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I see the double standard; I just don't think racism is OK, and having worked with many Indian and Chinese nationals...Indians being the ones most prone to ask where to find other Indians in my experience...I've found both groups overall to be more racially biased than other groups. There are exceptions to every rule, don't get me wrong...but it seems to me that even otherwise well-assimilated Indians only socialize with other Indians and strongly prefer to live in communities with a strong/large Indian population. These are just personal observations, mind you.
I've seen people point the finger at Dallas's Jewish community, particularly Orthodox groups, for congregating in certain areas; people think it's racist. However, for very observant Jews, there is a practical reason for congregating together: they walk to temple on Saturdays, and since the entire family goes from babies to pregnant women to elderly people, it is far easier on them if they live within a mile or two of the temple instead of across town since they would have to walk there in order to attend. For some it's a health issue too; if you're wearing heavy clothing (which many do) and head coverings (which many do), it's dangerous to walk more than a couple of miles in 100+ degree heat. I was raised Conservative by Conservative parents. I now align with the Reform movement, whereas my parents have drifted towards Modern Orthodox and are now quite observant. They walk to temple on Saturdays, and my mother is a mobility-impaired stroke patient. She uses a scooter with a Shabbat module. No joke.
Now if an ethnic group was entirely dependent on traveling by foot in order to attend religious services, that would be different. I wouldn't think wanting to congregate together was racist. However, this is not the case for the overwhelming majority of groups in this country.
And I'm not saying that there isn't racism among Jewish people either. There is. Some Orthodox communities are so insular that they do not even speak to outsiders unless it's absolutely necessary. They even have their own private security and do not rely on local police. However, these groups are very extreme and constitute a tiny minority of Orthodox Jews in America, and the Orthodox are the smallest group of American Jews...so they're a tiny minority within a minority within a minority.
During WWII my father worked in Worcester, Mass which, like Rome, has seven hills. Each hill had an ethnic group. Those people all lived there by choice. Nobody assigned them to their neighborhoods. There were Swedes, Irish, Armenians, Greeks, Italians, Syrians (with Lebanese) and "Negroes". That's what they were called in 1942. Even their ball teams were in that league. Times and populations change. I never knew of a Hispanic neighborhood there in the 1940s.
We came home to Maine where over 95% of the population is white with English as a first language. We didn't come home because of any racial choice. We came home because it was home.
Possibly a perdon asking to live in a certain cultural community is just desiring yo be with people that are common to his life style.
In am not being racist as I would not want to be the only gringo in a mexican or Latin communist or Trinidadian or Russian or Chinese community. This I believe is not racist, just being comfortable.
It's racist because white isn't an ethnicity or a national origin, it's a skin color. An Italian or a Russian, for example, wanting to move to a neighborhood with lots of Italian or Russians isn't going to be looked at askance more than a Somali or whatever doing the same. It's normal to want to blend in a bit, and to want to hear your language, eat your food, etc. If someone said they wanted to live in a neighborhood with only brown people that'd be more equivalent to the OP and about equally dumb.
I see the double standard; I just don't think racism is OK, and having worked with many Indian and Chinese nationals...Indians being the ones most prone to ask where to find other Indians in my experience...I've found both groups overall to be more racially biased than other groups. There are exceptions to every rule, don't get me wrong...but it seems to me that even otherwise well-assimilated Indians only socialize with other Indians and strongly prefer to live in communities with a strong/large Indian population. These are just personal observations, mind you.
I've seen people point the finger at Dallas's Jewish community, particularly Orthodox groups, for congregating in certain areas; people think it's racist. However, for very observant Jews, there is a practical reason for congregating together: they walk to temple on Saturdays, and since the entire family goes from babies to pregnant women to elderly people, it is far easier on them if they live within a mile or two of the temple instead of across town since they would have to walk there in order to attend. For some it's a health issue too; if you're wearing heavy clothing (which many do) and head coverings (which many do), it's dangerous to walk more than a couple of miles in 100+ degree heat. I was raised Conservative by Conservative parents. I now align with the Reform movement, whereas my parents have drifted towards Modern Orthodox and are now quite observant. They walk to temple on Saturdays, and my mother is a mobility-impaired stroke patient. She uses a scooter with a Shabbat module. No joke.
