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This thread certainly went on the usual Boston takeover on how great they are vs the rest..
While there's no doubt this happens all the time, I haven't really felt like it's been done on this thread.
I think you and I are in agreement that many posters/people are perfectly fine with racism/segregation so its no doubt why Chicago is losing this poll.
I think you and I are in agreement that many posters/people are perfectly fine with racism/segregation so its no doubt why Chicago is losing this poll.
“Fine with” is a stretch. I think what the poll really says is “it’s easier to live with racism/segregation than with violence”.
And the point’s been made too that Chicago can be as segregated as the most segregated parts of Boston, but Boston rarely gets as violent as the most violent parts of Chicago.
“Fine with” is a stretch. I think what the poll really says is “it’s easier to live with racism/segregation than with violence”.
And the point’s been made too that Chicago can be as segregated as the most segregated parts of Boston, but Boston rarely gets as violent as the most violent parts of Chicago.
I don't think its a stretch. White people by and large don't hold Boston's racist reputation against Boston at all. It's just like some far-off quirky anecdote. Doesn't impact their visit/perception of the city.
For the average everyday black (or even latino) person I think racism plays a larger role in daily life than violence.
As citidata said, segregation is not that big a deal when you feel your culture is valued and included in the city. Boston doesn't do that which is in effect, cultural apartheid. And a devaluation of non-white cultures.
I don't think its a stretch. White people by and large don't hold Boston's racist reputation against Boston at all. It's just like some far-off quirky anecdote. Doesn't impact their visit/perception of the city.
Don’t we have enough anecdotes and evidence in the “is it cool to call Boston racist” thread to say this isn’t true? If anything, white people use Boston as a scapegoat for racism. They will still point to the Soiling of Old Glory and think “well at least we aren’t that bad” as if there haven’t been a score of new equally bad or worse instances of highly publicized, racist behavior across the country over the last decade.
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For the average everyday black (or even latino) person I think racism plays a larger role in daily life than violence.
And this is true for people in both Boston and Chicago?
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As citidata said, segregation is not that big a deal when you feel your culture is valued and included in the city. Boston doesn't do that which is in effect, cultural apartheid. And a devaluation of non-white cultures.
Really diminishes actual apartheid to compare it to the waspiness of Beacon Hill. There’s at least one soul food restaurant downtown in Savvor, more in the South End. There’s an African American history museum. I saw Bel Biv DeVoe perform at a Christmas tree lighting on the Common a few years back. Could Boston be better about representation in the historic, central neighborhoods? Sure. But it’s not exactly 1980s South Africa.
Don’t we have enough anecdotes and evidence in the “is it cool to call Boston racist” thread to say this isn’t true? If anything, white people use Boston as a scapegoat for racism. They will still point to the Soiling of Old Glory and think “well at least we aren’t that bad” as if there haven’t been a score of new equally bad or worse instances of highly publicized, racist behavior across the country over the last decade.
And this is true for people in both Boston and Chicago?
Really diminishes actual apartheid to compare it to the waspiness of Beacon Hill. There’s at least one soul food restaurant downtown in Savvor, more in the South End. There’s an African American history museum. I saw Bel Biv DeVoe perform at a Christmas tree lighting on the Common a few years back. Could Boston be better about representation in the historic, central neighborhoods? Sure. But it’s not exactly 1980s South Africa.
1. Some white people use it as a scapegoat to feel better about their city's but I don't think it deters them from going to Boston or thinking of it highly in general. Or those who do I'm not sure it's a large percentage.
2. I'd say, yes. But I can't speak to it all that much-not from Chicago. But I'm in Baltimore and violent crime was never a topic of conversation amongst my blue-collar coworkers for the 18 months i worked in a warehouse. Its just in the background. But I think people feel racism more in Boston than in Chicago where they feel violence more. Chicago has enough cultural offering and history etc it outweighs a lot of the violence concerns. This im saying as having had roommates and close friends from Austin and South Shore in Chicago.
3. You named one restaurant. You don't see how bad that is? There are 2 in the South End (visitors don't go to them often). You don't see how bad this sounds??
It's Cultural Apartheid, not actual Apartheid. Sadly, I think that's fair to say for Boston. I'm not the first to compare it to South Africa either, that was Daniel Kaluuya.
3. You named one restaurant. You don't see how bad that is? There are 2 in the South End (visitors don't go to them often). You don't see how bad this sounds??
Yes, it’s bad. I’ll point out that the number jumps for Asian and Latino restaurants downtown. You’d think if it were just a matter of racism, then you wouldn’t see that?
Yes, it’s bad. I’ll point out that the number jumps for Asian and Latino restaurants downtown. You’d think if it were just a matter of racism, then you wouldn’t see that?
I do agree with this. There are Latin, Asian restaurants, Halal all over downtown. Sushi all over the place. I would love to see more Caribbean, soul food, African cuisines represented in downtown areas, outside of the neighborhoods. I don’t know if this is “racism” though. I think that word tends to be overused. Whatever factors prevent more of these cuisines in downtown visible touristy areas hopefully can be solved..
Yes, it’s bad. I’ll point out that the number jumps for Asian and Latino restaurants downtown. You’d think if it were just a matter of racism, then you wouldn’t see that?
I don't see a ton of Latino restaurants downtown. Particularly not of ethnicities that predominate Boston, let alone ones I know to be Latin-owned... Asians restaurants are more common, as they are in most cities.
Also, Boston's racism has always been focused on the Black experience, primarily. As Natural510 pointed out earlier in the thread
I don't see a ton of Latino restaurants downtown. Particularly not of ethnicities that predominate Boston, let alone ones I know to be Latin-owned... Asians restaurants are more common, as they are in most cities.
Also, Boston's racism has always been focused on the Black experience, primarily. As Natural510 pointed out earlier in the thread
How do you see Boston improving the black experience downtown? Do you feel change is being made to impact this currently? What barriers exist that have prevented this?
I don't see a ton of Latino restaurants downtown. Particularly not of ethnicities that predominate Boston, let alone ones I know to be Latin-owned...
Touché. There are again some in the South End, but the bulk of the authentic restaurants are in Eastie with a few in Somerville, Allston, and Everett. The owner of Villa Mexico is Mexican, but Boston isn’t known for having a big Mexican population.
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