Why the lack of African Americans (Fredericksburg, Washington: transfer, buy, living)

[IndiaLimaDelta]

Originally Posted by terrence81

My hometown just became a majority minoirity town and I believe the metropolitan area stands at 40% black. Growing up I always thought that's how the whole country works half black half white with a handful of other ethnicities. I remember being in the third and having my first Asian classmate. She was an oddity and it was an effort not to stare throughout the first few weeks of school. What a difference a couple decades and several hundred miles makes.

If you judged based on the mainstream media, you'd still think this country is black and white with a few Hispanics.

And some "advocates" of civil rights seem pretty intent on maintaining that impression.

I happen to have immigrated to this country and I find all this obsession with shades of skin tone and facial features here odd, to say the least. The funny thing is that frequently those who decry "racism" seem the most obsessed with all things race. It's like they are so invested in the prevalence of racism that they can't live without it.

And I find this desire to live next to people who share some sort of skin tone or imagined genetic propinquity baffling. My children are "mixed" and I rather like the looks of them (and so do most people around here who meet them) and the fact that they are multilingual.

[VRE332]

Originally Posted by IndiaLimaDelta

If you judged based on the mainstream media, you'd still think this country is black and white with a few Hispanics.

And some "advocates" of civil rights seem pretty intent on maintaining that impression.

I happen to have immigrated to this country and I find all this obsession with shades of skin tone and facial features here odd, to say the least. The funny thing is that frequently those who decry "racism" seem the most obsessed with all things race. It's like they are so invested in the prevalence of racism that they can't live without it.

And I find this desire to live next to people who share some sort of skin tone or imagined genetic propinquity baffling. My children are "mixed" and I rather like the looks of them (and so do most people around here who meet them) and the fact that they are multilingual.

Wait a second, you're from India. They're social system based on caste is more bizarre than ours.

[terrence81]

Originally Posted by IndiaLimaDelta

If you judged based on the mainstream media, you'd still think this country is black and white with a few Hispanics.

And some "advocates" of civil rights seem pretty intent on maintaining that impression.

I happen to have immigrated to this country and I find all this obsession with shades of skin tone and facial features here odd, to say the least. The funny thing is that frequently those who decry "racism" seem the most obsessed with all things race. It's like they are so invested in the prevalence of racism that they can't live without it.

And I find this desire to live next to people who share some sort of skin tone or imagined genetic propinquity baffling. My children are "mixed" and I rather like the looks of them (and so do most people around here who meet them) and the fact that they are multilingual.

I think part of it has to do with the history of racism in the country as to why people hem and haw so much about it. I'm guilty of it too.

[Deeman804]

Originally Posted by guilliam

African Americans are only about 11-12% of the population. So...the question isn't why aren't there many in NOVA (there are easily 11-13%), it's why so many in DC?

Slavery. Just about all major cities in slave states (VA and MD) have large black populations. Having a black population that is on the national average is in this area IS below the norm.

[IndiaLimaDelta]

Originally Posted by VRE332

Wait a second, you're from India. They're social system based on caste is more bizarre than ours.

I am not from India. My handle is made up of NATO alphabet.

And, yes, I find the Indian caste system abhorrent. I always find it amusing, though, that some of my Indian acquaintances decry the caste system, but also insistently affirm that they too are, indeed, Brahmins.

[IndiaLimaDelta]

Originally Posted by terrence81

I think part of it has to do with the history of racism in the country as to why people hem and haw so much about it. I'm guilty of it too.

You don't think there is (was) racism in other parts of the world?

[terrence81]

Originally Posted by IndiaLimaDelta

You don't think there is (was) racism in other parts of the world?

I never implied that there wasn't racism in other parts of the world. Although it has a longer and richer history in the US because other countries until recently have been homogenous while the US was multi-racial from the start. Now I know other countries like Brazil are multi-racial.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by terrence81

Well Arlington is gentrifying a lot of African Americans out of Arlington. I do believe the black population in Arlington actually went down as Arlington has gotten more and more expensive. When I think Asian American I think Centreville and Burke. When I think north Arlington I think white white and white. When I think south Arlington I think Hispanic black and white.

There were some black novels but they was no section dedicated to African Americans. My mom loves black romance novels.

I have been scoping out transitional areas of DC lately. I have actually seen quite a few asians there. They are mostly young, appear to be college educated professionals, and live in the same areas that other recent grads do. When we think of Asians, are we thinking of asian neighborhoods with ethnic flavor, or we thinking of more or less assimilated individuals who happen to be asian? (obviously the same question can be asked relatively to the even generally less visible young black college grads, etc)

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by terrence81

I never implied that there wasn't racism in other parts of the world. Although it has a longer and richer history in the US because other countries until recently have been homogenous while the US was multi-racial from the start. Now I know other countries like Brazil are multi-racial.

I believe there is still racism in the US, as well as differences in wealth and contacts that are legacies of past racism. I think its great that many african americans are able to overcome that, and its great thay so many immigrants are able to overcome the real obstacles they face. I would be very distressed if the obstacles were so great that few or none could overcome them. That many overcome them, does not mean the obstacles are not real.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by terrence81

Interesting thread for sure.

From my perspective Northern Virginia is pretty darn white especially for me coming from one of the blackest metropolitan areas in the country. My hometown just became a majority minoirity town and I believe the metropolitan area stands at 40% black. Growing up I always thought that's how the whole country works half black half white with a handful of other ethnicities. I remember being in the third and having my first Asian classmate. She was an oddity and it was an effort not to stare throughout the first few weeks of school. What a difference a couple decades and several hundred miles makes. .

when I grew up most of the kids thought the country was at LEAST one quarter Jewish, the rest mostly Catholic, with a few blacks, and maybe the occasional exotic white Protestant. And that the largest trend among the Jews was Orthodox. Ah, childhood.