Are you seriously not seeing the similarity between practicing Hindus and Jews in that regard? Or do you not know enough about Hinduism to understand?
Why is it that if a white person says "I'm moving to Y, please suggest an area with mostly or all WHITE people," people assume they're racist (which they almost certainly are), but when someone posts asking about apartments with "decent <insert immigrant group here> community," nobody calls them out for being racist?
Being an immigrant is not racially-loaded. I'm an immigrant from Eastern Europe (and yes, I'm white). To express a desire to live in a neighborhood with high concentration of fellow immigrants from my native region is a lifestyle preference. I'd like to be able to have casual conversations in my native language, to patronize grocery stores selling food that reminds me of my childhood, to go to poetry readings in my native language, and so forth.
Asking about an apartment complex heavily populated by the targeted immigrant group is like asking about a place where there are lots of chess players, or guys who work on classic cars. I like to play chess, and I'd enjoy being around lots of people who also play chess. If real-estate web sites had a feature to search for high concentration of chess-player households, that would affect my decision of where to move. It's the same with immigrants.
It's all in the intent and thought process. Immigrants / minorities feel more comfortable with their kind and typically have no ill-feelings towards caucasians. If they do, it's something to the effect of feeling like they'll be discriminated against. If they truly hated whites or want nothing to do with them, they made a really poor decision moving here.
As a licensed real estate broker, if someone asks that question, my first response is that I cannot show you homes based on race, religion, etc. Absolutely violates all sorts of laws and regulations.
If you ask for homes in proximity to the Jewish CC, First Baptist Church, Mormon Temple, Lakewood neighborhood, etc without discussing religious or racial characteristics you are asking about homes in a specific market referencing a physical location. Totally acceptable.
As with any purchase, research is necessary. You have to know up front where you believe you will fit in, be it political, racial, religious, etc. The problems can be from your own prejudices and expectations, or from the nature of the area.
So, do your research using census data, crime maps, etc and decide where you think you would like to live based on your desires, financial capabilities, what you want in a neighborhood, etc. just don't ask an agent to show you homes, apartments, etc on the basis of racial characteristics, religion, etc.
I appologize for my post #26--it was unnecessarily harsh.
Hinduism shares with the more orthodox measures of Judaism and Islam the characterisitic that it's more easily practiced in community. Dietary practices, clothing practices, social intercourse and such are done more easily in a Hindu community.
Last edited by Ralph_Kirk; 05-12-2014 at 07:03 AM..
I didn't know where else to put this and I am NOT trying to start a flame war or anything...this is an honest question. Please respond respectfully.
Why is it that if a white person says "I'm moving to Y, please suggest an area with mostly or all WHITE people," people assume they're racist (which they almost certainly are), but when someone posts asking about apartments with "decent <insert immigrant group here> community," nobody calls them out for being racist?
I say this as a Jewish woman who enjoys her diverse community.
While I think it is discriminatory both ways, the double standard stems from the history of White housing segregation.
Housing segregation prevented minorities from relocating into areas with better (funded) school systems, lower crime, more public services, and a higher overall quality of life. This is still true today in much of the Midwest and Northeast. Minorities are often segregated off into wards / districts / neighborhoods with inferior services to predominately white, affluent suburbs. It is less of a racial problem today and more socioeconomical but the disparities exist and are easily noticeable.
The reason why it could be perceived as racist is basically due to the history of housing segregation.
"You <insert minoritiy group> can have all your rights, but I still don't want to live near you." That will never be a problem in reverse if a minority says that about whites moving into a predominately "ethnic" neighborhood.
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