MA real estate and race (Boston, Cambridge: 2015, to live, internships)

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

One thing, I had the experience of working with mostly black people. There was a great difference between the black Americans and the blacks from the Caribbean. The Caribbean blacks more or less looked down on the American blacks, their colleagues.

Why? The behavior. To be frank, the Caribbean blacks fit in better--they dressed appropriately, were soft spoken and polite, and, as one said, "I don't understand all this jive." (whatever that means.)

Obviously, this behavior comes from centuries of abuse. But still, they have to let it go! Just as any ethnic group eventually has to give up their culture and melt into American society, so do black people. Those black people who have given it up and are acting like anyone else, suffer due to those black people who carry on acting like thugs. Thus the stereotype.

Back to the woman in the story. I just don't think we have enough black people in this part of the country for her to find the right town. Many of the black people we do have are acting crazy and living in run down areas. The "nice" blacks must have a hard time finding other blacks like themselves.

Except for the single parent aspect, (and that happens to white women too!) this woman seems to have decided to adapt to mainstream culture and make a go of it. Good for her! But sad for her--we just haven't come that far in this part of the country that there are towns with decent, hard working black people like her. Also, hardly anything in the Boston area is affordable to anyone; that's working against her too.

This is so crazy. So much wrong here I don't know where to start.

Blacks should be soft spoken and polite, us African Americans are just so brutish.
My bad.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

This is so crazy. So much wrong here I don't know where to start.

Blacks should be soft spoken and polite, us African Americans are just so brutish.
My bad.

Yea, I didn't know where to start either... it screams "why don't you act more white and fit in"

[in_newengland]

Quote:
Originally Posted by in_newengland View Post
One thing, I had the experience of working with mostly black people. There was a great difference between the black Americans and the blacks from the Caribbean. The Caribbean blacks more or less looked down on the American blacks, their colleagues.

Why? The behavior. To be frank, the Caribbean blacks fit in better--they dressed appropriately, were soft spoken and polite, and, as one said, "I don't understand all this jive." (whatever that means.)

Obviously, this behavior comes from centuries of abuse. But still, they have to let it go! Just as any ethnic group eventually has to give up their culture and melt into American society, so do black people. Those black people who have given it up and are acting like anyone else, suffer due to those black people who carry on acting like thugs. Thus the stereotype.

Back to the woman in the story. I just don't think we have enough black people in this part of the country for her to find the right town. Many of the black people we do have are acting crazy and living in run down areas. The "nice" blacks must have a hard time finding other blacks like themselves.

Except for the single parent aspect, (and that happens to white women too!) this woman seems to have decided to adapt to mainstream culture and make a go of it. Good for her! But sad for her--we just haven't come that far in this part of the country that there are towns with decent, hard working black people like her. Also, hardly anything in the Boston area is affordable to anyone; that's working against her too.

--------------
This is so crazy. So much wrong here I don't know where to start.

Blacks should be soft spoken and polite, us African Americans are just so brutish.
My bad.

Sorry that you don't like it but that's what the Caribbean blacks told me. I don't know if it means being "more white" but it does mean assimilating just as everyone else has had to do. I think they were better role models for the students than the American black teacher who sat in a little room with the kids and told them to hate whites.

Everyone should be somewhat soft spoken and polite at work--at least at the kind of work we were doing, which was teaching--and at the type of jobs these kids were hoping to attain. We were teaching kids to succeed at life and in their future careers. Most of the black teachers and administrators were great but, the Caribbean blacks didn't know what to make of the teachers who spewed hatred and didn't give the kids a leg up when it came to expected behavior. Like it or not, people can't act whatever way they want to when they grow up and go on interviews and get jobs.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

Quote:
Originally Posted by in_newengland View Post
One thing, I had the experience of working with mostly black people. There was a great difference between the black Americans and the blacks from the Caribbean. The Caribbean blacks more or less looked down on the American blacks, their colleagues.

