New to the area/"Black" people in Minneapolis/Pick-up Basketball Game (Rice: high school, live in)

[Skiluminati]

Wow, thanks everyone for responding! :-) I rarely post anything online and I honestly didn't even expect anyone to read this, once again thank you for taking the time to respond. Secondly, I've just come to realize that it's difficult to be new ANYWHERE....It's nothing to do with Minneapolis, or the demographics or anything..Its really tough to get connected when you didn't grow up and GO TO HIGH SCHOOL in a place. Yes, Glenfield I have read city-data posts regarding the Scandinavian culture and it being off-putting to some, but I don't think that is the case at all. Like I said it's nothing to do with the people of Minnesota or Scandinavia, it's just people in general. Like I said those formative years are more important than people think and EVERYONE tends to have stronger ties to the people that they grew up with. I come from a smaller city in Michigan which is why my wife and I decided to pursue opportunities elsewhere, but back where I'm from the people do the same exact thing that the people in this area get accused of. I've read numerous city-data posts regarding the people of Minnesota being "cliquish" and Minnesota nice being code for passive aggressive, but once I again I don't think that--that is the case. People are people, human nature is something we all succumb to. It's difficult being new ANYWHERE....

[Skiluminati]

Another problem, well not problem, but a fact of Minneapolis is that this place is sooooo expansive...I mean I've glanced at a few responses and people are like well I live in the "north metro" I live in the "south metro" etc etc...It's tough to get that community feel that I'm looking for when everything and everyONE especially all lives soooo far apart from one another....Once again this is a very interesting area, I've been to a few places and MPLS is very unique...Unique is good though, I just have to adjust.

[Skiluminati]

My initial response was more of a hodgepodge of various things on my mind at the moment...I just posted the thing about the Somalians because their presence is obvious here, and as far as the Chicago presence I just found it funny because every time I'm on the train, or bus, or walking downtown every single black person you meet will be from the south-side of Chicago. It's just far-out to me that's all. I recently bumped into this random guy and he started hitting me with all of this Chicago lingo, and asked me what gang I was a part of? I'm like dude I'm from MICHIGAN, I have no idea what your talking about and besides I thought you left Chicago to get AWAY from all that non-sense. But anyway that's another topic for another thread..lol And finally, it's much easier to get a feel for a city from someone who actually KNOWS the city...lol It's tough to learn the actual history of an area from a Somali person or a transplant in general you know? But yeah to answer your question it's not that I "don't like" certain groups its just the cultures are so different. I personally know I probably wouldn't survive in the South Side, and I don't speak Somali so we all are just coming from different worlds...lol

[Skiluminati]

Originally Posted by Min-Chi-Cbus

There's at least a quarter million black (African American or African) people in the Twin Cities, and probably more.....I'm sure you can find something. It's not quite as segregated as IL, MI, OH, IN and there aren't many all-black nabes, but I'm sure you can find an all African-American pick-up game somewhere if that's your goal.

It'd probably help to know where you live and where you've been searching (e.g. if you live in Edina and stick to the SW side of the metro you may have trouble finding what you're looking for, but even in Edina there are a few places where mostly black people play pick-up ball all summer long).

Are you looking to meet native black folks, or do you just not like black folks from Chicago, Gary or Mogadishu? This is an odd problem to have, but it sounds like it's not unique to just you. To me it sounds like your issue is about the non-blackness (African Americans) of the metro area and your difficulty relating to people here, and you are just trying to get by until you can go back to what you are comfortable with. There's nothing wrong with that, but what exactly can we help you with if you're not trying to create a race thread but the lack of a certain demographic is giving you and your wife major issues?

Thanks for responding! Basically my original post was a hodgepodge of many thoughts that I had going through my head at the moment. To answer your first question, I live near Dinkytown in the University of Minnesota Family housing as my wife is in Grad School there. I go to Van Cleve sometimes, but usually I just go to the YWCA Midtown because I have a membership there.

