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Well, I'll keep it in Georgia but make references for comparison...
There is such as thing as "too much" of *anything*, at least for some people. I'll explain:
Here in Georgia, there is a habit of self-segregation, and yes, there's too much of it, or at least there appears to be too much of it if you're from *some* other areas of the country. The whites want their kids to only date whites, and they seek out all-white neighborhoods and shopping centers (with exceptions of course). The blacks only want their kids to date blacks and desire living and shopping in a likewise majority black area. Yes, there's a lot of it here, and yes, it's "old South", and much of the old South is pretty awkward and for some, oppressive.
But let's also not compare Georgia to the West coast saying that it doesn't happen there or in other areas of the country, either. What about Chinatown in San Fran or the one in Vancouver? Little Italy or the Jewish neighborhoods in NYC? The Latino sections in Miami or Houston?
Georgia (and the deeper South) I think gets looked at more before it's more of a black and white issue here and less involving other races or nationalities like in other areas of the country. But the simple fact is that there are plenty of areas within the varous cities here that have a mixture of people living in them. Midtown, Smyrna, Duluth to name a very few in metro Atlanta, but even the smaller cities have what you could call "eclectic" neighborhoods. Then on the flip-side you have areas like John's Creek or the Orange County area of L.A. that are usually upper-crust mostly white hoohah areas.
It's everywhere - not just here. There will always be a certain number of people who want to live in mixed neighborhoods, and there will always be a certain number of people who want to be surrounded by "their own" only - that's human nature the world over, and that's certainly never going to change.
We agree on too much self-segregation in Georgia. Not only is there too much of it, but yet another generation has yet again made it as much of a way of life as baseball in summer.
And while I would also agree that Chinatowns and Little Italys and Little Havanas are by definition, homogenous, they're reflections of unique cultures that any and all Americans visit and enjoy. Moreover, Vancouver, New York, San Francisco, Miami all thrive on people of diverse backgrounds, colors and ethnicities. Georgia? Not so much. For now ...
Give it another generation of transplants and transfusions of new blood, and things will shape up.
As an interracial couple my husband and I are frequently asked if we want separate checks, in restaurants and at the grocery stores. Also frequently African Americans look at us with disgust, and Caucasians have a shocked look on their face when my husband approaches me.
Wow, I didnt know all that existed.
Now the self segregration..I know that exists but i befriend those of both races. (black and white)
Here is a take on it from someone whose entire family is from some part of GA and spread from Calhoun to Butler (and with the exception of self and a couple of aunts they all still live in GA). I lived there for 6 years (Clayton County), from age 15 to age 21 and every year I go back it seems to get so much worse that I doubt I will EVER move back.
If you are Caucasian you are automatically a Racist.
If you are Caucasian and from the north you are a Damn Yankee Racist.
If you are African-American you are a Thug, Hoodlum or Gang Member.
If you are African-American who is educated or friends with Caucasians you are an Oreo.
I know of restaurants where African-Americans, Hispanics and mixed race couples are not welcome. A lot of my extended family live in Taylor County, which just integrated the school dances in 2002.
My own best friend was singled out constantly in high school, unfortunately it was usually by the African-American kids who called her Oreo because she was a straight A student who hung out with the white kids.
People are just people and no one really knows if someone is a Racist, Thug, etc until they get to know them. Unfortunately, in GA it seems people are all too ready to accept the worst stereotypes are the norm. Like my "racist" mother, a white lady in a mostly black neighborhood who is helping the Vietnamese lady down the street work through the red tape of getting her family into the country legally, who helps the African family across the street understand the school requirements so their daughter can get an education, who gathered a coalition of regular shoppers to confront the manager of the local supermarket for laying off two black boys (the two hardest working employees in the store) just for the color of their skin and then helped them find better jobs so they didn't have to work for a racist, who drives any the neighborhood kids (I say kids, most are in their early 20's now) to work if they don't have a ride no matter the time of day or their skin color. No one who knows her would consider her a racist, unfortunately she is assumed one because of the color of her skin.
Do I sound bitter, you bet I am. GA could be a wonderful place, if it weren't for all the racial problems.
My husband and I moved to Georgia from the Seattle area almost 5 years ago. I can tell you hands down (race and religion) play a major role here. Most try to hide it or say the " I am not racist, but" which means they are racist. I had never in my life experienced any problems with racism living back home. Not to say there were no racist just so few that I never had an encounter with one.
My husband is black and I am white. We have been stared at, pointed at, and asked to leave some restraunts. My daughter at 4 years old and in pre-k came home telling me how her class was talking about how she is black and they are white, etc. I have been called a n****r lover and my daughter has been called names. We have gone to car lots and homes and been treated poorly and heard comments as we left.
I orginally signed up to go to Fort Valley State University when I got here because it was such a great deal. It is a historically black college. My reception there went from outright hostility to being welcomed as any other student.
That said.... The majoritity of people are fine and are nice. I would say it is a 30/60 split (30% racist). About 5% id outright. It is worse if you are an interracial family. For us the worst of it is from black people, but it has come from both. Even in church. There are towns where race does not seem to come into play and towns where it does. There are towns who still have segregated proms and pictures in the year book under most likely .. etc. have both white and then black students.
I think the problem is everyone is so focused on diversity they are just widening the gap. Add that to the fact that some people still seem to be very bitter about things that happend 100+ years ago. It can be hard to let go of such a history as what had happened here. Both sides need to let go, but they will decide the timetable. The history here has some very low point, but some very proud and good points as well. Also, some of it is that some people still don't mix allot. I made a friend is school who had allot of misconceptions about black people. She was afraid to meet my family at first, but now her and her husband are our closest friends. So give some of them a chance. You can't expect everyones life experiences to be the same.
