taking Cicero through Austin and was shocked at how rundown some areas were. Even in the worst parts of LA, you don't find that kind of ghetto living.

Because there are more Latinos, Asians, and other ethnicities in the middle class, you'll find them more integrated into the middle class areas of LA. LA still has the class segregation aspect of Chicago. Poorer first-generation Latinos are still concentrated in areas such as East LA, but you'll find more racial integration in WEST LA due to the greater presence of ethnic people in the middle and upper class. AAs are a strange comparison because there are much fewer of them in LA than Chicago, but all in all, reactions will be the same based on how a person dresses, acts, and carries his/herself. Black guy in a suit is welcomed, black guy dressed like Lil Wayne will have people annoyed, black guy in rags will have people avoiding him.

I think the problem as to why Chicago seems so much less integrated is because there are a lesser proportion in the ethnic groups who are middle class and who can and would be willing to integrate into mainstream type areas (i.e. the "white", middle class neighborhoods). If you actually took a cross-section population from the South Side and tried to drop them into Lincoln Park, you'll have some serious issues, whether culturally, economically, or psychologically. Inversely, it would be just as bad without the whole gentrification bit. It would be harder to integrate Chicago than LA because trying to do so with the current racial makeup with the way it is culturally and economically would create a maelstrom of fear, tension, and class complexes. The same would be true for LA if you dropped the poorer South-Central or East LA population into West LA. But in Chicago, it seems there is a greater presence of poverty and crime in the lower class that happens to be predominantly AA. Until you starting getting alot more AA into the middle class, the middle class neighborhoods will stay predominantly white.

It does seem like there are more people here fitting stereotypes, especially in the AA community. Gang violence and poverty is alot more of a problem in Chicago. There's less poor and violent people in and around LA because all the poorest people live outside of LA, in cities like Riverside and Bakersfield. It's cities like these in California that have major issues with poverty and class-related crime. Since Chicago is such an isolated epicenter, you'll have more of these problems hang around the city. Hence more class tension and class fear.

It's also worth noting that LA is also alot less dense than Chicago (neighborhoods cover more ground), has more of a service-industry (which is normally the industry where poorer people or recent immigrants start off to make a living these days), alot less affordable (poorest are priced out to neighboring cities), and has more weekend escape routes for people to blow off steam (makes neighbors and city life more bearable).

I went for a walk in Lakeview a few days ago (that's where I'm going to be living). The area reminds me alot of Santa Monica, geographically and people-wise. Lots of white people, some Asians and Latinos, and a few AAs, all dressed pretty casually and looking like they're heading somewhere. In reality, most of the hardcore racists from the past can no longer stand the city and its "liberal" atmosphere. They mostly live in the suburbs now. You might still encounter some people in the city who still has illusions about race culturally, such as latent stereotype assumptions about what you are like, your beliefs, and what you're into. But you get that anywhere, whether LA or Chicago.

With that said, the concerns of the OP may be very real to him. It sucks to not be able to socially connect with those around you. And in reality, he very well could just have met a string of people who don't really want to be friends with a black guy. But it could also be personality differences, or the fact alot people in the city aren't really looking to make any more friends to occupy their schedule.

I think another reason why L.A. is more intergrated is because

1. It developed later than chicago
2. Blacks in L.A. and Cali in general are outnumbered by Not only whites but latinos and asians so by default the neighborhoods will be more diverse

mas23
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-23-2011, 10:48 PM
 
4,823 posts, read 4,910,731 times
Reputation: 2162
Quote:
Originally Posted by mas23 View Post
I think another reason why L.A. is more intergrated is because

1. It developed later than chicago
2. Blacks in L.A. and Cali in general are outnumbered by Not only whites but latinos and asians so by default the neighborhoods will be more diverse

mas23
And L.A. doesn't have the massive housing projects that started back east in the '30s; thought to be ''socialist'' the concentrated housing projects never took root in Los Angeles.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-23-2011, 10:52 PM
 
Location: South Chicagoland
4,111 posts, read 9,022,412 times
Reputation: 2078
Quote:
Originally Posted by mas23 View Post
not really (except uptown maybe) but I've seen alot of "wiggas" in the south and SW burbs though.

mas23
Really? The truth is that there's only so many young white people in the south burbs to begin with - so there can only be so many "wiggas". And we tend to know better than whiteboys up north and out west, anyway. Isn't a "wigga" just someone acts a fool 24/7? Or what is it, exactly?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-24-2011, 12:24 AM
 
Location: Southwest Suburbs
4,593 posts, read 9,153,530 times
Reputation: 3293
Quote:
Originally Posted by urza216 View Post
Really? The truth is that there's only so many young white people in the south burbs to begin with - so there can only be so many "wiggas". And we tend to know better than whiteboys up north and out west, anyway. Isn't a "wigga" just someone acts a fool 24/7? Or what is it, exactly?
A white person thats ingrained in Hip Hop culture and/or acts stereotypically black.

Extreme example


V-Nasty On Some Real **** - YouTube
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram

Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Illinois > Chicago
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top