African American thinks there are not enough of his people in Western Fairfax (Woodbridge: real estate, neighborhood)
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Socioeconomics and probably longstanding stereotypes/perceptions. Lots of folks still think of Virginia as bigoted, which I haven't seen around me personally in NoVA, but Richmond's role in the Confederacy doesn't help those perceptions.
According to the census the black population of the State of VA is 19.8% but the cities in western Fairfax have very few Black people. Burke 6.4%, Clifton 3.6%, Centerville 7.5%, and Fairfax City 4.7%. If I were black I would wonder why too?
And there are cities/ towns that have a much higher percentage of black people that the state average. Danville 48.3%, Richmond 50.6%, Emporia 62.5%. The question could be asked both ways.
I think Middlin and Tone's answers together answer the question.
I moved here two years ago for a job in the Dulles area. Having come to the DC area many times before and having a best friend from Reston, I was very familiar with the demographics of that area and western Fairfax.
Now, I've lived in Austin, Houston, Los Angeles and Hampton Roads prior to moving to Arlington. In living all of those places, I've ranged from living around mostly black people in Hampton, mostly white people in Austin, and diverse areas in Houston and LA. Having had these experiences, I've found that I don't mind living in neighborhoods of any of the above compositions, but I do like for there to be black people around to some degree. When I first moved here, I stayed with a friend in Reston and found it to not quite have the cultural mix that I was most comfortable with. I think I made a good choice to move to Arlington - I thought it was a nice community with a good mix of folks from all over the place.
That was, until I got tired of driving to Dulles everyday. Now, I'm moving to Tysons; in the DC area, logistics trumps cultural preferences. I'll take a 15 minute drive over a 40 minute one any day.
Anecdotally, I think black workers around here from my generation (under 30), with all other factors being equal, generally prefer DC and Maryland over Nova. They're perceived as more liberal, more lively, more black-friendly etc. Personally, I like Northern Va just fine - mainly because as a native Texan, Maryland and DC tax rates and speed cameras make my eyes pop out of my head. And for those taxes, the schools aren't great either. But I also work 30 miles from DC - if I worked in DC I'd probably be more open to living there or Maryland. But those taxes and schools...
It's a demographic fact that, overall, whites and Asians far exceed blacks in income, education and wealth. For that reason alone, one is much less likely to find black residents in high-cost living areas than the national percentages would warrant. There is no conspiracy.
The black folks who do live in this area tend to be like others -- generally of high education and income.
I had two black neighbors in my old neighborhood in Ashburn. One was a physician and the other one was an IT executive.
Anecdotally, I think black workers around here from my generation (under 30), with all other factors being equal, generally prefer DC and Maryland over Nova. They're perceived as more liberal, more lively, more black-friendly etc.
I am sure that's probably true, but there is MD and then there is MD. The percentage of blacks in Chevy Chase, MD is ONE PERCENT. I think economics is the main variable here, more than anything else.
I was talking to a friend who happened to be Black about his plan to relocate. I mentioned that Clifton and Centerville were nice towns that were an easy drive to our offices in Fairfax. He dismissed them immediately as too White.
This made me think about the people I see near my home in the Western side of Fairfax County. My friend is right, there are very few black people in this side of the county. But in the 21 Century should this make any difference to him? Why is there so many Black people in Eastern Fairfax along the Route One area and so few in places like Centerville? If you were or are Black would the low percentage of fellow African Americans make any difference to you?
Illogical, Mr. Spock. Fairfax is much more diverse than the surrounding jurisdictions-
I was talking to a friend who happened to be Black about his plan to relocate. I mentioned that Clifton and Centerville were nice towns that were an easy drive to our offices in Fairfax. He dismissed them immediately as too White.
This made me think about the people I see near my home in the Western side of Fairfax County. My friend is right, there are very few black people in this side of the county. But in the 21 Century should this make any difference to him? Why is there so many Black people in Eastern Fairfax along the Route One area and so few in places like Centerville? If you were or are Black would the low percentage of fellow African Americans make any difference to you?
I am black and I am very familiar with that area as I used to work in Chantilly for two years. I can tell you, that the times that my wife was with me, she loved that area too, but I refused to live there simply because of the statistics. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those black people that have to live in a black neighborhood, but I am also not going to be what I like to call, a pioneer. To me, racial enclaves breed ignorance (this apply to PG County too in the predominantly black parts). When people aren't around other cultures, they form their opinions on stereotypes or the limited experiences that they have had with that race. I'm not saying that this will always be the case, but when you have kids like I do, you have to think about how damaging an experience that can be, if the worse case does happen. I love to be around different races and backgrounds, so that they understand that the world is a very diverse and their understanding of people with different backgrounds will help them when they get older. That certainly hurts the area, but overall Clifton and Centreville are nice places. Perhaps there will be some who are comfortable with taking that risk, but I'm certainly not one and I can definitely your friend's perspective, especially if he has kids.