Why? The behavior. To be frank, the Caribbean blacks fit in better--they dressed appropriately, were soft spoken and polite, and, as one said, "I don't understand all this jive." (whatever that means.)

Obviously, this behavior comes from centuries of abuse. But still, they have to let it go! Just as any ethnic group eventually has to give up their culture and melt into American society, so do black people. Those black people who have given it up and are acting like anyone else, suffer due to those black people who carry on acting like thugs. Thus the stereotype.

Back to the woman in the story. I just don't think we have enough black people in this part of the country for her to find the right town. Many of the black people we do have are acting crazy and living in run down areas. The "nice" blacks must have a hard time finding other blacks like themselves.

Except for the single parent aspect, (and that happens to white women too!) this woman seems to have decided to adapt to mainstream culture and make a go of it. Good for her! But sad for her--we just haven't come that far in this part of the country that there are towns with decent, hard working black people like her. Also, hardly anything in the Boston area is affordable to anyone; that's working against her too.

--------------
This is so crazy. So much wrong here I don't know where to start.

Blacks should be soft spoken and polite, us African Americans are just so brutish.
My bad.

Sorry that you don't like it but that's what the Caribbean blacks told me. I don't know if it means being "more white" but it does mean assimilating just as everyone else has had to do. I think they were better role models for the students than the American black teacher who sat in a little room with the kids and told them to hate whites.

Everyone should be somewhat soft spoken and polite at work--at least at the kind of work we were doing, which was teaching--and at the type of jobs these kids were hoping to attain. We were teaching kids to succeed at life and in their future careers. Most of the black teachers and administrators were great but, the Caribbean blacks didn't know what to make of the teachers who spewed hatred and didn't give the kids a leg up when it came to expected behavior. Like it or not, people can't act whatever way they want to when they grow up and go on interviews and get jobs.

This is so funny, considering I am an African American teacher. Also just because Caribbean blacks told you it it doesn't make it true. Some of them will say the same thing to me. Doesnt mean I believe it or other African Americans around me believe it, we are, as always , an easy scapegoat. You realize that the majority of crimes etc committed in Boston are committed by 2nd generation Caribbean youths. I hope you do realize that the majority of blacks in the political and private business background around here are African-American.

Also, did you ask any American Blacks what they have to say, and furthermore this is just further proof to those who say whites enjoy seeing the social divisions among blacks and latinos that keep them from reaching their true potentials.

[CaseyB]

This conversation has drifted far afield from the original subject which was the article in the Boston Globe. I suggest you all get back on topic or the thread is going to be closed.

[telsacake]

Originally Posted by CaseyB

This conversation has drifted far afield from the original subject which was the article in the Boston Globe. I suggest you all get back on topic or the thread is going to be closed.

better to close it up.

[Aara5]

Having these kind of conversations about race is so much more important than most of the threads on here that stick to topic, much as I do love reading them.

[CaseyB]

Originally Posted by Aara5

Having these kind of conversations about race is so much more important than most of the threads on here that stick to topic, much as I do love reading them.

But "race" in a broad sense, generally isn't pertinent to a local message board. We have other forums where it belongs such as Politics & Other Controversies or Great Debates.

[GeePee]

If the goal is to hear both sides of the coin here I think everyone is acting pretty civil and calmly communicating their points. I wish we had stuck more on topic to the tune of Real Estate and class. Any topic that touches on points of race and class will no doubt get a little elevated, but i think it's important to get the view of the other side.

[Whatsnext75]

My question is where do black and Hispanic people with money in the boston area tend to live? Milton has an area that is mostly black near the mattapan line but i wouldn't necessarily say these people have a lot of money that live there. The homes run about 400k to 450k in the area

Could it be that there simply are not a whole lot of black/hispanic people/families with a lot of money in the boston area? From what i hear there are a lot of affluent black people in atlanta and other cities in the south. Maybe they dont stay in the boston area?