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It is of paramount importance to us. That's why we bought in the least diverse metro left in America. And as soon as this place starts to go, we're moving again.
It is of paramount importance to us. That's why we bought in the least diverse metro left in America. And as soon as this place starts to go, we're moving again.
Not a huge deal to me. I grew up in a black/white town and I wouldn't mind living somewhere with similar demographics. A place where one race is overwhelmingly dominant wouldn't be ok with me though. I'm half Filipino btw, but it's not really a big deal to me if I live around a lot of Filipinos. It'd be a plus though.
It is of paramount importance to us. That's why we bought in the least diverse metro left in America. And as soon as this place starts to go, we're moving again.
and another example of how it is important, whether people admit it or not. Oh and tell Neil Lomax and Kevin Love's family I said "Hi!"
Is it a coincidence that the big, important, and desirable cities in the US are also the most diverse? Nope.
you're right, its not a coincidence. those cities became great when they were homogeneous and then people from all around the world wanted to move to them for work. or did you think new york was always 1/3 hispanic and 1/3 black ? keep in mind that the suburbs of these places are much less diverse than the city themselves, and these people work in the corporate high-rises for the most part. manhattans population is 1.7 mil, but it swells to 2.87 million in the day time. also, look at cities like copenhagen, hong kong, and tokyo, which are almost completely homogeneous. they have similar wages and population sizes as new york and chicago and yet have higher life expectancies and lower crime rates across the board. now is that a coincidence? hmmm....
Diversity is very important. I grew up in a very ethnically/culturally/racially diverse neighborhood and have always had a diverse group of friends. The experience has been enriching, since I am probably more tolerant and understanding of others' differences than most. Further, as a result, my friends and I are more comfortable discussing race/racial issues than most people.
Although racism will be in existence forever, since it's almost impossible to change the mentality in most people-ignorance in all forms is a disastrous-one of the reasons this country is so divided is because there is a lack of understanding and a refusal to accept differences. As a result of the lack of diversity in most areas in the United States, people virtually rely on stereotypes to assess racially and culturally diverse groups of people for which they've never had contact or exposure.
That's what I love about traveling to New York City. New York is a true melting pot, and it's interesting to see so many diverse groups of people.
I grew up in a mostly black neighborhood in the corner of a mostly hispanic city.
The Glen neighborhood, in the city of San Antonio.
My best (and only) friend growing up was black.
I was like a member of their family. And him with mine. It's like we shared families.
And his sisters would beat the crap out of anyone who messed with me.
Diversity is only good when people can get over themselves and work together.
Unfortunately, as you can see from threads like these, diversity can also create strife, petty bickering and little in-groups that refuse to work together. Sometimes that drags otherwise harmless people into the fray. Maybe this is just a 'phase' before we all start getting along, or, maybe, normally argumentative and hostile people are attracted to these types of threads/positions.
Who knows?
I have no problem telling people my honest opinion even if they will ignorantly knee-jerk themselves into self-righteous fury,
think I'm a racist and attack me for it. Life goes on. I'm too old to care what some yahoo online thinks about my personal life.
But I fail to see how that divisive kind of diversity does anyone any good.
Especially when it just gets the hate train rolling and you have this snowballing effect of ill will.
Plus, in my opinion, people who are too caught up in their own racial politics tend to be unpleasant people, and very simplistic when you talk to them. The whole vast cosmos is whittled down to black vs white or mexican vs anglo. It's kinda petty and stupid if you ask me.
I voted: Doesn't matter.
Though, to be completely honest, sometimes I'd prefer to be around people similar to me
.... just to avoid argumentative conversations such as this.
I grew up in a mostly black neighborhood in the corner of a mostly hispanic city.
The Glen neighborhood, in the city of San Antonio.
My best (and only) friend growing up was black.
I was like a member of their family. And him with mine. It's like we shared families.
And his sisters would beat the crap out of anyone who messed with me.
Diversity is only good when people can get over themselves and work together.