I am sure that's probably true, but there is MD and then there is MD. The percentage of blacks in Chevy Chase, MD is ONE PERCENT. I think economics is the main variable here, more than anything else.
I don't doubt that economics play a major role, but I think that there are other factors to consider. I think that people who have been affected by discrimination or had other bad experiences often have long memories. A previous poster noted that some people may consider some Virginians bigoted even though he/she doesn't see evidence of it today. I think that observation is true. Let's remember that the Commonwealth of Virginia created "massive resistance" to school desegregation in 1956. I know that times have changed, but even relatively liberal Fairfax didn't fully integrate its schools until 1965. I can see how memories of the hate and vitriol that spewed from politicians in much of Virginia and their insistence on shutting down some school systems for years rather than integrate would linger.
BTW, census data indicates that the percentage of blacks in Chevy Chase is at least 3.9%, not one percent. I suspect that if you compare similar high-end economic areas in Montgomery County and similar places in Virginia, like Fairfax County, you'll pretty consistently find a higher percentage of African Americans in Montgomery County. I really don't think that Northern Virginia is characterized by racism today, but I can see how memories can linger and old housing patterns can still have an effect many years down the road.
I am black and I am very familiar with that area as I used to work in Chantilly for two years. I can tell you, that the times that my wife was with me, she loved that area too, but I refused to live there simply because of the statistics. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those black people that have to live in a black neighborhood, but I am also not going to be what I like to call, a pioneer. To me, racial enclaves breed ignorance (this apply to PG County too in the predominantly black parts). When people aren't around other cultures, they form their opinions on stereotypes or the limited experiences that they have had with that race. I'm not saying that this will always be the case, but when you have kids like I do, you have to think about how damaging an experience that can be, if the worse case does happen. I love to be around different races and backgrounds, so that they understand that the world is a very diverse and their understanding of people with different backgrounds will help them when they get older. That certainly hurts the area, but overall Clifton and Centreville are nice places. Perhaps there will be some who are comfortable with taking that risk, but I'm certainly not one and I can definitely your friend's perspective, especially if he has kids.
What risk are you talking about? That your children would not be exposed to people of different cultures and ethnic origin in western Fairfax County? Surely you know it is one of the most diverse areas in the country. This isn't 1965. You would hardly be a "pioneer" in western Fairfax, no matter what your ethnicity.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RamblingMan
I don't doubt that economics play a major role, but I think that there are other factors to consider. I think that people who have been affected by discrimination or had other bad experiences often have long memories. A previous poster noted that some people may consider some Virginians bigoted even though he/she doesn't see evidence of it today. I think that observation is true. Let's remember that the Commonwealth of Virginia created "massive resistance" to school desegregation in 1956. I know that times have changed, but even relatively liberal Fairfax didn't fully integrate its schools until 1965. I can see how memories of the hate and vitriol that spewed from politicians in much of Virginia and their insistence on shutting down some school systems for years rather than integrate would linger.
BTW, census data indicates that the percentage of blacks in Chevy Chase is at least 3.9%, not one percent. I suspect that if you compare similar high-end economic areas in Montgomery County and similar places in Virginia, like Fairfax County, you'll pretty consistently find a higher percentage of African Americans in Montgomery County. I really don't think that Northern Virginia is characterized by racism today, but I can see how memories can linger and old housing patterns can still have an effect many years down the road.
Is that why there has been a massive influx of Asians and Hispanics into NoVA? Because things were so peachy for them here in 1956 and 1965? Because those groups never experienced discrimination?
From the same page, one can see that the estimated median family income there was over $205,000 in 2009. Also, over 88% of residents and 62% had bachelor's+ and graduate degrees+, respectively. Since blacks on average have very low educational attainment (I believe fewer than 20% have college degrees, let alone graduate degrees) and the lowest median family income among the major ethnic groups (a little above $32,000 per family), they aren't going to be found in large numbers in places like Chevy Chase, despite it's location in supposedly black-friendly Maryland.
Fairfax and Loudoun are the two counties with the highest median family income in the country. This region as a whole has the population with the highest education attainment nationally. It's demographically unlikely there would be the national average percentage of blacks here. We don't need to go to unsubstantiated evidence or personal anecdotes about alleged residual racism or memories of racism in this area from nearly fifty years ago to find the cause.
Being that the national average is 13% African American, the metro average is 25%, and state average is 19%, I think that area's amount of black people is abnormal. Too white? Though I wouldn't think of it that way (and is kind of offensive) is not a unfounded statement.
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