Racism against White people in Pilsen (Chicago, Ashland: fit in, crimes, how much)

[SteelCityRising]

Wow. Just wow. Ventured onto the Chicago sub-forum to do a search for information about Pilsen as a potential place to establish our "home base" via an AirBNB/HomeAway rental for a joint 30th birthday gift for my partner and I this Fall, and I just read through every reply in this thread.

As a gay white couple, should we just avoid Pilsen or Chicago entirely? People proclaim that Pittsburgh is "racist", but this thread exemplifies much worse racism (from all fronts targeting all fronts) than you'll ever see here. Maybe we'll just keep our money in Pennsylvania and do Philadelphia instead.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Wow. Just wow. Ventured onto the Chicago sub-forum to do a search for information about Pilsen as a potential place to establish our "home base" via an AirBNB/HomeAway rental for a joint 30th birthday gift for my partner and I this Fall, and I just read through every reply in this thread.

As a gay white couple, should we just avoid Pilsen or Chicago entirely? People proclaim that Pittsburgh is "racist", but this thread exemplifies much worse racism (from all fronts targeting all fronts) than you'll ever see here. Maybe we'll just keep our money in Pennsylvania and do Philadelphia instead.

Pittsburgh is racist but mostly because many yinzers have not met a person of color in their life

Chicago is racist because you have all these self segregating groups who only want to be around themselves.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

Pittsburgh is racist but mostly because many yinzers have not met a person of color in their life

Chicago is racist because you have all these self segregating groups who only want to be around themselves.

Eh. True to an extent. The yinzers are dying off in droves, though (the only reason our population is still in decline), and the younger population here is much more educated and racially- and culturally-open-minded than the dying-off generation, overall.

My partner and I are white and gay, but we're not rich. We're looking to stay in Pilsen and take mass transit Downtown simply because we can't afford $200/night-$300/night to stay Downtown. I appreciate diversity, but I wouldn't want us staying somewhere where we may be viewed as unwelcome or even targets because "our kind" are ruining the social fabric of Pilsen or even Chicago at-large. If there's an anti-white sentiment in all of the more affordably-priced neighborhoods surrounding Downtown, then we'll vacation in another city instead.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Eh. True to an extent. The yinzers are dying off in droves, though (the only reason our population is still in decline), and the younger population here is much more educated and racially- and culturally-open-minded than the dying-off generation, overall.

My partner and I are white and gay, but we're not rich. We're looking to stay in Pilsen and take mass transit Downtown simply because we can't afford $200/night-$300/night to stay Downtown. I appreciate diversity, but I wouldn't want us staying somewhere where we may be viewed as unwelcome or even targets because "our kind" are ruining the social fabric of Pilsen or even Chicago at-large. If there's an anti-white sentiment in all of the more affordably-priced neighborhoods surrounding Downtown, then we'll vacation in another city instead.

Being gay will also make you a target. If you're Mexican and hate White people, you're probably also a homophobe.

[King Harold]

Pilsen is a Mexican American neighborhood. Going there and expecting the Mission in San Francisco is a set up for disappointment. Unfortunately, if you base your travel plans on Chicagomag and other various booster blogs, the Mission is probably what you would expect. Pilsen is still almost 90% Mexican American, down from 99% Mexican American 25 years ago. It is not really a gay neighborhood or hipster neighborhood despite what you may have been led to believe.

It's a fine place but it is not where I'd bring my gay husband for his 30th birthday. I'd recommend it for Mexican food though, but my favorite restaurant burned down.

[EffortPoaster]

So many whiny, millennial hipsters ITT getting butthurt and trying to signal their super unique tolerance credentials for strangers on the Internet. I'm part of such a pathetic generation.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by EffortPoaster

So many whiny, millennial hipsters ITT getting butthurt and trying to signal their super unique tolerance credentials for strangers on the Internet. I'm part of such a pathetic generation.

So you agree with the anti-white propaganda being lambasted upon the business in the original post?

[chicagobear]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Eh. True to an extent. The yinzers are dying off in droves, though (the only reason our population is still in decline), and the younger population here is much more educated and racially- and culturally-open-minded than the dying-off generation, overall.

