Is LA in danger of losing all of it's African American communites? (Los Angeles: home, neighborhoods)

[Shizzles]

Being something of a statistics nerd, I was combing over the recent 2010 census and what is striking is since 1980 LA's Black population as been plummeting. True, AA's have been moving back south is large numbers from all areas of the country like CHI, DET and NY, but LA's loss of Black population by proportion has been pretty steep.

Now, granted, I'm sure there's many complex reasons for it and Southern California's history of race relations has been...well...spotty...but as someone curious about history and demographics, could someone explain the reasons for the exodus and weither or not it may ever turn around?

[Mike121]

I'm thinking that the trend will continue. There are lots of reasons.

First, there are the reasons that affect all 2nd and 3rd gen Angelenos of any race. Property is expensive here and jobs can be hard to come by. The schools aren't so good. A lot of people of any race have bailed on LA. Plus if you own a home here, you can sell it and buy a bigger home almost anywhere else.

But there are specific reasons for Blacks as well.

Part of it is the fact that you don't need to live in a ghetto anymore. A lot of the groups in LA that needed to band together -- blacks, Japanese, Koreans, gays -- aren't getting the same level of prejudice that they used to so they can live in mixed neighborhoods. A lot of blacks have moved to the suburbs or the Inland Empire.

Part of it is that some of the blacks that lived here didn't ever really feel that their soul was here. A lot of people came to the west coast just for jobs because jobs back East or in the South were hard to come by, but, after a couple of decades, they missed their home, or their parent's home.

Part of it is the mixture of easy availability of abortion and birth control along with black men and women delaying marriage. The birth rate for blacks (and whites, too) is way lower than latinos.

Part of it is the black vs Mexican problem. There are places that were mostly black that are now black and Latino, and in some places there have been so much racial tension that blacks have just left to avoid the grief.

Another thing, I guess, is the rise of China and the death of manufacturing jobs in LA. Blacks formed a huge part of the skilled manufacturing labor force: airplanes, cars, tires, and a thousand other things. When all those jobs went to China, blacks were disproportionately hammered.

Finally there is good old-fashioned racism.

[mayorhaggar]

Ride the blue line any day and you'll see the black community is still going strong.

[Mike121]

Originally Posted by mayorhaggar

Ride the blue line any day and you'll see the black community is still going strong.

It may seem that way, but, the number of blacks in LA has gone down quite a bit between the 2000 and the 2010 census.

[Chicano3000X]

There's blacks moving into my neighborhood. Use to be predominantly latino. After the raids, OUR numbers dropped. Next thing we know, our neighbor behind us is black. So is the one across the street. And a few other spots.

As a latino, aka a Mexican. Spending half my teen years and very early 20's in Chicago, I saw more unity there, and gained friendship with other types of latinos and blacks. Comming back, it's a different world. I hate the prejudice of my people, and especially of my family, even if it's not hatred but simply believing we should be separate.

I feel bad that it has to be like this. I feel like a family of bad neighbors and caused the family next door to move out. Makes me feel ashamed.

[West of Encino]

To some degree, yes. I can tell you the causes: white gentrification, lack of jobs interested in hiring, browns moving into black neighborhoods, jobs being picky and having high qualifications, and many years of gang violence.

[Fontucky]

Most all of the neighborhoods they're leaving were white when I was young. It's called churn, and few 'hoods escape it.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Yes. Just like what has happened up here in the Bay.

[Mr. Opinionated]

Originally Posted by Chicano3000X

There's blacks moving into my neighborhood. Use to be predominantly latino. ...I hate the prejudice of my people, and especially of my family, even if it's not hatred but simply believing we should be separate. ...I feel bad that it has to be like this. Makes me feel ashamed.

Thats the way I felt after growing up in South Central in the early 1980's.
We had no disdain for the influx of Mexican immigrants. But felt that they may have been convinced that Afro-Americans, already living in their new neighborhood were not to be greeted, trusted nor dealt with. And many blacks still reflect the same percieved ostracism in return. Not good relations.

Im not sure if this same separatist tradition is responsible for the animosity between blacks and Mex-Americans in Southern California.
But it is very apparent. Kind of sad when the two groups share so many similar experiences in this country...

Originally Posted by West of Encino

I can tell you the causes: White gentrification, lack of jobs interested in hiring, browns moving into black neighborhoods, jobs being picky and having high qualifications, and (the departure of) gang violence.

I edited the last sentence that read "many years of gang violence" because I disagree. I dont think that gang violence in itself, has had any significant result on the diminishing Afro American community in Los Angeles. Yes gangs have contributed many deaths in Los Angeles. But I think along with many others who felt that their hometown turned away from them and chose to favor the large numbers of immigrants instead, moved away to areas north and east.

[Old Skool Florida]

california has very few blacks , NW seattle are very few also . the sought has tons of blacks .. only reason u see any blacks today in SOCAL is because of the 2nd great migration . this happened from 1960 - 1985 or abouts . today , ameican blacks where we live here SO FLA , they are leaving driving north . why ? because haitians take their jobs and work for less . the blacks i know have a deep disdain for haitins .