We live in on base at Robins just outside of Macon. The city here in Warner Robins is really mostly nice, and racism rarely comes outright. It does in some conversations, but mostly it is okay. I think the school systems are about average in this town. Some towns have great school systems, other are poor. You just have to look around.
I think if you don't worry about it you will be fine. I love Georgia for all the things there are to do. There is six flags, stone mountain, american adventures, white water, wild adventures, loads of nature centers, the High museum, science centers, museum of natural art and history, and just so very close to florida and all that you can do down there. There are allot of great things to take your kids too and the Atlanta Zoo is great. AFter you live here for awhile you won't notice it so much because you won't be so sensitive about everythign. Everywhere you go in the country is going to have its ups and downs. Pros and cons. I think the pros of living here greatly outweight the cons and it is worth it. And I have made some wonderful friends here. Some of the people are just like instand best friends. Very warm and friendly.
Oh, yeah and I almost forgot. I hope you like sweet tea! I swear they serve it everywhere!! I don't like tea much but my girls and my hubby absolutely love it.
Here is a take on it from someone whose entire family is from some part of GA and spread from Calhoun to Butler (and with the exception of self and a couple of aunts they all still live in GA). I lived there for 6 years (Clayton County), from age 15 to age 21 and every year I go back it seems to get so much worse that I doubt I will EVER move back.
If you are Caucasian you are automatically a Racist.
If you are Caucasian and from the north you are a Damn Yankee Racist.
If you are African-American you are a Thug, Hoodlum or Gang Member.
If you are African-American who is educated or friends with Caucasians you are an Oreo.
I know of restaurants where African-Americans, Hispanics and mixed race couples are not welcome. A lot of my extended family live in Taylor County, which just integrated the school dances in 2002.
My own best friend was singled out constantly in high school, unfortunately it was usually by the African-American kids who called her Oreo because she was a straight A student who hung out with the white kids.
People are just people and no one really knows if someone is a Racist, Thug, etc until they get to know them. Unfortunately, in GA it seems people are all too ready to accept the worst stereotypes are the norm. Like my "racist" mother, a white lady in a mostly black neighborhood who is helping the Vietnamese lady down the street work through the red tape of getting her family into the country legally, who helps the African family across the street understand the school requirements so their daughter can get an education, who gathered a coalition of regular shoppers to confront the manager of the local supermarket for laying off two black boys (the two hardest working employees in the store) just for the color of their skin and then helped them find better jobs so they didn't have to work for a racist, who drives any the neighborhood kids (I say kids, most are in their early 20's now) to work if they don't have a ride no matter the time of day or their skin color. No one who knows her would consider her a racist, unfortunately she is assumed one because of the color of her skin.
Do I sound bitter, you bet I am. GA could be a wonderful place, if it weren't for all the racial problems.
I know about these problems. I live in GA and to me many people(not all) tend to follow stereotypes, such as the ones you mentions. I can understand why you are upset. I moved to the metro Atlanta area in 1996(a fwe months before the Olympics) and I thought it was the best place in the world(I was almost 10 years old when I moved here). Now I feel dissapointed. I can understand. Your mother was stereotyped as "racist". I often get stereotyped myself because I am a young black man who doesn't use Ebonics(i.e., Carlton, etc.). I know where you are coming from on this.
I know about these problems. I live in GA and to me many people(not all) tend to follow stereotypes, such as the ones you mentions. I can understand why you are upset. I moved to the metro Atlanta area in 1996(a fwe months before the Olympics) and I thought it was the best place in the world(I was almost 10 years old when I moved here). Now I feel dissapointed. I can understand. Your mother was stereotyped as "racist". I often get stereotyped myself because I am a young black man who doesn't use Ebonics(i.e., Carlton, etc.). I know where you are coming from on this.
I hear you. It's not just my mother being stereotyped, it is also that I saw so many of my black friends made fun of and labled "Oreo" just because they sought to better themselves. Why should anyone be made to feel inferior just because they want to be the best person they can? My best friend in high school was one of the nicest, sweetest, funniest people you could ever hope to meet and she graduated third in our class and it hurt her deeply that the only black kids that didn't taunt her were themselves considered "Oreos" (god I hate that term). Not everyone in GA follows the stereotypes, but it is getting harder to find those that don't.
For the most part, this conversation is about issues that get traction only when describing "groups" of people. Prejudicial stereotypes only function at a group level. Once the focus is fine tuned to the level of the individual, prejudicial stereotypes fall apart. That is not very functional at the level we live our lives.
Life is lived at the individual level, person to person... not person to group.
The most FUNCTIONAL question about racisim regarding a new home is, "Will I be safe?".... not "Will people like me?" or "What will people think of me?"
I think safety in Georgia, or about ANYWHERE in the US, is about 99.99999% guaranteed these days, unless you are so stupid or unlucky as to find yourself in the rather rare groups of racial extremists; a black ghetto gang or maybe a white supremesist beer bust. You could get hit by a car much easier than that. Unless you worry a lot about being hit by lightning - this probably isn't worth your time.
Whether people like you or not depends on how you interact with them - on an individual basis. We are ALL - basically nice. If I want you to like me, I need to get over myself and quit wasting my time imagining reasons you shouldn't.
Well I think if you are a kind person, you can fit in anywhere. There are people who come from other places, and complain about everything, then wonder why they aren't welcomed with open arms.
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Not another Racist Hunter...