Unfortunately, as you can see from threads like these, diversity can also create strife, petty bickering and little in-groups that refuse to work together. Sometimes that drags otherwise harmless people into the fray. Maybe this is just a 'phase' before we all start getting along, or, maybe, normally argumentative and hostile people are attracted to these types of threads/positions.
Who knows?
I have no problem telling people my honest opinion even if they will ignorantly knee-jerk themselves into self-righteous fury,
think I'm a racist and attack me for it. Life goes on. I'm too old to care what some yahoo online thinks about my personal life.
But I fail to see how that divisive kind of diversity does anyone any good.
Especially when it just gets the hate train rolling and you have this snowballing effect of ill will.
Plus, in my opinion, people who are too caught up in their own racial politics tend to be unpleasant people, and very simplistic when you talk to them. The whole vast cosmos is whittled down to black vs white or mexican vs anglo. It's kinda petty and stupid if you ask me.
I voted: Doesn't matter.
Though, to be completely honest, sometimes I'd prefer to be around people similar to me
.... just to avoid argumentative conversations such as this.
Thank You!
Diversity is only worth it when everyone genuinely gets along with each other! But there are very few neighborhoods and even fewer cities (in America anyway) that have an integrated diverse neighborhood.
For the most part, the diverse neighborhoods I've seen (and currently live in) tend to either promote self-segregation and/or racial division; and when racial division is used, guess which race is usually the scapegoat?
As for people who are for the shallow and fickle kind of diversity, the ones that consist of easier access to enclaves restaurants, many of these people tend to be very covertly racist, and in many cases, worse than the Southern Rednecks they love to scapegoat as the monopolizers of racism.
And this is where my early-20 side comes out: What the hell is the use of diversity when chicks from other races either want to stick with their own or just want to hook up with only one race, usually to gain "social status."
And you definitely have a point about people who intelligently explain how "chic diversity" is a faux is instantly labeled as a racist! Look artards, just because one doesn't want to be around divisive and foreign subcultures - who hate outsiders and anyone not like them anyway - doesn't mean they instantly want racial segregation! A lot of these cultures in diverse neighborhoods tend to use their foreign, minority, or yuppie status as an excuse to be a**holes. It's worse if you're a minority and want integrated diversity. In my case, I mention the above, and the result from most other of my own race is "You just want to be around all whiles and only whites, blah, blah, blah!"
I personally don't care who I'm around in matters of race, religion, or sexual orientation. The point is not to shove those things down everyone else throat and not to make those things THE ONLY characteristic about yourself! Want to shove your "white advantage" weight around, move to some lilly-white suburb. Want to act hood yet diss me for not being "black enough," go to some section 8 ghetto. Don't want to learn the English language yet call me some racial slur in your native tongue, go back to your home country. Want to hit on me knowing I'm straight, go to.....San Francisco,
The point is there needs to be some sort of similarity in order to build camaraderie. Basically, do our personalities clique? And not emphasizing our existences on one's race and religion really helps to break down barriers that make it easier to relate to others. It isn't that I'm not willing to tolerate most differences, but many of these people don't hold up their end of "tolerance" and have more often than not shown their own little cultural or racial issues with me. That's when my patience runs out and call the ultimatum of interracial-orgy level genuine integration or nothing!
Diversity is only worth it when everyone genuinely gets along with each other! But there are very few neighborhoods and even fewer cities (in America anyway) that have an integrated diverse neighborhood.
For the most part, the diverse neighborhoods I've seen (and currently live in) tend to either promote self-segregation and/or racial division; and when racial division is used, guess which race is usually the scapegoat?
As for people who are for the shallow and fickle kind of diversity, the ones that consist of easier access to enclaves restaurants, many of these people tend to be very covertly racist, and in many cases, worse than the Southern Rednecks they love to scapegoat as the monopolizers of racism.
And this is where my early-20 side comes out: What the hell is the use of diversity when chicks from other races either want to stick with their own or just want to hook up with only one race, usually to gain "social status."