My partner and I are white and gay, but we're not rich. We're looking to stay in Pilsen and take mass transit Downtown simply because we can't afford $200/night-$300/night to stay Downtown. I appreciate diversity, but I wouldn't want us staying somewhere where we may be viewed as unwelcome or even targets because "our kind" are ruining the social fabric of Pilsen or even Chicago at-large. If there's an anti-white sentiment in all of the more affordably-priced neighborhoods surrounding Downtown, then we'll vacation in another city instead.

I don't think you will have any problem. I know single white women who live there without any issues. It's not the most exciting area but it is getting more lively.

[EffortPoaster]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

So you agree with the anti-white propaganda being lambasted upon the business in the original post?

Neal, though potentially autistic, did have a point.

There is absolutely no rule or law stating that people must be tolerant of other cultures, attitudes, preferences, etc. NO MATTER WHAT (though millennials seem to think otherwise and whine when this opinion isn't shared) and the hipster/"enlightened" millennial/SJW attitude is not only insufferable imo, but also in the opinion of a large % of Pilsen inhabitants.

As a white Southsider who grew up around a number of Hispanics, Mexicans in Pilsen probably have no opinion whatsoever regarding normal, everyday, blue/white collar white people who simply want to get through their day and not buck the system for likes on Instagram. What they likely have an issue with is gentrifying hipsters who have to bring identity politics and culture war issues into every inane situation of their daily routine.

Pilsen inhabitants don't give a chit about that new indie band button that you have pinned to your camo jacket (that you ironically wear cause you're totally against neoimperialism and military action), that new organic coffee/pastry shop that just popped up where the family corner store used to be, your rainbow colored Bernie bumper sticker, your wacky hairdo that's dyed blue or your undergrad (let's just forget that your parents paid for your college) thesis paper on gender fluidity and gay culture. Hipsters and the like come in, try to influence a neighborhood culture/value system and then scream INTOLERANT & RACIST if everyone doesn't agree with their BS views.

Then, after these college educated hipsters finish up LARPing as edgy urbanites in their recently gentrified neighborhood and finally decide to have a family, they can't wait to move out to a suburb with little to no diversity because of "safety" and "good schools" (which is always code for getting away from minorities even though they're so totally like, NOT racist). At that point they conveniently forget that all their tolerance just priced out that blue collar Hispanic family of four that has lived in that nighborhood for 3 generations. But hey, maybe if they weren't so backwards in their attitudes and worked a little harder then they too could have moved out to the suburbs to buy a $500k house, right?

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by EffortPoaster

Neal, though potentially autistic, did have a point.

There is absolutely no rule or law stating that people must be tolerant of other cultures, attitudes, preferences, etc. NO MATTER WHAT (though millennials seem to think otherwise and whine when this opinion isn't shared) and the hipster/"enlightened" millennial/SJW attitude is not only insufferable imo, but also in the opinion of a large % of Pilsen inhabitants.

As a white Southsider who grew up around a number of Hispanics, Mexicans in Pilsen probably have no opinion whatsoever regarding normal, everyday, blue/white collar white people who simply want to get through their day and not buck the system for likes on Instagram. What they likely have an issue with is gentrifying hipsters who have to bring identity politics and culture war issues into every inane situation of their daily routine.

Pilsen inhabitants don't give a chit about that new indie band button that you have pinned to your camo jacket (that you ironically wear cause you're totally against neoimperialism and military action), that new organic coffee/pastry shop that just popped up where the family corner store used to be, your rainbow colored Bernie bumper sticker, your wacky hairdo that's dyed blue or your undergrad (let's just forget that your parents paid for your college) thesis paper on gender fluidity and gay culture. Hipsters and the like come in, try to influence a neighborhood culture/value system and then scream INTOLERANT & RACIST if everyone doesn't agree with their BS views.

Then, after these college educated hipsters finish up LARPing as edgy urbanites in their recently gentrified neighborhood and finally decide to have a family, they can't wait to move out to a suburb with little to no diversity because of "safety" and "good schools" (which is always code for getting away from minorities even though they're so totally like, NOT racist). At that point they conveniently forget that all their tolerance just priced out that blue collar Hispanic family of four that has lived in that nighborhood for 3 generations. But hey, maybe if they weren't so backwards in their attitudes and worked a little harder then they too could have moved out to the suburbs to buy a $500k house, right?

You bring up an interesting point. Those White people fighting (in their mind) on behalf of minorities for inclusion and anti-racism are most likely the very White people that these non-Whites can't stand. It could very well be. How ironic.