Secondly about the black thing, it's not that I "DON'T LIKE" people from Chicago or Somalia, it's just we have different cultures is all. It's also easier getting a feel for a city and learning the history from people who actually are from here you know? I remember when I first moved here a year ago to date virtually without knowing ANYTHING about the area, I ran into a guy on the bus and asked him a question and he started speaking Somali, THAT caught me off guard. There was another time when I was on the train listening to these two guys talk about how they were both from "the city" (Chicago) and how they miss the South-Side blah blah blah..I hear that all the time, and I'm thinking well why did you come here if you love Chicago so much? I hear those conversations ALL the time by the way but that's another story.

Then there was a time when I'm waiting on the bus in front of the DT library and this guy walks up to me and we start talking and he later tells me what gang affiliation he has in "the city" once again, and he wanted to know what I "represented" I replied "dude I'm from MICHIGAN, I don't know anything about what you're talking about, and besides I thought you left Chicago to get AWAY from stuff like that?..lol I can go on and on with stories like this, but basically my whole point was that its not just the Scandinavians who operate the way they do, it's everyone who cliques themselves off like that. The Somali's have a built-in community and there is definitely a level of comradery that exists between the numerous people here from Chicago. Like I said, people may LOOK the same, but culturally we are all very different. I personally don't think I'd survive in the South-Side, and I'm not trying to move there to find out, but that's just me. It doesn't even matter to me anymore anyway, We're just here for school. One more year.

[Skiluminati]

Originally Posted by makes no sense at all

If you look at the last census, Hennepin county gained 36,000 black residents from 2000-2010. 10,000 were Somali immigrants. The traditionally black areas of Minneapolis all lost black population, especially South Minneapolis. However, Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center turned majority black. The non-somali black community in Minnesota basically moved to the suburbs.

As far as basketball goes, it's all indoors now.

Thanks for the response, it's helpful.

[Skiluminati]

Originally Posted by polo_golf_guy

Sorry to hear the struggles to meet up with cats for a gamr. I don't hoop but can relate to the struggle to meet people.

Yes, it can be tough. Especially if you didn't spend those formative years here...Middle School-High School...

[Atalanta]

I understand wanting to relate and hang with someone of same culture.

But dang, if a person of "white" skin came on and asked about hanging with someone from same culture, I'd bet there would be a whole lot of slamin going on.
And not the basketball kind of slamin

[Ghengis]

Originally Posted by Atalanta

I understand wanting to relate and hang with someone of same culture.

But dang, if a person of "white" skin came on and asked about hanging with someone from same culture, I'd bet there would be a whole lot of slamin going on.
And not the basketball kind of slamin

ha ha ha, you tried to make a joke

[Min-Chi-Cbus]

I think I see your point of view. I'm from MSP originally and have moved about for school and work, among other things, and I don't exactly bump into a lot of MN's along the way, and even less so MN's from Minneapolis. So in Cleveland almost everybody is from here and was born and raised here, and I obviously can't relate. The only people from MN that I've met were Vikings fans watching the game at the bar, which is my advice to you as well: go to Lions bars and meet people from Michigan -- black, white, or whatever.

[Min-Chi-Cbus]

As for where you live and your experiences, Dinkytown and the University of MN is a stereotypical white, suburban and local enclave. It's a "hip" neighborhood, not unlike Wrigleyville in Chicago or most of Brooklyn, NY (half-joking). It is nowhere near semi-black neighborhoods in the city, so likewise you probably won't run into as many local or otherwise African Americans at the local basketball court. You'd probably have better success leaving the U of M area and going almost anywhere else. As for the Chicago connection it is very real, but also a tired stereotype ("damn Chicago thugs coming to MN for handouts", you'll often hear), so there's a bit of a raw nerve there for some. There's also a sizable Detroit contingent here (at least, so I've heard) but I couldn't tell you how many Grand Rapid'ians (SP!) may or may not be here. I know MSP is sort of atypical for Midwestern cities in that it doesn't have as long or deep of an African American history as most of the rest of the Midwest. Much of the existing population is relatively new and not from here, which is what you're finding out anecdotally, and also why you might hear people pining for "the city" or wherever they came from, if they're new here like you are and not 100% adjusted to the different aspects of different cities.