And you definitely have a point about people who intelligently explain how "chic diversity" is a faux is instantly labeled as a racist! Look artards, just because one doesn't want to be around divisive and foreign subcultures - who hate outsiders and anyone not like them anyway - doesn't mean they instantly want racial segregation! A lot of these cultures in diverse neighborhoods tend to use their foreign, minority, or yuppie status as an excuse to be a**holes. It's worse if you're a minority and want integrated diversity. In my case, I mention the above, and the result from most other of my own race is "You just want to be around all whiles and only whites, blah, blah, blah!"
I personally don't care who I'm around in matters of race, religion, or sexual orientation. The point is not to shove those things down everyone else throat and not to make those things THE ONLY characteristic about yourself! Want to shove your "white advantage" weight around, move to some lilly-white suburb. Want to act hood yet diss me for not being "black enough," go to some section 8 ghetto. Don't want to learn the English language yet call me some racial slur in your native tongue, go back to your home country. Want to hit on me knowing I'm straight, go to.....San Francisco,
The point is there needs to be some sort of similarity in order to build camaraderie. Basically, do our personalities clique? And not emphasizing our existences on one's race and religion really helps to break down barriers that make it easier to relate to others. It isn't that I'm not willing to tolerate most differences, but many of these people don't hold up their end of "tolerance" and have more often than not shown their own little cultural or racial issues with me. That's when my patience runs out and call the ultimatum of interracial-orgy level genuine integration or nothing!
I totally agree.
People usually see what they fear in people, I think.
That may be one reason many people, myself sadly included, can sometimes stereotype.
I'll admit it, it's a habit of mind that sometimes comes up that I am forced to disregard.
(I may look like a racist to some people out here just by admitting that^^^ but oh well...)
It's also an evolutionary advantage that kept us alive 100,000 years ago but may not be that helpful now.
I remember thinking about this 'thing' recently, like, it feels shi**y to compete (I have kids who constantly compete) so anyways, instead of competing, you can just make the group bigger, include everyone and say our family, or our school, or our city (etc) has an advantage if we work hard and make ourselves better. Together. Then it gets to country, like with races:
As long as you're an American first...you can be whatever you want to be second...because everything is prioritized correctly and we're competing with those people over there. But then that can lead to being biased against all 'foreigners' ...so... I dunno...I guess if you never see many foreigners in your life that wouldn't be much of a problem. Also, maybe that's what some minority groups are doing? Trying to work out the problems within their cultures by uniting against white people?? I have no idea. I'm sure it goes both ways...you can take anything too far.
Maybe it'll take an alien invasion to unite Earth? Like in every Hollywood Alien Invasion Movie that's ever come out.
But, then we'll be all racist against the aliens. Stereotyping the aliens. Pfffft. How crummy!
I have a feeling this 'Us vs Them' issue has been around for millions of years.
There will always be a need for balance between dividing up to regroup and think from different angles,
and unifying when something bigger is at stake. Which group to associate with in your mind. On what level.
Family? City? State? Country? Race? Religion? Planet?
Anyways, good lord this is a long post!
Hopefully behind this arguing there will be some new understanding?
There's nothing worse than not being able to 'air' your differences.
Great post, btw, Fairfaxian! 'interracial orgy'?!
Hahaha hah. Like in that movie...um, no not that movie...
the other one, 'Bulworth'.
Last edited by brubaker; 04-07-2010 at 11:56 PM..
Reason: Pffft, I need no reason...:)
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? keep in mind that the suburbs of these places are much less diverse than the city themselves, and these people work in the corporate high-rises for the most part. manhattans population is 1.7 mil, but it swells to 2.87 million in the day time. also, look at cities like copenhagen, hong kong, and tokyo, which are almost completely homogeneous. they have similar wages and population sizes as new york and chicago and yet have higher life expectancies and lower crime rates across the board. now is that a coincidence? hmmm....
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